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The Sound of Stars
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.
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.
400 pages
First published February 25, 2020
About the author
Alechia Dow
10 books712 followersAlechia Dow is a former pastry chef, food critic, culinary teacher, and Youth Services librarian. When not writing about determined black girls (like herself), you can find her chasing her wild child, baking, or taking teeny adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,164 reviews
December 5, 2018
I mean... I feel like I have to give myself the best rating possible, since I was a *tough* judge of my own work while writing it, you know?
February 22, 2020
Three it started sooo good but that ending!!! It ruined all my expectations stars!!!
There are so many good intriguing, entertaining things about this book keep my attention like popular culture references used with song and book quotes, bounding friendship and connection between a human and alien (my childhood’s favorite movie is E.T., I was raised with my adoration of Spielberg and alien nations till I met Ripley in Scott’s Alien movie!), and of course road trip idea.
But there is also annoying things which also make me pissed off when I’m starting to read a book. Do you want examples? I don’t like slowness, barely moving pacing and I also don’t like the books with unexplained situations and unanswered questions. The ending is as important as the beginning for me! (Sometimes, it is more important, especially shocking, twisty ones are always my preference.)
So I tossed between 3 and 4 stars and finally I decided to give 3 because there are so much potential this book and I also like to read if there will be sequel which helps me to calm my nerves sharpened with too many question marks.
Both Janelle and Morris are relatable, lovable characters. But the slowness at the beginning prevents us to learn more about their stories and connections. And I wish the road trip wouldn’t be a quick journey to reach the church. It could take longer time with additional, enriched storylines.
I also liked the book’s approach to the LGBTQ community, and other basic and crucial heavy issues like unfairness, injustice, inequality.
I was so close to give four stars till I read the ending and I wanted to throw the book against the wall ( or throw out window like Bradley Cooper’s character did at “Silver Linings Playbook”, he was tougher grader than me because he threw Hemingway’s “A Farewell to arms”!!!) because I hate the ending wholeheartedly and it absorbed all the positive feelings about this book.
So I need a sequel ASAP for answers and unexplained parts and I wish the author plans to write it because I love those characters and I love to read more of them.
I think the debut novel has so much potential and the author’s intellectuality, writing style are efficient and promising. So I love to read her upcoming works ( I hope it starts with a squeal )
Special thanks to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, (I need to thank specially the designer of this cover, it’s amazing work) for sharing me this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.
There are so many good intriguing, entertaining things about this book keep my attention like popular culture references used with song and book quotes, bounding friendship and connection between a human and alien (my childhood’s favorite movie is E.T., I was raised with my adoration of Spielberg and alien nations till I met Ripley in Scott’s Alien movie!), and of course road trip idea.
But there is also annoying things which also make me pissed off when I’m starting to read a book. Do you want examples? I don’t like slowness, barely moving pacing and I also don’t like the books with unexplained situations and unanswered questions. The ending is as important as the beginning for me! (Sometimes, it is more important, especially shocking, twisty ones are always my preference.)
So I tossed between 3 and 4 stars and finally I decided to give 3 because there are so much potential this book and I also like to read if there will be sequel which helps me to calm my nerves sharpened with too many question marks.
Both Janelle and Morris are relatable, lovable characters. But the slowness at the beginning prevents us to learn more about their stories and connections. And I wish the road trip wouldn’t be a quick journey to reach the church. It could take longer time with additional, enriched storylines.
I also liked the book’s approach to the LGBTQ community, and other basic and crucial heavy issues like unfairness, injustice, inequality.
I was so close to give four stars till I read the ending and I wanted to throw the book against the wall ( or throw out window like Bradley Cooper’s character did at “Silver Linings Playbook”, he was tougher grader than me because he threw Hemingway’s “A Farewell to arms”!!!) because I hate the ending wholeheartedly and it absorbed all the positive feelings about this book.
So I need a sequel ASAP for answers and unexplained parts and I wish the author plans to write it because I love those characters and I love to read more of them.
I think the debut novel has so much potential and the author’s intellectuality, writing style are efficient and promising. So I love to read her upcoming works ( I hope it starts with a squeal )
Special thanks to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, (I need to thank specially the designer of this cover, it’s amazing work) for sharing me this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.
December 20, 2020
So excited about this Booktube video - all about the Top 10 Books of 2020 (so far).
Janelle aka Ellie is one of the few survivors who made it through the first few waves of the Ilori alien invasion.
"If we get separated and you have to choose between life and joining us, choose life, okay? Live. Live for us. Breathe for us. Survive for us."
The new world is...depressingly different. The Ilori are keeping the few remaining humans alive and imprisoned in their apartment complex.
And while she's grateful to be alive - and have her mother and father with her - she knows that there is something sinister lurking just below the surface.
Ellie knows all the rules - no free thinking, no talking after hours, no moving from her bed past curfew...and yet, so draws the line at books.
And I'll do it, every time, if it means a story can change someone's outlook....She runs an illegal library to help her and her fellow prison-mates get by.
But that all changes when one of *them* discovers her secret.
M0Rr1S - aka Morris - is a labmade Ilori, which means he's an Ilori but innately inferior because he contains human aspects, which leaves him prone to emotions.
M0Rr1S hadn't realized until then just how expendable his race was to the true Ilori.But Morris has a secret - he loves music. And he is lonely.
When he discovers Ellie's secret library, he finds it within himself to resist the rules of true Ilori and keep her safe.
However, a secret this big is bound to be let loose - but neither of them could even begin to comprehend the consequences.
"May I?" he asks, holding an arm out for me to take.This one ended up being surprisingly fun!
"May you what?"
"Carry you across the world while I can?"
Every so often I really want a throwback to the young adult books that I read back in the day - and this one was perfect. I was so happy to have been sent this one.
So, keep in mind you might need to be in the mood for an over-the-top YA to get the full effect.
Yes the romance bordered on quicker-than-instant, the plot had a few glaring holes and I really questioned how the "bad guys" ever stayed in control - and yet I was having so much fun that I barely cared.
I loved the idea of Ellie's secret library and Morris's desire to collect music. It was such a sweet connection between the two.
I do wish they were given a few more weeks to develop their relationship rather the insta-connection, but the two of them ultimately clicked really well.
I also really liked the concept of the Ilori aliens - the labmade vs the true provided an interesting dynamic to the book. The way the invasion was implemented and the increasingly suspicious behavior by Morris really held my attention.
I was really curious how it would all come together in the end - and was pleasantly surprised in the end!
Overall, I had a lot of fun between these pages!!
A huge thank you to the author and Inkyard Press for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review
All quotes come from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication.
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Shelved as 'wishlist'
January 3, 2020no idea if this will be good or not but I want to rub my tongue on that cover
September 27, 2020
February 19, 2020:
➝ 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
August 20, 2019: Before anything else that the blurb says, THAT COVER is giving me life and I already want to read this more than anything else. Then comes my fave trope of alien falls in love with human, like YEAAAA. Received a digital review copy via Edelweiss.
➝ 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
August 20, 2019: Before anything else that the blurb says, THAT COVER is giving me life and I already want to read this more than anything else. Then comes my fave trope of alien falls in love with human, like YEAAAA. Received a digital review copy via Edelweiss.
Want to read
August 20, 2019hi this sounds like all the tropes I love smashed into one story and I need it now and also I NEED THIS COVER AS A POSTER ASAP cause I just wanna pin it up on my ceiling and lay on my bed ogling it for hours
Read
March 19, 2020I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review
CW: colonization, violence, execution, oppression, brainwashing and mind control, anxiety, panic attacks.
I’ve been pushing away writing this review for weeks now because I’m unsure of what to say. Not because the book is bad, mind you, it’s the complete opposite. I loved this book so much and it made me feel so many things that I just…don’t know how to put into words or how to properly convey those feelings and emotions it left me with, even now several weeks and books later. But I want to give it a try now because I want more people to hear about it and give it a try.
So if you know me, you know that I rarely pick up sci-fi, it just doesn’t appeal to me, spaceships and futuristic things aren’t really my thing if not laced with other things which is the case for most sci-fi, especially since the writing tends to be direct and kind of…rigid? I don’t know how else to explain it. But The Sound of Stars made me question everything I ever thought about the genre and made me want to look into it more and explore other titles. The writing is beautiful and powerful, it never fails to drive the point home with a punch and leaves you thinking about it for a while after reading it, but it also does so in such a good manner, with words weaved together so gorgeously that you take those words in with open arms.
Full review posted on my blog : Word Wonders
CW: colonization, violence, execution, oppression, brainwashing and mind control, anxiety, panic attacks.
I’ve been pushing away writing this review for weeks now because I’m unsure of what to say. Not because the book is bad, mind you, it’s the complete opposite. I loved this book so much and it made me feel so many things that I just…don’t know how to put into words or how to properly convey those feelings and emotions it left me with, even now several weeks and books later. But I want to give it a try now because I want more people to hear about it and give it a try.
So if you know me, you know that I rarely pick up sci-fi, it just doesn’t appeal to me, spaceships and futuristic things aren’t really my thing if not laced with other things which is the case for most sci-fi, especially since the writing tends to be direct and kind of…rigid? I don’t know how else to explain it. But The Sound of Stars made me question everything I ever thought about the genre and made me want to look into it more and explore other titles. The writing is beautiful and powerful, it never fails to drive the point home with a punch and leaves you thinking about it for a while after reading it, but it also does so in such a good manner, with words weaved together so gorgeously that you take those words in with open arms.
