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    Starcrossed
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    Starcrossed
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    Starcrossed
    Ebook454 pages7 hours

    Starcrossed

    By Josephine Angelini

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    The passionate romance of Twilight meets Greek mythology in this dazzling debut about star-crossed demigods.

    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.

    “OMGods, I can’t wait to read more!” — Lauren Kate, New York Times bestselling author of Fallen

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperTeen
    Release dateMay 31, 2011
    ISBN9780062080165
    Author

    Josephine Angelini

    Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. A real-live farmer's daughter, Josie graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theatre, with a focus on the classics. She is the author of the YA series Starcrossed, inspired by Greek mythology, and The Worldwalker Trilogy, inspired by the Salem witch hunts. She now lives in Los Angeles with her screenwriter husband . . . and she can still drive a tractor.

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    Reviews for Starcrossed

    4/5

    526 ratings85 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Little BookwormHelen has grown up on Nantucket surrounded by the same old people and the water. When a mysterious new family moves onto the island, she begins to understand all the things that have made her different her whole life and learns who she really is.I badly want to paint this book with the Twilight brush. I mean, Starcrossed involves a good girl feeling a pull to a boy to a mysterious new boy, a large family that moves into the area and keeps to themselves, the inability for anyone to answer a simple question, a girl who is better at being superhuman than the boy, and a large evil family bent on the destruction and/or assimilation of the smaller good family. And all of that sounds really familiar. And I tried to fight the ongoing comparisons in my head as I was read, but it was all there. It was still a really good book and a compelling book with plenty to offer on its own.*slight SPOILERS*This time we are involving not vampires, but Greek gods and the Trojan War. It seems that the Fates want the descendants of the participants in that war to repeat the cycle. And Helen and one of the Delos boys, Lucas, are drawn to each other. At first out of instant violent hate and then later as something else, dooming them to repeat the cycle as well. I liked both Helen and Lucas and I thought their role together was very sweet and I really wanted them to get together. I couldn't figure out how that was going to work since they wanted to kill each other at first. But work out it did. Although so many things stood/stand in their way, I don't know how the whole thing is going to get resolved. Helen's best friend, Claire, is made of awesome sauce. Seriously she is truly one great friend and I was glad to see her stick with her friend through the whole book.There are a lot of subplots going on: Helen figuring out who she is, the Delos family, women attacking Helen, her missing mother, the romance, dealing with the Furies, and Helen's superpowers to start. It is mostly wrapped up so I'm hoping the next book has a tighter plot. The action is fast past and it moves right along. I was glad of that because at nearly 500 pages, this book could have been a monster to read. As it was I could barely put it down. The writing is pretty straightforward and a little less telling and more showing might be a good idea. It's written in the third person so the reader gets a bigger picture of the action and little more of other characters besides Helen.
    • 5/5
      Always been fascinated with Mythology, especially Greek Mythology. I was so fascinated that I would play computer games and watch any thing to do with it. Eventually I was introduced to books using the lore as the twist of a story and I've read a few good ones. The few I've read I've really enjoyed, one of my most favored series is based on Greek Myth which has an interesting take on the concept and I love it when I can find that in a book. I'm so thrilled that Starcrossed did not disappoint. The worst thing would be to have a concept like Mythology that's boring and confusing, which I can honestly say that was not the case with Starcrossed, it was not only understandable but intriguing as well.

      What I liked about Starcrossed was it's attention grabbing pace, even though it wasn't high action-drama fast it had such an absorbing story that I wasn't bored and I wanted to keep going. I was also surprised at how funny the interactions between the characters were. I thought Helen was a pretty likable heroine. Yeah I was angry with her sometimes, but if your not at least a little mad at a character then I think that could make for a very boring story. She had her insecurities and flaws but she had a lot to deal with. She didn't know what to do with herself at first, not knowing what she was and then after finding out, she has to deal with that knowledge and all the issues that came with that. She couldn't be a normal teenager, not that she ever really was before.

      As for Helen's BFF Claire, I thought she was a great addition to the story and Helen's life. I love when the heroine can find non-judgmental support from another female. And Claire was that for Helen, of course they had their silent treatment moments but that's normal bff stuff. I think Claire was fun, carefree, and maybe a bit eccentric. I could also add crazy to that list after finding out the lengths she went to to prove to herself that her friend was different. WOW, that was some risks she took.

      Ooh, let's not forget about Lucas, easy going, protective and badass. I really liked Lucas and didn't know how things would go with him and Ellen after their first meeting. I felt so bad for them in the beginning when they were dealing with the Furies and was happy when that was taken care of; but then they found out the Fates were still meddling in their lives. It didn't look like they were going to find peace anytime soon. I guess that's why these situations are aptly referred to as Greek Tragedies.

      This story was on a roll, it was exciting from the beginning, but about halfway through things start to pick up even more and I was thinking I might have to get to the next book right away. And then three quarters in, it just bumped up even more. I wasn't expecting the story to just keep getting more and more exciting the way it did. New characters that became pivotal to the story kept turning up. Enters Daphne, OH I hate her. She is a cold, cold biatch. I mean Helen already had a lot on her plate and this woman had to come and add more to her already full plate of suffering. I really hope she's seen for the evil that I believe her to be soon.

