I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published February 25, 2020. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
Earth is invaded by the Ilori when Janelle Baker was 15. Janelle is now 17 and she lives in an Ilori prison camp, and she is a librarian of sorts. She loans and finds books for fellow prisoners she calls her patrons. Which Janelle has to do super secretly, because if she is caught sharing books she could be executed by the Ilori. Janelle’s Dad works for the Ilori on the half-solutions program, a monthly mood-enhancing vaccine that turns humans into obedient Ilori servants. Jaenelle’s mother has become a drunk. Commander M0Rr1S is a labmade Ilori, he is the head scientist working on a vaccine. The Ilori plan to cleanse Earth of its pollution for their own habitation, for the true Ilori and make their new colony a truly immersive experience, a vacation planet. M0Rr1S loves human music, and is searching the basement for more of it when he finds Janelle’s library. This kicks off an adventure full of mistrust and earned trust, and finding common ground between species that are never meant to live next to each other. I really enjoyed he characters, and yes it was dystopian sort of, it wasn’t the end of the world. I felt like Dow wanted to write about hope, hope that the world could be different if we set aside some of our prejudice and hate. This was a good book, and I hope there is a sequel.

LIKES:
One of the things that fascinated me the most about The Sound of Stars is how the story positions itself as a “message from the future” for current-day society. Even though this book is very much fantasy/science fiction, it has its moments where you could mistake it for realistic fiction.

One of the biggest drivers for the Ilori invasion was the fact that the Earth was being destroyed by humans and the Ilori recognized that they could reverse the damage. In this sense, The Sound of Stars is very much a cautionary tale for the possible future of climate change and political corruption on our own Earth.

This portion of the book yields an interesting perspective for the main character Janelle who is living at the cusp of the world as she knew it and what it is rapidly becoming. I really enjoyed this dynamic of the book and its evocative nature. Relating it to real life, this whole “living on the cusp” idea may mirror how the oldest living generations of the world feel right now. What societal norms were like for them in their youth and what they are now are most likely vastly different.

This dynamic also made me wonder what I would do if the world still had a chance to recover. Or, more realistically, what am I doing now that the world is increasingly reaching a precarious state.

Finally, I wanted to make space to appreciate Morris as a conflicted antagonist. The ARC of his character was laid out fluidly and the progression of his changing mindset fit well with the story. Morris’ character fits the schema someone, who for one reason or another, refuses to conform to societal demands. And because he is a Ilori robot with these complicated emotions, Alechia Dow cleverly painted a unique, futuristic tale of the human condition through a non-human main character.

Also: black curvy female main character representation!

DISLIKES:
With all of that being said, I still unfortunately did not enjoy this book to the fullest extent possible. My issues mainly consisted of the romance between Janelle and Morris, and the fact that this book seemed to drag on. Here is a direct quote from my review notes on December 17th:

“This book dragged on and on and on. There were so many subplots that served the sole purpose of adding length to the story and it became very irritating to be incessantly told what needed to be done time and time again.”

From what I remember, Ellie is constantly regurgitating the motivation for the story. We need to save the world. We have to save the world. We have to get to this place. We have to talk to this person. This is frustrating as a reader because I know what the motivation of the story is. I can comprehend where the plot is going without the main character telling me over and over.

Another point I made in my notes is that there seemed to be a trend of “romantic” moments between Ellie and Morris followed by another perilous subplot. Again and again. Do you see a trend? Because I do.

Overall, I enjoyed the thought-provoking nature of The Sound of Stars, but beyond that, I had great difficulty getting invested in the story. The book felt very repetitive and became tedious to read. That said, there are a lot of conversations to be had about society that are presented in this book, and I’d still encourage anyone who likes critically analyzing fiction to give it a read!

🖤Book Review🖤

The Sound Of Stars by Alechia Dow
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ah! I don't even know where to start! I was so excited about this book, and am so glad it didn't disappoint. The cover drew me in, but then the plot kept me.

