Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Release Date – May 31, 2010
Publisher – HarperTeen
Pages - 496
My Rating- 9/10
ARC from HarperTeen and Net galley (thank you to both of them)


Here is the synopsis from GoodReads

How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

This is a YA debut author and the first in a 3 book series. Josephine Angelini’s writing style is easy to get used to, descriptive and refreshing. I am floored by the amount of planning that must have went into the background and mythology of this series.

When we first meet Helen she is so fully unaware of how special she is. The girl we first met was awkward, shy, and really sweet. Her father and her have a great relationship. They take care of each other and are there for each other. The Delos family moves to Nantucket and they are immediately big news as the island is basically a small town. Helen also changes. She becomes the type of heroine I adore. Strong, capable and someone who embraces what is in her. She is no damsel in distress.

Helen’s best friend Claire may have been my favourite part of the novel. She’s tiny, spunky, feisty and hilarious. I felt myself relating to her as I am 5 fee 0 inches myself. Claire just seemed to jump off the page and really was a delight to read. I hope to see more of her in the next books.

Lucas is the perfect hero - handsome, sweet, strong and caring. His connection with his family was also very sweet. They are so close. It was hard for me at times to not think of them as being all brothers and sisters. The chemistry between him and Helen is electric. It doesn’t matter if they are wanting to kill each other, or wanting to make out the reader can feel the passion and connection between these two. I am curious to see what the consequences of some of their actions will be.

Lucas’s extended family were great as well. I really liked Hector and am looking forward to seeing the rest of his story unfold as I was quite invested in him by the end of the book. Jason was also a highlight as was Ariadne. We are introduced to a lot of characters rather quickly but Josephine gives each one a distinct personality.

I felt like we were just getting to meet the villains in this novel. I however, think that this novel was more about building the world, Helen and Lucas’s connection and Helen coming into her own. There is tons of potential for the next two books to deliver in the villain department and I can’t wait to see where the story goes.

I would recommend this if you are a fan of any YA series out there right now. The world Josephine has created, the mythology and the characters will draw you in. I am going to be counting down the days until I can get my hands on Dreamless.