Series: Kricket Book One
Author: Amy A. Bartol
Publication Date: December 15, 2013
All she wants is a home, but can she find one…UNDER DIFFERENT STARS
Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home.
Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go.
Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket’s gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own.
When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?
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My Thoughts
So, because I had picked this up only based on the cover I had mentally prepared myself for some major disappointment, cause that's just usually how these things go. Awesome cover not so awesome content. In this case, the cover reflected the content exquisitely. Having read the blurb (I did actually read it guys! xD), it had made it seem as if there was going to be a love triangle, which I hate, but again that cover! So full steam ahead I went, and gah, I'm so glad I did!!
Let's talk about Kricket. I think I have a girl crush on her. She is just that awesome. She is the love child of a Romeo/Juliet pairing back in Ethar, her home planet. Her mom was an Alameeda Priestess, one of the most powerful ones, while her dad was an important Cavar (military dude) back in Rafe. Priestesses in Alameeda have powers, telepathy, telekineses, precognition, truthsayer, etc. Kricket is on Earth hiding from DSS and unknowingly hiding from Ethar as well. Trey (from Rafe) and Kyon (from Alameeda) are both sent to retrieve Kricket from Earth, both for their own different reasons. Kricket evades them for a few days, but eventually gets taken back to Ethar by Trey. Kricket's survival in this new world is what follows and it's one hell of a story.
Kricket is incredibly smart, she is brave, strong, and independent (totally polar xD)and no hunky guy from Ethar is going to change that. She is a survivor, but she is also just a 17-going-on-18-year old girl in an entirely new world. During her journey to Rafe, she starts learning about Ethar. Their customs, politics, traditions and language. Once she gets to Rafe and is thrust in the middle of a surging war she starts handling and manipulating those around her that would like nothing else but to control her, and she just does it so damn well! For once the heroine isn't just some ditzy girl who has to rely on every outside help, random coincidences and can't see things that are right in front of her. It was such a nice change of pace.
While there isn't actually a love triangle there are about like three main guys going after her? But she only reciprocates the feelings to one of them, thank god. I did find it a bit annoying that there were so many guys just tripping over themselves for her. I mean yeah Kricket is freaking awesome, but it just seemed a tad over the top at times? Specially cause it wasn't just three guys, those are just the main ones, it was like ALL the important political figures in Rafe (the city not a multiple personality guy >P). Thankfully Kricket only has eyes for one of them, which I was eternally grateful for. Although the 'I love you's' seemed to come a bit too quickly the romance itself was well done in my opinion. The timeline itself may have been off, but the pacing of it was spot on.
The world-building was great. We learn about Ethar right alongside Kricket and there was never a sense of info-dumping anywhere. We get some background of how things were in Ethar before Black Math (kinda like the Black Plague only worse) and how because of it Ethar gets split into five houses. We learn each of their allies, their political systems, beliefs, etc, and while there was quite a bit of info to go with everything it never bogged down the flow of the story, it just enriched it, as it should. By the end of the book I was fluent in their curse words and slang xD.
As for the plot, it starts off as a simple integration into this new world and trying to possess Kricket to empower their house in a fast developing war. There were mentions of a prophecy tied to this war, but there are just wasn't enough information to get a grasp on what's really going on, but I'm excited to find out and accompany Kricket in her journey.
So...
Would I Recommend it?
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