Early Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

• Pub. Date: June 12, 2012
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray
• Pages: 398

http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, 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.

Review: 

For Darkness Shows the Stars was a beautiful take on Persuasion by Jane Austen. Diana Peterfreund is an incredible writer and I am more then likely going to go and pick up a few more of her books that she has written seeing how wonderfully she put a spin on a classic. This book was epic if that can even describe it. After I was finished reading it I felt like there was something missing in my life for a good two to three days and even now when I think about it I just want to go pick it up and get lost in it all over again.

There was a lot of interesting things going on in the book. It's based in a post apocalyptic world. Genetic experiments were being conducted on humans which went very wrong and gave birth to the Reduction. There are the Reduced, they are people who are very simple minded. We are also introduced to the Luddites they are the ones who control the Reduced. Although now a few generations after the event every so often a Post child is born to a Reduced. Posts are just as intelligent and coherent as the Luddites and many of them are leaving the Luddite estates.

Even though the plot and the post apocalyptic world Peterfreund created was gripping and had me curious from the beginning that is not what kept me turning the pages. It was Kai and Elliot and their past and their present that had me staying up until three in the morning straining my eyes open just to finish this book. I only got about three and a half hours of sleep that night and it was well worth it. What really made their relationship stand out from other YA couples are the letters throughout the novel from their childhood. It really let us know the depth of their relationship and slowly bit by bit revealed who they are as an individual and a real understanding on why Kai has become the way he is in the present.

Another character who really stood out to me and a reason why I consider Peterfreund one hell of a talented writer is Ro. She was a reduced, barely able to speak a few words if even that and yet her character captured my heart.

Overall I can't say enough how much you should go read this book once it's released. I will also be going out and buying a hardcover copy to add to my collection because I can easily say this will be a book I will pick up often to read.

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