      There are so many more elements and surprises to this very delightfully absorbing story that makes you charged with anticipation. It had a well flushed out Mythological concept, great characters, great storytelling, action and humor, it made me even more captivated with the study of mysticism.
    • 5/5
      Always been fascinated with Mythology, especially Greek Mythology. I was so fascinated that I would play computer games and watch any thing to do with it. Eventually I was introduced to books using the lore as the twist of a story and I've read a few good ones. The few I've read I've really enjoyed, one of my most favored series is based on Greek Myth which has an interesting take on the concept and I love it when I can find that in a book. I'm so thrilled that Starcrossed did not disappoint. The worst thing would be to have a concept like Mythology that's boring and confusing, which I can honestly say that was not the case with Starcrossed, it was not only understandable but intriguing as well.

      What I liked about Starcrossed was it's attention grabbing pace, even though it wasn't high action-drama fast it had such an absorbing story that I wasn't bored and I wanted to keep going. I was also surprised at how funny the interactions between the characters were. I thought Helen was a pretty likable heroine. Yeah I was angry with her sometimes, but if your not at least a little mad at a character then I think that could make for a very boring story. She had her insecurities and flaws but she had a lot to deal with. She didn't know what to do with herself at first, not knowing what she was and then after finding out, she has to deal with that knowledge and all the issues that came with that. She couldn't be a normal teenager, not that she ever really was before.

      As for Helen's BFF Claire, I thought she was a great addition to the story and Helen's life. I love when the heroine can find non-judgmental support from another female. And Claire was that for Helen, of course they had their silent treatment moments but that's normal bff stuff. I think Claire was fun, carefree, and maybe a bit eccentric. I could also add crazy to that list after finding out the lengths she went to to prove to herself that her friend was different. WOW, that was some risks she took.

      Ooh, let's not forget about Lucas, easy going, protective and badass. I really liked Lucas and didn't know how things would go with him and Ellen after their first meeting. I felt so bad for them in the beginning when they were dealing with the Furies and was happy when that was taken care of; but then they found out the Fates were still meddling in their lives. It didn't look like they were going to find peace anytime soon. I guess that's why these situations are aptly referred to as Greek Tragedies.

      This story was on a roll, it was exciting from the beginning, but about halfway through things start to pick up even more and I was thinking I might have to get to the next book right away. And then three quarters in, it just bumped up even more. I wasn't expecting the story to just keep getting more and more exciting the way it did. New characters that became pivotal to the story kept turning up. Enters Daphne, OH I hate her. She is a cold, cold biatch. I mean Helen already had a lot on her plate and this woman had to come and add more to her already full plate of suffering. I really hope she's seen for the evil that I believe her to be soon.

      There are so many more elements and surprises to this very delightfully absorbing story that makes you charged with anticipation. It had a well flushed out Mythological concept, great characters, great storytelling, action and humor, it made me even more captivated with the study of mysticism.
    • 4/5
      I have a new favorite. Wow. What a complicated incorporation of the classic Helen of Troy story (with other mythology added in). Even if it seemed a little Twilight-ish at times, I overlooked all of that because the concept behind the story was so amazing."The face that launched a thousand ships" belongs to Helen Hamilton and Helen of Troy. A curse every woman in their family must endure. But Helen H. is nothing like Helen of Troy. This Helen hates attention, doubts her talents, and relishes in the concept of free will. How can you not love her? Then there is Lucas. *sigh* I wish there were guys like him when I was in high school. He was dreamy. And totally devoted to Helen. But my favorite characters were Claire and Jason. Claire was normal. No super human strength or demigod blood. Just a regular spunky brainiac. I loved that her nickname was "five two" (for her height). She may have been small, but she was a feisty thing. She was also a great friend, even if she did push Helen off the roof when they were 7 to see if she could fly and (maybe) accidentally on purpose stabbed her with a fork in second grade to see if she would bleed. Seems like Claire figured out Helen's super powers long before she ever had a clue. Jason is so much like Claire. He's deeply devoted to his family and to protecting people. I don't know why he made such an impact on me, but he did. I just loved him! Obviously the plot was great and kind of complicated. There is way too much mythology to mention in a review. It is potent in this story. I can't help but wonder though if I'm the only person that thought of Twilight when I read this book. Lucas = Edward; Creon and The Hundred = The Veltori (not sure if I spelled that one right); single dad (Jerry) raising a daughter that stays out all night and acts all mysterious but he's okay with it because he's super dad? Any of that seem familiar? I found it a little thick at times. Of course, I guess we find ourselves comparing most paranormal romance type books to Twilight in some way or another, right? Even with the familiarity with the plot (at times) I still thought this was a great read. The ending leaves this one wide open for the next book. So glad it will be a series. I just know Helen is going to do something awesome. I feel like i have so much invested in their stories that I'm itching to know what will happen next.
    • 5/5
      When I started reading the book, I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like it mainly because I didn't feel anything for the characters. That changed rather quickly. "Starcrossed" has to be one of the most thrilling books I've read in a while. When you start getting to know more about Helen and Lucas, you start to feel their pain, their happiness, and even their loss -- it becomes nearly impossible to put the book down.Do I think its a must read? Definitely.I'm dying to know more now that I'm finished. Additional comments:"Starcrossed" is a book that will leave you hungry for more. What's nice about the story, too, is that the author gives time for Helen & Lucas' relationship to grow - they don't just meet and instantly fall for each-other. It builds slowly before they get to that level. Angelini sets up the story perfectly in this first book (of three planned). If anything will be the new "Twilight", this is it. There's love, there's mystery, there's family, but most of all there's suspense and its mixed together perfectly.
    • 5/5
      What a great book!I finished it in one day. Just couldn't put it down.The storyline in it's self is very well written and continued to keep me interested from start to finish.I loved all the characters, though I have to say my favorite was Hector.There is tons of action,tragedy,multiple love plots, and deception what more could you possibly ask for aside from the next book to hurry up and be available!This is a great beginning for a new series!I give Josephine a Strong 5 star review for this great book
    • 5/5
      I'm not giving this a 5 star review because it was flawless or timeless, but because I enjoyed it THAT much. I couldn't put it down. And when I was forced too (exhaustion, etc), it was all I could think about.

