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System Divine #1
Sky Without Stars
A thief. An officer. A guardian.
Three strangers. One shared destiny . . .
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.
Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…
Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spying on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.
Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a traitor. Groomed to command by his legendary grandfather, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when he discovers a cryptic message that only one person, a girl named Alouette, can read.
Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.
All three have roles to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.
Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables.
Three strangers. One shared destiny . . .
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.
Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…
Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spying on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.
Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a traitor. Groomed to command by his legendary grandfather, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when he discovers a cryptic message that only one person, a girl named Alouette, can read.
Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.
All three have roles to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.
Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables.
582 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2019
366 people are currently reading
25802 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Brody
60 books2,809 followersJessica Brody is the author of more than 20 novels for teens, tweens, and adults including The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, Amelia Gray is Almost Okay, A Week of Mondays, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine trilogy which is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, co-written with Joanne Rendell. She’s also the author of the #1 bestselling novel-writing guides, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel as well as several books based on popular Disney franchises like Descendants and LEGO Disney Princess. Jessica’s books have been translated and published in over 20 languages and several have been optioned for film and television. She’s the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy and lives with her husband and three dogs near Portland, OR.
Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody
Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or WritingMastery.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @JessicaBrody
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,040 reviews
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November 13, 2021DNF @ 44%
August 5, 2022
Reread 2022 - I changed from a 4.5 Stars to a 4 Stars and to be honest it might be a little less then that….. I’m kinda of burning out on longer books. It seems like the "I love big books" slogan isn’t true for me any more. It makes me worry that I’m going to get rid of all of my big books of fantasy and stuff. I hope not 😬. We’ll see how I feel for the second book reread and the conclusion book!
I’ve never been a big Les Mis fan but I loved this book. Also, I love The Lunar Chronicle (at least I hope I still do!) I don’t see this being anything like The Lunar Chronicles. Just call it what it is… a retelling of Les Mis in space
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I’ve never been a big Les Mis fan but I loved this book. Also, I love The Lunar Chronicle (at least I hope I still do!) I don’t see this being anything like The Lunar Chronicles. Just call it what it is… a retelling of Les Mis in space
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 1, 2021
oh man. i honestly thought this was going to be a 5 star read, until i read the number 24601…
the synopsis sounds nothing at all like les mis, so i had no idea this was a les mis retelling going into it. and honestly, i just wasnt feeling it. this story is soooo good on its own, so all of the little les mis shout outs are a massive eye roll. it took me out of the story each time and personally lessened my reading experience.
but everything else about this that isnt connected to les mis is really exceptional. i loved the unique sci-fi world, i thought the characters are compelling, and the writing and pacing make it sooo easy to binge read. it has all of the characteristics of book that really sucks you into the pages. so its unfortunate about the les mis references, because i honestly dont think the story needs them.
but based on how this ends, i have a feeling that the sequel will lean more into its own story and not rely on any les mis content. fingers crossed!
↠ 4.5 stars
the synopsis sounds nothing at all like les mis, so i had no idea this was a les mis retelling going into it. and honestly, i just wasnt feeling it. this story is soooo good on its own, so all of the little les mis shout outs are a massive eye roll. it took me out of the story each time and personally lessened my reading experience.
but everything else about this that isnt connected to les mis is really exceptional. i loved the unique sci-fi world, i thought the characters are compelling, and the writing and pacing make it sooo easy to binge read. it has all of the characteristics of book that really sucks you into the pages. so its unfortunate about the les mis references, because i honestly dont think the story needs them.
but based on how this ends, i have a feeling that the sequel will lean more into its own story and not rely on any les mis content. fingers crossed!
↠ 4.5 stars
July 12, 2019
4.5 Stars.
RTC.
***************************************
Have I read the Lunar Chronicles? Yes.
Have I read Les Miserables? No.
Am I going to read 1,000 pages of drama? No.
Am I gonna be a filthy casual and look up the summary of Les Mis on Google? Hell yes.
RTC.
***************************************
Have I read the Lunar Chronicles? Yes.
Have I read Les Miserables? No.
Am I going to read 1,000 pages of drama? No.
Am I gonna be a filthy casual and look up the summary of Les Mis on Google? Hell yes.
December 30, 2020
I've never read or seen Les Misérables, don't know anything about the plot, and I only know it's set around the time of the French Revolution.
So why did I read this or even add this to my tbr list?
It's set in space and I'm a sucker for any book set in space. I love sci-fi books, but I don't really read a lot of them. Also, I'm a sucker for this gorgeous cover.
When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be very boring, but I was so blown away by how much I enjoyed this.
This book is set on the fictional planet of Laterra, one of twelve planets in the System Divine. The people of this planet have not seen the light of the Sols (suns) in nine years.
The first main character we meet is Chatine Renard. She comes from the Third Estate, lives in the Frets (the slum), and is starving like everyone else in the Third Estate. Chatine wants nothing more than to leave Laterra and have a better life. Only her family knows her as Chatine. On the streets, she is known as Theó, a boy and a thief. She has an older sister named Azelle, who is a law-abiding citizen (unlike the rest of her family). Their father is the leader of the Délabré gang. One day, her father tells Chatine to go to the morgue and steal from the dead.
The next character we meet is Marcellus. He comes from the Second Estate and is very handsome (almost every girl has a crush on him). He was raised by his grandfather, General Bonnefaçon, and the most powerful man on the planet. Marcellus's father was a traitor. Marcellus's father was a part of the Vangarde, a rebel group that trying to overthrow the Regime, but failed. Marcellus finds out that his father died and is going to a morgue where his father's body currently is. On his father's body, he finds a shirt with a message, but he can't read it because it's written in Forgotten Word. Suddenly, he hears something behind him and it's Chatine, or rather Theó.
The last main character we meet is Alouette. She lives beneath the surface of Laterra in an underground refuge called the Refuge of the Sisterhood. She's been living here for the last 12 years. She lives with the sisters and her father, Hugo Taurean. The Sisterhood protects the knowledge and history; the Ministere (government) is unaware of the existence of the Sisterhood. Alouette is very curious and wants to see the world above, so she built a new transmitter from the monitor the Sisterhood has. Now that she has a new transmitter, she can see the world above in color. Suddenly, a young man who is bleeding profusely is in frame of the monitor. Alouette decides to risk it and leaves the Refuge to help him. It turns out the young man who is bleeding profusely is Marcellus. Alouette happens to see the shirt with the message in Forgotten Word and can read it.
If I had read or seen Les Misérables before reading this book, I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much. Whenever I read a retelling or reimaging, I always find myself comparing the original one to the new one.
I really loved the worldbuilding and the setting. It was super detailed and seems very thought out. I hope that in future books we'll be able to visit other planets than Laterra.
I loved that there were three main characters that all came from different backgrounds and Estates. It was super fun and interesting seeing all their ways of living.
My favorite thing about all the characters is that they all had inner conflicts. I know that's kind of weird, but I love inner conflicts and it was really interesting to see what they would do.
My favorite character is Chatine. I think she'll always be my favorite. I really like that she'll do what she has to do to survive and live a better life. Marcellus and Alouette were okay. They, for me, were not as interesting as Chatine and they got on my nerves sometimes. It was kind of frustrating that Marcellus and Alouette were kind of naive. Although they were a bit annoying, I am excited to see the role they play in the next book.
I feel like the book is a bit too long. There are some places where it drags, but other than that it's pretty good. Actually, there was a mini love triangle that I didn't really like either. Anyway, I can't wait to read the next book.
So why did I read this or even add this to my tbr list?
It's set in space and I'm a sucker for any book set in space. I love sci-fi books, but I don't really read a lot of them. Also, I'm a sucker for this gorgeous cover.
When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be very boring, but I was so blown away by how much I enjoyed this.
This book is set on the fictional planet of Laterra, one of twelve planets in the System Divine. The people of this planet have not seen the light of the Sols (suns) in nine years.
The first main character we meet is Chatine Renard. She comes from the Third Estate, lives in the Frets (the slum), and is starving like everyone else in the Third Estate. Chatine wants nothing more than to leave Laterra and have a better life. Only her family knows her as Chatine. On the streets, she is known as Theó, a boy and a thief. She has an older sister named Azelle, who is a law-abiding citizen (unlike the rest of her family). Their father is the leader of the Délabré gang. One day, her father tells Chatine to go to the morgue and steal from the dead.
The next character we meet is Marcellus. He comes from the Second Estate and is very handsome (almost every girl has a crush on him). He was raised by his grandfather, General Bonnefaçon, and the most powerful man on the planet. Marcellus's father was a traitor. Marcellus's father was a part of the Vangarde, a rebel group that trying to overthrow the Regime, but failed. Marcellus finds out that his father died and is going to a morgue where his father's body currently is. On his father's body, he finds a shirt with a message, but he can't read it because it's written in Forgotten Word. Suddenly, he hears something behind him and it's Chatine, or rather Theó.
