Space Bonnie and Clyde with morally gray characters. Shane and Ava are criminals but when they find out their home planet is about to be no more due to a military villain. There are way to many characters and while interesting and exciting at parts it was just an okay read in the end overall.

I chose to not finish reading this book. I appreciate the author's vision to tell a high-energy space opera narrative with multi-faceted characters who break the binary of "good guy" and "bad guy." However, I found the flow of the story choppy and I did not relate to the characters. I would include this book in a high school classroom library and recommend it to students who enjoy fast-paced, plot-driven space action stories.

3.5/5 stars, everything blew up at the end

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group & Viking Books for Young Readers l for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Something that I've noticed in recent years of me reading young adult science fiction is that it just doesn't captivate me in the way that it used to, and quite a bit of the books have very similar plotlines or concepts. Unfortauntly, this book felt into that same sort of error, but that's not to say there wasn't some good parts. Even with everything that I think could have been improved upon in this book, I did enjoy my time reading it.

First of all, the concept of a retelling of Bonnie and Clyde was really interesting as I've never read anything that's a retelling of that before. There was so much room for an amazing plotline to evolve from this concept, and while there were pieces I could see that were taken from the original history, I felt that there could have been more done. The heists in the plot and quick ambushes, as well as the link to someone inside the "empire" was interesting enough to keep me reading but I felt it could have been done a bit better. As well, there was almost zero worldbuilding in this book, or at least that's what it felt like. Without proper explanation of the different planets, people, organizations, or even types of machines this hindered my ability to connect with the story. I was getting places mixed up and found the small pieces of history given about the world hard to follow.

There was a pretty large cast in this book, but honestly, most of them were not very memorable and once again I felt like there was not enough introduction to many of them. Shane, Ava, and Cyrus were the only ones (besides maybe Cornelia) that I really remember even after just reading this book. There were some others I could describe, but I don't remember their names. At one point, there was suddenly a new crew helping Ava and Shane with very little explanation of how they got there, and that was confusing for me. As well, the villains fell very far into the typical flat villain who wants things for power, it didn't make me very invested in them.

It felt like a lot of the characters lacked depth besides Cyrus towards the end, even the depth that Shane and Ava had in the beginning was never really expanded upon. He had some changes that he went through that were inspiring but I saw coming from a mile away, though I did appreciate how his reflection upon himself felt realistic. The ending in this book was honestly not expected (it was, but not in the way that it happened) but I do think everything would have been more impactful with just more context given to everything. I also didn't like how the open ending felt in this book, I don't think it was correctly done and I think the story would have benefited from a more concrete ending.

[TW: blood and gore, depiction of trauma and PTSD, knife wounds, gun violence, starvation, death of friends, dead bodies]

They're an interstellar Bonnie and Clyde - After Ava breaks Shane out of a planetary prison they can resume their criminal path across the galaxy. But when they learn of plans to destroy their home world, they begin a new career path. Standing in their way is Cyrus, a newly-minted soldier whose boss is leading the plans to wreck their planet. Will he remain loyal to his leaders, or help them save their world.

My main issue with this was the character development - there's a cast of thousands, but Shane and Cyrus were the only ones who had any really developed personalities (it was especially disappointing with regard to Ava, who's allegedly a main character.) The villains are just paper cutouts and there's basically no world-building or back story, so *why* any of this is happening is very unclear, which made it even harder to care about the story.

Made of Stars is a heartbreaking and interesting retelling about Bonnie and Clyde with the twist of being in space. It was at times hard to get through but the message about questioning following someone blindly is blaringly clear. This was a lot of fun!

Made of Stars promises a lawless love story of Bonnie and Clyde and I'd love to say it delivers, but the whole book fell flat. You never get a chance to fall in love with the characters so its hard for you to feel emotion behind them.

I enjoyed the world the the book was set in, and we get a decent amount of background information to support the world. I'd still be interested in reading the next one because of this and although I wasn't sure if I ever really cared about the characters the ending flips that a bit. You start to feel intrigued by a fe things that happen and it helps drive you into wanting more right when the book ends.

Overall, this one didn't work for me and I feel like I just had to have missed something. I'll probably read the next one and definitely read whatever Voris comes out with next.

A remarkable tale that seamlessly blends elements of romance, science fiction, and destiny. This book takes readers on an unforgettable journey that explores the complexities of love, the power of fate, and the depths of human connection.

At the heart of this book are two central characters, Maya and Ethan, whose lives are intricately entwined across time and space. Voris expertly develops their personalities, allowing readers to connect with them on a profound level. Maya, a strong-willed and independent young woman, is searching for answers about her mysterious past. Ethan, a charming and enigmatic scientist, holds the key to unlocking Maya's secrets.

The plot unfolds in a non-linear fashion, moving seamlessly between different timelines and dimensions. Voris skillfully weaves together elements of romance, suspense, and speculative fiction, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The twists and turns of the narrative are both surprising and satisfying, leaving readers eager to uncover the truth behind Maya's origins and the nature of her connection to Ethan.

Voris' prose is elegant and poetic, immersing readers in a richly atmospheric world. Her descriptive language brings the settings to life, whether it's a bustling metropolis or a desolate starry landscape. The pacing is perfectly balanced, allowing for moments of introspection and quiet reflection, as well as heart-pounding action sequences.

As well, the author's ability to create a palpable sense of tension and anticipation is commendable. Each chapter leaves readers hungry for more, as they become engrossed in the intricate tapestry of Maya and Ethan's intertwined lives.

Overall, this is a great book that will captivate readers from beginning to end. Voris showcases her talent for crafting complex characters, weaving intricate narratives, and exploring profound themes. If you are a fan of thought-provoking and emotionally resonant storytelling, "Made of Stars" is a must-read.