      The main character's voice took a little getting used to me; initially the writing style irked me, but as soon as I got lost in the story, I was able to overlook it.

      The set up kind of reminds me of Twilight, with the supernatural abilities and the "family." And I could see a lot of parallels between many of the main characters.

      I've always loved mythology and I don't think this series holds up too under scrutiny in that area.

      BUT the characters are interesting and I found myself laughing out loud occasionally (extremely rare with books). I found the relationships relatable; things still happen super quickly, but I didn't find myself rolling my eyes. Rather I thought, I understand how things came together under these extreme circumstances. In times of war, everything about life speeds up, because the end usually comes that much sooner.

      Mostly, I just enjoyed this book because, well, who doesn't think about what life would be like if they had super powers? I liked living vicariously through Helen as she discovered all of her abilities and her place in history/the future.
    • 5/5
      I recieved this ARC free of charge from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. That has not changed my opinion of the book in any way.So, Starcrossed is the debut novel of author Josephine Angelini. I have been looking forward to reading this, and when I finally did, I was highly rewarded!So, the story centers mostly around 17 year old Helen Hamilton. She does not really fit in at school, and she always feels different. She just doesn't know why. But then Lucas Delos moves into town. Someinteresting interactions happen between them before Helen learns anything, but soon enough, she begins to learn who and what she really is. The story takes you on a great adventure as you keep trying to solve the mystery Mrs. Angelini has put together. It is great and completely entertaining. And she sure knows how create a completely twisted ending! 5/5In the begininng, my only complaint about the characters was that Helen seemed somewhat... unrelatable to me. As the story progressed however, Helen became completely relatable and I began to really enjoy her character. I also really liked Claire, she was funny and seemed the way a real friend would. When the Delos family moves in, there are certain characters you really want to hate becuase of their attitudes, even though you realize its for the better of Helen. But the longer you are with them, the more they begin to seem nicer and friendlier. I'm not complaining, as they were designed to look like the mean characters they were at first. I think Creon, the main antagonist, was really evil, which is great! They were all great characters and can't wait to read more of them. 4.5/5The writing was great for a debut author! I usually don't enjoy 3rd person view as much as 1st person (I think that is what it is called), but I really enjoyed it this time, as you get to follow from the point of view of all characters. The writing is desriptive and engaging and you just want to kep reading to find out the next twist that is thrown into the story. 5/5I loved the setting! I absolutely love Cape Cod, but have never had a chance to visit the island of Nantucket off of Cape Cod. I want to visit there even more now! I think it was the perfect setting for the story! It's isolated besides the ferry, and that contributes hugely to the story. It was just a perfect setting! 5/5So, 19.5/20. This book was awesome! Plenty of action and romance! The worst part is waiting until May 31st to grab a finished copy! (Its also awesome cause it comes out on my birthday!) (But its awesome anyways) So, mark you calendars and add it to your lists, becuase this is a great book that you don't want to miss out on!
    • 4/5
      In Nantucket, MA nothing interesting really happens and everyone pretty much knows each other. So when word gets out about the new students attending Helen's school and how hot the boys are, the town goes a little overboard with gossip. Helen starts to get a little bored with the stories and is probably the only girl in the whole school who doesn't seem to really care about the new hot students.Then one day heading to class, Helen locks eyes with Lucas. Immediately everything begins to fall apart. Helen feels nothing but pure anger towards Lucas and his family, and for Lucas the feeling is mutual. Lucas understands exactly why he feels this way, while Helen on the hand is left confused and wondering why? The more they tried to stay out of each others way, the more they find themselves crossing paths.I really enjoyed Starcrossed. It was nothing like I expected it to be. Helen was a very easy-going character and easy to relate to. Actually, pretty much every single character in Starcrossed will find a way into your heart. I loved them all and found Helen to be super funny. The way Josephine developed the romance between Lucas and Helen, to me, was very well written. It wasn't your typical boy meets girl and then boy and girl fall in love. A lot of things happen between the two and their chemistry felt so real. Not only did they fall for one another, but they were also really good friends. They shared so many emotions without any words. Josephine did an amazing job at describing and explaining things. My only issue with Starcrossed was that it did take me a couple of chapters to fully get into. I found the beginning to be a little slow. There is one other thing, but I can't really discuss it without sharing any spoilers. Overall, Starcrossed is unpredictable, full of twist, and a definite page turner. You won't be able to put it down until you read the final page in the book. I love the story Josephine delivered and cannot wait for the second in the series, Dreamless. Starcrossed is definitely a book to keep your eye out for. 4 out of 5 Stars
    • 5/5
      Here's a sign of a really good book: going about my day feeling like I can't wait to get back to it, feeling like I'm missing the characters that I've become so invested in that I can't wait to see what they'll do next---and then suddenly remembering that I finished the book and feeling sad, missing them all the more like long lost family.Here's another sign of a really good book: Ultimate. Emotional. Roller Coaster.Josephine Angelini is am amazing storyteller. I loved the characters she created. Her casual and descriptive writing style sinks you right into the middle of their world. It made me want to sit and joke with Helen and Claire (especially loved tiny, spunky Claire!). And sit down for dinner with the great big Delos Family and eat something yummy and home-cooked by the amazing, loving Noel (Lucas's mother). After getting to know them all, I was emotionally sucked in to this story and stuck there! It had me all over the place---laughing, angry, frustrated, worried, awestruck...and heartbroken. The love story is such a great one...how can it not be when it starts off with them inexplicably trying to kill each other? They have so much to overcome and so many uncontrollable factors working against them...I literally felt that empty hole in my chest that I vividly remember from my own teen years, when you think you love someone and start to feel it slipping away.All gushing aside, I did have a two little cons: I admit that once or twice, I felt my attention dip---in nearly 500 pages, it's bound to happen---whether it was from a bit too much detailed description or a rehashed situation, it really didn't take much away from my love for this book. Also (and this is 100% my own personal quirk and possible reading inadequacy :D), I tend to have a little awkwardness when reading about people flying. Especially when they don't have wings...it somehow doesn't translate into my mind's eye without coming off as a little superman-style cheesy. Again, that's my own personal quirk---I'm sure not all readers are as weird about that as me!An amazing debut, and totally lived up to the hype for me. I can't wait for the sequel!! I'll be missing these characters until then!
