Shattered Hearts and Broken Things

Expected Publication:  December 23rd, 2014

This Shattered World (Starbound #2)

By:  Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Disney-Hyperion

ISBN-13:  9781423171034

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood.  Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children.  But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelenting war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner.  But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever.  He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Review

     This had all the important things that the first book had: adventure, outer space intrigue, romance and character development.  Lots of conflict to keep me busy as a reader.  Yet, I didn't quite connect immediately with Lee or Flynn, quite like I did with Tarver and Lilac in the first book.  Maybe because Lee and Flynn seem to have a much clearer understanding of who they are and where they belong, etc. (not that this lasts for the entire book, but it didn't draw me in to have such self-assured characters).  Maybe it's because I'm such so insecure myself.  Also, Flynn came across as a pretty big idiot.  You're part of a fairly big rebellion, and your first instinct is to kidnap one of the opposing leaders when you have the chance.  Did he honestly believe he could convince his people to peacefully let her go once they had what they wanted?  As if!  Dreamworld buddy, total dreamworld - especially since his sister had been a violent rebellion leader herself, executed for her actions.

     Honestly, Lee was my favorite character and I still wasn't all that attached to her for whatever reason.  I did enjoy the flashbacks into her past.  It gives a deeper insight into the character, especially when you realize the purpose behind them and why Lee never seems to acknowledge these remembrances/hallucinations at all.  The romance in this one just felt too cliched and rehearsed to me.  It never really rang true.  I seem to be in the minority here, so don't mind me - form your own opinions!  So as not to spoil all that much, I will say that the ending resolves the conflict very nicely.  I think any further books will be about different characters again.  The conflict with the corporation owned by Lilac's father has a lot more mileage left in it for Kaufman and Spooner before it starts to get tired.  My favorite part was cameo by Lilac and Tarver (both of whom play a part in the climax of the action, near the end of the book).  I recommend reading this if you've read the first one and it really is a solid second series book.  It just wasn't anything special to me personally.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is December 23rd, 2014.**