Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Pages: 402 pages

Publisher: June 12th 2012

Published on: Balzer + Bray
Source: Bought from Fully Booked

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to

rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's "Persuasion," "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

(Summary from Goodreads)

Review:

This book is truly set-apart from all the other dystopian stories. Where as technology is highlighted in the other novels, this kind of dystopian gives a refreshing twist along the lines of "How would it be like if our precious technology backfired?"  This book is giving us a glimpse of a future where genetic experiments and modifications have gone too far and have cause a national problem. It's not very far off from reality and is very highly believable. One reason why you'll be absorbed in this outstanding, genius creativity of Miss. Peterfreund.

Elliot North reminds me of an egg. She acts all tough, like the outer shell, seemingly resistant to the harsh extremities of the world not because she was born with it, but because she developed it whilst growing up. Always wanting to be the strong one, but is actually very fragile. The egg white being her thoughts, them wanting to run free, but restrained by the shell which her society has taught and made her build. The yolk being her deepest wants. Close to her thoughts, but is kept even deeper inside for she never lets her want get over her rightful judgement. Seems boring, doesn't it? But of course, we have the ever-dashing Kai. He's Elliot polar opposite in terms of societal standings. Him being a post (used as an adjective, not a noun) and her being a Luddite. The romance between them is strong, you can sense it from the first few pages. Their chemistry well crafted in the laboratory of relations. I liked everything about this book. How it kept me guessing and just when you thought it would be a typical romance story of childhood friends who grow up and marry each other. No, sir-ee this book has a whole other agenda in its hands. It's like I would love to read more books like these, but at the same time I don't, because it might lose it's special whole other classification in my mind. The plot turns were really well executed not so much to make you go "WTF..." but enough to make you jump around in excitement and squeal like a little girl. All in all, this book was what I was looking for in the "fresh" category. It was something I never expected and I was well pleased with how it turned out. Good job, Miss Peterfreund!

A great big congratulatory hug to Miss Peterfreund for writing such an exhilarating novel! :)

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