The last main character we meet is Alouette. She lives beneath the surface of Laterra in an underground refuge called the Refuge of the Sisterhood. She's been living here for the last 12 years. She lives with the sisters and her father, Hugo Taurean. The Sisterhood protects the knowledge and history; the Ministere (government) is unaware of the existence of the Sisterhood. Alouette is very curious and wants to see the world above, so she built a new transmitter from the monitor the Sisterhood has. Now that she has a new transmitter, she can see the world above in color. Suddenly, a young man who is bleeding profusely is in frame of the monitor. Alouette decides to risk it and leaves the Refuge to help him. It turns out the young man who is bleeding profusely is Marcellus. Alouette happens to see the shirt with the message in Forgotten Word and can read it.
If I had read or seen Les Misérables before reading this book, I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much. Whenever I read a retelling or reimaging, I always find myself comparing the original one to the new one.
I really loved the worldbuilding and the setting. It was super detailed and seems very thought out. I hope that in future books we'll be able to visit other planets than Laterra.
I loved that there were three main characters that all came from different backgrounds and Estates. It was super fun and interesting seeing all their ways of living.
My favorite thing about all the characters is that they all had inner conflicts. I know that's kind of weird, but I love inner conflicts and it was really interesting to see what they would do.
My favorite character is Chatine. I think she'll always be my favorite. I really like that she'll do what she has to do to survive and live a better life. Marcellus and Alouette were okay. They, for me, were not as interesting as Chatine and they got on my nerves sometimes. It was kind of frustrating that Marcellus and Alouette were kind of naive. Although they were a bit annoying, I am excited to see the role they play in the next book.
I feel like the book is a bit too long. There are some places where it drags, but other than that it's pretty good. Actually, there was a mini love triangle that I didn't really like either. Anyway, I can't wait to read the next book.
April 4, 2019
As a huge, huge Les Misérables fan, this book was such a relief compared to the other retellings I've read. Sky Without Stars takes the plot of Les Mis and hurls it into space. Literally. Weirdly enough, the drastic changes in setting, plot, and character Sky Without Stars made to Les Mis was what made me enjoy it so much more--I wasn't hung up on all the inaccuracies and deviations; I was just interested how the characters of Éponine, Cosette, and Marius translated to Chatine, Alouette, and Marcellus, and excited to find out what happened next.
I definitely feel like the authors are Éponine fans because Chatine was the centre of the book. I definitely liked Chatine, and her portrayal is so much closer to the Brick's than the musical's was. Chatine is hardened and desperate for an escape from the planet of Laterre, and she's so badass. Chatine knows what she wants and how she's going to get it, except when it comes to Marcellus - which is pretty much how she is in the original book. I admit her behaviour annoyed me sometimes with her "not like other girls" attitude and how much she hated Alouette for most of the book. I was shocked when Chatine called Alouette a "bimbo," because, uh, COME ON? I don't think even book!Éponine was that hateful towards Cosette. And I wish that Chatine's internalized misogyny was addressed more.
With Marcellus, I was really interested in how his storyline was based on his relationship with his grandfather, which is fairly accurate to the book. Marius finds out secrets about his father and splits with Gillenormand because of political differences, which is more or less what happens with Marcellus and General Bonnefaçon. I'm not sure how I feel about Marcellus's characterization--I think if I wasn't comparing him to Marius, I would have enjoyed Marcellus's character a lot more. Marcellus was so well-developed and I really liked him.
Alouette was actually my favourite, which makes sense, because I adore Cosette. Alouette was inquisitive and intelligent and confident in herself, which is basically everything I love in a good Cosette characterization. I also loved her father a lot and how the whole story of Les Misérables was incorporated into this book, because so many retellings focused on 1832-era characters tend to leave out Fantine, Valjean, and Javert. Alouette and Hugo's relationship was precious and endearing, but Alouette is definitely struggling for more independence and answers. And the authors kept Cosette's nickname as "Little Lark," which made me so happy. It really shows attention to detail to the original book. Both Alouette and Chatine's characters didn't change much from the original Brick, which I really loved - Hugo's women are, generally, so fully fleshed-out, autonomous characters, that there doesn't need to be a lot of modernizing.
One of the new additions to the story of Les Mis was the Vangarde. I suppose in some ways it could be compared to Les Amis de l'ABC, but I didn't see it; the Vangarde is an entirely new identity. It was fascinating to have something new to figure out, especially since a lot of the plot twists were lost on me because I know the original book so well. However, I really wanted to see Les Amis de l'ABC. I hope they'll make an appearance in the next book, because they're some of my favourite characters--I would absolutely love for them to be women, and this book has such potential to put Les Amis in as an all-girl revolutionary team. I was really glad for some of the side characters--Azelle, Chatine's sister, stands in for Azelma, who is cut from a lot of adaptations. Roche was ... so precious. I loved him so much, and I'm happy that Chatine will get to know him in the sequel.
As far as the worldbuilding went, it was fairly typical for YA sci-fi--lots of capitalized words to indicate significance, for instance. Much of the book mixed in a lot of gratuitous French with the English--or English words that sounded like French. Honestly, I thought a lot of it was unnecessary: substituting "métré" for "meter," or "stupide" for "stupid." It threw me off a bit and sometimes came off as quite awkward, especially when there were words that could have been French-ified--like Citizen Rosseau could have been Citoyen Rosseau and gotten the point across just the same. I believe there are some translations that leave instances of "citoyen" untranslated, especially when Enjolras goes off about how his mother is the Republic, etc. I appreciated all the references to both the book and the musical--an inn called the Jondrette, and little nudges like calling Mme. Renard the "master of the house." I'm not usually fond of musical references, but these ones were generally unobtrusive.
All in all, I really enjoyed Sky Without Stars and can say it's my favourite retelling of Les Misérables. Which is high praise, coming from me. Chatine, Alouette, and Marcellus were a delight to read about, and I'm really interested in picking up the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I definitely feel like the authors are Éponine fans because Chatine was the centre of the book. I definitely liked Chatine, and her portrayal is so much closer to the Brick's than the musical's was. Chatine is hardened and desperate for an escape from the planet of Laterre, and she's so badass. Chatine knows what she wants and how she's going to get it, except when it comes to Marcellus - which is pretty much how she is in the original book. I admit her behaviour annoyed me sometimes with her "not like other girls" attitude and how much she hated Alouette for most of the book. I was shocked when Chatine called Alouette a "bimbo," because, uh, COME ON? I don't think even book!Éponine was that hateful towards Cosette. And I wish that Chatine's internalized misogyny was addressed more.
With Marcellus, I was really interested in how his storyline was based on his relationship with his grandfather, which is fairly accurate to the book. Marius finds out secrets about his father and splits with Gillenormand because of political differences, which is more or less what happens with Marcellus and General Bonnefaçon. I'm not sure how I feel about Marcellus's characterization--I think if I wasn't comparing him to Marius, I would have enjoyed Marcellus's character a lot more. Marcellus was so well-developed and I really liked him.
Alouette was actually my favourite, which makes sense, because I adore Cosette. Alouette was inquisitive and intelligent and confident in herself, which is basically everything I love in a good Cosette characterization. I also loved her father a lot and how the whole story of Les Misérables was incorporated into this book, because so many retellings focused on 1832-era characters tend to leave out Fantine, Valjean, and Javert. Alouette and Hugo's relationship was precious and endearing, but Alouette is definitely struggling for more independence and answers. And the authors kept Cosette's nickname as "Little Lark," which made me so happy. It really shows attention to detail to the original book. Both Alouette and Chatine's characters didn't change much from the original Brick, which I really loved - Hugo's women are, generally, so fully fleshed-out, autonomous characters, that there doesn't need to be a lot of modernizing.
One of the new additions to the story of Les Mis was the Vangarde. I suppose in some ways it could be compared to Les Amis de l'ABC, but I didn't see it; the Vangarde is an entirely new identity. It was fascinating to have something new to figure out, especially since a lot of the plot twists were lost on me because I know the original book so well. However, I really wanted to see Les Amis de l'ABC. I hope they'll make an appearance in the next book, because they're some of my favourite characters--I would absolutely love for them to be women, and this book has such potential to put Les Amis in as an all-girl revolutionary team. I was really glad for some of the side characters--Azelle, Chatine's sister, stands in for Azelma, who is cut from a lot of adaptations. Roche was ... so precious. I loved him so much, and I'm happy that Chatine will get to know him in the sequel.
As far as the worldbuilding went, it was fairly typical for YA sci-fi--lots of capitalized words to indicate significance, for instance. Much of the book mixed in a lot of gratuitous French with the English--or English words that sounded like French. Honestly, I thought a lot of it was unnecessary: substituting "métré" for "meter," or "stupide" for "stupid." It threw me off a bit and sometimes came off as quite awkward, especially when there were words that could have been French-ified--like Citizen Rosseau could have been Citoyen Rosseau and gotten the point across just the same. I believe there are some translations that leave instances of "citoyen" untranslated, especially when Enjolras goes off about how his mother is the Republic, etc. I appreciated all the references to both the book and the musical--an inn called the Jondrette, and little nudges like calling Mme. Renard the "master of the house." I'm not usually fond of musical references, but these ones were generally unobtrusive.