    • 5/5
      I started this book and was swept away into a world that felt so very familiar and completely alien at the same time. An island, surrounded by the ocean, a thick plot filled with intrigue, forced hatred, and enduring love, fate- what more could a person ask for? From page one I was hooked, following Helen Hamilton along her road of self-discovery, Lucas' bouts of self-control, and a family you can't help but love. I can't wait to read the second book because reading just one would be like eating just one potato chip - not many people can do that - and trust me, this book was like a potato chip. Crisp and tasty and I am definitely going in for book two.
    • 5/5
      I could really just leave this review at "This book is amazing. Read it." and those two short sentances would pretty much sum up my feelings about this book, but of course I can't just leave it at that! So, on that note, let's get on to the review!One of my favourite aspects of this book was all of the Greek mythology! I absolutley adore mythology of any kind, Greek mythology in particular, and the fact that Starcrossed had such a strong tie in with Greek mythology was something that I thought was so cool! I haven't had the chance to read many, if any, YA books that relate to Greek mythology, so it was such a treat to read one that did!In addition to the captivating mythological aspect of Starcrossed, this book had a fabulous cast of characters! I honestly loved all of the characters in this book and really enjoyed how diverse and different they all were from eachother. Our protagonist, Helen, was really interesting to read about. I really liked how she wanted to be able to protect herself, to fight for herself, and didn't want to rely on Lucas and his family to protect her. She wanted to learn how to control her powers and was willing to put her all into doing so. I also felt like Helen was such a good friend to her best friend, Claire, which is something that I think is a really valuable trait in a character. I really found Helen to be an intriguing character and one that I really enjoyed reading about!I also, of course, really loved Lucas! What can I say? To me he was the perfect blend of sweet, romantic, strong, fierce, and caring. I really liked how close he was with his family, how much they mattered to him. It was so important to him to keep everyone that he cared about safe, and he would go out of his way to make sure that they were. I also really enjoyed watching him and Helen overcome so many things and watching their relationship grow!What really made Starcrossed such a great read was the fact that it had such a gripping and engaging plot. From the very beginning I couldn't stop reading and during the time that I wasn't reading Starcrossed, I was definitly thinking about the characters and the story! I also felt like Starcrossed was really well written and easy to read. I felt like Josephine Angelini's words flowed so well and were so smooth. Her writing was fantastic!As a whole, I loved Starcrossed! Everything about it was exactly what I look for in a book! Great characters, wonderful plot, amazing writing, not to mention all of the mythology! Starcrossed is definitely one of the best books that I've read this year and I seriously can't wait to read the next book in this series!
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars. It was a little different than other mythology books, and yet the same. I kind of got tired of the "I hate you" "I love you" "We cam never be together" thing.
    • 5/5
      Well let's start with the eye candy... yes, that cover! Hello lovah!! Needless to say, from the moment that I saw the gorgeous cover of Starcrossed I knew I just had to get my hands on a copy. Secondly, after a quick skim over the synopsis and my ensuing realization and utter joy that there is a thread of Greek mythology running through our story... well hello (insert Gollom voice) my precious... I absolutely fell in love with this story. Helen is such a likeable leading lady - she was a breath of fresh air. She came off as a strong and decisive young lady, normal in the eyes of most, but with a big secret. We instantly realize that she is far from normal and no matter how hard she tries to hide her strength, speed and breathtaking good looks (a lot like me - ahem), she cannot help but stand out. When the Delos family arrive in her small and sheltered Nantucket island, acting normal is the least of her worries. For shortly after their arrival, she must face not only the reality of who and what she is, but the tragedy that fate has in store for her.I love a strong heroine and, Helen was definitely that! She is the type to roll with the punches (sometimes even in the literal sense). If life gave her lemons, well she made lemonade. I liked this so much about her and I found it so refreshing. She has so much character growth throughout the story - from a hunched over young girl trying to hide away who she is, to a brave and proud young woman who would not let something as trivial as fate stand in the way of what she wanted her outcome to be.Ms. Angelini also gives us an abundance of great characters to pick and choose from - aside from the awesomeness that is Helen, we meet Lucas - the super cute and utterly romantic love interest, Claire a/k/a Giggles - Helen's BFF, her father, the Delos' and their extended family... I mean there were many that instantly became favorites. The storyline was very attractive and I instantly became immersed in it. Ms. Angelini is not only a phenomenal writer but she definitely knows how to keep you on your toes. Just when I thought I had it all figured out there was a twist... then a turn... then a curve... well needless to say, I never knew what was going to happen next. I loved the suspense, the drama, the angst... the love (le sigh). I'm a sucker for starcrossed lovers, what can I say?All in all, Starcrossed blew me away. I felt that it had the perfect amount of humor, action, drama, friendships, relationships, family, etc. It was fun, fast-paced, action-packed and had the a great, modern twist on Greek mythology. Ms. Angelini has got a winner on her hands that I'm sure will appeal to many readers - no matter the age. In conclusion, this reader highly recommends it!
    • 5/5
      I love this book it inspired me to try write my own
    • 3/5
      The best thing about this book is the cover. That's not to say that the book totally sucked, but it wasn't as good as the cover would lead you to expect. The idea was neat, but the story seemed a little forced and the characters seemed a little flat.
    • 5/5
      [Sunday, November 3, 2013] I know this book might not supposed to be funny but I can't stop laughing. I am so glad I bought it ages ago and reading it now feels just right. I reached chapter 6, so I am still in the beginning.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this. I'm a sucker for Greek mythology and re-tellings, but I'm surprised at how drawn to the 'starcrossed' romance I was, which is not something I usually find done well, but I liked it.

