I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The cover is gorgeous--a big plus for me! I think the book could do with a bit more polishing though. There are some grammar and typographical errors along with some formatting issues, but overall, that didn't deter too much from the plot.
Sixteen-year-old Astrid has moved over 10 times in her life. Now she and her uncle are settled in sunny California. She has a best friend named Ruby, and is dying to be noticed by her crush, Chad Olson. While sneaking out of the house one night with Ruby and her sister Phoebe, the three girls see a meteor crash somewhere near Astrid's house. Concerned, Astrid turns around to find out what happened only to find the place swarmed by people in suits and her uncle carrying a dead body. Freaked out, Astrid and Ruby escape, and Astrid returns home, no one the wiser that she even snuck out of the house.
Over the course of the next couple days, what Astrid thought was just strange genes (the ability to run fast, heal quickly, etc) is more than just that. The life she led with her uncle is a lie because he's been hiding something from her ever since she was a little girl, and when Astrid learns what is it, it turns her entire world upside down.
Possible spoilers. Read at your own risk.
I am really over teenagers dying to speak to their crushes. It's the one thing I can't stand about a lot of YA contemporary novels. I wasn't sure I would like this book until well towards half-way through, especially when Astrid finally discovered she's a princess, one of the Lost Seven Sisters of the stars. I like how the author entwined a little bit of mythology into Astrid's genealogy.
It was obvious from the beginning that Astrid was someone special, but you don't really know much. Giving her the special abilities was just a big clue and I wondered if the reader could have been left guessing a bit more if the author didn't give away those vital clues.
I would be interested to read the rest of the series, but as I said before, it could do with some professional polishing in certain areas.