All in all, I really enjoyed Sky Without Stars and can say it's my favourite retelling of Les Misérables. Which is high praise, coming from me. Chatine, Alouette, and Marcellus were a delight to read about, and I'm really interested in picking up the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
December 15, 2018
So I watched the musical film version of Les Misérables when it came out but I don't even think I finished it and I certainly didn't remember anything about the storyline (except that there was a prisoner 24601) so reading this didn't feel like a retelling to me!
That being said, I liked the book in general even though I'm kind of tired of the whole rebellion book plots! This book also had a love triangle and insta-love which weirdly, didn't bother me much but I had a preference for the love-triangle and I don't think that's going to be the end-game. (After reading this, I read the summary of the original story and there was indeed a love triangle there so I can't blame this book). Some storylines were also predictable but it didn't really bother me because there were others that I didn't see coming.
Overall, I found it interesting and I loved that it wasn't too techy (you know how these sci-fi books are). I prefer this book to the musical film tbh (that was low-key boring)
Pre-reading
Got an ARC for this! A science fiction retelling of Les Misérables sounds interesting!!
That being said, I liked the book in general even though I'm kind of tired of the whole rebellion book plots! This book also had a love triangle and insta-love which weirdly, didn't bother me much but I had a preference for the love-triangle and I don't think that's going to be the end-game. (After reading this, I read the summary of the original story and there was indeed a love triangle there so I can't blame this book). Some storylines were also predictable but it didn't really bother me because there were others that I didn't see coming.
Overall, I found it interesting and I loved that it wasn't too techy (you know how these sci-fi books are). I prefer this book to the musical film tbh (that was low-key boring)
Pre-reading
Got an ARC for this! A science fiction retelling of Les Misérables sounds interesting!!
April 2, 2019
Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell is the first book in the young adult science fiction fantasy System Divine series. This series is a retelling of the classic novel, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
Now, I’m not familiar with Les Misérables myself so I went into this one blind on comparing it to the classic and only reading based on the new fantasy set in space. The world within is built on the idea that there were twelve families that went to twelve new planets and now five hundred years later a revolution is about to begin on Laterre.
Laterre is a planet that is ruled by the wealthy and elite while the poor are starving in the streets with no help from the rulers. Chatine is from a poor family and disguised herself as a boy stealing what she can to survive. Marcellus is a officer in training to rule but questions the methods of his grandfather and then there is Alouette who has been in hiding for the past twelve years only to come to the surface to cross paths with Marcellus and Chatine.
Sky Without Stars isn’t really a bad read overall but at close to six hundred pages I couldn’t help but wish for more to happen in this first book making it seem very slow paced to me. Also, I seemed to enjoy the story a lot more when it came to Chatine and without her/him things would seem rather dull as Marcellus and Alouette just didn’t appeal that much to me. Since book one felt like six hundred pages of world building I will think twice about continuing onwards when it’s time for book two.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Now, I’m not familiar with Les Misérables myself so I went into this one blind on comparing it to the classic and only reading based on the new fantasy set in space. The world within is built on the idea that there were twelve families that went to twelve new planets and now five hundred years later a revolution is about to begin on Laterre.
Laterre is a planet that is ruled by the wealthy and elite while the poor are starving in the streets with no help from the rulers. Chatine is from a poor family and disguised herself as a boy stealing what she can to survive. Marcellus is a officer in training to rule but questions the methods of his grandfather and then there is Alouette who has been in hiding for the past twelve years only to come to the surface to cross paths with Marcellus and Chatine.
Sky Without Stars isn’t really a bad read overall but at close to six hundred pages I couldn’t help but wish for more to happen in this first book making it seem very slow paced to me. Also, I seemed to enjoy the story a lot more when it came to Chatine and without her/him things would seem rather dull as Marcellus and Alouette just didn’t appeal that much to me. Since book one felt like six hundred pages of world building I will think twice about continuing onwards when it’s time for book two.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
March 28, 2019
4.5???? I feel like I'm laying here stunned???? That ending was...intense. RTC
The rich traded goods and extravagances.
While the poor traded dreams and ideas.
From The Chronicles of the Sisterhood,
Volume 12, Chapter 1
When I first came across this book, I wasn’t so much drawn in by the fact that it was a Les Mis retelling. It really was as simple as me seeing “where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet” in the synopsis. Little did I know, that was going to be one of the last things on my mind after finishing this book.
I don’t know how many people are going to pick this up because they love Les Mis. I personally have only seen the movie from 2012 once so before getting into this I read a synopsis of the original book by Victor Hugo to refresh my memory. That probably isn’t necessary—in fact, I almost don’t think you should. If anything, it caused me more stress because I was too wrapped up in worrying about if Chatine was going to die like her counterpart does in the book. Also, it almost took some of the suspense out of several parts because you can guess what might happen based on what happened in Les Mis. But let’s just forget about the retelling aspect of this for a moment.
Let’s just focus on what this book is. In short, it’s a book about the separation between the rich and the poor on a planet that has formed after the destruction of the First World (Earth). It’s a story about rebellion. It’s a story about spending your whole life thinking one thing is true because of what you’ve learned from your family, only to have that life flipped on its head after discovering there’s more to the story than you ever could have imagined.
Even though I knew this story was going to be about rebellion, I wasn’t prepared for how dark it was going to be. How visceral some of the emotions that this book elicits might be. Ever since I’ve become a mom I have felt things a lot more intensely. So reading about an infant death, poor, starving people that have to accept their lot in life, parental abuse, etc. really got to me. It made the book more real to me. Made the rebellion more gut-wrenching.
If I haven’t already made it apparent, these ladies can write. I truly was sucked in while reading. The characters were great. It was easy to love them, to hate them, to desperately root for them. There is *kind of* a love triangle that I feel like we might see play out more in the next book(s). (Personally I’m rooting for Chatine, lol she deserves a happy ending, damn.) And that’s actually where I pray things deviate from Les Mis. I don’t want to know who dies and who ends up together based on the original book. I want to be surprised in this next book PLEASE.
The only reason I’m not giving this a full five stars is because there were parts where I felt it drag a bit. I mean I’m not quite complaining about the length? There was a lot of world building and plot to build up so it’s not like it could have been much shorter…I honestly can’t even quite put my finger on it. I just wasn’t feeling a half star’s worth of the book. Regardless, I am dying to see how EVERYTHING plays out in the next book. Definitely give this one a shot!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review!♥
For more of my reviews, please visit:
The rich traded goods and extravagances.
While the poor traded dreams and ideas.
From The Chronicles of the Sisterhood,
Volume 12, Chapter 1
When I first came across this book, I wasn’t so much drawn in by the fact that it was a Les Mis retelling. It really was as simple as me seeing “where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet” in the synopsis. Little did I know, that was going to be one of the last things on my mind after finishing this book.
I don’t know how many people are going to pick this up because they love Les Mis. I personally have only seen the movie from 2012 once so before getting into this I read a synopsis of the original book by Victor Hugo to refresh my memory. That probably isn’t necessary—in fact, I almost don’t think you should. If anything, it caused me more stress because I was too wrapped up in worrying about if Chatine was going to die like her counterpart does in the book. Also, it almost took some of the suspense out of several parts because you can guess what might happen based on what happened in Les Mis. But let’s just forget about the retelling aspect of this for a moment.
Let’s just focus on what this book is. In short, it’s a book about the separation between the rich and the poor on a planet that has formed after the destruction of the First World (Earth). It’s a story about rebellion. It’s a story about spending your whole life thinking one thing is true because of what you’ve learned from your family, only to have that life flipped on its head after discovering there’s more to the story than you ever could have imagined.
Even though I knew this story was going to be about rebellion, I wasn’t prepared for how dark it was going to be. How visceral some of the emotions that this book elicits might be. Ever since I’ve become a mom I have felt things a lot more intensely. So reading about an infant death, poor, starving people that have to accept their lot in life, parental abuse, etc. really got to me. It made the book more real to me. Made the rebellion more gut-wrenching.
If I haven’t already made it apparent, these ladies can write. I truly was sucked in while reading. The characters were great. It was easy to love them, to hate them, to desperately root for them. There is *kind of* a love triangle that I feel like we might see play out more in the next book(s). (Personally I’m rooting for Chatine, lol she deserves a happy ending, damn.) And that’s actually where I pray things deviate from Les Mis. I don’t want to know who dies and who ends up together based on the original book. I want to be surprised in this next book PLEASE.
The only reason I’m not giving this a full five stars is because there were parts where I felt it drag a bit. I mean I’m not quite complaining about the length? There was a lot of world building and plot to build up so it’s not like it could have been much shorter…I honestly can’t even quite put my finger on it. I just wasn’t feeling a half star’s worth of the book. Regardless, I am dying to see how EVERYTHING plays out in the next book. Definitely give this one a shot!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review!♥
For more of my reviews, please visit:
July 10, 2019
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
♡ Sky Without Stars is an enjoyable book that kept me on the edge of my seat! I had very high expectations coming into it, so this did cause me to feel a small pang of disappointment. The characters are beautifully illustrated, and all have depth and unique qualities. The elements that I adore most about this book are the parallels and spins placed on Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. It was such a joy to see these well known scenes and characters in a wholly new light! I especially love the names of all the characters. Pure genius!