      Definitely recommend it. Can't wait for the next book.
    • 5/5
      What I LikedGreek Mythology & Romeo and JulietJosephine beautifully wove our modern time with Greek mythology and the tale of star-crossed lovers of opposing feuding families. She took one of the most known legendary foolish lovers Helen and Troy and put their tragic love story into our modern time making it exciting, dramatic and wonderfully gripping. I love Greek mythology reading any story that uses mythology I always have to try it and this story I just devoured. I got it yesterday in the mail and now I'm done and left wanting MORE! The use of other Greek characters like Cassandra, Ajax, Hector, Jason, Castor and many more is very fun to find the similarities, but also the differences and to see where Josephine decided to insert her own creative genius into the story molding it into her own creation.Star Crossed LoversI have always loved reading out these tragic tales, I can't help but love the dramatic pull of to love or not to love. Helen and Lucas do not disappoint with their love affair. They are both so gripping and you want them to be together so much, but there is so much at stake if they join, it is completely unbearable and I just want more.I don't know what else to say, I don't want to ruin and spoil your own discovery of the story when you are reading it. I will also till tell you that all the characters are fantastic, the family dynamics are fun, the love interest is intense and the Fates are VERY cruel.What I Didn't LikeComing to the end of the book! Now I have to wait probably at least another year to find out what happens (if that is what Josephine's release contract is for the books) and I really don't want to. I'm being so whiny I know, but I completely love it!The only other thing I had difficult with was at the beginning, I felt a little thrown in to Helen's world and it took me a little to figure out what was going on. The story took a few chapters for me to make sense of the world that Josephine has created, but once Helen met the Delos family the big picture started to come into focus.RecommendationPut this down in your planner, go get it the day it comes out or go pre-order it now!
    • 3/5
      I don't really remember this book much. I read it in July, but never made a review for it. I'm assuming I liked it, because when I don't like books, I write reviews about them. I also know I didn't love it, because I write reviews about books I love, too. So I'm just going to go ahead and give it a 3. I know, that's awful. I'll re-read it this month and write a real review.
    • 2/5
      I had a lot of problems writing this review. I couldn't find a good place to begin talking about my thoughts about the book. Then I realized that it's probably because, in my opinion, the book lacked a clear focus. I feel like the mythological system in the book is kinda all over the place. I do hesitate to say that, because I have no doubt that Josephine has it all organized in her mind, but I just don't think it came across in the story. I'm not saying she needed to reveal everything about the organization of the houses in the first book, of course not...but I just didn't feel like there was any rhyme or reason to any of it. Shame, because I love mythology. I think the book would have done better with a more narrow focus versus trying to fit in so much.As far as the characters go, I enjoyed getting to know them. Helen, Lucas and their families were all intriguing characters. Helen especially, as she had to absorb so much throughout the story. Sometimes I felt the way she reacted was ridiculous though, she seemed to switch between being able to easily accept the things she was learning about herself and completely unable to process them. The back-and-forth made it hard to accept her reactions as legit. Nonetheless, I still overall enjoyed getting to know her.Despite the fact that I don't really get sucked into the whole "I love you but we can't be together" thing in most circumstances, I couldn't help but like Lucas (cheesy or not). I would go to China/Italy/Brazil/Paris with him any day. As with the rest of the book though, I didn't find him especially memorable. So, even though I normally love anything with a mythological theme, this just wasn't a book that stood out for me. The plot felt unorganized and the characters were just "okay." However, I do think that it'll have a lot of appeal for readers that enjoy the "forbidden love" theme - so give the book a chance if that is something you normally love reading!
    • 5/5
      OMGods OMGods OMGods! Okay, usually I'm not even a proponent of using the phrase "OMG", let alone starting my review with it but this book calls for exclamations like that. This book was SO good, a part of me wants to put in a request to LibraryThing/Goodreads to raise their ratings from 5 stars to at least 10 stars (and they still would not be enough!), just for this book!Helen Hamilton lives a life of relative peace and quiet on the serene island of Nantucket. Not much happens on this island where everyone knows everyone else, and Helen is happy for it to be that way. Uncomfortable with attention, and physically pained by it, she lives her life like a quiet nobody, living alone with her father, the owner of a general store, since her mother left them both when she was very young. Her best friend is Claire, who being Japanese on the island is automatically different and much more comfortable in the limelight, but who still thinks Helen is bound to stand out, even if it sends her into pangs of physical pain.Helen's quiet world is torn asunder with the arrival of the Delos family who have moved from Spain. The Delos teens are the talk of the town before Helen has even set eyes on them, and gossip is abound as to how physically attractive they all are. Also, she is shaken by these strange nightmares she has been having, where she finds herself in a barren and desolate land, and upon awakening finds herself covered in dust and incredibly thirsty. And the vision, this hallucination, of three old women who are always urging and crying blood. But when Helen first sets eyes on Lucas, one of the Delos boys, her reaction is one that no one would expect out of her, not even own self, especially not her self. She attacks him. Regardless of how sexually attracted she may be to Lucas, and how intensely drawn to him she may be, her blood