Full review posted on my blog : Word Wonders
March 16, 2020
I wanted to love this book. I mean, look at that cover. Who wouldn't want to love the story behind it? Unfortunately, I'm sad to say that this book wasn't for me. I felt like I was putting too much effort into reading it and I wanted to dnf it many times. While this book has a really nice premise, it failed to transport me.
This book follows a girl living under the threat of being executed any day or turning into some kind of zombie like her dad. There's been an alien invasion on Earth trying to suppress any human expression including books and music. If they find out about her hidden collection, she'll die. That's when an alien who likes human music meets her and ask her for some more. That's how the story begin.
I loved the first chapter but after that it went downhill and I just didn't care for the characters or the alien "M0Rr1S". The alien names spelled that way all the time didn't help either. My experience reading this wasn't smooth. I didn't believe or care for the romance and it didn't make me feel anything. The ending didn't really make sense to me.
I'm sorry to say that this was a bit of a disappointment.
(Thank you to the publisher for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
This book follows a girl living under the threat of being executed any day or turning into some kind of zombie like her dad. There's been an alien invasion on Earth trying to suppress any human expression including books and music. If they find out about her hidden collection, she'll die. That's when an alien who likes human music meets her and ask her for some more. That's how the story begin.
I loved the first chapter but after that it went downhill and I just didn't care for the characters or the alien "M0Rr1S". The alien names spelled that way all the time didn't help either. My experience reading this wasn't smooth. I didn't believe or care for the romance and it didn't make me feel anything. The ending didn't really make sense to me.
I'm sorry to say that this was a bit of a disappointment.
(Thank you to the publisher for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
February 26, 2020
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not in any way affect my opinions.
This book is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.
I'm struggling to figure out how to review this one, because it is such a masterpiece and no review of mine could ever do it justice. But alas I got an arc so I guess I'll have to try and put my feelings for this book into words.
I want to touch briefly on the lot before I move onto all of my favourite parts. Personally I thought the plot was perfect, but I think you need to know what you’re getting into to. This book isn’t action packed and full of explosions. The plot was engaging, but it was also very much a back burner part of the story. It was there, and it was well done, but it wasn’t front and centre. This book was first and foremost about the characters. (but also that TWIST. The ending left me shook y’all)
I also want to really highlight the writing. It was so subtly gorgeous. I read this book very slowly, I large part because I couldn't help but linger over every word. I love pretty writing, and fall in love with writing styles easily, but it's rare for me to feel quite the need to take in every single perfect word the way I did with this one. The writing transported me into another world, and I spent the entire time in awe of it.
The world building was masterful as well. The book took place in the aftermath of an alien invasion, but due to the way it was done I felt like I was learning to understand the way the world worked after the invasion along with the characters. I didn't always understand, but I was never confused - instead it was a very purposeful thing.
The Sound of the Stars also had a lot of social and political commentary, and I applaud Alechia Dow for her brilliant handling of that. It dealt heavily with the more subtle themes of colonialism, and also had outright discussions about consent, and discrimination, and the violence that marginalized people face.
I also want to appreciate the representation. Our main character is a bi demi black girl, and the other main character is implied to be demi as well. There was also a large side character who was nonbinary.
And then, of course, that leads into the characters. The characters y’all. I do not have the words for how much I love these characters.
Firstly we have Morris. He is the literal sweetest bean ever. I love him so much. He’s a little bit confused about the whole feelings thing, but he also loves so fiercely. He adores music, and passionately believes in freedom. He always tries his best to do the right thing, even if he screws up sometimes. Also he just wants a friend and he’s so soft and sweet and I LOVE HIM
Secondly we have Janelle, or Ellie. Y’all I do not have the words for how much I love Ellie. I do not have words. She is just… an icon. She is so fucking messy, but that’s what makes her so wonderful. Ellie isn’t your typical heroine trying to save the world - she isn’t really sure if humanity even deserves saving. She’s angry and she’s hurt and she’s passionate and she will do anything for her family and her books, and to hell with the rest of the world. She is one of the most real protagonists I’ve read in a long time, and I adore her.
This book is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.
I'm struggling to figure out how to review this one, because it is such a masterpiece and no review of mine could ever do it justice. But alas I got an arc so I guess I'll have to try and put my feelings for this book into words.
I want to touch briefly on the lot before I move onto all of my favourite parts. Personally I thought the plot was perfect, but I think you need to know what you’re getting into to. This book isn’t action packed and full of explosions. The plot was engaging, but it was also very much a back burner part of the story. It was there, and it was well done, but it wasn’t front and centre. This book was first and foremost about the characters. (but also that TWIST. The ending left me shook y’all)
I also want to really highlight the writing. It was so subtly gorgeous. I read this book very slowly, I large part because I couldn't help but linger over every word. I love pretty writing, and fall in love with writing styles easily, but it's rare for me to feel quite the need to take in every single perfect word the way I did with this one. The writing transported me into another world, and I spent the entire time in awe of it.
The world building was masterful as well. The book took place in the aftermath of an alien invasion, but due to the way it was done I felt like I was learning to understand the way the world worked after the invasion along with the characters. I didn't always understand, but I was never confused - instead it was a very purposeful thing.
The Sound of the Stars also had a lot of social and political commentary, and I applaud Alechia Dow for her brilliant handling of that. It dealt heavily with the more subtle themes of colonialism, and also had outright discussions about consent, and discrimination, and the violence that marginalized people face.
I also want to appreciate the representation. Our main character is a bi demi black girl, and the other main character is implied to be demi as well. There was also a large side character who was nonbinary.
And then, of course, that leads into the characters. The characters y’all. I do not have the words for how much I love these characters.
Firstly we have Morris. He is the literal sweetest bean ever. I love him so much. He’s a little bit confused about the whole feelings thing, but he also loves so fiercely. He adores music, and passionately believes in freedom. He always tries his best to do the right thing, even if he screws up sometimes. Also he just wants a friend and he’s so soft and sweet and I LOVE HIM
Secondly we have Janelle, or Ellie. Y’all I do not have the words for how much I love Ellie. I do not have words. She is just… an icon. She is so fucking messy, but that’s what makes her so wonderful. Ellie isn’t your typical heroine trying to save the world - she isn’t really sure if humanity even deserves saving. She’s angry and she’s hurt and she’s passionate and she will do anything for her family and her books, and to hell with the rest of the world. She is one of the most real protagonists I’ve read in a long time, and I adore her.
June 27, 2020
This is a frankly stellar book. I was a little wary picking it up because it was so obviously set up to center a romance, and these tend to be hit and miss for me, but wow their relationship is all I actually *want* in a romance. Their chemistry is great, for a start, and they clearly care for one another beyond the layer of being in love. They care for their respective passions, they care for who they are, and they care for their differing goals, too. I love how they built upon another, it's just very well done. I'm also a big fan of how tied to their families and, to a wider extent, their people all of their motivations are.
This one came to my radar partly because of the demisexual rep, and here too I came with reservations--aliens and asexuality, when written in the same story, tend to lead to unfortunate implications about a lack of sexual attraction being inhuman. But this is where THE SOUND OF STARS really blew my mind. The demisexual MC is Ellie, a biromantic Black human girl with anxiety. She's awesome and nerdy, and her demisexuality is brought up on more than that One Occasion, for what I've come to think as The Conversation (sometimes it's a passage) where it's established. It's clearly a part of her daily life the same way her anxiety is. But even more striking is that when it *is* discussed with Morris, he relates to her description of it, and her demisexuality is used to humanize Morris (he relates to it and directly says he has a similar experience. So I'd call that a demi/demi romance tbh). It's such a breath of fresh air to not read another "see, I desire sex too, and thus I am human" type of story.
Unfortunately, and this is basically the only negative thing I have to say about this entire novel (and it's something that happens all the time and of which The Sound of Stars is certainly not the only culprit), they discuss romantic love, and the alien society doesn't have it at all, and it's immediately qualified as very "alien". So, aromantic readers, brace yourself for that. The rest of the book does pretty good on elevating non-romantic relationships, especially friendships and family, however, so it's really a One Bad Moment kind of thing.
Overall, this is a solid well-paced book with tons of characters I really enjoyed, evocative writing, a good twisty storyline, and great ace rep that avoids the usual pitfalls and delivers in a way that I think will be relatable to a lot of demisexual readers. Highly recommended.
This one came to my radar partly because of the demisexual rep, and here too I came with reservations--aliens and asexuality, when written in the same story, tend to lead to unfortunate implications about a lack of sexual attraction being inhuman. But this is where THE SOUND OF STARS really blew my mind. The demisexual MC is Ellie, a biromantic Black human girl with anxiety. She's awesome and nerdy, and her demisexuality is brought up on more than that One Occasion, for what I've come to think as The Conversation (sometimes it's a passage) where it's established. It's clearly a part of her daily life the same way her anxiety is. But even more striking is that when it *is* discussed with Morris, he relates to her description of it, and her demisexuality is used to humanize Morris (he relates to it and directly says he has a similar experience. So I'd call that a demi/demi romance tbh). It's such a breath of fresh air to not read another "see, I desire sex too, and thus I am human" type of story.
Unfortunately, and this is basically the only negative thing I have to say about this entire novel (and it's something that happens all the time and of which The Sound of Stars is certainly not the only culprit), they discuss romantic love, and the alien society doesn't have it at all, and it's immediately qualified as very "alien". So, aromantic readers, brace yourself for that. The rest of the book does pretty good on elevating non-romantic relationships, especially friendships and family, however, so it's really a One Bad Moment kind of thing.