♡ The only things I weren't very sold on were the progression of the romance, and the pacing of the story. At times, the plot drags, feeling as though its trying to juggle too many tropes at once. This all was a bit too disjointed for my liking. I might've been able to excuse this more if it were a shorter novel, but it soon grew wearisome in this 582-page-tome.
♡ The vivid world building and steampunk-esque setting is also quite nice. I don't often read novels with atmosphere such as this, but it was absolutely fantastic! The world is rich in history, and feels more than tangible. Overall, this is a solid read that I would recommend for fans of Les Miserables and adventure-like stories.
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♡ Sky Without Stars is an enjoyable book that kept me on the edge of my seat! I had very high expectations coming into it, so this did cause me to feel a small pang of disappointment. The characters are beautifully illustrated, and all have depth and unique qualities. The elements that I adore most about this book are the parallels and spins placed on Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. It was such a joy to see these well known scenes and characters in a wholly new light! I especially love the names of all the characters. Pure genius!
♡ The only things I weren't very sold on were the progression of the romance, and the pacing of the story. At times, the plot drags, feeling as though its trying to juggle too many tropes at once. This all was a bit too disjointed for my liking. I might've been able to excuse this more if it were a shorter novel, but it soon grew wearisome in this 582-page-tome.
♡ The vivid world building and steampunk-esque setting is also quite nice. I don't often read novels with atmosphere such as this, but it was absolutely fantastic! The world is rich in history, and feels more than tangible. Overall, this is a solid read that I would recommend for fans of Les Miserables and adventure-like stories.
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March 31, 2019
Sky Without Stars is an extraordinary novel. It was awesome from start to finish. I loved every moment and i recommend this novel to everyone.
March 14, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing. Chatine a street-savvy thief, Marcellus an office and Alouette a guardian all play a role in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.
The short review...
Since I've never read Les Misérables I didn't realize from reading the premise that this was a retelling of that Victor Hugo classic. When I heard that it was a retelling of a miserable story I was worried. Really worried. But actually I enjoyed it for the most part.
The world found in Sky Without Stars is a dark world with a seedy underbelly of power and control. There is another group in opposition to those officers but they have to be careful or lose all hope forever. While this isn't a book I would read if I were depressed or coming off a reading slump I do think that its fascinating to explore what it means to be miserable.
Is it your circumstances? Wealth? The slums? It it the expectations on you? You're to shine? You're to fall in line? Is it your past? Can you rise to meet the challenge? Or are you in too deep? These are all excellent questions for teens to explore as they read, Sky Without Stars. What makes one happy? Escape? Belonging? Freedom? It may be that its different for different people. Like the original text Sky Without Stars deals with some fascinating ideas where the right answers are quite murky but no less compelling!
Cover & Title grade -> A+
I hesitated between an A- and an A+ rating for Sky Without Stars cover... I'm conflicted because its a really, really good cover. It's dark, gives you a feel for an old world setting and a sci-fi dystopian planet. The title is really great... it speaks to the literal world we are exploring as well as the symbolic one... what would it be like to live in a world without hope? Yet personally I think its a dreary cover...?! I'm not excited to see it on my shelves?! Yeah... not sure why! So... I went with just how well designed it is... and I think I'm seriously in the minority about wanting to have it on my shelf too.
Why was Sky Without Stars compelling as a YA retelling?
-The French Revolution!
As a retelling we expect similarities and differences to the original story, while also being a story that can stand on its own. The French culture isn't used a lot in establishing fantasy worlds so I really appreciated that not only was in the basis of the world but that it was a particular period of history that inspired it. I really got the flavor of the French Revolution even though this is set on a completely different planet...
-The hard luck life...
I really appreciated the sci-fi dystopian aspect that meshed really well with the French revolution. Dystopian and a horrible revolution naturally go hand in hand and you certainly get this in spades in Sky Without Stars. Of course each character had a different hard luck story and it was fascinating to see that a new world doesn't change the natural struggle of life, no matter your station.
-A thief. An officer. A guardian.
I especially loved the multiple POVs that kept the story from getting bogged down in the miserable parts of the story. These are all stereotypes that most readers enjoy and I liked how each character started from a different aspect of the System Divine world. I feel like its really natural to enjoy one particular POV more than the others but all three still overlaped in compelling ways.
-The potential of the next book?
The planet they are on in Sky Without Stars is not the only one in the system. We learn a little of the history between the other planets and this one. I'm really curious if we are going to leave Laterre and travel away from this world? Are there going to be visitors? Sky Without Stars was a grand setup... We've got characters that can show us the world and take us to the end of the story... but where are we going from here?!
As a Writer...
Let me say that the world is really depressing. Like REALLY! Anything dystopian is going to have depressing elements but this didn't seem to have anything redeemable about it at first. That's because we start with Chatine. A very morally grey character who is the way she is because of her environment. Because we start off exploring the world through this sad sack character she establishes the status quo of the world. Nothing Marcellus or Alouette adds raises that impression even though they have the better lives.
This was a really big misstep for me. It was hard to fight the depressing pull of the world starting with a character so lacking in hope. Personally I agree Chatine was the more compelling character of the three, so i understand that the authors were trying to hook the reader. The wonderful thing about multiple POVs is that you can show different aspects of a complex world through the different characters. This wasn't utilized by the writers and is multiple POV misstep 101.
Sky Without Stars is a sci-fi dystopian based on the French Revolution and Victor Hugo's Les Misérables... it sets up a dark world where to survive you'll have to do things that go against what's right... If you can handle the seedy underbelly of this world with Chatine, Marcellus and Alouette then they are bound to take us on a fabulous voyage... I know the first book did!!
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
May 4, 2019
I dragged my feet so hard through this one. I put it off, put it off, and then after finally picking it up, it just seemed to last forever. It is long, clocking in at close to six hundred pages, but wow. Finishing this feels like winning an award.
I requested SKY WITHOUT STARS mostly because a) sci-fi, b) YA, and c) I figured my lack of familiarity with the source material of the retelling would make for more enjoyment as I wouldn't be constantly comparing it to the original. But I think I was just a bit too unfamiliar because I wasn't invested enough to keep from being bored.
There's some really interesting elements at play here but overall some bits I just didn't like, I question the total belief some people in this world seem to have in order to accept their circumstances, and the dialogue would occasionally lean towards OTT in some of the dramatic scenes. But, ultimately, I'm just confused (which is weird because it was fairly predictable) and, again, bored. And not sure where we're going now.
From what I can tell this is a duology and I will read in on my ever-failing attempt to complete series that I start. But I can only hope it'll be shorter and a lot more entertaining than this one.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
I requested SKY WITHOUT STARS mostly because a) sci-fi, b) YA, and c) I figured my lack of familiarity with the source material of the retelling would make for more enjoyment as I wouldn't be constantly comparing it to the original. But I think I was just a bit too unfamiliar because I wasn't invested enough to keep from being bored.
There's some really interesting elements at play here but overall some bits I just didn't like, I question the total belief some people in this world seem to have in order to accept their circumstances, and the dialogue would occasionally lean towards OTT in some of the dramatic scenes. But, ultimately, I'm just confused (which is weird because it was fairly predictable) and, again, bored. And not sure where we're going now.
From what I can tell this is a duology and I will read in on my ever-failing attempt to complete series that I start. But I can only hope it'll be shorter and a lot more entertaining than this one.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
July 12, 2021
This book was even MORE stunning the 2nd time through and I can hardly wait to re-read book 2!
-------
Sky Without Stars is everything you ever wanted in a space drama (and/or Les Mis retelling) AND MORE. I can’t believe how quickly this book went by and how much I was begging for book 2 at the end (Jess and Jo - are you listening? Feel free to download it directly in my brain. Thx).
Let me give you three reasons why you’ll love Sky Without Stars:
1. Chatine
2. Marcellus
3. Alouette
That’s it! There you have it. Happy reading.
Ok but no seriously - there are a million reasons to love this book but I’ll give you a few of my top reasons:
1. The characters. Told in alternating chapters from each character’s perspective, Sky Without Stars takes you through the dynamics of living on a world without sun. The majority of the population, the working class, lives in horrid conditions (the Frets) and is tasked with making the finer things that the second and first class enjoy. Oh, and there’s a secret society tasked with protecting the last library on a world where the written word has been vanquished. Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette share the world of Laterre through their unique lens.
2. The world. I talked about the classes above but also add in how amazing Jess and Jo are at bringing this world to life. There’s a scene that describes carrots that have been grown without sun and it’s so visceral that I can taste it in my mouth. The dichotomy of living in 500 year old space ships versus under a weather controlled dome is enough to draw you in. Then you add robotic investigators and a regime that will make you say OFF WITH THEIR HEADS and...
3. The development. At no point in this story did I feel like things were going to slow down. The pacing is fantastic and I just kept turning pages (and later speeding up my audio) so I could find out what’s next. You’ve never read a space book like this!
There you have it - characters you can’t wait to see again, a world you can taste, and a story that keeps you yearning for more. What more could you want (except book 2!)?!
Bonus: you do not have to know anything about Les Mis before reading. I was blind going in!This review was originally posted on BookCrushin
-------
Sky Without Stars is everything you ever wanted in a space drama (and/or Les Mis retelling) AND MORE. I can’t believe how quickly this book went by and how much I was begging for book 2 at the end (Jess and Jo - are you listening? Feel free to download it directly in my brain. Thx).