The first couple of chapters I had a difficult time connecting, but that quickly resolved. I became connected to Ellie, she reminded me so much of myself as a teenager. She is totally obsessed with books and has a great understanding of music. She is a little different and isn't too great at socialization. It's me. In a book.

I also really love that her character is written as a diverse one! She's a black girl and also describes herself as Ace at one point. The author ties in a lot of gender, sexuality, and race issues into the story. It's done in such a way though, that it doesn't take away from anything but just adds more depth to the characters.

Morris, M0Rr1S, is a labmade Illori brought to Earth to develop a vaccine to give to the humans. This vaccine pretty much leaves humans as husks, ready for the true Ilori to inhabit. He finds human music very interesting, and it makes him feel. Something that Ilori are not raised to do.

I loved the way these two come together and how the entire story unfolds. The chapters switch back and forth between the two characters, giving us both of their points of view.
This is very much a YA Sci Fi Love story. Be prepared because it is full on YA love. It is full of plot twists, music, books, and alien/human rebellion.

I need the next book, like, now. It left me needing more!

If you love Sci Fi and YA, this is definitely the book for you!

Electricity-powered Ilori attack Earth and subjugate humans as part of their expanding their reach across the galaxy. Janelle “Ellie” Baker keeps an illicit library. When another type of Ilori, a labmade named Morris, returns one of Ellie’s missing books, their friendship and connection sends them on a journey far from New York to neutralize a vaccine which could spell doom for the human race.

The music and references to other young adult novels are absolutely spot on. Dow deftly peppers them through the narrative, especially when connecting them to both the oppression brought by the Ilori, but also the rage that comes from injustices plaguing our world today. I appreciate Ellie’s musings of if humanity really is worth saving, especially given her lived experience as a Black girl in the United States. It gave her character so many layers as a heroine who wants to protect the things that matter to her most, rather than becoming a hero whose triumph saves the world.

The presentation of anxiety in this book is so spot-on. Even as Ellie gathers her courage to save her family and runs cross-country with Morris, her anxiety maintains a steady presence. It’s always there and doesn’t get magically cured by the end.

Definitely give this book a read for an alien invasion narrative in which humans find resistance in protecting their stories, music, and the people they love.

When I first read the synopsis of this book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and give it a read. I love the idea of a forbidden library and a bond formed over that shared love. And Sci-fi mixed in? Well, yes, please.

There was just so much within this story. It was filled with diversity of every kind. It made many statements about life and where we are all at (and possibly headed) as human beings. So much so that it almost felt like it was trying to say too much. At times it started to feel overly moralistic and preachy and I almost wanted one solid focus instead of saying a little bit of something about everything.

The writing was good, though the pacing got a bit slow at points. It was a book about a girl getting to know a boy who just happened to be an alien and this lead to some awkwardly constructed conversation and lulls in the forward momentum of the story. As time went on I cared less about the developing relationship and more about how they were going to get out of each new mess. And there were a lot of them, repeatedly.

Overall I loved seeing all the literary and musical references but struggled with watching the relationship develop. Parts just felt too forced. And while I liked seeing the social commentary going on, it was a bit overwhelming at points. But the race of aliens was wonderful to get to know, a slight mix of Time Lord-ness and Data that I really, really liked.

This book is so quotable, it’s ridiculous.

Holy Crap! The Sound of Stars was amazing. The diversity, world building, characterization and romance was absolutely perfect.

The main character, Janelle, is a demi-ace, black female who has a special kind of magic all her own. The ultimate nerd, she created a library of hope for her fellow humans in New York City. A library of contraband and allowed people to have the ability to escape the horrid reality they were in with books.

Morris, the other main characters, is an alien. A labmade Ilori to be specific. And he was utterly adorable. I want to protect him and hug him and love him. So much. Morris was innocent in a lot of things but he was a blatant rebel when it came to music and then he discovered books.

The two of them were rebels in a world where rebels died. The epic adventure they go on is absolutely awesome with confrontations on both sides with either species and the relationship between Janelle and Morris deepened and I loved it so much.