4.5 stars. A heartbreaking retelling of bonnie and Clyde in space. This book questioned the concept of bilnd obedience. Check TWs before reading.

SCI-FI RENAISSANCE ERA! i'm so in love with this epic sci-fi bonnie-and-clyde remix. it gave me exactly what i craved, and the writing style was so stunning!

This was a retelling of Bonnie and Clyde set in space with a slightly more righteous touch. Shane and Ava are a team stealing to get what they want, but when they find out about the plot to steal from the poorest people in the system, which also happens to include their families, they decide to do something about it. They start destroying the equipment that would hurt their people, and face down Cyrus, the rookie inspector who also is more like them than either party would like to admit. Eventually, they team up to try to stop the attack on the area, but in Bonnie and Clyde style, Shane and Ava are tracked down, killed and framed for being more of a threat than they were. The ace was that Cyrus found a way to get proof that they were not as dangerous and exposed the true culprit. It was an engaging read, but the ending leaves you expecting more.

This was a complex story with well-developed characters and back story. The plot is pretty traditional for sci-fi. While there are a couple strong female characters, they don't interact much with each other or other women, so it doesn't pass the Bechtel Test. I felt the emphasis on the romantic feelings and urges was a bit over done and seemed to motivate the characters way more than would be realistic. But it is certainly a wild ride full of space ship battles and hand-to-hand combat.
It took me a while to understand the events that lead to the current status of the different factions. I hope there is a pre-quel book that delves into the build-up this world and characters.

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. To watch it in ASL, it is on TikTok (link attached).

I was excited to read this book because I have really gotten into Sci-Fi and with it being YA, I wanted really wanted to enjoy it! Unfortunately, I read about half of it before I put it down to DNF. Perhaps I will try reading it at a different time, but the book just didn't hold me and I couldn't really follow the world-building (it felt flat).

A big portion of why I lost interest is because I didn't care about the characters. At times there was a massive dump of information and other times, there wasn't enough. It started with a prison break, but you have no background to believe the characters could break one out of prison, and didn't seem believable. The second part opened with torturing a captain, but you don't know how they got to there - you didn't learn who Shane was until that chapter in the captain's thoughts.

I am picky when reading several POVs (more than 2); many times the story ends up focusing on just one or two of the characters rather than all the different POVs, which is the same thing that happened here. There were characters from Shane, Ava, and Cyrus' POV but mostly just Shane and Cyrus.

There was also a corrupt government angle; which was expected and had some interesting aspects, but I just felt it wasn't fully fleshed out.

Overall, I just didn't connect to the characters or have really enough understanding of them and the world.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to an early copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

What a great debut novel! Bonnie and Clyde as an epic space opera? This author is going places. This was outside my usual genre, but it was a 3.5 star read for me. That means the characters and story are memorable and I would read again.

I liked it, I just wished some of the characters would've been a little bit more fleshed out. Also, at times the story felt flat.

A scifi ya retelling of Bonnie and Clyde sounds like such a cool concept, so I was immediately drawn to Voris' debut novel "Made of Stars". I'm not quite in the typical age bracket for ya fiction anymore but I do enjoy them still from time to time. This book is more on the upper side of that bracket, which I enjoyed because it allowed the characters to be actually violent and for their actions to have dire consequences. It's Bonnie and Clyde after all.

"Made of Stars" turned out to be an enjoyable quick read with interesting characters and good writing, though it doesn't provide a very memorable experience. It started strong, pushing the reader into the middle of an action sequence basically on page 1, which I do like when done right. We get to know all the characters after this exciting prison break, but that also leads to my main criticism: They are just not very deep. There's a lot of potential, but Voris stays on the surface with all of them, and even digging into Shane's trauma never felt very complex., same with Cryrus' struggles unlearning blind obedience to a clearly flawed authority. I never really felt that much for any of the characters, which is also why the romances were pretty meh in the end. And they could have been so great! The antagonists are very cliched and obvious, too, though I did like the underlying themes of them.
The story is at times rather hectic, with the aforementioned prison break lasting barely two pages really to name an example. Voris never really spends time with her action sequences, and a big part of Shane and Ava's fight against their big enemies happen off page. Both of them were just not very believable as these big leaders that entire governments are afraid of, either. The pacing issues and the stark focus on Cyrus instead of them as a couple didn't do them any good in this regard.

All in all, enjoyable for what it is but it could have been much more. 2,5 stars, rounding up to 3.

I really enjoyed this. I have been loving that more space-operas and space-opera-type books are being published in the YA sphere. A fun cast of characters, and great world-building, with a pretty tightly-plotted story led me to really enjoying this. I loved the narrative voice and also how all the characters' stories wound together. The multiple POVs made this pretty fast-paced, but my one gripe is that sometimes the POV could be a bit confusing and it would take you out of the story a bit at the very beginning of each chapter.

This was a good book. This author writing style is pretty good. The ending was not what I thought. I think reading again I would like it better the second time.

This was such a fun, adventurous space opera—I loved the cast of characters and how they all came together to achieve their goals. It was a fast-paced, page-turning adventure!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a lot of fun from the get-go. The worldbuilding was very well done and I felt immersed in the story and the characters from the very first page. I see a lot of people prefer Shane and Ava's storyline, but I actually slightly preferred Cyrus's story. I also really enjoyed Cyrus and Lark together and their enemies-to-lovers plot.

I will definitely be checking out more from Jenna Voris in the future!

Really was an interesting concept but definitely not Bonnie & Clyde. Shane and Ava were the better characters and Clyde felt like an afterthought to me. The POV’s swapping made it difficult for me to understand and get attached.