Hello, hello! It’s only the first week of March, but I have another book review for you. It’s the last minute approval I got for February’s ARC requests. Don’t worry. The next one won’t be until the end of March because I have no more ARC requests out (except one for April’s review). Anyway, the book is called The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow. It’s a sci-fi fantasy YA novel because I was looking for something different. Inkyard Press released the book on February 25th. As usual, I must thank the publisher and NetGalley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get on with it.

The Sound of Stars follows Janelle “Ellie” Baker, a seventeen-year-old jaded human, as she struggles to cope during an alien invasion by lending out contraband (books) to others imprisoned in the same center. When she’s caught by one of her alien overlords (an attractive guy called M0Rr1s), she knows she’s dead, but in return for his silence, he just wants music (also forbidden). Little do they know that this give-and-take will lead to big adventures as they escape across the country together. And it might even lead to more than that if they can survive.

Sounds pretty standard and fun, right? It is! There’s romance and danger and misunderstandings and personal revelations and all that. Plus, there are some weird musicians sprinkled in for fun. It’s definitely a YA novel that pulls out all of the emotional stops. There’s teenage angst in all its glory threaded around a lot of deeper and more difficult topics. It makes for a nice rollercoaster ride if you open yourself up to it.

That being said, I did feel like some of the diversity issues that the book deals with were far too heavy handed at times. Which is common and annoying in all forms of media these days. And before you get on your soapbox and give me a lecture about the importance of representation in the media, please remember that I’m a wheelchair-bound female with a questionable sexuality. I don’t get represented in media very often outside of inspiration porn. Cool your jets. I’m just saying that I don’t need to know the gender identity of every throw away character in the story. There are at least two characters who literally just open doors then disappear, but I know they’re nonbinary. Why? It feels trite. Especially when there are plenty of lovely fleshed out characters who are nonbinary or ace/demi or bi/pan, etc. And I love those characters. I hope to see more of them. I kind of understand it with the aliens because it’s how they are, it’s part of their social standards to announce their gender. With the humans it felt forced. Especially when a kid in Texas (who by all indications hasn’t had any contact with the aliens in order to learn this behavior) asks if M0Rr1S is a boy, a girl, or nonbinary. If the book was set in the future more than two years, I might be able to believe a kid here would ask that, but it doesn’t seem to be, so it came off as awkward.

Tl;Dr? I love learning about characters and seeing things from other perspectives, but when you tell me intimate details about characters I don’t get to see for more than a sentence or two, it’s weird and forced.

*Spoiler alert*

Moving along to character development. It’s fantastic. Ellie and M0Rr1S are superb. Even the backup characters are awesome. I love Avi and Alice and the Starry Eyed. Even Brixton gets his moment in the sun. We’re told he’s basically a bad guy, but when he finally shows up he has this really adorable backstory that turns super creepy by human standards the more you think about it. He wanted to be a part of his little brother (M0Rr1s) and have a connection with him, so when their mother created M0Rr1S (who is a labmade, which is exactly what it sounds like) with her genetic material, Brixton added some of his own when she wasn’t looking. It’s sweet until you start thinking about the daddy-bro implications. But they’re aliens, so it’s okay! And it’s those kinds of details that make the story interesting and fun.

*End of spoilers*

The writing was a little repetitive at times, but smooth enough to let me fly through the story. I read 430 pages in 12 days, which is super fast for me. Plus I love the inclusion of song lyrics and all of the references to music and books. I even discovered a couple of titles I can look into for fun reading.

Ultimately, I loved The Sound of Stars. It was left open-ended, so I have high hopes that future books will come out. If not, I’ll still pick up whatever Alechia Dow publishes next and hope it’s just as good.

Overall, I gave it four out of five stars. If you’re into YA sci-fi/fantasy, I definitely recommend picking it up. It’s definitely worth a read and it would be beautiful on any library shelf or nightstand.