I had never, at least to the best of my recollection, read a book with an Asexual main character. Which is a little sad. But so to me it seemed like the story moved a little slow. Despite the fact that it was world building a little more epic than Throne of Glass, the pace of the story, to me, seemed a little bogged down. Then again it was switching from POV each chapter and there was background and a little bit of a language barrier to overcome but still. On the whole, the premise was interesting and inventive. I absolutely loved it.

The Sounds of Stars is filled with references to books and music as well as thinly veiled political statements. The story itself felt a little long but it was fun nonetheless. There were more than a few times that I found myself reading with a smile on my face.

"Don't miss this spectacular debut novel... Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves forbidden pop music work together to save humanity? This road trip is truly out of this world A beautiful and thrilling read for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Roth.

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world's population.

Seventeen-year-old Janelle "Ellie" Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. With humans deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, emotional expression can be grounds for execution. Music, art and books are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her.

Born in a lab, M0Rr1S was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie's illegal library, he's duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They're both breaking the rules for the love of art--and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does.

Ellie's - and humanity's - fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution - thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both."

I totally identify with anyone willing to risk their lives for books!

Can I give a million points for all the seriously impressive nonbinary representation in this story? I loved the premise, and I know the teens in my life will as well. Seriously, if you have a bookworm/emo loving music fan in your world, you'll have to insist that they read this right away- it'll check all their boxes!

I unfortunately didn’t love this book. I appreciated the diversity but felt the characters and the romance weren’t developed enough. I also found that the writing style wasn’t for me and seemed a bit choppy. I also think there was too much of an emphasis placed on the characters’ loves for books and music and not enough time spent talking about the actual issues at hand.

Janelle “Ellie” Baker is human trying to survive in this now dominated Earth by aliens aka Ilori. She resists by illegally passing out books to her fellow residents in their apartment building. She loves stories and books.

Our other main character is M0Rr1S aka Morris a lab made Ilori who loves music. His kind are not supposed to have feelings or emotions like the humans they’re modeled after. He persists to listen to music and enjoy it.

The two encounter each other and nothing is the same.

I really enjoyed the use of song lyrics and book quotes. As someone who loves songs and books I really appreciated these sweet elements.

I also really enjoyed the demi-ace rep with Ellie. And the normalization of non-binary characters.

The pacing of the book was a problem the beginning is too slow and the end is too rushed. So much happens in the last quarter of the book that not enough time is dedicated there. I thought the meandering middle with the road trip didn’t seem like the characters were in much of a rush but time is of the essence. It just didn’t feel like they were taking this seriously which didn’t match up with Ellie’s character.

Highly recommend for fans of Melissa Lander’s Alienated series.

Thanks to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for a free copy.

DNF at 26%

I am so, so sad I'm dnf-ing this one, but I felt like I was wasting my time reading a story I realized I wasn't enjoying. I love the concept of this and the author is clearly talented, but there was something about the story that I couldn't connect to. I don't know what it was but we just didn't click. There were so many good, unique aspects here!! I'm typically a sucker for anything including discussions about humanity/morality and the justification behind our decisions. Make it basically a love letter to art and it seemed like a recipe for my perfect book. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. I could tell I wasn't fond of the direction the story was taking, nor the developing romance. Perhaps this would have changed had I read further, but as I wasn't connecting to the story itself, I highly doubt it.

I would recommend this to people that love books with pop-culture references galore and diverse stories with fierce protagonists. There is so much wonderful potential for this story and I'm truly sad I don't feel differently about it.

The cover of The Sound of Stars is absolutely beautiful and I enjoyed the overall science fiction, dystopian society aspects of the plotline.  In addition, the references to books that I do love was awesome (Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc.)

However, unfortunately, that was about as far as my enjoyment went.  Honestly, I just really was not the right target audience for this book. The fourteen year old, smitten, emo music loving version of myself probably would have loved this story though.  To quote some of the characters, I found this book "cheesy", "a bit too much", and felt like it hit on every played out "trope". 

