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wordsofclover 's review for:
Hold Back the Stars
by Katie Khan
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Hold Back the Stars is a dystopian/sci-fi romance about Max and Carys - two travellers in their mid-twenties who fall in love in a world where coupling is frowned upon until a later age. The story shifts back and forth from the couple’s first meeting to a point where they are stuck in space together with no hope of survival and only 90 minutes to live.
If I had to describe this story, it would unfortunately be with a “meh.” This book wasn’t terrible but neither was it good. I didn’t like how as a reader I was immediately thrust into Max and Carys’ relationship while they realise they are stuck in space and start arguing with each other (like really, that’s what you’re going to do?). Carys immediately got on my nerves with her repeated, “Oh my god, we’re going to die,” in the first few pages. The problem here was i was faced with characters in a deathly situation and I was suppose to care but I didn’t know them at all, so…I didn’t.
The story eventually picked up for me as it reached its mid-way point.I found the world of Europia and the devastated US and Middle East really interesting and I liked the idea of rotations and the Couples Rule (even though I felt like this ‘rule’ had very little to back it up). I was way more interested in the world in this book than I was with the characters, who remained for the entirety of the book annoying, self-centred and just whatever for me.
This book is mainly a romance set in a sc-fi world. The problem is I was a lot more invested in the sci-fi aspect than the romance and I just didn’t get enough of the world to satisfy.
The ending was…well, it was a bit eye-roll inducing to be honest. I wouldn’t say this was an unenjoyable read and once I got into the book, it was a quick read which I appreciated but I don’t think this is a book I would be recommending to people.
Hold Back the Stars is a dystopian/sci-fi romance about Max and Carys - two travellers in their mid-twenties who fall in love in a world where coupling is frowned upon until a later age. The story shifts back and forth from the couple’s first meeting to a point where they are stuck in space together with no hope of survival and only 90 minutes to live.
If I had to describe this story, it would unfortunately be with a “meh.” This book wasn’t terrible but neither was it good. I didn’t like how as a reader I was immediately thrust into Max and Carys’ relationship while they realise they are stuck in space and start arguing with each other (like really, that’s what you’re going to do?). Carys immediately got on my nerves with her repeated, “Oh my god, we’re going to die,” in the first few pages. The problem here was i was faced with characters in a deathly situation and I was suppose to care but I didn’t know them at all, so…I didn’t.
The story eventually picked up for me as it reached its mid-way point.I found the world of Europia and the devastated US and Middle East really interesting and I liked the idea of rotations and the Couples Rule (even though I felt like this ‘rule’ had very little to back it up). I was way more interested in the world in this book than I was with the characters, who remained for the entirety of the book annoying, self-centred and just whatever for me.
This book is mainly a romance set in a sc-fi world. The problem is I was a lot more invested in the sci-fi aspect than the romance and I just didn’t get enough of the world to satisfy.
The ending was…well, it was a bit eye-roll inducing to be honest. I wouldn’t say this was an unenjoyable read and once I got into the book, it was a quick read which I appreciated but I don’t think this is a book I would be recommending to people.