Overall, this is a solid well-paced book with tons of characters I really enjoyed, evocative writing, a good twisty storyline, and great ace rep that avoids the usual pitfalls and delivers in a way that I think will be relatable to a lot of demisexual readers. Highly recommended.
November 25, 2023
I had tears streaming down my face after finishing this. What a beautiful, beautiful book. So immense, so full of life and love and all the goodness in the world. This was not at all what I expected, and thank goodness for that.
- In a world where aliens have invaded Earth and have prohibited all forms of art, this book follows Ellie, a Black teen who runs a secret library, and M0R1s, an alien (named the Ilori) who, was raised to be emotionless, loves music. When her love for books and his love for music bring them together, they set off on a roadtrip to save the world.
- You know, you can read what this book is about, but you will not be prepared by how... profound this book is. Dow writes with such incredible emotional depth, that is so resonant and hopeful.
- I really don't have the words to describe how this book made me feel. But it reminded me a lot of how I felt after I watched Interstellar, which I loved.
- Ellie is demisexual and the romance in this was stunning. I often struggle to connect to romances that don't have emotional depth, so the fact that Ellie is demi and develops a romance that has such a strong and meaningful bond -- I loved it.
- I JUST LOVED THIS. I need a full review to explain the feelings I have for this. I just don't have the words to describe how much I loved this. An effortless favourite of 2020.
Trigger/content warning:
- In a world where aliens have invaded Earth and have prohibited all forms of art, this book follows Ellie, a Black teen who runs a secret library, and M0R1s, an alien (named the Ilori) who, was raised to be emotionless, loves music. When her love for books and his love for music bring them together, they set off on a roadtrip to save the world.
- You know, you can read what this book is about, but you will not be prepared by how... profound this book is. Dow writes with such incredible emotional depth, that is so resonant and hopeful.
- I really don't have the words to describe how this book made me feel. But it reminded me a lot of how I felt after I watched Interstellar, which I loved.
- Ellie is demisexual and the romance in this was stunning. I often struggle to connect to romances that don't have emotional depth, so the fact that Ellie is demi and develops a romance that has such a strong and meaningful bond -- I loved it.
- I JUST LOVED THIS. I need a full review to explain the feelings I have for this. I just don't have the words to describe how much I loved this. An effortless favourite of 2020.
Trigger/content warning:
Read
February 28, 2020DNF'ed at pg 80. Sometimes I try to read a hundred pages or so if a book is so and so, other times I DNF faster. In this case I felt no conection to the plot or the characters, the love the author expresses for books is amazing, but that's it. Seems like the characters keep repeating themselves about how they feel, with some shocking elements about the invasion in Janelle's POV and about the alien society workings in Morris' POW, but not enough to make me want to keep reading, sadly.
December 21, 2019
Thank you to Harlequin Teen via NetGalley for the eARC , all opinions are my own.
I read some other reviews though and feel very alone in my way of thinking about the book, so I am concluding that my old curmudgeonly self is not the target audience, even though I have read within the YA scifi /romance genre before and loved it.
So what threw me off? The labels, right from the start, the labels threw me off and I never recovered. Why does everything have to be labelled so that I need Google to understand how people are being described? When I was a kid these things were just considered....like...normal. I don't understand how this is productive to teens or society in general
At first I was just getting annoyed by the labels as I had to Google the check-check-check list of every label the author was using to describe people's genders and It just felt like a huge dump at the start of the book. I really do not believe that people talk like these characters and I hope it's not the future. Also for all the fact that Janelle didn't want to kiss Morris until she liked/trusted him, that's fine and reasonable, but is she really going to love him in the span of a week or so and THEN decide to kiss him? Actually that sounds like a pretty normal teenage girl thing but the author made a huge deal out of it. Trust might have been a more appropriate sentiment to the setting than love and more in character. People are so fixated on these labels though that I feel like the normalcy is lost on the rest of us, when really everyone is just being who they are.
Avr0la also confused me as this is the first time I have seen "they" used to describe a singular person. I am lost trying to understand how someone is supposed to differentiate between one or two or more people being present when we read this? I don't ask this sarcastically, I am just bewildered and confused. I looked it up and I guess English just lacks a more proper pronoun so 'they' has gotten shunted into this role, but it's so confusing to me on paper and my head is spinning. Is it funny that Avi was my favorite silent hero character despite this?
Even without the labels throwing me for a loop, this book is intended for a very niche group of book worms. I got about 75% of the literary references used but are a lot of readers going to know who, for example, Jesper and Wylan are? I can read YA but the whole thing felt very young to me with all the song lyrics and corny bits. I wouldn't hand this to a middle grader but I think a specific target group of YA would enjoy it. I also wasn't expecting this to be setting up a sequel so the ending lost points.
My last gripe is that the book was SO repetitive, even writing a character with anxiety doesn't mean we have to repeat the same things over and over and over ad nauseum; I found myself skimming a lot. The end just opened up a whole huge can of worms for the second book.
I can't really recommend this outside of the niche group I specified. I did finish it though so that was something, hence the 2* rating.
I read some other reviews though and feel very alone in my way of thinking about the book, so I am concluding that my old curmudgeonly self is not the target audience, even though I have read within the YA scifi /romance genre before and loved it.
So what threw me off? The labels, right from the start, the labels threw me off and I never recovered. Why does everything have to be labelled so that I need Google to understand how people are being described? When I was a kid these things were just considered....like...normal. I don't understand how this is productive to teens or society in general
At first I was just getting annoyed by the labels as I had to Google the check-check-check list of every label the author was using to describe people's genders and It just felt like a huge dump at the start of the book. I really do not believe that people talk like these characters and I hope it's not the future. Also for all the fact that Janelle didn't want to kiss Morris until she liked/trusted him, that's fine and reasonable, but is she really going to love him in the span of a week or so and THEN decide to kiss him? Actually that sounds like a pretty normal teenage girl thing but the author made a huge deal out of it. Trust might have been a more appropriate sentiment to the setting than love and more in character. People are so fixated on these labels though that I feel like the normalcy is lost on the rest of us, when really everyone is just being who they are.
Avr0la also confused me as this is the first time I have seen "they" used to describe a singular person. I am lost trying to understand how someone is supposed to differentiate between one or two or more people being present when we read this? I don't ask this sarcastically, I am just bewildered and confused. I looked it up and I guess English just lacks a more proper pronoun so 'they' has gotten shunted into this role, but it's so confusing to me on paper and my head is spinning. Is it funny that Avi was my favorite silent hero character despite this?
Even without the labels throwing me for a loop, this book is intended for a very niche group of book worms. I got about 75% of the literary references used but are a lot of readers going to know who, for example, Jesper and Wylan are? I can read YA but the whole thing felt very young to me with all the song lyrics and corny bits. I wouldn't hand this to a middle grader but I think a specific target group of YA would enjoy it. I also wasn't expecting this to be setting up a sequel so the ending lost points.
My last gripe is that the book was SO repetitive, even writing a character with anxiety doesn't mean we have to repeat the same things over and over and over ad nauseum; I found myself skimming a lot. The end just opened up a whole huge can of worms for the second book.
I can't really recommend this outside of the niche group I specified. I did finish it though so that was something, hence the 2* rating.
December 5, 2018
So, I was lucky enough to read this book at an early stage and can safely say I expect many people to just adore it. Dow's debut is a fun, heartfelt scifi romp reminiscent of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, featuring eminently shippable protagonists, a high-stakes road trip, and a gorgeous exploration of the humanizing influence of music and literature. One of my most anticipated releases of 2020 <3
July 21, 2020
3.5 stars
I liked the main characters and a twist at the end, but the book itself was too slow and too long.
I liked the main characters and a twist at the end, but the book itself was too slow and too long.
October 8, 2020
Where is the sequel? Someone please tell me there's a sequel.
For two years an alien species called the Ilori has been ruling after an all out military catastrophe. Janelle "Ellie" Baker is a survivor in a New York based camp run by the Ilori. All art: music, books, paintings have been outlawed and Ellie runs a secret library. When one book goes missing, Ellie fears for her life. Luckily for her, the Ilori who found it, M0Rr1S (Morris), has a penchant for music. He's looked down on by the true Ilori for being a lab born and seeming to have emotions. Morris finds none other than The Hate U Give in Ellie's collection, and is so moved by this story that he confides in Ellie he also enjoys music. A strange and precarious allyship is cemented in this moment. After a narrow escape from death, Ellie and Morris end up fleeing the camp and setting out on a wild adventure that might bring about a new future for Earth, humanity and lab born Ilori.
Ellie is a queer Black teen with anxiety. The way the world was before the alien invasion shaped her world and the trauma she suffered from white supremacy has been shuffled and rearranged into this new threat of aliens. But the magic and power of stories and hope keeps her going. We see such an inspiration change in Ellie throughout this novel where she becomes so much like the heroines she reads about. Brave, fierce and willing to fight for what she believes in.
As Ellie and Morris travel together, they bond over music, stories and life experiences. Several times as they bond, we get a discussion of demisexuality. Ellie is biromantic demisexual and when she explains how she's attracted to people, Morris agrees and relates to what she explains. So this it totally a demi/demi relationship and I'm here for that.