I do feel like Gen Z will really enjoy this book though, so don't let my review sway you from wanting to read it if seems like a book you'd enjoy.

I am always looking for a new, fresh, unique story in every genre. I feel that so many novels are a retelling of another story. However, The Sound of the Stars is very different from anything I've read in a long time. I loved that the story begins with a girl who becomes a rebel librarian that must get books to people who want theme, even though it is against the law. Second, I love that music is what brings an extraterrestrial being to long for understanding of human feelings. I have always said that, if anything will make me believe in the divine, it is the existence of music. Even though this is, for the most part, a science fiction story, Dow still brings into play the concerns and realities of modern teenagers. Overall it is a great read that I recommend for teens and anyone who works with them.

* we received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of the publisher or author.

This novel grabbed my interest from the moment I read the synopsis and I was double hooked once I saw that gorgeous cover! I mean, a romance with a demi-ace heroine and an alien male who is supposed to be emotionless? Yes, sounds great, sign me up.

Reading this book, it was clear that the author was trying to do a lot of important things. We have global warming messaging, thinly veiled commentary on the current political system in the United States, intense discussion of race relations, a budding romance, introduction of non-binary characters just as default, a “Chosen One” plot line, and a cross country road trip. This book had plots on plots on plots and I really admired what the author was incorporating into her story.

My primary issue, though, is that it seemed like maybe she was trying to do a bit too much within a single book. I felt like some of her messaging was diluted just because there was just so much and it wasn’t super subtle, which sometimes took me out of the story. If the author had focused on a single issue it could have let me really sink into the plot a bit more as a reader. As it was, it felt a bit disjointed and was a book that was easy to put down.

That said, I did love the main character. Ellie was such a book lover, which of course attracts me right away! She was a good friend and just so smart. I felt like I would like to hang out with her.

I also really adore forced proximity romances, where two characters are forced to be with each other for long periods of time. I enjoy watching relationships bloom in this way, and Ellie’s point of view felt very realistic to me as she struggled with whether she could really fall for M0Rr1S. There was a bit of suspension of disbelief, and the end felt a little too neatly wrapped up for me, but at the end of the day, I loved that aspect of this story.

I definitely look forward to reading more of Dow’s work. I think she has a really important point of view and obviously cares a lot about our world and letting that reflect in her work. I typically like that in novels, and can’t wait to see where she takes her writing next. I'm

➝ Sum it up in points!

✔ humanity meets hope through resistance
✔ alien invasion and class-ism
✔ rebellious lover of books + fearless lover of music
✔ human-alien romance
✔ great references
✔ plus-size, biracial, demisexual MC with anxiety
✔ gender-queer & bisexual side characters

The Sound of Stars travels through a dystopian, post alien-invasion New York where rules are drilled and humans are expected to stay at the lower strata. In the midst of fear and silent chaos, a human girl who loves books and an alien boy who loves music find each other to better see some hope. While the macro picture of science-fiction and romance are explored wonderfully, the micro themes of racism and discrimination are also touched. An excellent sexual diversity and the perfect inclusion of mental health declination in the middle of survival are also great aspects of the story. A definitive recommendation for those who love sound and words sprawled across a sky of romantic, hopeful, and rebellious colours!

➝Trigger Warnings

✔ public execution, eyeing death in the face
✔ chronic fear for life
✔ alcoholic mother & acutely stressed father
✔ discrimination, feeling inferior to those in power
✔ lack of self-identity, constant struggle

When I heard about THE SOUND OF STARS, I was excited because the idea of a world without music, books, or art was a fascinating concept to me. I was also apprehensive because I am completely not a fan of anything alien-related, even as a sci-fi lover.

But Alechia Dow got me with this book. I loved Ellie and Morris, and the way they both grew throughout the story, and tried to help the world around them grow, too. I loved the representation, the diverse characters, that Ellie is a strong, Black, female lead who embodies what she says at the beginning of the book: “As for me, I like everything, especially YA where girls kick ass and boys don’t get in their way.”