Let me give you three reasons why you’ll love Sky Without Stars:
1. Chatine
2. Marcellus
3. Alouette
That’s it! There you have it. Happy reading.
Ok but no seriously - there are a million reasons to love this book but I’ll give you a few of my top reasons:
1. The characters. Told in alternating chapters from each character’s perspective, Sky Without Stars takes you through the dynamics of living on a world without sun. The majority of the population, the working class, lives in horrid conditions (the Frets) and is tasked with making the finer things that the second and first class enjoy. Oh, and there’s a secret society tasked with protecting the last library on a world where the written word has been vanquished. Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette share the world of Laterre through their unique lens.
2. The world. I talked about the classes above but also add in how amazing Jess and Jo are at bringing this world to life. There’s a scene that describes carrots that have been grown without sun and it’s so visceral that I can taste it in my mouth. The dichotomy of living in 500 year old space ships versus under a weather controlled dome is enough to draw you in. Then you add robotic investigators and a regime that will make you say OFF WITH THEIR HEADS and...
3. The development. At no point in this story did I feel like things were going to slow down. The pacing is fantastic and I just kept turning pages (and later speeding up my audio) so I could find out what’s next. You’ve never read a space book like this!
There you have it - characters you can’t wait to see again, a world you can taste, and a story that keeps you yearning for more. What more could you want (except book 2!)?!
Bonus: you do not have to know anything about Les Mis before reading. I was blind going in!This review was originally posted on BookCrushin
April 30, 2020
Was eine coole Idee! Ein Les Miserables Retelling im Weltall. Ich bin immer noch überwältigt, wie gut dieses Buch einfach war.
May 2, 2019
Les Mis and sci-fi all rolled into one, with a cool, Lunar Chronicles vibe???
YAAAAAAAS.
I can't wait for the second book.
YAAAAAAAS.
I can't wait for the second book.
March 27, 2019
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.
Content Warning: Violence, Torture, Death/Execution, Persecution, Prejudice, Murder, Oppression, Gangs, Abuse
Les Miserables is a massive book. It’s an even larger task to unpack everything within its text. I can’t even fathom what it would be like to try and create a retelling of this classical tale. Yet, authors Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell did it. And, they did a heck of a job at it! Just to emphasize their accomplishment a bit further---they wrote a retelling of one of the most iconic classical tales, and set it in space, while still keeping true to the original story.
You guys, I won’t be able to get over this book for a while. Thank goodness it’s a part of a series, so I don’t have to completely die...yet...from book hangover! Probably one of the biggest issues I have with the Young Adult genre is that there isn’t an overabundance of quality writing. You know, like with actual world building, setting description, and, for the love of all things good, further rendering of a character beyond their hair and eye color! The characters of Sky Without Stars are made of flesh and bone, sinew and blood. They have personalities with depth and harbor layers of emotion. The best part about these characters is that nothing is easy. Each and every character has a life full of raw, merciless experience---a true reflection of what Les Miserables aims to portray.
At first, I actually was trying to figure out which character represented who. It didn’t take too long to figure it out, but I relished the “revelations” when they occurred. I don’t even want to share who is who because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, so I won’t.
The world-building, I do want to unpack a bit. Set in a dystopian time long after Earth was left behind by mankind, this story takes place on Laterre, a rainy planet within the System Divine. The three Sols (suns) have been invisible behind grey rain clouds for years, making the place dismal, to say the least. The inhabitants are split up into three factions--estates.
While the Third Estate are intended to be the working class, poverty, starvation, violence, and gangs run rampant among its participants. The Third Estate is no class to be envious of. “Lucky” for them, the annual Ascension is the event to look forward to. If one remains a good and faithful laborer, they are entered into a drawing to become part of the elite class and win a new life. The Ascension resembles the selection that takes place in The Hunger Games, and serves a similar, yet different role. This chance of escape isn’t an encouragment for all, though, as a life of crime serves to be more enduring for some.
While crime runs rampant, the Second Estate, the “policemen” if you will, are comprised of men, cyborgs, and robots. They serve to root out the fallen, and protect the system in place. When whispers of the Vanguard returning begin to surface of their attempts to overthrow it, the two upper estates dole out cruelty and force to keep the massive Third Estate at bay.
As the three main characters, (along with many other prominent ones) live out their lives, their stories become intricately woven together. Chatain, Marcellus, and Alouette, by chance, experience the unpleasantness of life more together than apart. While Chatain and Alouette are very solid characters, I felt Marcellus blundered around a bit. I love seeing strong male characters, and wished he had fit that bill instead of playing the naive. I get why his character is this way, due to his father’s history and Marcellus’ elaborate upbringing, but I felt he should have been more vigorous that he was.
Lastly, I just want to say that this book has been compared to The Lunar Chronicles. Yes, there are some similarities---limited to the fact that this is a retelling set in space. That’s where the line ends. This book surpasses The Lunar Chronicles by far in every aspect, but especially in overall quality, character development, and plot ingenuity. This is one of the best Young Adult books that I’ve read in a long time, as well as a new favorite, for certain. I can’t wait to read the sequel, which I hope is coming sooner than later!
Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Quite a bit.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.
Content Warning: Violence, Torture, Death/Execution, Persecution, Prejudice, Murder, Oppression, Gangs, Abuse
Les Miserables is a massive book. It’s an even larger task to unpack everything within its text. I can’t even fathom what it would be like to try and create a retelling of this classical tale. Yet, authors Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell did it. And, they did a heck of a job at it! Just to emphasize their accomplishment a bit further---they wrote a retelling of one of the most iconic classical tales, and set it in space, while still keeping true to the original story.
You guys, I won’t be able to get over this book for a while. Thank goodness it’s a part of a series, so I don’t have to completely die...yet...from book hangover! Probably one of the biggest issues I have with the Young Adult genre is that there isn’t an overabundance of quality writing. You know, like with actual world building, setting description, and, for the love of all things good, further rendering of a character beyond their hair and eye color! The characters of Sky Without Stars are made of flesh and bone, sinew and blood. They have personalities with depth and harbor layers of emotion. The best part about these characters is that nothing is easy. Each and every character has a life full of raw, merciless experience---a true reflection of what Les Miserables aims to portray.
At first, I actually was trying to figure out which character represented who. It didn’t take too long to figure it out, but I relished the “revelations” when they occurred. I don’t even want to share who is who because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, so I won’t.
The System Divine offered hope. Hope to the inhabitants of a dying world. With its three beautiful Sols and twelve habitable planets, the miraculous system would become a new home. A new start. A place where twelve powerful families could begin again.
The world-building, I do want to unpack a bit. Set in a dystopian time long after Earth was left behind by mankind, this story takes place on Laterre, a rainy planet within the System Divine. The three Sols (suns) have been invisible behind grey rain clouds for years, making the place dismal, to say the least. The inhabitants are split up into three factions--estates.
"Every estate has its place and purpose. The First Estate rules us, like the brain governing the body. We, the Second Estate, are the heart, providing the power and pulse. While the Third Estate are the legs on which we all stand.”
While the Third Estate are intended to be the working class, poverty, starvation, violence, and gangs run rampant among its participants. The Third Estate is no class to be envious of. “Lucky” for them, the annual Ascension is the event to look forward to. If one remains a good and faithful laborer, they are entered into a drawing to become part of the elite class and win a new life. The Ascension resembles the selection that takes place in The Hunger Games, and serves a similar, yet different role. This chance of escape isn’t an encouragment for all, though, as a life of crime serves to be more enduring for some.
”Laterre is the envy of the System Divine because of how well our beautiful body functions.”
While crime runs rampant, the Second Estate, the “policemen” if you will, are comprised of men, cyborgs, and robots. They serve to root out the fallen, and protect the system in place. When whispers of the Vanguard returning begin to surface of their attempts to overthrow it, the two upper estates dole out cruelty and force to keep the massive Third Estate at bay.
As the three main characters, (along with many other prominent ones) live out their lives, their stories become intricately woven together. Chatain, Marcellus, and Alouette, by chance, experience the unpleasantness of life more together than apart. While Chatain and Alouette are very solid characters, I felt Marcellus blundered around a bit. I love seeing strong male characters, and wished he had fit that bill instead of playing the naive. I get why his character is this way, due to his father’s history and Marcellus’ elaborate upbringing, but I felt he should have been more vigorous that he was.
Lastly, I just want to say that this book has been compared to The Lunar Chronicles. Yes, there are some similarities---limited to the fact that this is a retelling set in space. That’s where the line ends. This book surpasses The Lunar Chronicles by far in every aspect, but especially in overall quality, character development, and plot ingenuity. This is one of the best Young Adult books that I’ve read in a long time, as well as a new favorite, for certain. I can’t wait to read the sequel, which I hope is coming sooner than later!
Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Quite a bit.
My Rating: ★★★★★
My Blog ¦ Bookstagram ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Facebook
Want to read
April 16, 2019Did I read that right???
A Les Mis retelling???
SIGN ME THE FLUFF UP!