also boils at the very sight of him.Unable to keep herself away for him, and soon realizing that she never will be able to keep herself away from him, she begins to get to know Lucas and his family better and realizes that she learns more about herself through them than she ever would have imagined. Through the Delos clan, including Hector (the hefty, aggressive one who keeps needling her to unleash her aggression), Ariadne and Jason (Twins who are both beautiful, but extremely sweet and understanding) and Cassandra (the youngest, the smallest but with the wisdom and aura of a million sages) and their parents, she is able to come to terms with who she is, what her history is, and what she is truly capable of - that sometimes what you read in the books isn't just a myth, sometimes it is as real as it gets. In the meanwhile, there are dark forces on the hunt for Helen, and she must learn to protect herself from them. In the process of all this, Lucas and Helen are attracted to each other like a moth to the flame. But like the moth's obsession with the flame only results in his demise, Lucas and Helen are not free to follow their desires...there are prophecies that have to be fulfilled, traditions to abide by, Gods to be appeased, and the whole world hangs in the balance of their distance from each other. So will they be able to resist temptation? Will Helen be able to save herself from the dangers that lurk around her? Above all else...will the epic romance between Helen and Lucas be able to bloom, or will it be nipped in the bud? You will have to read the book to find out...OMGods OMGods OMGods! This book is so absolutely fantastic, I didn't read it, I literally snorted it like crack! The pages kept turning, and I keep getting invested. I laughed out loud, I shed tears...it was an emotional roller coaster. But also, it was so action-packed and fast paced, I felt like I was reading a Marvel comic, rather than a Young Adult fiction novel. I am sure parallels can be, and will be, drawn between Twilight and Starcrossed...but I can safely say that I was far more impressed with the writing and the characterization in Starcrossed than I was by the first book in the Twilight series, and I enjoyed Starcrossed far more. So Stephanie Meyers, you better watch your back, because a new diva is about to take the Young Adult literary genre by storm!!! Also, this book includes a lot of info on Greek Mythology, but author Josephine Angelini has done the subject justice, and the myths and legends are seamlessly incorporated into the storyline. This book was like X-Men meets THOR meets Hercules meets Superman type of stuff, but with a generous helping of romance, friendship, family and plenty of Greek Mythology thrown in there - the PERFECT mix for an extremely riveting read, I must say. There was a seriously cool, award-winning movie going on in my head as I read this book (about that: watch out for a ~Movie Castings~ post on this book on Wednesday of this week). I loved EVERY DARN MINUTE of it. Love, love, loved it, and would recommend it to EVERYONE!So don't wait another second, Starcrossed hits the bookstores tomorrow - go out and get yourself a copy. I personally promise you, you will not regret it!!!Greek Mythology, teenagers, blood-lust, action-packed sequences, and an epic romance...what's not to LOVE? :)
    • 4/5
      Wow! After plowing through this book in a couple of days all I can say is that I'm exhausted. I really got caught up in these characters and how impossible their situation would be to escape. I am hooked and need to stay with them until the end. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, which will be released in May. This is a frustrating read, to warn you in advance, but the character development is there. The story is very slow to unravel at first, but gives you just enough to make you keep reading. Good luck to this author, I hope to see many more from her in the future.
    • 2/5
      Starcrossed is one of those reads that I grow to find more frustrating as more time passes by. I had seen many positive reviews, and the cover is so gorgeous, that it proved impossible not to be excited for it. Imagine my surprise when it came very close to joining my pile of "did not finish" books. I decided to continue on after putting it aside for a day or so, hoping that I just needed a break, but unfortunately Starcrossed never picked up for me.Set on the island of Nantucket, Helen Hamilton has always felt different from everyone around her. Once the Delos family arrives, she learns just how different she really is. Upon seeing Lucas for the first time, her first instinct is to kill him and the two characters have a go at attempting to destroy the other. Their animosity is later explained as the Furies trying to keep them apart and, of course, they're eventually able to stop the powers that compel them to kill each other. Helen slowly learns the details of her history, revealing her as a demigod.When it comes to romance in books I'm so easy to please and yet it proved impossible for me to care about Lucas and Helen: individually, together, whichever...but their romance especially! Despite the "IT'S DANGEROUS TO BE TOGETHER, WE CAN'T" protests from Lucas, they quickly moved from their insta-hate to their insta-love. I could get behind the former, sure, but failed to see when and why they grew to have feelings for one another. I never felt a spark between the two. I have no problem keeping up with a large cast of characters -- which we definitely have here -- but the majority of them fell flat to the point that I didn't care to keep them straight. With the exception of Hector, I couldn't tell you specifics about any of them and I'd probably even butcher their names in any attempts to do so.With some polishing and tighter editing this had the potential to be a good read. I'm intrigued by one certain event involving Hector towards the end, but it's not nearly enough to keep me invested in the story. These 400+ pages were more than enough. Who knows, though, maybe I'll skim through the next installments, but right now I'm thinking that this is where the series ends for me.
    • 3/5
      I've read so many great things about this book that I was beside myself excited to start it. It didn't grab me in the beginning and I was really disappointed by that. But I kept on and I'm glad I did, but I have mixed feelings about the book.