And that’s the other thing—Morris doesn’t get in her way. He marvels at how much ass Ellie kicks, and he kicks ass in his own way while still being the most sensitive character in the book. The respect and communication between the two of them is part of what makes this book so great. I loved watching them discover things about each other, search for solutions, tell stories and sing. And as heavy as many of the themes in the narrative were, reading the book didn’t make me feel heavy or drained.

THE SOUND OF STARS tackled issues of race, queerness, mental health, family, friendship, emotion, and more, and yet Dow still managed to make it light enough, fun enough that once I got into it, I just kept going. And speaking of queerness—this is the first time I saw a part of my own identity in a book. As a white person, my experience with my queer identity isn’t the same as Ellie’s or other Black queer people. But I have never read a demi-ace protagonist before (at least not one who stated they were), and when I saw that, it made me stop for a minute because that was a part of me on the page. But it also let me see how someone else experiences that identity outside of me, how it was both the same and very different.

This is a book I want to sit down and dissect for all of its social commentary. It’s a book that I hope finds its way into schools and the hands of people who want to hear stories that are both theirs and not theirs, but maybe still intertwined. This story encourages people to open their eyes and see people as multifaceted and complex, to understand that individuals come together to create a group, but that within any group, there are a bunch of unique people. It says you can’t look at one part of a whole and assume you’ve seen it all. And we see multiple characters come to realize this over the course of the novel.

I could spend all day talking about the depth of THE SOUND OF STARS. I’m so glad I read it, and I would definitely recommend it to others (and I already have). Even if you’re like me and you don’t love alien stories (or you’re worried it’ll be a little too Fahrenheit 451), try it anyway. It’s so much more than an alien book, or even a sci-fi book. It has so much heart, and it is so, so worth it.

You ever high key wonder how you'd react in an apocalyptic situation? I do, constantly. Which probably explains why I adore this type of book so much. But sometimes I can't quite relate to the hero of the tale because excuse me, am I heroic? Well, Ellie makes surviving the apocalypse seem relatable. First of all, our girl is hoarding books. Who among us can't relate to that?! Plus, she's been without her anxiety and hypothyroid medication, which again is something a great many of us can relate to. What happens if the aliens invade and you're suddenly without health (mental and physical) care? I love that the author addresses this (and not just in passing- she does a wonderful job of making Ellie's health a legitimate concern throughout).

Ellie basically has had enough of kowtowing to the aliens. She figures, she's going to die, might as well die being true to herself. And, she's going to help others in the only way she knows how- providing them stories, escapes. Her father is all but lost to her, and her mother is more absent every day, and Ellie knows she has to make choices for herself now- even though she and her parents love each other immensely, it seems like the aliens have taken even her beloved family away.

And while I don't want to give much away about the aliens and what happens (obviously), I do want to mention that it's incredibly interesting to see both the human (Ellie) and the alien (M0Rr1S) learning more about the other. Clearly, each has preconceived ideas about the other, but that will change as they get to know each other better. The aliens aren't all evil just as the humans are not disposable. And that's all I will say, because you really ought to undertake this incredible journey for yourselves.

Bottom Line: Can you actually believe that the insides of this book are as awesome as the cover implies? Impressive, right? I adored this book, full of characters I fell in love with and a super exciting and thought-provoking story that gripped me from the start.

This is one of those books I fully expected to like... and didn't. I wasn't expecting the most from this one either: just a dystopian and a race to the finish ft. a cute little romance and some a-spec representation. Instead, I got... irritation? Not great writing? Character who I simultaneously okay with and didn't like at the same time? Confusion? Melodrama? Instalove? Infodumping?The whole shebang? I wasn't enjoying this and inevitably DNFed it.

I am a little torn on my thoughts about this one. I loved the idea and the characters were really interesting but it fell a bit flat for me in the execution. I never really connected with either character and the book had some pacing issues that made me put it down and not really want to go back. I also think that some parts were overly descriptive. It did have some great ideas that I loved though and the writing was good so I will definitely check out future works by this author!