A Les Mis retelling???
SIGN ME THE FLUFF UP!
Read
January 15, 2020If you are a Les Mis fan you HAVE to read this book. I HEART musicals, big-time, but I have to admit Les Mis isn't my favorite, the Hugh Jackman version being the exception. I know...I know...you're all ready to argue. I just don't like war stuff. Or revolution. Or songs about it. Anyhoo...I did, however, really like this. The characters I usually don't like in Les Mis, I loved in this adaptation. It was such a clever reimagining. My hubby loves Les Mis and I think he'll really enjoy this one!
Want to read
May 29, 2019Les Mis AND Lunar Chronicles??????
April 8, 2020
2nd time reading
I'm so glad I reread this! I forgot a lot of things that are important to the story. The more I read this, the more I like Chatine and the less I care for Marcellus or Alouette. They aren't bad characters, they're just so spoiled in comparison to Chatine and don't know what it's like to do what you have to for survival. She's been through so much, her parents don't care if she's alive or dead, no friends, starving. I'm hoping to see her rise up in book two and be a leader.
This is so well paced and I love the narration. So excited to read the next book!
*****************************************
I had a lot of fun listening to this book! First of all, the narrators were great and their slight French accents made it more realistic. The rotating POVs moved the story along nicely, as did the short chapters. I didn't feel like there were any dull moments and I was totally engrossed in the plot. I had no idea this was a retelling of Les Miserables, which I haven't read or seen, so I didn't get those references, but that's an interesting tidbit!
This did a good job of being sci-fi without going too far into the genre, so if you're unsure about that part, give it a try. The characters are complex and I loved piecing them together. The way they intertwined was cool and this unfolded so well. I'm excited for the next book!
I'm so glad I reread this! I forgot a lot of things that are important to the story. The more I read this, the more I like Chatine and the less I care for Marcellus or Alouette. They aren't bad characters, they're just so spoiled in comparison to Chatine and don't know what it's like to do what you have to for survival. She's been through so much, her parents don't care if she's alive or dead, no friends, starving. I'm hoping to see her rise up in book two and be a leader.
This is so well paced and I love the narration. So excited to read the next book!
*****************************************
I had a lot of fun listening to this book! First of all, the narrators were great and their slight French accents made it more realistic. The rotating POVs moved the story along nicely, as did the short chapters. I didn't feel like there were any dull moments and I was totally engrossed in the plot. I had no idea this was a retelling of Les Miserables, which I haven't read or seen, so I didn't get those references, but that's an interesting tidbit!
This did a good job of being sci-fi without going too far into the genre, so if you're unsure about that part, give it a try. The characters are complex and I loved piecing them together. The way they intertwined was cool and this unfolded so well. I'm excited for the next book!
December 3, 2018
The digital arc of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ website in exchange for an honest review.
3,5 stars
What I liked:
- The sci-fi setting with all the French words and elements added to it;
- Chatine who is quite a morally gray character and definitely the most interesting one in this novel;
- The plot was pretty solid for the most part;
- The writing was beautiful.
What I didn't like:
- Alouette and Marcellus both had the personality equivalent to cardboard and I was often bored during their repetitive chapters;
- The romance was honestly dumb and I didn't enjoy it whatsoever.
3,5 stars
What I liked:
- The sci-fi setting with all the French words and elements added to it;
- Chatine who is quite a morally gray character and definitely the most interesting one in this novel;
- The plot was pretty solid for the most part;
- The writing was beautiful.
What I didn't like:
- Alouette and Marcellus both had the personality equivalent to cardboard and I was often bored during their repetitive chapters;
- The romance was honestly dumb and I didn't enjoy it whatsoever.
January 29, 2019
omg im in love. in love. best book of the year?? I THINK.
full review to come MARCH 14
Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Simon Pulse through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.
full review to come MARCH 14
Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Simon Pulse through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.
June 14, 2019
I haven’t been so giddy over a book in such a long time. This book brought back all the middle school nostalgia :)
When I was in 7th grade, I did theatre. Little did I know that one of the last shows I was ever going to do was Les Misérables. I remember being so excited to do this show, I mean it was a lot of work, but I remember being so giddy about being able to do a big kids show with my local theatre group.
Well, this book brought back all the giddiness and excitement. Once I finished that show, I kinda forgot about the musical Les Mis because I was just so freaking tired of the music. Hearing it on loop for almost 3 months got a wee bit annoying after a while. This book, though, brought all the Les Mis love back, and even made me miss all the other things I used to love as well. Like Science Fiction, for example.
Sky Without Stars tells the story of Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette. They each have their own goals, but as the story progresses, their stories become intertwined and they each discover that the world they’re living in isn’t exactly the world they thought it to be. That’s all I’m going to say about the plot because I don’t want to spoil, I might’ve already said too much, but you get the gist, right?
This book was so damn creative. I love how the authors never lost sight of what the book was based on. The characters were so great, and I was fascinated with how the authors incorporated the character traits from Victor Hugo’s novel. Les Mis in Space was something I didn’t know I needed, but now I can’t see my life without it.
Not only is this a fun, little (well, not exactly little it’s almost 600 pages, but you know what I mean) science fiction retelling of Les Mis it is also a reflection of youth, and the consequences of growing up and losing that innocence a person has when they are younger. And this is something that everyone can connect with, because even when you are older, you still don’t know everything there is to know. There are always going to be secrets and harsh lessons to be learned, and that book showed that so freaking well.
Gah, I can hush all day about this book, but it’s good. It is a worthwhile 600 pages, and I would recommend it. Especially if you are musical theatre trash just like me :)
trigger warning: family abuse
When I was in 7th grade, I did theatre. Little did I know that one of the last shows I was ever going to do was Les Misérables. I remember being so excited to do this show, I mean it was a lot of work, but I remember being so giddy about being able to do a big kids show with my local theatre group.
Well, this book brought back all the giddiness and excitement. Once I finished that show, I kinda forgot about the musical Les Mis because I was just so freaking tired of the music. Hearing it on loop for almost 3 months got a wee bit annoying after a while. This book, though, brought all the Les Mis love back, and even made me miss all the other things I used to love as well. Like Science Fiction, for example.
Sky Without Stars tells the story of Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette. They each have their own goals, but as the story progresses, their stories become intertwined and they each discover that the world they’re living in isn’t exactly the world they thought it to be. That’s all I’m going to say about the plot because I don’t want to spoil, I might’ve already said too much, but you get the gist, right?
This book was so damn creative. I love how the authors never lost sight of what the book was based on. The characters were so great, and I was fascinated with how the authors incorporated the character traits from Victor Hugo’s novel. Les Mis in Space was something I didn’t know I needed, but now I can’t see my life without it.
Not only is this a fun, little (well, not exactly little it’s almost 600 pages, but you know what I mean) science fiction retelling of Les Mis it is also a reflection of youth, and the consequences of growing up and losing that innocence a person has when they are younger. And this is something that everyone can connect with, because even when you are older, you still don’t know everything there is to know. There are always going to be secrets and harsh lessons to be learned, and that book showed that so freaking well.
Gah, I can hush all day about this book, but it’s good. It is a worthwhile 600 pages, and I would recommend it. Especially if you are musical theatre trash just like me :)
trigger warning: family abuse
November 26, 2018
Review also on my blog, Storied Adventures
Story/Plot: The premise of the story and plot were A . I mean, a retelling of Les Miserables?! I LOVE that play (I know it's based off of the book, I've just never read it.)! Plus it's a retelling in space! That's right up my alley! And that's about all I liked of the book.
Writing: I did like the writing. It wasn't anything fancy or my favorite writing ever, but it was good. It was easy to follow along and I never got lost in the story.
Characters: Here we go. Here's the big one. I literally didn't like anyone. Chantine was the only one that I liked SOMETIMES. Marcellou and Allouette were SO BORING! I didn't care if they lived or died. Marcellou was all over the place. One minute he wanted to follow his Grandfather, the next he hated him. Even at the end of the book, I was like where are we at here, Marcellou? I also just saw him as a weak character and didn't understand his charm. Allouette was just kind of a wuss most of the time. I guess she picked up at the end but she was so boring to read about. Chantine whined a lot but she had reason to. She literally had no one. And she was poor and starving. She has a really tough life. Hers was the only story line I was mildly interested in. She was feisty and she did literally whatever she had to to survive. My suggestion to her, forget about Marcellou. You don't need him. Although, if you know the Les Miserables story, she's supposed to be Eponine, so it doesn't really end well for her anyway. I could have done without the romance in this story, and usually I'm all about those ships!
FInal Thoughts: A 2 star rating for me means I finished the book but it was hard to get through. I won't be picking up the second in the series. I will say that this might be someone's cup of tea, just not mine.
Story/Plot: The premise of the story and plot were A . I mean, a retelling of Les Miserables?! I LOVE that play (I know it's based off of the book, I've just never read it.)! Plus it's a retelling in space! That's right up my alley! And that's about all I liked of the book.
Writing: I did like the writing. It wasn't anything fancy or my favorite writing ever, but it was good. It was easy to follow along and I never got lost in the story.