      As a character, Helen didn't seem to have much substance or personality, but I loved the chemistry between her and Lucas. I liked her best when they were together (especially the flying kiss, which was divine- pardon the pun).

      The Delos family reminded me too much of the Cullens, which was a source of frustration throughout the book (Hector was like Emmett and Cassandra was like Alice). There were so many of them that it took a while to get a feel for who was who.

      There was so much going on that it kept me turning pages, but at times, I wanted Angelini to focus on one or two main themes rather than weaving such a complicated tale. Some things were explained with beautiful clarity (like when Lucas is teaching Helen how to fly) and other things caused me to stumble in suspending disbelief (i.e. they can heal super fast, okay, but regrow teeth? No).

      But the biggest disappointment was the ending, which was not an ending at all. None of the questions were answered, but left hanging like twisted nerves at the bloody edge of a severed limb. Sequels and series are fine, but there needs to be a sense of closure at the end of each book, which Starcrossed did not have.

      If you're into Greek mythology, you might enjoy this book (and have less trouble keeping up than I did) as long as you're okay with loose ends and don't mind waiting for the next book.
    • 4/5
      ***After thinking about it for a long time after I finished it, I'm changing my rating to 4 stars. If something stays in my mind that long, it must be good!***This is probably more like a 3.5 rating for me. I started out absolutely loving this book! It was like a cross between Twilight and Percy Jackson (in a good way!). The love story reminded me of Twilight, but with Greek gods instead of vampires. I'm not sure where it lost me or why, but by the time I finished it, it was just kind of blah. But loving it lasted through quite a large portion of the book. I will read the sequel to see if I can get the magic back, but since I don't usually like sequels as much as the original, I'm not holding my breath.
    • 4/5
      I do not know much about Greek mythology and I read The Goddess Test earlier this year and I really enjoyed reading more about Greek myth. When I was approved for this book by NetGalley I was really excited to read it. Now I know I just mentioned The Goddess Test but I should say that Starcrossed is nothing like The Goddess Test. I have mentioned in other reviews that I really dislike when a character completely changes when they find out they are something paranormal or supernatural. This does not happen in this book and I loved Helen's character. She does want to rebel a bit but she doesn't completely change who she is. She continues to hold her relationships dear and she makes an effort to try to fit into her new lifestyle. I loved that Angelini made the characters similar to particular greek gods. Helen is like Helen of Troy and Lucas is like Paris. She didn't bog down her story with too much background on greek mythology. She added this into her story in a way that flowed really well. Her writing style creates an element of suspense and you end up reading the whole novel quickly. I was done within a day and I couldn't get through it quickly enough. I loved all the minor characters in this novel as well. I am interested to see what happens in the next book in terms of character development. I am wondering if Daphne will stick around and if Helen and Lucas end up together. I was a little sad when the book ended because I just wanted to know more. I can not wait for the next installment of this series and I highly recommend you go out and get this book if you haven't already.
    • 5/5
      Epic. That's what Starcrossed is Epic. Yes, it's 496 pages long, but that's not what I mean by epic. You'll think it's too short when you get done. And please, Dear God, do not compare this to Twilight. It is not in the least like it and if I see a post somewhere that says it is I will come to your blog, facebook or twitter account and rant until you remove the reference. There are no vampires, werewolves or faeries-so far. But, there are meticulously researched and well developed characters with plot lines that intersect and weave through the main plot line which is-you guessed it star crossed lovers. What is so incredible to me is that each name used is exactly correct for the character's attributes and what family they belong to. Their storyline is so in line with the ancient Greek mythology I'm just awed by the genius of the author. I checked. I looked things up. I wanted to know what the Iliad and the Odyssey were about. You'd think a Lit major would have read them, but somehow, I missed them. I'm not sure I lucked out. Starcrossed is as complex as any Greek epic, but I think much easier to enjoy. With a large cast of characters and plots and subplots I never got confused. Josephine Angelini took a combination of stories and rewrote them in the present day. And it works, seamlessly and beautifully. And you don't have to have read any of the Greek epics to understand it. You don't even have to remember your Greek mythology because it is well and easily explained.The setting is Nantucket, a small isolated island, busy in the summer, but not overly populated with year rounders. Helen Hamilton is a year rounder living with her father in a quaint shingle sided whaler with a widow's walk. They have a good relationship, ignoring a few strange things about Helen, and Helen works in his store a few days a week. Helen's mother took off when Helen was a toddler and oddly enough took every photo of herself with