Title: The Darkest Star
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Evie Dasher lives in a world balanced on a precarious peace between humans and the alien race, Luxen, that have invaded them. Trying to be adventurous, Evie witnesses this balance first hand at the local night club where many Luxen are known to hang out. It’s there that she meets Luc, a dangerous Luxen who is about to turn her world on its head. As new information about her past filters in, Evie has to re-learn who she really is.
Jennifer L. Armentrout has crafted an exhilarating romance that brings its readers on a twisting roller coaster ride of emotions. Much like Evie, we’re kept in the dark for most of the novel of what’s actually happening between the Luxen and the American government, but there’s a lot that the government is covering up (unsurprisingly). In what YA dystopia does the government not know more than its population? Answer: none.
While I would not 100% place this into the dystopia category, there are elements of this genre that creep up throughout the story. Mainly: we’ve been invaded by an alien race that’s way more powerful than we are. But, plot twist! Humans are the ones that are in control in the story, not the aliens. In fact, we get to witness the deep prejudice that a lot of the humans have against the aliens throughout the story, from the way their treated on the streets to the protests that are launched right in Evie’s school. I thoroughly enjoyed the power dynamic between the two species here; it made commentary about our own society that isn’t too direct.
Evie could be a bit whiny at times, but I guess we’ll cut her some slack because basically everyone in her life was hiding a massive secret from her. The relationship between her and Luc definitely drives the entire story froward; why does Luc take such an interest to her? What is he, really? Why isn’t he registered with the government? So many questions–all mostly answered by the end of the story.
I think this is the start to a new series, so I’m interested in seeing where the series goes next!
4/5 stars