One of my favorite things about this book was how queer-normative it was, especially in Morris's perspective! Morris NEVER ONCE assumes anyone's gender/pronouns from how they look. He always refers to people as they by default. This is such a small detail but I noticed this and it absolutely made my heart soar. Also the fact the aliens normalized asking pronouns/gender when meeting new people: phenomenal. I am here for this.
I seriously loved this book y'all. There were so many fun parts of this book even thought it's a post-apocalyptic alien invasion sci-fi story. I don't think I'm even doing it justice. But ugh I loved it and I demand a sequel.
For two years an alien species called the Ilori has been ruling after an all out military catastrophe. Janelle "Ellie" Baker is a survivor in a New York based camp run by the Ilori. All art: music, books, paintings have been outlawed and Ellie runs a secret library. When one book goes missing, Ellie fears for her life. Luckily for her, the Ilori who found it, M0Rr1S (Morris), has a penchant for music. He's looked down on by the true Ilori for being a lab born and seeming to have emotions. Morris finds none other than The Hate U Give in Ellie's collection, and is so moved by this story that he confides in Ellie he also enjoys music. A strange and precarious allyship is cemented in this moment. After a narrow escape from death, Ellie and Morris end up fleeing the camp and setting out on a wild adventure that might bring about a new future for Earth, humanity and lab born Ilori.
Ellie is a queer Black teen with anxiety. The way the world was before the alien invasion shaped her world and the trauma she suffered from white supremacy has been shuffled and rearranged into this new threat of aliens. But the magic and power of stories and hope keeps her going. We see such an inspiration change in Ellie throughout this novel where she becomes so much like the heroines she reads about. Brave, fierce and willing to fight for what she believes in.
As Ellie and Morris travel together, they bond over music, stories and life experiences. Several times as they bond, we get a discussion of demisexuality. Ellie is biromantic demisexual and when she explains how she's attracted to people, Morris agrees and relates to what she explains. So this it totally a demi/demi relationship and I'm here for that.
One of my favorite things about this book was how queer-normative it was, especially in Morris's perspective! Morris NEVER ONCE assumes anyone's gender/pronouns from how they look. He always refers to people as they by default. This is such a small detail but I noticed this and it absolutely made my heart soar. Also the fact the aliens normalized asking pronouns/gender when meeting new people: phenomenal. I am here for this.
I seriously loved this book y'all. There were so many fun parts of this book even thought it's a post-apocalyptic alien invasion sci-fi story. I don't think I'm even doing it justice. But ugh I loved it and I demand a sequel.
September 23, 2021
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow is a young adult science fiction fantasy. This one is set in dystopian world in which aliens have invaded and the story is told by changing the point of view between the characters.
Two years before the Ilori were responsible for the deaths of a huge portion of the Earth’s population. Now survivors are living in Ilori controlled centers always at risk of being another death in the Ilori’s takeover. Janelle “Ellie” Baker is a seventeen year old survivor that lives in a New York center.
Ellie knows that breaking any of Ilori’s rules could result in her death but decided that holding onto a little human happiness is worth the risk. Ellie runs an underground library of any media she was able to save after the invasion. M0Rr1S was born in a lab and should be emotionless but M0Rr1S has found he is curious about the humans so when he finds Ellie’s lab he can’t bring himself to turn her in.
The Sound of Stars was the type of book that I felt hey that could be me when I began reading. I mean a world without books?? I would probably be hoarding those things right along with Ellie and of course I couldn’t help but root for her when she was risking everything to bring them to others. I also enjoyed M0Rr1S and was definitely interested in what would happen with the two of them in their dystopian world.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Two years before the Ilori were responsible for the deaths of a huge portion of the Earth’s population. Now survivors are living in Ilori controlled centers always at risk of being another death in the Ilori’s takeover. Janelle “Ellie” Baker is a seventeen year old survivor that lives in a New York center.
Ellie knows that breaking any of Ilori’s rules could result in her death but decided that holding onto a little human happiness is worth the risk. Ellie runs an underground library of any media she was able to save after the invasion. M0Rr1S was born in a lab and should be emotionless but M0Rr1S has found he is curious about the humans so when he finds Ellie’s lab he can’t bring himself to turn her in.
The Sound of Stars was the type of book that I felt hey that could be me when I began reading. I mean a world without books?? I would probably be hoarding those things right along with Ellie and of course I couldn’t help but root for her when she was risking everything to bring them to others. I also enjoyed M0Rr1S and was definitely interested in what would happen with the two of them in their dystopian world.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
November 20, 2020
☆ 3.5 / 5 ☆
This book closely follows an alien invasion and yet manages to stay so wholesome and full of hope and love.
It’s been two years since the Ilori have taken over Earth, the remaining human population lives under surveillance and restrictions in residential centers. Iloris have deemed human emotions and means of self-expression (anything artistic or creative) to be dangerous and are now banned. However, Ellie ends up running an illegal library when she becomes desperate for a source of hope and light for herself and others. When one of her books goes missing she finds herself having to team up with M0Rr1S, a lab made Ilori. M0Rr1S (pronounced Morris for us humans) is supposed to be emotionless but he can’t help being drawn to human music, Ellie’s books, and Ellie herself. Together they might find a way to save humanity and bond over their mutual love for art.
A large portion of the book is us following Ellie and Morris as they escape New York City and make their way towards California. This is where the book kind of lost me because their journey just felt very repetitive by the third altercation they have, whether it be with humans or Iloris. The pacing was off with that escape road trip and I would’ve liked to spend maybe a little more time in the Ilori-controlled human center in New York. While Ellie’s relationships with her best friend, Alice, and her family were well established, her dynamic shift with Morris felt a little rushed.
I loved that passages of books and song lyrics were incorporated throughout the book to mirror the character’s love and passion for art, especially the recurrence of Ellie’s favourite band, The Starry Eyed, and how that tied into the story. The heart of the book and my favourite moments were all the conversations Ellie and Morri had about books, and music, and how it made them feel. It was very beautiful and it also warmed my heart to have a lot of the plot revolving around art and how important it is for humanity to thrive even in the most bleak of circumstances.
I really appreciated how the author brought up actual beloved YA books when it came to Ellie’s library and references rather than try to force an unending string of classics down everyone’s throat. That alone was such a thoughtful decision not only as it feels more realistic but also because it showcases a different kind of book as impactful and important.
While I wasn’t in love with Ellie’s and Morris’ relationship pacing, these conversations and the openness they had with each other was very precious. They truly had so many soft and vulnerable moments they approached very frankly. I absolutely loved the discussion they had about their sexuality. Ellie experiences multi-gender attraction and is demisexual and in a very honest conversation Morris comes to understand his own demisexuality. I think the strength of this book lies is those little moments of sharing and understanding.
Ellie’s viewpoint on the alien invasion was so powerful as a Black teen living in New York City. Her mother has inherited the apartment they are now trapped in but they come from a lower-income background compared to the white and wealthy residents of this complex. She’s had to live with their prejudice and racism before the invasion and it has far from disappeared afterwards. Ellie is in a position where she gets to decide if humanity is worth saving when Black people have faced countless acts of violence and when even in the face of an alien invasion they have not been able to come together. Instead of relying only on the metaphor of aliens to explore colonisation and oppression Alechia Dow still confronts very real racial issues within this book.
This book offers a very unique take and perspective on the alien invasion trope and while I wish the pacing had been different this had a lot of heart and I think would benefit a lot of people. I am not quite sure if there’ll be a sequel to this book but the ending’s set up leads me to believe it’d be possible. If that’s the case then I’m very open to picking it up and seeing where it all leads.
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This book closely follows an alien invasion and yet manages to stay so wholesome and full of hope and love.
It’s been two years since the Ilori have taken over Earth, the remaining human population lives under surveillance and restrictions in residential centers. Iloris have deemed human emotions and means of self-expression (anything artistic or creative) to be dangerous and are now banned. However, Ellie ends up running an illegal library when she becomes desperate for a source of hope and light for herself and others. When one of her books goes missing she finds herself having to team up with M0Rr1S, a lab made Ilori. M0Rr1S (pronounced Morris for us humans) is supposed to be emotionless but he can’t help being drawn to human music, Ellie’s books, and Ellie herself. Together they might find a way to save humanity and bond over their mutual love for art.
A large portion of the book is us following Ellie and Morris as they escape New York City and make their way towards California. This is where the book kind of lost me because their journey just felt very repetitive by the third altercation they have, whether it be with humans or Iloris. The pacing was off with that escape road trip and I would’ve liked to spend maybe a little more time in the Ilori-controlled human center in New York. While Ellie’s relationships with her best friend, Alice, and her family were well established, her dynamic shift with Morris felt a little rushed.
I loved that passages of books and song lyrics were incorporated throughout the book to mirror the character’s love and passion for art, especially the recurrence of Ellie’s favourite band, The Starry Eyed, and how that tied into the story. The heart of the book and my favourite moments were all the conversations Ellie and Morri had about books, and music, and how it made them feel. It was very beautiful and it also warmed my heart to have a lot of the plot revolving around art and how important it is for humanity to thrive even in the most bleak of circumstances.
I really appreciated how the author brought up actual beloved YA books when it came to Ellie’s library and references rather than try to force an unending string of classics down everyone’s throat. That alone was such a thoughtful decision not only as it feels more realistic but also because it showcases a different kind of book as impactful and important.