Characters: Here we go. Here's the big one. I literally didn't like anyone. Chantine was the only one that I liked SOMETIMES. Marcellou and Allouette were SO BORING! I didn't care if they lived or died. Marcellou was all over the place. One minute he wanted to follow his Grandfather, the next he hated him. Even at the end of the book, I was like where are we at here, Marcellou? I also just saw him as a weak character and didn't understand his charm. Allouette was just kind of a wuss most of the time. I guess she picked up at the end but she was so boring to read about. Chantine whined a lot but she had reason to. She literally had no one. And she was poor and starving. She has a really tough life. Hers was the only story line I was mildly interested in. She was feisty and she did literally whatever she had to to survive. My suggestion to her, forget about Marcellou. You don't need him. Although, if you know the Les Miserables story, she's supposed to be Eponine, so it doesn't really end well for her anyway. I could have done without the romance in this story, and usually I'm all about those ships!
FInal Thoughts: A 2 star rating for me means I finished the book but it was hard to get through. I won't be picking up the second in the series. I will say that this might be someone's cup of tea, just not mine.
March 8, 2020
rating: 4 stars
I really enjoyed this scifi retelling of Les Miserables! All three perspectives were well thought out and I loved how all the stories intertwined. It took me a while to finish though, and I'm not really sure why. 🤔 But all in all solid 4 stars, and I'll definitely read the sequel!
I really enjoyed this scifi retelling of Les Miserables! All three perspectives were well thought out and I loved how all the stories intertwined. It took me a while to finish though, and I'm not really sure why. 🤔 But all in all solid 4 stars, and I'll definitely read the sequel!
May 7, 2019
DNF - I read up to 280 pages and I couldn't do this anymore. What a GARBAGE, GARBAGE book that had SUCH POTENTIAL! I wanted to love this book, hence why I gave it way longer than I should have. As someone who lived in Paris, is a Francophile, and loves the works of Victor Hugo, who would say no to a Les Miserables retelling in a space-Paris?!
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?
They say if you're going to make a book 600 pages, every. single. page. better. be. worth. it. WHERE WAS THE EDITOR? There were TWO people writing this book and yet it still had about 70% more pages than it needed! So many useless chapters, so much useless dialogue, so many uninteresting "scene descriptions", SO MUCH useless repetition of information (WTF WHY?). I was so bored with the characters, so bored with the COMPLETELY predictable storyline (not a single "omg" moment made me gasp - I rolled my eyes at every single one with a, "Oh, I didn't see that comings..................") and, listen, I can guess the end without even being halfway through. That's garbage writing to me.
This book made me angry, that's how bad it was. I stomped my way back to the store to return it.
AND IT HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL!!! AND SUCH A GORGEOUS LITERARY MAP! I am sobbing...
Don't waste your time, people.
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?
They say if you're going to make a book 600 pages, every. single. page. better. be. worth. it. WHERE WAS THE EDITOR? There were TWO people writing this book and yet it still had about 70% more pages than it needed! So many useless chapters, so much useless dialogue, so many uninteresting "scene descriptions", SO MUCH useless repetition of information (WTF WHY?). I was so bored with the characters, so bored with the COMPLETELY predictable storyline (not a single "omg" moment made me gasp - I rolled my eyes at every single one with a, "Oh, I didn't see that comings..................") and, listen, I can guess the end without even being halfway through. That's garbage writing to me.
This book made me angry, that's how bad it was. I stomped my way back to the store to return it.
AND IT HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL!!! AND SUCH A GORGEOUS LITERARY MAP! I am sobbing...
Don't waste your time, people.
May 26, 2021
This book was perfection. I honestly have zero complaints. Except one... why is this book not talked about more?
I was watching one of my book tubers, Oliva, from Olivareadsalatte. She was reading this book a while ago and liked it. I had to give it a try when I found out it was a Les Miserable retelling set in space.
The authors did an incredible job of honoring the original story while making it something new. I was completely blown away by this book.
I loved Alouette. She is my favorite character. Protecting a library that has to remain hidden or the knowledge will be destroyed. (Would love that job) She is also trying to figure out her story. Where she came from, how she got here because she knows she is not being told the truth.
Marcellus carrying the shame of his Fathers treasonous acts but also finding himself doubting and struggling with the way things are and what he has been told.
Finally, Chatine. Oooh I loved to hate her and then ended up just loving her. She is a thief but, she has no other choice. She is working hard to find her way off this planet when everything is stacked against her. I mean I couldn't blame her for half the things she did. I felt for her the most.
This book conpletely surprised me. I was hoping to like the book. Had know idea it would be one of my favorite reads this year. Highly recommend!
I was watching one of my book tubers, Oliva, from Olivareadsalatte. She was reading this book a while ago and liked it. I had to give it a try when I found out it was a Les Miserable retelling set in space.
The authors did an incredible job of honoring the original story while making it something new. I was completely blown away by this book.
I loved Alouette. She is my favorite character. Protecting a library that has to remain hidden or the knowledge will be destroyed. (Would love that job) She is also trying to figure out her story. Where she came from, how she got here because she knows she is not being told the truth.
Marcellus carrying the shame of his Fathers treasonous acts but also finding himself doubting and struggling with the way things are and what he has been told.
Finally, Chatine. Oooh I loved to hate her and then ended up just loving her. She is a thief but, she has no other choice. She is working hard to find her way off this planet when everything is stacked against her. I mean I couldn't blame her for half the things she did. I felt for her the most.
This book conpletely surprised me. I was hoping to like the book. Had know idea it would be one of my favorite reads this year. Highly recommend!
January 12, 2023
Overall Rating : B+
"Honest work for an honest chance...Dishonest work for a dishonest death."
If you think this is "Les Mis" in space.....then you are 100% correct. So buckle up and prepare for a long ass ride. XD
This is VERY much a character driven story. With a slow building plot as well, it might take you awhile to get into it, but once you do it hooks you in. Chatine, Marcellus, Alouette, even the small tertiary characters give life to this bleak gray world of Laterre. Character growth abounds here and I love an underdog story. You can practically taste the revolution that is to come!
Super excited to see what book 2 has in store for our characters and pray that this doesn't end as badly as the real Les Miserable. Fingers crossed and Vive Laterre!
"Honest work for an honest chance...Dishonest work for a dishonest death."
If you think this is "Les Mis" in space.....then you are 100% correct. So buckle up and prepare for a long ass ride. XD
This is VERY much a character driven story. With a slow building plot as well, it might take you awhile to get into it, but once you do it hooks you in. Chatine, Marcellus, Alouette, even the small tertiary characters give life to this bleak gray world of Laterre. Character growth abounds here and I love an underdog story. You can practically taste the revolution that is to come!
Super excited to see what book 2 has in store for our characters and pray that this doesn't end as badly as the real Les Miserable. Fingers crossed and Vive Laterre!
August 18, 2020
ok, here we go. just warning you, this is going to be a much longer/ in-depth review than i normally write, because i have so many thoughts that i need to get out lol.
to start:
I LOVED IT.
it was so much better than i dared let myself hope for. i’ll be honest, i was genuinely so scared to read this because if there’s one thing that i like more than the lunar chronicles, it’s les miserables. and i was really worried that this would ruin them both a bit for me. my initial expectations for this book were so high, that i literally had to drop them completely, out of fear that this book wouldn’t do it for me.
but the good news?
it did do it for me! :D
so let’s get into it
a quick disclaimer
i’ve read a lot of it, but i still have not read the entirety of the Brick. ik, i’m a liar, i’m a fake, i’m sorry. but let’s be real. i read what i have read of les mis when i was 15. so of course i was gonna skip the endless descriptions and the how-to-navigate-the-parisian-sewer-system. one day, i’m sure i will read the Brick cover to cover. i know i will. i’m 17, i’ve got plenty of time left to do so.
as it is, i’ve read probably about 2/3 of the Brick. i am kind of vague on a lot of the details, so most of my knowledge of the story comes, yes, from the approximately 24601 (see what i did there?) times i’ve watched the 2012 movie. and the actual live musical.
anyways, that is to say, i’m not an english major who’s studied these characters and the text in huge depth and debated the morality of jean valjean vs. javert. i mean sure, i’ve thought pretty deeply about these characters, and this story, but for the most part i’m just a girl with an attachment to the soundtrack and the friends of the abc. sorry.
so, this all is to say, i’ll be making a lot of comparisons to characters and the storyline in my review. based off my just obsessive fan-experience with this story, not any formal education on it :)
now, i’m a big fan of retellings. i’ve read a lot of them. i’ve loved a lot of them. but this one was such a different experience because i already had such a strong attachment to the story and characters. it was very interesting to read, knowing what, if not exactly how, everything was going to happen. going in already loving some characters and hating others. it was all in all, just a really interesting experience. and probably why i do have so much to say about it now.
the characters
chatine
my eponine, my darling. ohhhhhh. she was such a brilliant character. her wit, her toughness, her negative attitude! (i’m not sure why, but i seem to get attached surly, moody, pessimistic characters. oops.) i don’t even know what to say about her, she was just so amazing. i just felt for her so much, especially toward the end. i really can’t say much that isn’t spoilers, but she is just incredible.