This novel was wonderful in concept, but on "paper" it didn't work well for me. I didn't feel like the characters were fleshed out well, and everything was told and not shown.

Yet again I feel like I steered myself wrong on NetGalley!! The Sound of Stars, courteously provided to me by Inkyard Press, didn’t win me over. What should have been a tale of survival and starcrossed love set in the aftermath of an alien invasion of Earth proved to be a somewhat boring adventure across open country full of exposition and underwhelming action. It’s not all bad—Alechia Dow does her best to give us a dynamic, multi-dimensional protagonist in Ellie, and I’d say she succeeds at that.

The Illori invade in the book equivalent of a Star Wars prologue scrawl, with the plot taking place after the Ilori have solidified their control. M0Rr1S is a “labmade” Ilori, which makes him a second-class citizen compared to the “true” Ilori, and he’s doing more than just questioning his loyalties to the Ilori empire. He teams up with Ellie, who is running an illegal library (the Ilori are not big on preserving human culture; they see humans more as … vessels). Together, the two of them head on a road trip across America so that Morris can sabotage the Ilori’s plans.

Some good stuff: representation. Ellie is Black, fat, and possibly pan/demisexual (I say “possibly” because Ellie says her friend has suggested she’s demi, so that isn’t Ellie confirming the label). Also, in general, Dow includes multiple non-binary characters and makes it a thing that the Ilori introduce themselves with their gender. (Pronouns would be more … useful, maybe? Gender doesn’t always imply pronoun.) Dow also tries to tackle the subtlety of classist and racist discrimination when living in upscale areas of New York. So I’d say that The Sound of Stars is very self-aware and definitely tries to engage with issues of social justice, and for that alone I wish I had liked the book more.

As far as the plot goes, though … it’s just dull. I don’t care that Morris is betraying the Ilori, because I barely care about why the Ilori are here at all. The interspersed interviews, etc., with The Starry-Eyed (Ellie’s favourite band) feel so out of place, despite the revelation at the end of the book. Characters get introduced in awkward ways, with a lot of exposition afterwards. And Ellie’s demi-ness aside, just the fact that she and Morris have to fall in love to make this a romantic plot doesn’t work for me.

I found myself actively avoiding this book when I should have been finishing it. I only kept reading because I feel bad about DNFing NetGalley books. The Sound of Stars didn’t work for me. It might for you. But for me, it just left me wanting so much more.

The Sound of Stars is a fast-paced action story about how a heroine and an alien attempt to save the world through the love of books and music.

I enjoyed this story told through two points-of-view, from the perspective of an alien invader, Morris, and a rebel librarian, Ellie. There is some mixed media aspects, like podcast transcripts and music lyrics. There are also Easter Eggs through the stories Ellie tells Morris. I had fun figuring out which stories she felt were important enough to share.

The story equally splits plot development with character development. There are some lines that are gems and will stick with me. "We are the descendants of poets and prophets. We are the keepers of time and tales, when the story ends. We die."

The discussion of race and what makes a person worth saving provided some beautiful dialogue. "Every day is a struggle to fit in, to be normal...For having to work harder, be smarter without letting on how smart I really am, to speak softer, and never, ever be aggressive." Another one, "We are in this world, but this world doesn't define us." Morris and Ellie could relate to each other through their share of being in the minority and feeling lesser.

SPOILER

I was a little disappointed with the romance in the story because of the beginning. Ellie says she is asexual and says to Morris, "We have far bigger problems than dating, you know that, right?" I had high hopes that this sentiment would follow through to the end. The important aspect of the book is saving the human race and a portion of the alien race but the romance sometimes overshadowed that. It wasn't overwhelming, but I had hoped there wouldn't be a romance at all.

END SPOILER

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It ended as if it would be a series, and I'd be interested in going on that journey.

