Kate’s Practically Positive Review of the Sound of Stars

Title and Author:  The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Genre: YA Science Fiction

One-Sentence Summary: In a post-alien-invasion world, human teenage rebel librarian Ellie and labmade alien M0Rr1S bond over literature and music as they try to save the world.

My take: Dow creates a unique world, a relatable heroine, and characters I’m still thinking about weeks later, wondering “what are they doing now?” I definitely plan to pick up the audiobook in the future and re-read, allowing myself to absorb more. (Oh, and if there’s a sequel, I’ll be pre-ordering it for sure!)

My star rating: 4 stars

Pros:

1. World Building. Dow created not one, but two alien races and rich worlds and cultures. She also established human post-invasion cultures that kept me turning the pages.
2. Relatable Heroine. I adored Ellie. Her inner dialogue, her love for books, her caution for love, her constant efforts to grow and improve – all really resonated with me. I’d love to re-read her.
3. Slow-Burn Demi Romance. I was so excited to see demi rep in this book. I’m drawn to write the “love at first sight” trope myself, so for a change of pace, I loved Ellie’s exploration of her sexuality and growing feelings for M0Rr1S.
4. Families. Many YA heroes have no family to support them. What I loved about Ellie and M0Rr1S is that you could see the strain the warring had put on both of their families. I honestly would have liked to explore these family relationships more, which brings me to…

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW**

Cons:

1. That Ending! I really struggled with the ending to this book, especially because I had enjoyed the rest of it so much. Two things turned me off about the ending. (1) Deus ex machina: While the book hinted at pieces of the sudden solution, it still comes as a neatly-wrapped package when all is lost. (2) It ends quite suddenly: I honestly thought my ebook had an error and accidentally skipped the “ending” chapters. Is there going to be another book? Are we going to find out what happens? Admittedly, these are very personal dislikes, and someone else may love these elements of the ending.

In summary, this is a lovely debut that will continue to stick with me! ❤