Book Club: The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent
Krista:
Cover
I love this cover, very eye catching and pretty.
Characters
There are a handful of characters as Nina ends up joining a group of outcasts. But the story really focuses on her and her intentions to save her sister.
Favourite
I liked Nina the best; totally understood her actions and thoughts with what was going on around her. Her priorities and intentions were always in the right place.
Least Favourite
Nina and Mellie’s mother. She could have played a bigger role in their lives, even under the circumstances.
Beginning
Nina is debating her future role in society and how to protect and take care of her sister when some unexpected news causes everything to change.
Storyline
Mellie has committed a sin that endangers her whole family who are barely getting by already. If her secret gets out, the church will bring unwanted attention to their family, and they will have to pay, ruining the future for all of them. In trying to protect her sister, Nina escapes and joins a fugitive group, which is also being hunted by the church.
Ending
Perfect.
Thoughts
Rachel Vincent has yet to disappoint me with her writing. It’s very well crafted, great pacing and never a dull moment. I love stories that include a secluded community on the cusp of discovering life is not what it seems. This book pulled off the story well, and I ended up being somewhat surprised at the somewhat twist towards the end. It all made sense when revealed, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Quote
“I feel like my life is a book, and someone turned the page before I was ready, and now I can’t follow the story.”
Belinda:
Cover
A red and pink butterfly shiny embossed along with the title against a buttery mat black backdrop. The wings of the butterfly look like they’re ink bleeding out onto the page. It’s quite dramatic and eye catching.
Characters
There is an over abundance of evil characters.
Favourite
Hmm, Annabelle. Coz… all the reasons.
Least Favourite
Mellie. UGH! Stupid, stupid, stupid girl.
Beginning
Life it tough and Mellie’s mistake makes life impossible.
Storyline
Nina does her damndest to keep her crap together. She runs into a group of outcasts with the same abilities as she has and they begin to work together to keep Mellie safe.
Ending
You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.
Thoughts
I didn’t mind that I guessed the major plot points early on in the book because watching how Rachel Vincent crafted the storyline was entertaining. I wanted to slap the daylights out of Mellie, but that may just be watching some of my own stupidity played out in the book, making me overly sensitive.
The possibilities for further books to be great, mean that I’m interested to see where Rachel will take Nina, Finn and the others.
Quote
“Exorcists aren’t born every day, but I think it’s reasonable to assume the Church had a few at one point.” ~ Finn talking to Nina
Joelene:
Cover
A dark cover with a luminous butterfly centre page and the title in sharp capitals. The cover is lovely but nothing about it connects to the story within – not even the title.
Characters
A soulless horde of demons, a holy order that is just as merciless, and trapped in the middle are Nina, her sister, and several new friends who might just be her key to unlocking the secrets to her world.
Favourite
Devi. She stands out. Though she’s not in the book all that much, she steals most of the scenes she’s in.
Least Favourite
Despite quite a bit of time being devoted to her, I never got a clear idea of who Melanie was. We’re told a lot about her personality, but what we’re told doesn’t mesh with the choices she makes. She feels more like a vehicle than a person.
Beginning
In a world ruled by the Church and preyed on by voracious demons, Nina is doing her best to keep herself and her sister fed. It may mean selling her immortal soul to the Church – if the demons stalking her don’t get it first.
Storyline
Nina has always thought that she knew how her world worked. When a demon attacks her and she meets a boy who can do things that only church officials should be able to; everything she thinks she knows begins to unravel.
Ending
The world Nina thought she knew is as tangible as ash. Along with her friends, she’s going to have to figure out how to survive a new – and much more deadly – reality.
Thoughts
This is an amazing premise. I think Vincent says that she’d been thinking about it and talking it through for a few years before sitting down to write. That makes sense; there’s quite a bit to this world. On the other side, there are a bunch of things that I didn’t get. I’m guessing that demons come from a pretty bleak realm if they’re so impatient to get themselves a human shell. But what’s the point of possessing a human when there are so many restrictions? No sex, no excess (food, alcohol, drugs) of any kind, frequent mandatory church sessions. Having the coveted human shell seems more like a chore. Also, the love was pretty insta. I liked Finn, and Nina had her moments. I think they could have worked well together if built up more gradually.
Quote
“The plan is to send the bastards back to hell, then dance on their corpses.”
“She’s kidding about the dance.” Reece’s gaze was focused on the end of the alley, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened.
Finn stepped up to my side. “No, she’s not.”
Discussion Topics:
The title The Stars Never Rise comes from the poem ‘Annabel Lee’ by Edgar Allan Poe. Do you see connections between the title and poem, or is the allusion tenuous?
For fun-if you found out one day that you are going to develop a gift that would help save others lives…would you train to develop it or be too shy to reveal yourself?
Paperback, 368 pages
Published June 18th 2015 by MIRA Ink (first published June 9th 2015)
ISBN 1848453833 (ISBN13: 9781848453838)
Joelene:
