Amy A. Bartol

"Kricket Hollowell never wished upon stars. She was too busy hiding in plain sight, eluding Chicago's foster care system. As her eighteenth birthday approaches, she now eagerly anticipates the day she'll stop running and finally find her place in the world. That day comes when she meets a young Etharian soldier named Trey Allairis, who has been charged with coming to Earth to find Kricket and transport her to her true home. As danger draws close, he must protect her until she can wield the powers she cannot use on Earth ... and he soon realizes that counting a galaxy of stars would be easier than losing this extraordinary girl. Kyon knows the powerful depths of Kricket's gifts--gifts he'll control when he takes her for his tribe and leads the forces that will claim Ethar and destroy his enemies, starting with Trey Allairis. Now Kricket faces the most difficult choice of her life: whether to wage a battle for survival or a fight for love."--Back cover.

Under different stars

Tori Agnew

Am I the only one who made the mistake of reading this book before realizing that the sequels had not been released yet........ Can't... deal... with... waiting........

Elise Soper

Loved this read

This was a great read in all honesty and very unique which I loved. It was kind of hard to understand some of the things that were said because they were world building but they were explained really well.

Ali Dane

Yes. I did in fact start this book this morning and finished by the evening. I could not put it down. First of all, excellent world building. I love when a story leads right into the action and peppers in the character development and in this case cultural norms and language. I feel like I am now an expert in all things etharian. The author did an amazing job of introducing all of this amazing vocab and terminology without it dragging down the story and making it boring. If anything it added this extra intriguing layer that I found thoroughly entertaining. Anyone familiar with international travel knows the fun game of "I say, you say." and the dialogue and banter was just so honest and witty. which leads to my love of the three main male characters. won't mention names to prevent spoilers but I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the whole D-bag trend in YA novels right now. I'm not talking about grumpy rough around the edges characters. I'm talking real douchie guys that these girls just can't resist simply by virtue of sexual attraction alone despite the fact that he treats her like dirt. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BOOKS. Not one. Not two. But THREE of the male characters are decent (non) human beings. That are actually compassionate and courteous and have the ability to recognize the strength and valor of another person even if they are female and it totally surprises them. (hey they aren't perfect. every good character has to have their flaws) the romance in this book is great with all kinds of delicious twists and turns and will they won't they and can't you guys just get your ish together? But I honestly think even better than the romantic story arc is the greater story arc of friendship and devotion and doing what is right for the people you care about. There are some very compelling themes throughout the book dealing with feminism and personal choice and freedom. I have seen many authors failed attempts the kind of witty banter that was achieved in this book. It's the perfect mix of slang that isn't forced and cliche with their perfect amount of snark and comedic timing. Only complaint are a couple of forced lines that are just a bit dramatic and over the top but I will forgive it for being an otherwise TOP NOTCH read. I'm ready for the sequel. BAW-da-BAW!

Kristen

This was one of those cute little gems I wasn't expecting. I absolutely loved it. 

I loved Kricket. She was snarky and sarcastic, and she had a backbone as strong as I wish mine was. I also noticed that it seemed like men just liked to hit her. In the face. With the backs of their hands. And it ticked me off. But she always came up swinging, refusing to show fear and cower, and I loved that.

Also: Earth. Ethar. E ar th. E th ar. I see what you did there!

Overall, I found the storytelling to be great. The quality of the writing left something to be desired, but that doesn't really affect my opinion of the book. I understand with these lesser-known Kindle store titles, the quality won't be perfect.

It was a fun adventure, and I'll be starting the second book as soon as I get the chance.

Emma Myers

If i hear how extremely thin, platinum blonde or special the main character is again I can and will stab out my own eyeballs

Pamela Alvarado

In short: 
Good: Aliens. Hot guy. Wit. Hot Guy. Nice plot.
Bad: Too many aliens words too soon. Too perfect MC. 

Conclusion: I need the second book :3

Proper review to come soon.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

This is my first time reading a book by Amy A. Bartol, and I’m impressed! I highly enjoyed delving into this fantastic dystopian world filled with intrigue, romance, and action.

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything other than contemporary, but Under Different Stars reminded me of just how much I love the dystopian genre. And there’s also some fantasy and sci-fi too, which I love. I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d be reading about–the blurb didn’t really tell me much. And while it took a bit to get me hooked onto the story, once I did get hooked, I couldn’t stop reading. There’s never a dull moment in Under Different Stars, and the characters are all well written and very likable.

Kricket is just a girl who doesn’t have any parents and is waiting for the day until she turns 18 so she can finally not have to worry about being placed in a foster home. She’s a fairly normal girl… until the day she gets chased by two different sets of men–Trey and his soldiers, and Kyon and his soldiers. Both of them want to take her away from Earth, because it turns out that they’re not human–and neither is Kricket. Kricket manages to avoid them, but eventually she is taken by Trey, and they, along with Trey’s men Wayra and Jax, have to travel to the world of Ethar to get to the country of Rafe, where Kricket half belongs.

Kricket was originally born in Ethar, and she is half Alameeda and half Rafe. This new world Kricket is thrust into is confusing and overwhelming, with its different lingo and mannerisms, but Kricket never gives up in the face of adversary. She’s tough and smart and witty, and eventually, she wins over her kidnappers. Kricket and Trey become more comfortable with each other, and there is an underlying sense of tension between them.

It was so fascinating to read this book. I never knew what to expect. Kricket’s life is constantly in danger, and Kyon is one of the reasons why. Trey becomes her guardian and protector, and though he’s not allowed to fall in love with her, he can’t help it.

“He was telling us that your voice will give comfort when the night becomes its blackest,” he replies. “And I’ll protect that voice with my body, my mind, and my spirit… because without it, I’m alone in the dark.”

Trey is the sweetest! He’s fiercely protective of Kricket, and he’ll do anything to save her life. And in between people who want to use Kricket as a pawn and a war brewing between Rafe and Alameeda, Kricket needs all the protection she can get.

I had such a great time reading Under Different Stars. It was nothing like anything I’ve ever read, and I loved that. It’s intense and thrilling, and I’m incredibly excited for more of Kricket’s journey.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

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Ashlee

4.5

I picked this book up on a whim because I liked the cover and it continued to be recommended to me after finishing several other series. I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into, but I was really pleasantly surprised that I chose to read this. So surprised indeed that its made its way into my Top 5 favorite series.

While not quite urban fantasy, this story certainly starts out that way and I found the bit of realism to it very refreshing. Kricket is an interesting character with even more interesting abilities, some she is aware of and others she while soon come to learn of. She has been forced to grow up at an early age, which has hardened her into a self-reliant individual that doesn't let others pull a fast one on her. That is, until she finds herself kidnapped and taken through a portal to another world. A world she has more ties to than Earth itself.

Now, the other characters. There are two main male characters in this story, Trey and Kyon. The reluctant hero and the over zealous villain, essentially. Both have their own motives for their actions, some of which are not totally revealed until the final book. I really enjoyed both of these characters and found myself rooting for the scenes involving one (or both!) of them. Without revealing too much, Kricket has a penchant for being stuck between a rock and a hard place (of course) and usually Trey and/or Kyon are at the helm of it. 

The personalities of the other supporting characters differ greatly and really help to round out the cast of characters we see throughout this series. There were some characters I was certain I understood, only to have those theories thrown out the window and totally shocked by the direction the story took them. This was great though! 

Overall, I felt that this was a good start to a great series. It was a quick, but very mesmerizing story; I found myself hooked within the first couple of chapters. When someone is looking for a new Young/New Adult series to read, this is one of my top recommendations now!

Under different stars

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