Synopsis
Two years prior to the beginning of this book, aliens named the Ilori took over Earth, effectively oppressing mankind as they plan to transform the planet into a new vacation spot. Ellie Baker is a teenage girl who lives in her old apartment building, which has been completely taken over by Ilori. Books and other forms of artistic expression are no longer allowed, but she runs an illegal library in the basement. M0Rr1S (Morris) is a lab-born Ilori, but he isn’t like the rest. He listens to forbidden music, and he has a soft spot for humans. When he meets Ellie and discovers her library, it’s his duty to turn her in for execution. But there’s something about her that he is drawn to. He confides in her that he just might have the solution to save mankind, but he needs her help…

Setting
This novel is set in a not-too-distant future where aliens have invaded. They’re in the process of changing the world, because they hope it will become a vacation destination for their kind. The atmosphere of the story is dark and ominous, and gave me serious Hunger Games vibes early on. Despite this darkness in the plot and the setting, there is quite a bit of hope. Ellie hopes that books will save them, and Morris believes that music will be their redemption. These themes carry throughout the novel, making it stand out from others like it.

Plot & Characters
I wanted to love this book. A teenaged librarian living in a dystopian future? The novel starts off really strong, with several great twists early on, despite the slow pace and information dumping about aliens and how the new world works. I assumed that after this information dump had occurred, the pace would pick up. Quite the opposite, actually. After this first third of the novel, the plot slows even more, and the focus clearly becomes on the budding romance between Ellie and Morris, not on saving mankind. For a character like Ellie, who put her life in danger every single day by lending out books to other captives living in her building, I find it hard to believe that she would be so easily distracted from her ideals. Whereas books like The Hunger Games focus on the dystopia and changing the world for the better with the romance being a side plot, The Sound of Stars takes the opposite approach, which is particularly evident in the latter half of the book.

There are many fun literary references throughout the novel. Every chapter begins with a quote from a classic book, and there are quite a few references within the text itself, which made the bookworm inside me squeal with glee. That said, the author was a tad too heavy handed with the themes early on in the book. I didn’t need to be spoon-fed the fact that alien invasions are the science fiction version of oppression. Unfortunately, these themes were not shown, but told through the dialogue of characters within the first 15% of the story. I expected this to be a theme throughout, but I didn’t expect the characters to notice and comment on this right away, which in essence ruined the discovery of this for me.

I think this ties into my major complaint about this book. There was far too much talking about what was happening, and not enough actual action. Again, too much telling, not enough showing.

My favourite relationship in the entire book was that between Ellie and her best friend, Alice, who she had feelings for romantically prior to the start of this book. I wanted more of a discovery of this relationship, but instead, the author decided to focus on Ellie’s relationship with Morris.

The romance between Ellie and Morris was stilted and uncomfortable but masquerading as cute and progressive. I grimaced more than a few times when they were talking about their feelings, something that comes pretty easy to a cyborg that had to learn to hide his human-like emotions since they are forbidden among his kind.

I recommend this book to those looking for a slow-paced young adult science fiction that’s very heavy on the romance.

I enjoyed this book. It was sweet at points and terrifying but in a way you knew they’d survive. Would love to find out how their journey continues if there’s a second book.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars
Both the cover and the synopsis appealed to me for “The Sound of Stars,” but the story was confusing and hard to follow.
From the introduction itself, I had trouble keeping up with the plot. It jumped around a lot. The characters were all right and I really liked Ellie. I just wished it weren’t so confusing.

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK ALL THE STARS IN THIS UNIVERSE ✨

"But they don't know that rebels are made in the worst of circumstances, and even death can't stop the. Us."

This is my first 5 star read of the year and I'm going to go ahead and say that it will have a spot in my top 10 reads of the year as well. I can't even begin to describe how enamoured I am with The Sound of Stars! I have a complete review up on my blog but here's a short summary of my thoughts.