marcellus
so... marius. i have to admit, going into this, i already didn’t like him. because i’ve never liked marius. but, he was honestly pretty interesting! i’m still not sure i was exactly a fan of his, but i felt for him too. his storyline, especially with his grandfather, was really intriguing and made me like, not entirely hate his character. which, considering all the time i’ve spent hating the character of marius, is pretty high praise. i honestly think, that if i didn’t already have this whole idea of him going into the story, he could have been one of my favorites. as it is, i still don’t love him, but i’m not sure it will ever be possible to make me like marius. i’m very excited to see where his character goes in the next book!
alouette
cosette. oh boy. i- i don’t know what to say. cosette is definitely in my all-time least favorite characters, so i’m conflicted. i didn’t like her for the vast majority of this book. near the end, she got a little bit more tolerable, but she just still annoys me so much. like just the level of naivety. ugh. idk man.
a few notes on some minor characters
roche
GAVROCHE! my child!!! still swaggering around like he owns the place. need i say more?
limier
javert. so ik a lot of people don’t like the turning of javert into a cyborg who is literally incapable of emotion, but honestly... that’s literally just always been javert. in fact that is so perfectly him that i had to put the book down when he was first mentioned just so i could try to comprehend the absolute perfection of that.
enjolras
enjolras. um... um... WHERE WAS HE? WHERE? YES I REALIZE THAT HE WOULDN’T HAVE PLAYED ANY ROLE IN THE ACTION OF THIS STORY BUT STILL. WHERE. right now i’m very worried that he’s supposed to be one of the revolutionaries already mentioned here but,, nope. that wasn’t him. he’s not there. and if we don’t get THE PERFECT enjolras “who cares about your lonely soul” like figure in the next book i will throw my own revolution. ok? are we clear? i don’t think you understand i love enjolras almost as much as he loves france and i need him.
things i liked:
1. the characterizations
2. the way it kept close to the original storyline but still felt new
3. nods to details from the Brick that weren’t in the musical
4. “master of the house” (i gasped)
5. two of my absolute favorite things, the painting the girl with the pearl earring and the the book the book thief were mentioned (though not by name), which made me oh so happy
6. the way the love-triangle-mix-up was not at all a large part of the story!
7. and the insta-love wasn’t nearly as bad as i worried it would be
8. there was a lot more but too much to put here, so let’s just say everything made me happy
things i didn’t like:
1. no enjolras
2. no barricade
3. no enjolras
4. no singing
5. no enjolras
i already went over enjolras, i’m sure we’ll get our barricade in the next book, (because what even is les mis without a barricade) and considering that this was a written text, it probably would have been weird if there was singing. but i digress.
final notes:
ok i think that’s most of what i wanted to say! there would be more, but this is already an unholy length, so i’m going to leave it at one final thing:
the authors stuck pretty close to the original storyline in this book. which i love. what i can’t figure out if i would prefer for them to do that in the second book, or to just overhaul the entire end of the story. because if you didn’t already know, les mis does NOT have a happy ending. AT ALL. and much as i love les mis, i’m not sure i can suffer through all those deaths yet again. i’m worried. because on the one hand i don’t want the authors to just be like “oh! guess what! it all works out and they all live happily ever after! isn’t that great?” but on the other hand, i really, really, REALLY want that to happen. so anyway, i guess i’ll just have to see! i’m excited, but once again terrified.
ok, sorry for the stupid long review. i’ll say bye now. just go read this book, or at the very least pls watch the 2012 movie version of les mis. that’s what i’m gonna go do now :)
to start:
I LOVED IT.
it was so much better than i dared let myself hope for. i’ll be honest, i was genuinely so scared to read this because if there’s one thing that i like more than the lunar chronicles, it’s les miserables. and i was really worried that this would ruin them both a bit for me. my initial expectations for this book were so high, that i literally had to drop them completely, out of fear that this book wouldn’t do it for me.
but the good news?
it did do it for me! :D
so let’s get into it
a quick disclaimer
i’ve read a lot of it, but i still have not read the entirety of the Brick. ik, i’m a liar, i’m a fake, i’m sorry. but let’s be real. i read what i have read of les mis when i was 15. so of course i was gonna skip the endless descriptions and the how-to-navigate-the-parisian-sewer-system. one day, i’m sure i will read the Brick cover to cover. i know i will. i’m 17, i’ve got plenty of time left to do so.
as it is, i’ve read probably about 2/3 of the Brick. i am kind of vague on a lot of the details, so most of my knowledge of the story comes, yes, from the approximately 24601 (see what i did there?) times i’ve watched the 2012 movie. and the actual live musical.
anyways, that is to say, i’m not an english major who’s studied these characters and the text in huge depth and debated the morality of jean valjean vs. javert. i mean sure, i’ve thought pretty deeply about these characters, and this story, but for the most part i’m just a girl with an attachment to the soundtrack and the friends of the abc. sorry.
so, this all is to say, i’ll be making a lot of comparisons to characters and the storyline in my review. based off my just obsessive fan-experience with this story, not any formal education on it :)
now, i’m a big fan of retellings. i’ve read a lot of them. i’ve loved a lot of them. but this one was such a different experience because i already had such a strong attachment to the story and characters. it was very interesting to read, knowing what, if not exactly how, everything was going to happen. going in already loving some characters and hating others. it was all in all, just a really interesting experience. and probably why i do have so much to say about it now.
the characters
chatine
my eponine, my darling. ohhhhhh. she was such a brilliant character. her wit, her toughness, her negative attitude! (i’m not sure why, but i seem to get attached surly, moody, pessimistic characters. oops.) i don’t even know what to say about her, she was just so amazing. i just felt for her so much, especially toward the end. i really can’t say much that isn’t spoilers, but she is just incredible.
marcellus
so... marius. i have to admit, going into this, i already didn’t like him. because i’ve never liked marius. but, he was honestly pretty interesting! i’m still not sure i was exactly a fan of his, but i felt for him too. his storyline, especially with his grandfather, was really intriguing and made me like, not entirely hate his character. which, considering all the time i’ve spent hating the character of marius, is pretty high praise. i honestly think, that if i didn’t already have this whole idea of him going into the story, he could have been one of my favorites. as it is, i still don’t love him, but i’m not sure it will ever be possible to make me like marius. i’m very excited to see where his character goes in the next book!
alouette
cosette. oh boy. i- i don’t know what to say. cosette is definitely in my all-time least favorite characters, so i’m conflicted. i didn’t like her for the vast majority of this book. near the end, she got a little bit more tolerable, but she just still annoys me so much. like just the level of naivety. ugh. idk man.
a few notes on some minor characters
roche
GAVROCHE! my child!!! still swaggering around like he owns the place. need i say more?
limier
javert. so ik a lot of people don’t like the turning of javert into a cyborg who is literally incapable of emotion, but honestly... that’s literally just always been javert. in fact that is so perfectly him that i had to put the book down when he was first mentioned just so i could try to comprehend the absolute perfection of that.
enjolras
enjolras. um... um... WHERE WAS HE? WHERE? YES I REALIZE THAT HE WOULDN’T HAVE PLAYED ANY ROLE IN THE ACTION OF THIS STORY BUT STILL. WHERE. right now i’m very worried that he’s supposed to be one of the revolutionaries already mentioned here but,, nope. that wasn’t him. he’s not there. and if we don’t get THE PERFECT enjolras “who cares about your lonely soul” like figure in the next book i will throw my own revolution. ok? are we clear? i don’t think you understand i love enjolras almost as much as he loves france and i need him.
things i liked:
1. the characterizations
2. the way it kept close to the original storyline but still felt new
3. nods to details from the Brick that weren’t in the musical
4. “master of the house” (i gasped)
5. two of my absolute favorite things, the painting the girl with the pearl earring and the the book the book thief were mentioned (though not by name), which made me oh so happy
6. the way the love-triangle-mix-up was not at all a large part of the story!
7. and the insta-love wasn’t nearly as bad as i worried it would be
8. there was a lot more but too much to put here, so let’s just say everything made me happy
things i didn’t like:
1. no enjolras
2. no barricade
3. no enjolras
4. no singing
5. no enjolras
i already went over enjolras, i’m sure we’ll get our barricade in the next book, (because what even is les mis without a barricade) and considering that this was a written text, it probably would have been weird if there was singing. but i digress.
final notes:
ok i think that’s most of what i wanted to say! there would be more, but this is already an unholy length, so i’m going to leave it at one final thing:
the authors stuck pretty close to the original storyline in this book. which i love. what i can’t figure out if i would prefer for them to do that in the second book, or to just overhaul the entire end of the story. because if you didn’t already know, les mis does NOT have a happy ending. AT ALL. and much as i love les mis, i’m not sure i can suffer through all those deaths yet again. i’m worried. because on the one hand i don’t want the authors to just be like “oh! guess what! it all works out and they all live happily ever after! isn’t that great?” but on the other hand, i really, really, REALLY want that to happen. so anyway, i guess i’ll just have to see! i’m excited, but once again terrified.
ok, sorry for the stupid long review. i’ll say bye now. just go read this book, or at the very least pls watch the 2012 movie version of les mis. that’s what i’m gonna go do now :)
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