her. Helen is drop dead gorgeous, thin, athletic, inhumanly fast and strong and very intelligent but, she hides all of these gifts, preferring to fly under the radar. She doesn't even try in classes, only sometimes doing her work. Even in track she sometimes hides on the course so she doesn't finish first or too fast or she hides in the middle of the pack. Deep down she's afraid of what she is witch, monster, freak, animal? Helen tells the story to us so we know what she's feeling and thinking, what her greatest fears are. And what hurts her. Sometimes though, we do see things through one of the other character's view points and it's always interesting no matter who it is.Lucas Delos is Helen's male counterpart. He is drop dead gorgeous, tall, athletic, intelligent, inhumanly fast and strong and bestowed with other talents. But most of all and differently from Helen, he is self assured. He is comfortable in his own skin. He's grown up knowing what he is and it isn't any of the kind of things Helen fears. He's part of a large family that just arrived from Spain. He lives with his parents and sister, aunt, widowed Uncle and his daughter and two sons. And they will all be attending the only high school on Nantucket. They are big news to the island to say the least. They prove to be invaluable to Helen to understanding her ancestry.With all the references to the Iliad and the Odyssey you must realize that this has something to do with Greek stories. But you cannot imagine. And don't peek at the ending, it won't make sense anyway. I wanted to write an intelligent, clever review because I think Josephine Angelini, again, is a genius. She took all these characters from the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Orestia, one I'd never heard of, and other Greek plays/poems and threw in some, no I mean carefully placed some Shakespeare and Greek mythology (yes that is different from the Iliad and the Odyssey) and set it down gently in a perfectly believable setting. And it works. It works so well I can't stop trying to figure out the next book! I'm reading the Iliad and the Odyssey! And the Orestia! I've read it twice now and I'm ready to read it again because my heart is breaking at the cliffhanger ending and I hate those. But it's more that the characters are hanging on the cliff rather than us because we know something they have yet to figure out. Hopefully they will soon. In the beginning of the next novel. You, the reader, should be able to pick up on it easily. So, instead of being intelligent and clever, after four tries, this being my fifth, I've settled for gushing. Gushing that I love this novel more than anything I've read ever. Gushing that Josephine Angelini can bounce ideas off of me any time she wants. Gushing that any writer that puts this much work into a novel deserves to be read. But don't read her because she did her homework and I'm the geek that looked it up. Read it because you love a good story with lots of family and love and stories from the past and cool talents and explanations. Just read it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. It's magic. It's epic.
    • 4/5
      When I first started this book, I really wasn't sure what to think. I've never read a book about demigods before. I like mythology so I wasn't worried about the fact that I would hate the part of mythology. I was more worried that a story line about demigods would be too annoying or too silly for me to enjoy. However, I really enjoyed this book. I mean really really enjoyed it.My main complaint at first was not the main character Helen, but her friend Claire. She came off as overly pushy and kind of a bully. I began to wonder what a character like Helen, so shy and reserved was doing with someone like Claire. The two just didn't seem to fit together well as friends. Then, as we got to know Helen more, I started to hate that she was such a pushover. She just let people get away with treating her horribly because she'd rather not be noticed. She just seemed to fall in line and try to keep everyone happy too much. It really is an annoying trait to just roll over all the time.Then, things became interesting when Helen and her father's friend are attacked. Once Helen realizes her powers, she starts to become more interesting. It's like a veil is lifted and Helen can finally reveal her true self. Finally, we start to see someone that is confident, powerful and can make her own decisions without letting someone tell her what she can and cannot do. I enjoyed seeing Helen work on developing her powers. I really became to like Helen, so much in fact, I was very disappointed to her her crush and fellow demigod tell a relative that he would never touch her, in such a tone that was really heartbreaking.I found it very easy to get into this story and I really enjoyed reading it!x-posted to my blog.
    • 4/5
      I was torn with this book. I wanted to love it and while a part of me does, I also found it too similar to many other YA paranormal/romance series I've read before. The idea in Starcrossed is more detailed than some of the other Greek storylines but I found the characters to be carbon copies of those found in Twilight and the plot twist to be too close to Mortal Instruments to be an original idea. I did stil enjoy this book and found that the length was just right, although I wanted more! I just didn't feel the connection between the couple in this story as well as I have had with other YA stories. While I still rooted for them, it just lacked that magical 'connection' you can feel when reading such a book. All in all, I still enjoyed it quite a bit and look forward to the next novel in the series.