I absolutely love every scene in this freaking book. The Sound of Stars had a plot that kept me guessing every single event that would occur. The plot twist towards the end is one that I didn’t expect although I did predict a very tiny portion of it, I was pleasantly surprised. I had a major crisis when I was left only with 100 pages. I was dreading the end of the book because I simply didn’t want to let go of such a beautiful story.

"If music is a story, it comes alive with love. The more love it has, the more likely the story will never end."

Oh and I must talk about some of the amazing themes incorporated into the book, especially consent. This book shows us that consent matters in every way. There are so many incredible book and song references scattered around the book! At several points, I just squealed at the pop culture references. I think the biggest compliment I can give The Sound of Stars in terms of writing is that I felt I was inside the book. The rest of the world just didn't exist. Many times sci-fi and fantasy novels tend to confuse me with the world-building and information dumps, but Alechia Dow is a master.

With recent discussion about the lack of support for sci-fi in YA, THE SOUND OF STARS came out at the right time. After aliens invaded Earth and essentially wiped out all resistance, it's only a matter of time before humans become hosts for their invaders. Janelle "Ellie" runs a forbidden library in her NYC apartment; the aliens destroyed all cultural production that can inspire humans to rebellion. Morris, an alien involved in the take-over, has a secret: he loves music. When Morris discovers Ellie's trove, he reads Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and is inspired. Ellie and Morris join forces and escape, heading to California to try to undo the damage the aliens have wrought on earth and save humanity. I love a lot of elements of the book - the references to YA fiction and all the music - and I think the slow-burn romance between Ellie and Morris. There were moments where the pacing was a bit slow and there were several secrets that get revealed over time that I think could have been better explained/communicated. Dow does an excellent job writing diverse characters - Ellie is on the ace spectrum - and her writing is really strong when discussing racism and Ellie's experience navigating predominantly white spaces before the alien invasion. The ending has a twist I didn't see coming and if there is a sequel, I would definitely read it!

This story is set in the future, when aliens have invaded Earth. Humans were destroying the planet, so the aliens, called the Ilori, came to Earth. The Ilori started to vaccinate people so they could control them. They also banned all art forms. Janelle ran an illegal library in her building, where she met an alien, M0Rr1S, who liked illegal music. They escape New York and have to travel across the country to safety.

I really enjoyed this story. The premise of books being banned is a popular thread in books. It shows how important and persuasive books and art can be, because they are often banned if they have controversial ideas.

The one thing I didn’t really like was the plotline about the singers. There were some random interviews and articles about a band called the Starry Eyed. That storyline joined with the main narrative at the end, but I wish it had more of a connection with the plot.

This was a great story.

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the idea behind this book. There were definitely some unique takes to a dystopian world, although the format and worldbuilding seemed a lot like the books that already exist (reminiscent of the Hunger Games and Divergent, etc.).
The romance between Ellie and Morris had a few swoony moments--could have been developed a little deeper but was not bad.
The ending was satisfying and wrapped up the story well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alechia Dow, and Harlequin TEEN for the opportunity to read The Sound of Stars in exchange for an honest review.

An alien race called the Ilori have invaded Earth. After a miscommunication between Earth and Ilori leaders, one-third of the human population has been terminated. Two years later, the Ilori rule ruthlessly, executing anyone who doesn’t follow the rules, just to make a show of their seriousness of the predicament and to keep the humans from potentially rebelling.

All forms of art have been banned, including books and music, because apparently, books might harbor the secrets to building weapons that may vanquish the Ilori. Realistically, books and music trigger feelings in people, and that is something the Ilori do not want to happen.

Ellie loves books. She has about sixty books of various genres that she keeps hidden under a blanket on a mattress on the floor in a basement storage unit in her apartment building. If the Ilori find out, they will hang her. Not only are the books important to her, but if she can get enough information on the people around her, she will lend them out so that people can find some pleasure in this post-alien invasion life.