While I wasn’t in love with Ellie’s and Morris’ relationship pacing, these conversations and the openness they had with each other was very precious. They truly had so many soft and vulnerable moments they approached very frankly. I absolutely loved the discussion they had about their sexuality. Ellie experiences multi-gender attraction and is demisexual and in a very honest conversation Morris comes to understand his own demisexuality. I think the strength of this book lies is those little moments of sharing and understanding.
Ellie’s viewpoint on the alien invasion was so powerful as a Black teen living in New York City. Her mother has inherited the apartment they are now trapped in but they come from a lower-income background compared to the white and wealthy residents of this complex. She’s had to live with their prejudice and racism before the invasion and it has far from disappeared afterwards. Ellie is in a position where she gets to decide if humanity is worth saving when Black people have faced countless acts of violence and when even in the face of an alien invasion they have not been able to come together. Instead of relying only on the metaphor of aliens to explore colonisation and oppression Alechia Dow still confronts very real racial issues within this book.
This book offers a very unique take and perspective on the alien invasion trope and while I wish the pacing had been different this had a lot of heart and I think would benefit a lot of people. I am not quite sure if there’ll be a sequel to this book but the ending’s set up leads me to believe it’d be possible. If that’s the case then I’m very open to picking it up and seeing where it all leads.
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October 18, 2022
➸ Trigger warnings for .
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July 23, 2020
Despite the dystopian setting and some difficult content, this turned out to be a surprisingly sweet story about a girl who loves books and an alien who loves pop music coming together to save the world after an alien invasion. It's an interesting mix of the whimsical and the raw- tackling real issues while also reveling in moments of joy and the growth of love. I'm not sure this will work for everyone, but I found it to be really charming and an enjoyable read. Plus we have a heroine (Ellie) who is Black, fat, pansexual/demi-ace, has anxiety and chronic illness, but is also passionate about books, cares deeply for people, and is braver than she knows. Put that together with a cinnamon roll of an alien hero and this is a great YA sci-fi romance.
Thematically, this tackles racism, classism, and other forms of prejudice. The stratified alien society mirrors the treatment of Black people under slavery- there is a underclass of workers who are viewed as expendable. Ellie recalls experiences with racism and microagressions, especially from the time her parents moved them to an elite and predominately white building and neighborhood in Manhattan. (before the aliens of course!) This also touches on colonization and colonization of the body as wealthy and elite aliens basically decide to invade and colonize earth because they are bored and want a new vacation destination and human avatars to experience it through. We also get some discussions of mental health and once her anxiety medication runs out, Ellie must rely on other coping strategies learned from her therapist.
That sounds very dark. And it kind of is, but this book is also irrepressibly hopeful, really believing that love and art can save the day. There are lots of references to popular YA books and lots of popular songs throughout the book. I found this to be a charming and enjoyable debut and if this sounds like your cup of tea, give it a try!
Content warnings include murder, execution, human experimentation, violence, parent alcoholism, graphic depictions of anxiety throughout.
Thematically, this tackles racism, classism, and other forms of prejudice. The stratified alien society mirrors the treatment of Black people under slavery- there is a underclass of workers who are viewed as expendable. Ellie recalls experiences with racism and microagressions, especially from the time her parents moved them to an elite and predominately white building and neighborhood in Manhattan. (before the aliens of course!) This also touches on colonization and colonization of the body as wealthy and elite aliens basically decide to invade and colonize earth because they are bored and want a new vacation destination and human avatars to experience it through. We also get some discussions of mental health and once her anxiety medication runs out, Ellie must rely on other coping strategies learned from her therapist.
That sounds very dark. And it kind of is, but this book is also irrepressibly hopeful, really believing that love and art can save the day. There are lots of references to popular YA books and lots of popular songs throughout the book. I found this to be a charming and enjoyable debut and if this sounds like your cup of tea, give it a try!
Content warnings include murder, execution, human experimentation, violence, parent alcoholism, graphic depictions of anxiety throughout.
March 21, 2020
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Synopsis
Two years prior to the beginning of this book, aliens named the Ilori took over Earth, effectively oppressing mankind as they plan to transform the planet into a new vacation spot. Ellie Baker is a teenage girl who lives in her old apartment building, which has been completely taken over by Ilori. Books and other forms of artistic expression are no longer allowed, but she runs an illegal library in the basement. M0Rr1S (Morris) is a lab-born Ilori, but he isn't like the rest. He listens to forbidden music, and he has a soft spot for humans. When he meets Ellie and discovers her library, it's his duty to turn her in for execution. But there's something about her that he is drawn to. He confides in her that he just might have the solution to save mankind, but he needs her help...
Setting
This novel is set in a not-too-distant future where aliens have invaded. They’re in the process of changing the world, because they hope it will become a vacation destination for their kind. The atmosphere of the story is dark and ominous, and gave me serious Hunger Games vibes early on. Despite this darkness in the plot and the setting, there is quite a bit of hope. Ellie hopes that books will save them, and Morris believes that music will be their redemption. These themes carry throughout the novel, making it stand out from others like it.
Plot & Characters
I wanted to love this book. A teenaged librarian living in a dystopian future? The novel starts off really strong, with several great twists early on, despite the slow pace and information dumping about aliens and how the new world works. I assumed that after this information dump had occurred, the pace would pick up. Quite the opposite, actually. After this first third of the novel, the plot slows even more, and the focus clearly becomes on the budding romance between Ellie and Morris, not on saving mankind. For a character like Ellie, who put her life in danger every single day by lending out books to other captives living in her building, I find it hard to believe that she would be so easily distracted from her ideals. Whereas books like The Hunger Games focus on the dystopia and changing the world for the better with the romance being a side plot, The Sound of Stars takes the opposite approach, which is particularly evident in the latter half of the book.
There are many fun literary references throughout the novel. Every chapter begins with a quote from a classic book, and there are quite a few references within the text itself, which made the bookworm inside me squeal with glee. That said, the author was a tad too heavy handed with the themes early on in the book. I didn’t need to be spoon-fed the fact that alien invasions are the science fiction version of oppression. Unfortunately, these themes were not shown, but told through the dialogue of characters within the first 15% of the story. I expected this to be a theme throughout, but I didn’t expect the characters to notice and comment on this right away, which in essence ruined the discovery of this for me.
I think this ties into my major complaint about this book. There was far too much talking about what was happening, and not enough actual action. Again, too much telling, not enough showing.
My favourite relationship in the entire book was that between Ellie and her best friend, Alice, who she had feelings for romantically prior to the start of this book. I wanted more of a discovery of this relationship, but instead, the author decided to focus on Ellie’s relationship with Morris.
The romance between Ellie and Morris was stilted and uncomfortable but masquerading as cute and progressive. I grimaced more than a few times when they were talking about their feelings, something that comes pretty easy to a cyborg that had to learn to hide his human-like emotions since they are forbidden among his kind.
I recommend this book to those looking for a slow-paced young adult science fiction that’s very heavy on the romance.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the arc to review! *
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
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My 2020 Reading Challenge
Two years prior to the beginning of this book, aliens named the Ilori took over Earth, effectively oppressing mankind as they plan to transform the planet into a new vacation spot. Ellie Baker is a teenage girl who lives in her old apartment building, which has been completely taken over by Ilori. Books and other forms of artistic expression are no longer allowed, but she runs an illegal library in the basement. M0Rr1S (Morris) is a lab-born Ilori, but he isn't like the rest. He listens to forbidden music, and he has a soft spot for humans. When he meets Ellie and discovers her library, it's his duty to turn her in for execution. But there's something about her that he is drawn to. He confides in her that he just might have the solution to save mankind, but he needs her help...
Setting
This novel is set in a not-too-distant future where aliens have invaded. They’re in the process of changing the world, because they hope it will become a vacation destination for their kind. The atmosphere of the story is dark and ominous, and gave me serious Hunger Games vibes early on. Despite this darkness in the plot and the setting, there is quite a bit of hope. Ellie hopes that books will save them, and Morris believes that music will be their redemption. These themes carry throughout the novel, making it stand out from others like it.
Plot & Characters
I wanted to love this book. A teenaged librarian living in a dystopian future? The novel starts off really strong, with several great twists early on, despite the slow pace and information dumping about aliens and how the new world works. I assumed that after this information dump had occurred, the pace would pick up. Quite the opposite, actually. After this first third of the novel, the plot slows even more, and the focus clearly becomes on the budding romance between Ellie and Morris, not on saving mankind. For a character like Ellie, who put her life in danger every single day by lending out books to other captives living in her building, I find it hard to believe that she would be so easily distracted from her ideals. Whereas books like The Hunger Games focus on the dystopia and changing the world for the better with the romance being a side plot, The Sound of Stars takes the opposite approach, which is particularly evident in the latter half of the book.
There are many fun literary references throughout the novel. Every chapter begins with a quote from a classic book, and there are quite a few references within the text itself, which made the bookworm inside me squeal with glee. That said, the author was a tad too heavy handed with the themes early on in the book. I didn’t need to be spoon-fed the fact that alien invasions are the science fiction version of oppression. Unfortunately, these themes were not shown, but told through the dialogue of characters within the first 15% of the story. I expected this to be a theme throughout, but I didn’t expect the characters to notice and comment on this right away, which in essence ruined the discovery of this for me.
I think this ties into my major complaint about this book. There was far too much talking about what was happening, and not enough actual action. Again, too much telling, not enough showing.
My favourite relationship in the entire book was that between Ellie and her best friend, Alice, who she had feelings for romantically prior to the start of this book. I wanted more of a discovery of this relationship, but instead, the author decided to focus on Ellie’s relationship with Morris.