MoRr1S (Morris) is a labmade Ilori, a non-natural born of his species, a lesser, looked-down upon version. Even though it is against the rules, he loves music. When the Ilori invaded, all art was destroyed…well, except the books and music, among other art forms, that were hidden by people (like Ellie’s books). So there is still music out there, but it is hard to come by. When MoRr1S finds Ellie’s book stash, he picks up a copy of The Hate U Give (by Angie Thomas) and ends up choosing to read it, opening up a whole new world of wonder for the labmade Ilori. While the missing book has Ellie on edge, MoRr1S has every intention of communicating with her. He finds her interesting, and a potential source for getting more music.

When Ellie is found out and close to execution, MoRr1S saves her and they embark on their own strange journey together, for both are immersed in a situation that will end in their deaths, if either of them is ever caught.

Predictably, this is a Romeo and Juliet type of story, as MoRr1s falls for everything about Ellie, and despite Ellie’s grudge against Ilori, cannot help but falling for MoR1S in return. As they discover what feeling love actually means, Ellie must come to terms with MoR1S’s fiance, 0rsa, a non-feeling, cold-towards-humans Ilori.

Along their adventure, the two listen to a band called The Starry Eyed, of which on of their songs is called “The Sound of Stars.” The lyrics have meaning to the characters as well as the book title, so there are some interesting connections to make there.

Overall, a story that I really enjoyed. It seemed generic, but interesting enough to feel different. The one thing that throws me is the ending. I enjoyed the ending and feel like this can definitely be a stand-alone novel, but there seems to be a possibility of a second one. Regardless, I like to see this as a stand-alone, even if it didn’t end quite how I would have liked for a stand-alone novel, though the end left some solidity and positivity with enough for me to have a feeling of what happens next without having to read what happens next. A quick, fun, immersive read.

Imagine a world in which artistic expression and appreciation is banned. In The Sound of Stars, just such a world exists. Two years after a third of the earth’s population was wiped out because of a misunderstanding between representatives of the earth and the invading Ilori, things that trigger human emotion (music, books, and art) are now illegal.
Ellie lives in New York City, one of the areas controlled by the Ilori. Deep in her family’s storage unit, Ellie maintains a secret—and illegal—library. But one day, she finds one of the books missing. If the Ilori’s have found her library, she’s at risk of being executed. She soon finds however, that the book was found by M0Rr1S (“Morris”), a manufactured alien, who, though created to be emotionless, was raised by a mother who encouraged him to embrace his feelings. M0Rr1S, who has already discovered a love of music, is enthralled by Ellie’s library. Ellie and M0Rr1S are drawn together by their love of books, music, and soon find themselves racing against time in an effort to save humanity.
The Sound of Stars drew me in pretty quickly with the prologue, but I found it a bit confusing when the interview sections were mixed in. Ultimately, it all came together, and is a solid and engaging story about love, rebellion and aliens as well as an insightful commentary on overcoming preconceived ideas about others and appreciating our differences.
*I received a copy of The Sound of Stars from Inkyard Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I had to wait a few days to write this review because I had to talk with a friend who also read it and gather my full thoughts. I know I say this a lot but, which any book there were things I liked and things I didn’t. I think it’s pretty even on what I liked and what I didn’t.
This story follows Ellie who is a human living in a distant future where the world has been taken over by aliens. I really liked Ellie. She’s an avid reader and managed to hide her books and lend them out to others that living in her building. She lends books and follows the motions to get through the day. I believe she’s pansexual, though that word is never actually used. But she does say that gender doesn’t matter if she feels a deep connection to a person.
We also follow Morris, which is spelled with numbers in his language. He’s an alien that’s developed the “vaccine” that his superiors plan to use on the human race. He has a secret too. He loves music, though he’s not supposed to. I liked Morris because he wanted better for his people. He wasn’t in agreement with the things they were making him do and he was working toward dismantling the system.
I thought the concept of the aliens was really interesting. But there was a lot I didn’t understand about them. They seemed almost like cyborgs but I feel like it wasn’t very well explained. There were also other aliens that we met and their species (?) wasn’t explained very well either. Though I did see the identity of the other aliens coming from a mile away.
Another problem I had with this book was that it was a bit repetitive and over political. Our main character is black and lived in the Upper East Side before the alien invasion so she dealt with a lot of racism. I’m all about these sort of topics because they’re real and relevant, but she mentioned it about a hundred times. I think it would have been okay to mention a few different events. But she thought about and talked about the same events over and over.
Overall, I had a good time reading this book. Right up until the ending. If there’s going to be another book (ive not seen it announced anywhere or anything) I’m more okay with the ending, but the final action scene seemed rushed and the events after were even more rushed. There wasn’t really a resolution either. I’m really hoping it has a sequel because if not, the whole goal they were working toward was never achieved. So if there will be another (which I will be asking when I see this author at the NoVaTeen Book Festival) I can accept the ending but if not then I will definitely be lowering my rating. This was a fun science fiction book, but it has a few issues.

"If we get separated and you have to choose between life and joining us, choose life, okay? Live. Live for us. Breathe for us. Survive for us."

Janelle Baker aka Ellie is a 17 year old girl who survived a alien invasion. The aliens are named Ilori. Most of the population is gone. It's Ellie, her parents, and a select few. Human emotions are nonexistent....and are punishable with execution! Ellie however, is a rule breaker and believes everyone should have access to literature. She keeps a secret library, but when a book goes missing...Ellie fears the Ilori will find it, track it back to her, and she could be killed.
We then meet M0Rr1s (Morris). Morris was created in a lab to feel absolutely nothing. When he finds Ellie's lab, her greatest fear comes true. Morris has to take her to be executed. But something remarkable happens. Morris finds himself attracted to music...human music. Their love for art brings them together and embarks them on a journey. A journey filled with music and books. The premise of the book is set in the future. I really dig the banned books theme to it. It reminds me of fahrenheit 451 meets Judge Dredd vibes. Dow did a great job with this book. Thank you to Inkyard press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in a exchange for a honest review.

[I received an e-ARC of this book from Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.]


Immediately after finishing: Holy shit that was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

The best thing about The Sound of Stars is the relationship between the main duo as it grows from distrust to friendship to much more. The feelings of M0Rr1s/Morris (and Morris in general) were absolutely amazing. Having grown up with no choice but to be stoic, when gets the chance, he holds *nothing* back. If Ellie’s skin glows like the sun, he says so, if she fills his heart with joy, he says so, genuinely. He’s respectful without being anxious, tender and just...wholesome. The way they bond with Ellie over art...I had to stop multiple times to process the feelings. Now if I ever date someone I’ll annoy them with my singing.

Ellie herself is a very realistic character in her experience, actions and passions. She’s smart, resilient, willing to die for books and doesn’t trust easily, but secretly she’s a softie who grows and develops so much and I love her 🥺

This book is *very* unapologetic in its representation to a degree that honestly surprised even me. You’re used to some just sprinkled in, right? No. There are multiple side characters explicitly called nonbinary. In Ilori culture it’s apparently common for it to be just another choice, because Morris asks a little boy if he’s a girl, boy or nonbinary (to which he says boy, though he finds the question weird because he’s human). White people aren’t default—Ellie herself is black and talks about the issues she’s faced numerous times when the current situation reminds her of it. Strongman politics turn the Ilori hostile in the first place. Climate change is involved. It’s so inclusive that if a conservative supporter read it they’d probably burst a blood vessel. Lots of media (especially YA) is also namedropped, though in a way that adds to the story and not a I’m-relying-on-your-nostalgia way.

The writing and pacing itself on a technical level is not phenomenal which is why it’s not a 5 star: though the content top notch the middle drags a bit.

(Plus the lack of Morris singing Brown Skin Girl to Ellie, even though readers may have died from adorableness.)