The romance between Ellie and Morris was stilted and uncomfortable but masquerading as cute and progressive. I grimaced more than a few times when they were talking about their feelings, something that comes pretty easy to a cyborg that had to learn to hide his human-like emotions since they are forbidden among his kind.
I recommend this book to those looking for a slow-paced young adult science fiction that’s very heavy on the romance.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the arc to review! *
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
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My 2020 Reading Challenge
April 17, 2020
3.75* On the surface, this is a fun, classic sci-fi. As its heart, it's a brilliant exploration of colonisation, systematic racism and the power of art (whilst also being a super fun read that plays on many classic sci-fi tropes).
I loved Janelle, one of the main characters, who is a demisexual biromantic fat Black teen living with anxiety. She was an unsure, strong and real teen who fights back with the kind of quiet acts of rebellion that can change the world. Her passion for literature and the reasonings behind her creating her illegal library was so wonderful to read and I loved watching her slowly allow herself to embrace the parts of herself that the world told her to hide.
Morris, an Ilori and our other main character, was basically a dorky, pure af alien cinnamon roll. While his heartfelt proclamations did make me cringe at times, I couldn't help but admire him for speaking his mind and wearing his heart on his sleeve. After years of being told to squash his emotions (of which he had a lot of) I loved that he basically went 'screw it' and held nothing back. I really appreciated how this replicated how society unfairly expects men to bottle everything inside, as showing their emotions is far too often perceived as a weakness.
I also adored the fact that this was a YA book acknowledging the power of YA. It references multiple current YA books including The Hate U Give and When Dimple Met Rishi and, honestly? I think it's the first YA book I've ever come across to do so and it felt weirdly affirming. The way this book portrayed the power books and music have, no matter who you are or where you come from, was so wonderful to read.
I'm still in two minds about the ending and I have a feeling it's going to divide a lot of people but I think I'm kind of warming to it? It gave me enough closure to feel satisfying but also left me totally okay with getting another book (especially if said book gives the Andarrans their time to shine.)
Overall, this was a powerful and thought provoking read that brilliantly reflects the flaws in our society, whilst also shining a light on the power art, specifically books and music, has in bringing us together. Whilst I'm not giving it a full 4 starts due to finding the plot a little confusing at times (might just me my fault, thanks isolation brain) I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and timely YA sci-fi.
TW: anxiety, racism, panic attacks, colonisation
I loved Janelle, one of the main characters, who is a demisexual biromantic fat Black teen living with anxiety. She was an unsure, strong and real teen who fights back with the kind of quiet acts of rebellion that can change the world. Her passion for literature and the reasonings behind her creating her illegal library was so wonderful to read and I loved watching her slowly allow herself to embrace the parts of herself that the world told her to hide.
Morris, an Ilori and our other main character, was basically a dorky, pure af alien cinnamon roll. While his heartfelt proclamations did make me cringe at times, I couldn't help but admire him for speaking his mind and wearing his heart on his sleeve. After years of being told to squash his emotions (of which he had a lot of) I loved that he basically went 'screw it' and held nothing back. I really appreciated how this replicated how society unfairly expects men to bottle everything inside, as showing their emotions is far too often perceived as a weakness.
I also adored the fact that this was a YA book acknowledging the power of YA. It references multiple current YA books including The Hate U Give and When Dimple Met Rishi and, honestly? I think it's the first YA book I've ever come across to do so and it felt weirdly affirming. The way this book portrayed the power books and music have, no matter who you are or where you come from, was so wonderful to read.
I'm still in two minds about the ending and I have a feeling it's going to divide a lot of people but I think I'm kind of warming to it? It gave me enough closure to feel satisfying but also left me totally okay with getting another book (especially if said book gives the Andarrans their time to shine.)
Overall, this was a powerful and thought provoking read that brilliantly reflects the flaws in our society, whilst also shining a light on the power art, specifically books and music, has in bringing us together. Whilst I'm not giving it a full 4 starts due to finding the plot a little confusing at times (might just me my fault, thanks isolation brain) I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and timely YA sci-fi.
TW: anxiety, racism, panic attacks, colonisation
Read
July 18, 2020Lots of fun, with a sweet romance and intriguing worldbuilding. Great for bookworms and music lovers alike.
June 16, 2020
I bought this book for Pridemonth some weaks ago and now I've finally been able to read it. And what can I say... I'm in love. 😍😭💜 Like really very much in love. Like favorite book of the year in love. 😲😍
There I said it. This is my favorite book of the year for many reasons and I LOVE IT SO MUCH! 😭💜
"The sound of stars" takes place two years after an alien invasion. Books, music and art are forbidden, but our main Ellie keeps a secret library going. One day, Morris, one of the aliens called the Illori, discovers it. Though forbidden Morris loves music and hopes that the girl with the secret library will help him to get more. But who would have thought that their love for books and music would take them on a roadtrip to save humanity?
I really had a hard time to sum this up, because this book is so wonderful and full of depth, that no summary would do it justice!
The worldbuilding is incredibly well done. The alien species, the Illori, and the whole backround story are so thoughtfully developed.
At the same time this books tackles so many important (social) issues. There is a lot of discussion of the racism Black people have to face. The injustice that happens right now in our world stands in comparison with the time after the Illori inavasion. I found all of this was handled in such a powerful way.
Let's talk about the main chatacters! I LOVED them. "The sound of stars is very, very character driven. Though there is action, the main focus is on the characters, their thoughts, their love for books and music and their feelings.
Our main, Ellie, is amazing. She's a fat Black girl with anxiety, rebelling through her love for books, fighting for her family. She's quiet, doesn't like people very much, loves books, music and stories. I loved her to pieces. 💜
Morris is a labmade Illori, created to serve the True Illori, who were born Illori. Though they aren't allowed to feel something, Morris feels a lot and he learns to embrace his emotions during this book. You have no idea how much I love him. 😭 He's utterly sweet and kind an wears his heart on his sleeves. 💜
These two characters match so well! Quiet, lovely Ellie who has kind of given up on humanity meets Morris who's so open about everything he feels, cause he couldn't be for so long. Them connecting over books and music, talking about their feelings and experiences... my heart melted. 😭 Morris is so careful with Ellie's feelings, while Ellie embraces Morris' vulnerability... I loved this dynamic. 😭💜
Also, Ellie is open about being bi/panromantic demi-ace, while Morris explains during their talks that he always thought he was bad at sex. For me they're both a-spec and I ADORED the representation. I loved to see them getting to know each other. It was beautiful, it felt real, it was utterly sweet and soft and lovely.
Alechia Dow manged to creat a wonderfully heartwarming atmosphere during an alien invasion. And that it was two a-spec characters who fell in love, on their tempo, to their conditions was amazing. 💜
Also outstanding was the love for books and music. There are many ways you can fight, but showing the importance of art as a tool to keep going was powerful. This book is a loveletter to music and books, it contains so many eastereggs and I loved reading about two characters who connetced trough their love for art.
Also Morris' chapters all start with a quote from a song, while Ellie's chapters start with a quote from a book. 💜
I loved the writing. I can't really put it into words, but it was very detailed and raw. The author managed to catch the voices of the characters perfectly.
Tbh I still have the feeling I couldn't do "The sound of stars" justice with my review. 😅 There were so many puzzlepieces coming together and I truely think this book is a masterpiece. I am utterly and deeply in love with it. 💜 I will keep Ellie, Morris, their love for books and music, their love for each other and their fight for a better world close to my heart. 💜 I highly recommend reading this book. 💜
CW: Colonization, execution, violence, alcoholism, panic attacks
There I said it. This is my favorite book of the year for many reasons and I LOVE IT SO MUCH! 😭💜
"The sound of stars" takes place two years after an alien invasion. Books, music and art are forbidden, but our main Ellie keeps a secret library going. One day, Morris, one of the aliens called the Illori, discovers it. Though forbidden Morris loves music and hopes that the girl with the secret library will help him to get more. But who would have thought that their love for books and music would take them on a roadtrip to save humanity?
I really had a hard time to sum this up, because this book is so wonderful and full of depth, that no summary would do it justice!
The worldbuilding is incredibly well done. The alien species, the Illori, and the whole backround story are so thoughtfully developed.
At the same time this books tackles so many important (social) issues. There is a lot of discussion of the racism Black people have to face. The injustice that happens right now in our world stands in comparison with the time after the Illori inavasion. I found all of this was handled in such a powerful way.
Let's talk about the main chatacters! I LOVED them. "The sound of stars is very, very character driven. Though there is action, the main focus is on the characters, their thoughts, their love for books and music and their feelings.
Our main, Ellie, is amazing. She's a fat Black girl with anxiety, rebelling through her love for books, fighting for her family. She's quiet, doesn't like people very much, loves books, music and stories. I loved her to pieces. 💜
Morris is a labmade Illori, created to serve the True Illori, who were born Illori. Though they aren't allowed to feel something, Morris feels a lot and he learns to embrace his emotions during this book. You have no idea how much I love him. 😭 He's utterly sweet and kind an wears his heart on his sleeves. 💜
These two characters match so well! Quiet, lovely Ellie who has kind of given up on humanity meets Morris who's so open about everything he feels, cause he couldn't be for so long. Them connecting over books and music, talking about their feelings and experiences... my heart melted. 😭 Morris is so careful with Ellie's feelings, while Ellie embraces Morris' vulnerability... I loved this dynamic. 😭💜
Also, Ellie is open about being bi/panromantic demi-ace, while Morris explains during their talks that he always thought he was bad at sex. For me they're both a-spec and I ADORED the representation. I loved to see them getting to know each other. It was beautiful, it felt real, it was utterly sweet and soft and lovely.
Alechia Dow manged to creat a wonderfully heartwarming atmosphere during an alien invasion. And that it was two a-spec characters who fell in love, on their tempo, to their conditions was amazing. 💜
Also outstanding was the love for books and music. There are many ways you can fight, but showing the importance of art as a tool to keep going was powerful. This book is a loveletter to music and books, it contains so many eastereggs and I loved reading about two characters who connetced trough their love for art.
Also Morris' chapters all start with a quote from a song, while Ellie's chapters start with a quote from a book. 💜
I loved the writing. I can't really put it into words, but it was very detailed and raw. The author managed to catch the voices of the characters perfectly.
Tbh I still have the feeling I couldn't do "The sound of stars" justice with my review. 😅 There were so many puzzlepieces coming together and I truely think this book is a masterpiece. I am utterly and deeply in love with it. 💜 I will keep Ellie, Morris, their love for books and music, their love for each other and their fight for a better world close to my heart. 💜 I highly recommend reading this book. 💜
CW: Colonization, execution, violence, alcoholism, panic attacks
January 14, 2020
I'm going to be honest here - I had very high expectations for this book. It was one of my most anticipated books of 2020 and it absolutely surpassed all of my expectations in a big way. Which rarely happens!
There were so many things I loved about this book. For starters, the two main characters were very easy to root for. Especially Ellie, who is a black teen trying to survive in Ilori-occupied earth, with her main source of comfort being the illegal books she's keeping. Ellie's insecurities, her love of stories and ability to find solace in them when the world is literally doomed, her understanding of the world and how she fits into it as a black teen are not only easy to relate to, but also make her a really palpable character that jumps off of the page.
Morris' optimism, hopeless romanticism, and love of music and stories also make him very easy to warm to - despite him being an Ilori. The two of them also just work really well together as characters. They're the perfect pair, in a lot of ways.
I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi, but I know that a lot of science-fiction books recreate stories of colonisation in space settings, kind of like has been done here. What I know from reading some of them is they often have very black and white understanding of colonisation, and this is what was such a breath of fresh air for me in The Sound Of Stars.
The author clearly really understands power dynamics, race, colonisation...and she deftly navigates the relationship between Ellie and Morris - despite the clear disparity in their power dynamics as human and Ilori with one of them the colonised and one of them the coloniser. She never shies away from engaging with the realities of a relationship like this. Nor does the book ever pretend that this is a clear divide between human vs. Ilori. It's a deeply nuanced book that just feels very real. It's clear from reading that Dow really understands the space within which she is writing, and effortlessly weaves in the realities of our real world into her Ilori-occupied one. She also engages with many tropes and genre expectations before subverting or unpacking them.
From reading a few other reviews, it seems some people were disappointed with how the book ended. For me, the ending of this was nothing less than perfection. If this hadn't already been a 5-star book before the ending, that end would have definitely pushed it into 5-stars. Because...about halfway through I had some idea about how this book might end, but what ended up happening was not at all what I expected. But it was really brilliantly foreshadowed, and easy to see the hints the author dropped along the way after you get to the end. It's the kind of ending that is both open-ended but also ties up so many loose ends. There could easily be a sequel to this book, and also...not. And either way, I would feel satisfied.
There were so many things I loved about this book. For starters, the two main characters were very easy to root for. Especially Ellie, who is a black teen trying to survive in Ilori-occupied earth, with her main source of comfort being the illegal books she's keeping. Ellie's insecurities, her love of stories and ability to find solace in them when the world is literally doomed, her understanding of the world and how she fits into it as a black teen are not only easy to relate to, but also make her a really palpable character that jumps off of the page.
Morris' optimism, hopeless romanticism, and love of music and stories also make him very easy to warm to - despite him being an Ilori. The two of them also just work really well together as characters. They're the perfect pair, in a lot of ways.
I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi, but I know that a lot of science-fiction books recreate stories of colonisation in space settings, kind of like has been done here. What I know from reading some of them is they often have very black and white understanding of colonisation, and this is what was such a breath of fresh air for me in The Sound Of Stars.
The author clearly really understands power dynamics, race, colonisation...and she deftly navigates the relationship between Ellie and Morris - despite the clear disparity in their power dynamics as human and Ilori with one of them the colonised and one of them the coloniser. She never shies away from engaging with the realities of a relationship like this. Nor does the book ever pretend that this is a clear divide between human vs. Ilori. It's a deeply nuanced book that just feels very real. It's clear from reading that Dow really understands the space within which she is writing, and effortlessly weaves in the realities of our real world into her Ilori-occupied one. She also engages with many tropes and genre expectations before subverting or unpacking them.
From reading a few other reviews, it seems some people were disappointed with how the book ended. For me, the ending of this was nothing less than perfection. If this hadn't already been a 5-star book before the ending, that end would have definitely pushed it into 5-stars. Because...about halfway through I had some idea about how this book might end, but what ended up happening was not at all what I expected. But it was really brilliantly foreshadowed, and easy to see the hints the author dropped along the way after you get to the end. It's the kind of ending that is both open-ended but also ties up so many loose ends. There could easily be a sequel to this book, and also...not. And either way, I would feel satisfied.
August 29, 2020
I love this book with my whole heart! I can’t quite write a coherent review yet, as I am currently Full of Feels, and still happy crying from the end, but I just want to say:
if you, like me, desperately need to read a book that is full to the brim with: many kinds of love; resistance, resilience and straight up joy in the midst of dire circumstances; the healing power of stories and song; and, more than anything, hope- you should read this beautiful, beautiful book.
if you, like me, desperately need to read a book that is full to the brim with: many kinds of love; resistance, resilience and straight up joy in the midst of dire circumstances; the healing power of stories and song; and, more than anything, hope- you should read this beautiful, beautiful book.
January 1, 2021
Lush, hopeful, and brimming with dreams, The Sound of Stars is an emotional story you won't want to miss.
March 26, 2020
For this and other bookish reviews, check out my blog!
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. The Sound of Stars debuted February 25th.
Apologies in advance that this review borders on a rant, but I feel a compulsion to fully express myself. Could be I get some anger for this post–I guess that’s just the risk you run sometimes.
If there’s one thing that can be said about The Sound of Stars, it’s that it doesn’t try to hide what it is. I was pretty excited to read this book–I mean, hello, I’m writing an alien romance, and this book is an alien romance–but from the very first paragraph I could predict this book would be a struggle due to its strong ideological bent.
Listen, I’m not saying that politics doesn’t have a place in books–if politics fit the plot, by all means have at it. However, this book (which is a YA alien romance, remember) is so steeped in progressive and leftist ideology that it’s not far off from propagandistic. In fact, as I read some passages aloud to my husband, he even asked me if it might be parody. (It’s not.) To give one example, Janelle, the MC, suffers from anxiety and frequently employs a counting technique to calm herself.
Nobody is going to convince me that the above is good writing. Am I really supposed to believe that all that is going through her head while she’s warding off a panic attack? It’s like some bizarre leftist take on Arya Stark’s kill list.
Let’s go more in depth about the main character as well. Janelle is black, bisexual, “demi-ace,” overweight, with a thyroid problem, and diagnosed depression and anxiety. All of that is okay, of course.
Can you hear the “but” coming? I have a real issue with the current push for “representation” in books, because it has ruined many, many characters for me. Often it feels like authors, especially in the YA world, throw statuses and traits onto their characters like stickers, as if to tick off items on a checklist. I want to have all types of characters in books, but I want those characters to appear organically, rather than just so the author can triumphantly proclaim, Oprah-like, “Ah-ha, here is a person of color, and here is the LGBT character, and here is the character with a medical diagnosis!” So with an MC like Janelle, I found myself reading her characterization as basically a marketing strategy rather than anything that enhanced the book. Is that way of thinking fair to all the characters out there who are LGBT, suffering from various diagnoses, etc? No, but that is the sad place where the “representation” push has led me, and I’m willing to bet a lot of money that others feel the same. The whole thing is a catch-22.
So when it came to understanding Janelle, she felt incredibly surface-level, as if she had been designed by Tumblr committee, or perhaps Vice’s dildo-firing squad.
And setting character aside, the plot and the world-building weren’t gripping enough to get me to forgive all the politics. It’s a pretty standard aliens-taking-over-the-world story, and the tech wasn’t cohesive; it came across to me as magical hocus-pocus instead of futuristic technology that sorta-kinda made sense.
There is a cringiness to this book, too, that would not let up. The MC loves reading, especially YA, and there was all sorts of name-dropping that crossed the line from referential into self-congratulation. It gave me a strong “breaking the fourth wall” type of feeling.
Pair all that with many new world-building concepts being thrown in at the eighty percent mark of the book. Pair it again with a deus ex machina. Then add on unrelenting and awkward progressivism. (The alien love interest cannot tell if a human is a man or a woman, for example, until they identify themselves… Oh, but he can easily suss out that Janelle is a girl in the beginning of the book by her name alone. Hmm…)
Well, this was just a really tough sell.