This book is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

I'm struggling to figure out how to review this one, because it is such a masterpiece and no review of mine could ever do it justice.

I want to touch briefly on the lot before I move onto all of my favourite parts. Personally I thought the plot was perfect, but I think you need to know what you’re getting into to. This book isn’t action packed and full of explosions. The plot was engaging, but it was also very much a back burner part of the story. It was there, and it was well done, but it wasn’t front and centre. This book was first and foremost about the characters. (but also that TWIST. The ending left me shook y’all)

I also want to really highlight the writing. It was so subtly gorgeous. I read this book very slowly, I large part because I couldn't help but linger over every word. I love pretty writing, and fall in love with writing styles easily, but it's rare for me to feel quite the need to take in every single perfect word the way I did with this one. The writing transported me into another world, and I spent the entire time in awe of it.

The world building was masterful as well. The book took place in the aftermath of an alien invasion, but due to the way it was done I felt like I was learning to understand the way the world worked after the invasion along with the characters. I didn't always understand, but I was never confused - instead it was a very purposeful thing.

The Sound of the Stars also had a lot of social and political commentary, and I applaud Alechia Dow for her brilliant handling of that. It dealt heavily with the more subtle themes of colonialism, and also had outright discussions about consent, and discrimination, and the violence that marginalized people face.

I also want to appreciate the representation. Our main character is a bi demi black girl, and the other main character is implied to be demi as well. There was also a large side character who was nonbinary.

And then, of course, that leads into the characters. The characters y’all. I do not have the words for how much I love these characters.

Firstly we have Morris. He is the literal sweetest bean ever. I love him so much. He’s a little bit confused about the whole feelings thing, but he also loves so fiercely. He adores music, and passionately believes in freedom. He always tries his best to do the right thing, even if he screws up sometimes. Also he just wants a friend and he’s so soft and sweet and I LOVE HIM

Secondly we have Janelle, or Ellie. Y’all I do not have the words for how much I love Ellie. I do not have words. She is just… an icon. She is so fucking messy, but that’s what makes her so wonderful. Ellie isn’t your typical heroine trying to save the world - she isn’t really sure if humanity even deserves saving. She’s angry and she’s hurt and she’s passionate and she will do anything for her family and her books, and to hell with the rest of the world. She is one of the most real protagonists I’ve read in a long time, and I adore her.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a copy of this arc for an honest review

As much as I loved the concept of this book, it just didn’t work for me , it may be a story that would translate better for me on screen than on paper. I’m sure there is an audience for this book, based on all the great reviews, it isn’t something I enjoyed .

What a fun read— how can I not like a story in which the protagonist runs a secret library because she knows what a lifeline books can be? I enjoyed the mix of science fiction and romance. There were some pacing issues that would have benefited from a little tightening up, but overall an enjoyable and original read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN, for the electronic ARC.

One in three are dead. The others live under the thumb of human-alien hybrids, the lab-made Ilori. The invasion was just the beginning, and while humanity stands at the precipice of a soulless gulag, a girl named Ellie sprouts a seed of defiance. Rather than live as an imprisoned drone, Ellie runs a hidden, underground library to bring stories and hope to the other prisoners in her area of this new, post-apocalyptic world. On a fateful day, one of the lab-made Ilori, Morris, discovers her secret. Lucky for Ellie, Morris's human half feels lonely and likes to jam out to great music, and thus a friendship is born from shared humanity.

I enjoyed the focus on mutual interests in The Sound of Stars. I also liked that Morris, split literally between human and Ilori in his DNA, felt drawn to humanity because of artistic expression, and felt diminished by the "true" Ilori's disdain for their lab-created hybrids. Other positives included touching on interesting books and social topics. I do feel like many threads remain unexplored, and I'm hoping that if there's a sequel that the story can provide some more answers. Pick this one up if you're looking for a tale about courage in the face of adversity and the bonding of "enemies" over shared interests. Skip if you like your novels to wrap up nice and tidy.