I constantly found myself wondering while reading what an author of a book this political would say if she knew a conservative woman was reading–a conservative woman who, by the way, has not hesitated in the past to read and praise books with a differing ideological lens. I don’t necessarily write off books just because I don’t see eye-to-eye with the author’s politics. Would the author of The Sound of Stars be disgusted by someone like me, who just wanted to read a new-to-market trad-pub alien romance? Or would she not even suspect readers like me exist at all? Hopefully it would be neither one of those extremes, because both are very disheartening.
I remain a reader desperate for well-written alien books, especially alien romance. I was betrayed by aliens last year, twice, and I feel yet again extremely disappointed. (The Humans was great, to be fair.) I am begging the universe–please let the next alien book I read be good. And if there are any authors reading this post, please try to understand that readers like me exist and don’t hate me for it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. The Sound of Stars debuted February 25th.
Apologies in advance that this review borders on a rant, but I feel a compulsion to fully express myself. Could be I get some anger for this post–I guess that’s just the risk you run sometimes.
If there’s one thing that can be said about The Sound of Stars, it’s that it doesn’t try to hide what it is. I was pretty excited to read this book–I mean, hello, I’m writing an alien romance, and this book is an alien romance–but from the very first paragraph I could predict this book would be a struggle due to its strong ideological bent.
The invasion came when we were too distracted raging against our governments to notice. Terror had a face and we elected it, my mom said. We were more divided than ever, and that division made our defeat easy.
Listen, I’m not saying that politics doesn’t have a place in books–if politics fit the plot, by all means have at it. However, this book (which is a YA alien romance, remember) is so steeped in progressive and leftist ideology that it’s not far off from propagandistic. In fact, as I read some passages aloud to my husband, he even asked me if it might be parody. (It’s not.) To give one example, Janelle, the MC, suffers from anxiety and frequently employs a counting technique to calm herself.
Five, Tamir Rice, Heather Heyer, Emmett Till, Oscar Grant, Nia Wilson. Four, little church girls, Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley. Three, Tree of Life. Christchurch. Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Two, people out shopping, Maurice Stallard and Vicki Lee Jones. One, so many–too many–black transgender women to name.
Nobody is going to convince me that the above is good writing. Am I really supposed to believe that all that is going through her head while she’s warding off a panic attack? It’s like some bizarre leftist take on Arya Stark’s kill list.
Let’s go more in depth about the main character as well. Janelle is black, bisexual, “demi-ace,” overweight, with a thyroid problem, and diagnosed depression and anxiety. All of that is okay, of course.
Can you hear the “but” coming? I have a real issue with the current push for “representation” in books, because it has ruined many, many characters for me. Often it feels like authors, especially in the YA world, throw statuses and traits onto their characters like stickers, as if to tick off items on a checklist. I want to have all types of characters in books, but I want those characters to appear organically, rather than just so the author can triumphantly proclaim, Oprah-like, “Ah-ha, here is a person of color, and here is the LGBT character, and here is the character with a medical diagnosis!” So with an MC like Janelle, I found myself reading her characterization as basically a marketing strategy rather than anything that enhanced the book. Is that way of thinking fair to all the characters out there who are LGBT, suffering from various diagnoses, etc? No, but that is the sad place where the “representation” push has led me, and I’m willing to bet a lot of money that others feel the same. The whole thing is a catch-22.
So when it came to understanding Janelle, she felt incredibly surface-level, as if she had been designed by Tumblr committee, or perhaps Vice’s dildo-firing squad.
And setting character aside, the plot and the world-building weren’t gripping enough to get me to forgive all the politics. It’s a pretty standard aliens-taking-over-the-world story, and the tech wasn’t cohesive; it came across to me as magical hocus-pocus instead of futuristic technology that sorta-kinda made sense.
There is a cringiness to this book, too, that would not let up. The MC loves reading, especially YA, and there was all sorts of name-dropping that crossed the line from referential into self-congratulation. It gave me a strong “breaking the fourth wall” type of feeling.
I wonder if that’s how Wylan felt when he finally kissed Jesper, or Dimple and Rishi’s first–no, second–kiss…
Pair all that with many new world-building concepts being thrown in at the eighty percent mark of the book. Pair it again with a deus ex machina. Then add on unrelenting and awkward progressivism. (The alien love interest cannot tell if a human is a man or a woman, for example, until they identify themselves… Oh, but he can easily suss out that Janelle is a girl in the beginning of the book by her name alone. Hmm…)
Well, this was just a really tough sell.
I constantly found myself wondering while reading what an author of a book this political would say if she knew a conservative woman was reading–a conservative woman who, by the way, has not hesitated in the past to read and praise books with a differing ideological lens. I don’t necessarily write off books just because I don’t see eye-to-eye with the author’s politics. Would the author of The Sound of Stars be disgusted by someone like me, who just wanted to read a new-to-market trad-pub alien romance? Or would she not even suspect readers like me exist at all? Hopefully it would be neither one of those extremes, because both are very disheartening.
I remain a reader desperate for well-written alien books, especially alien romance. I was betrayed by aliens last year, twice, and I feel yet again extremely disappointed. (The Humans was great, to be fair.) I am begging the universe–please let the next alien book I read be good. And if there are any authors reading this post, please try to understand that readers like me exist and don’t hate me for it.
May 29, 2020
CWs:
incurred racism, alcoholism, mentions of human experimentation, some descriptions of anxiety episodes, descriptions of graphic injury
This is like the actual softest and purest story, and the fact that it's about an alien invasion *while* being so soft and empowering is all the more amazing to me.
Especially when it comes to hostile alien take-overs, it would be so easy for a story like this to center human violence as a means of reclaiming power, but this story goes in a completely different direction. The power, and ultimately the gateway to rebellion, is in stories, in music, in art, and in creation. Make no mistake: protecting and valuing these things is not a mask for passivity. These characters still take action, they still rebel in real and physical ways, but it is their love of these things that compels and motivates them.
This story is like the epitome of Black Girl Magic, and the "magic" is the transcendent power of stories and love.
I also really appreciate that this story doesn't have any blinders on. As a queer Black teen with anxiety, Ellie has a VERY different experience with the Ilori take-over than a lot of people do. She has always lived in a world that was dangerous and unsafe for her and her loved ones, and now it's just different and unsafe in new ways. Because of the violence against Black lives, the racism she and her family have incurred, and the ways this country has torn itself apart politically, she is faced with the very real question of whether or not humanity deserves to be saved. And not only that, but whether humanity be capable of change if given a second chance.
To have that decision, essentially, be held by a Black teen in a volatile landscape like this is especially powerful. And it makes it all the more incredible when Ellie and Moris continuously choose love and hope, even though they're confronted with so much fear and so many difficulties.
This story is also about carving out space for joy, especially during difficult times. Like I said, this story is about an alien invasion, but there are still times where Ellie and Moris will consciously shut out the world and enjoy each other's company, whether it's to sing, dance, tell each other stories, or to just be present with another caring and empathetic person. This story shows us that love and joy have VALUE, especially in a world that seems devoid of it.
Also can we just appreciate the fact that Ellie is a Black teen who's pan and demi-ace? Getting to see the discussion of that on the page was incredible, and it was great to see Moris embrace his own demi-aceness after Ellie explains the concept to him. There's such a soft intimacy between these two characters, and it was so healing to see the ways they reach for each other and check in with each other constantly.
This is a truly stunning and special story. It's not one I will soon forget, and in fact if we were conquered by aliens today, this is the story I would recount to keep myself alive. It is that empowering and thoughtful. I highly recommend it.
This is like the actual softest and purest story, and the fact that it's about an alien invasion *while* being so soft and empowering is all the more amazing to me.
Especially when it comes to hostile alien take-overs, it would be so easy for a story like this to center human violence as a means of reclaiming power, but this story goes in a completely different direction. The power, and ultimately the gateway to rebellion, is in stories, in music, in art, and in creation. Make no mistake: protecting and valuing these things is not a mask for passivity. These characters still take action, they still rebel in real and physical ways, but it is their love of these things that compels and motivates them.
This story is like the epitome of Black Girl Magic, and the "magic" is the transcendent power of stories and love.
I also really appreciate that this story doesn't have any blinders on. As a queer Black teen with anxiety, Ellie has a VERY different experience with the Ilori take-over than a lot of people do. She has always lived in a world that was dangerous and unsafe for her and her loved ones, and now it's just different and unsafe in new ways. Because of the violence against Black lives, the racism she and her family have incurred, and the ways this country has torn itself apart politically, she is faced with the very real question of whether or not humanity deserves to be saved. And not only that, but whether humanity be capable of change if given a second chance.
To have that decision, essentially, be held by a Black teen in a volatile landscape like this is especially powerful. And it makes it all the more incredible when Ellie and Moris continuously choose love and hope, even though they're confronted with so much fear and so many difficulties.
This story is also about carving out space for joy, especially during difficult times. Like I said, this story is about an alien invasion, but there are still times where Ellie and Moris will consciously shut out the world and enjoy each other's company, whether it's to sing, dance, tell each other stories, or to just be present with another caring and empathetic person. This story shows us that love and joy have VALUE, especially in a world that seems devoid of it.
Also can we just appreciate the fact that Ellie is a Black teen who's pan and demi-ace? Getting to see the discussion of that on the page was incredible, and it was great to see Moris embrace his own demi-aceness after Ellie explains the concept to him. There's such a soft intimacy between these two characters, and it was so healing to see the ways they reach for each other and check in with each other constantly.
This is a truly stunning and special story. It's not one I will soon forget, and in fact if we were conquered by aliens today, this is the story I would recount to keep myself alive. It is that empowering and thoughtful. I highly recommend it.
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