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Brightest Stars #1
The Brightest Stars
International bestselling author Anna Todd returns with a gripping novel about a young woman's journey towards love, and the obstacles life throws up at every turn.
Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she knows the background noise that follows a soldier home from war. That's why she's forging her own quiet life in her own little house. But she hasn't turned her back on her family. She's the glue that holds them together-when her father is deployed, when her brother, Austin, has another brush with the law.
Karina knows that she has to look after herself, that she can't always fix what's broken. But when Austin's behavior worsens and her father's reactions grow more extreme, Karina feels her own edges beginning to fray. That's when she meets him-a closed book she's desperate to open.
At just twenty, Kael is a handsome, brooding soldier struggling with the aftermath of two tours in Afghanistan. He's emotionally damaged and closed off. Quiet doesn't begin to describe him. But as Karina gets used to his stable presence, she finds it hard to ignore the way he makes her feel. In their time together, she finds the stillness she has always wanted and never found. She lets down her guard. And she lets herself fill in the blanks about this mysterious man.
But illusions quickly made are quickly shattered. That's when Karina has to find her own courage-to untangle the truth from the lies, and decide what she's going to do about it.
A riveting story about love and lies, The Brightest Stars will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.
Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she knows the background noise that follows a soldier home from war. That's why she's forging her own quiet life in her own little house. But she hasn't turned her back on her family. She's the glue that holds them together-when her father is deployed, when her brother, Austin, has another brush with the law.
Karina knows that she has to look after herself, that she can't always fix what's broken. But when Austin's behavior worsens and her father's reactions grow more extreme, Karina feels her own edges beginning to fray. That's when she meets him-a closed book she's desperate to open.
At just twenty, Kael is a handsome, brooding soldier struggling with the aftermath of two tours in Afghanistan. He's emotionally damaged and closed off. Quiet doesn't begin to describe him. But as Karina gets used to his stable presence, she finds it hard to ignore the way he makes her feel. In their time together, she finds the stillness she has always wanted and never found. She lets down her guard. And she lets herself fill in the blanks about this mysterious man.
But illusions quickly made are quickly shattered. That's when Karina has to find her own courage-to untangle the truth from the lies, and decide what she's going to do about it.
A riveting story about love and lies, The Brightest Stars will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.
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First published September 18, 2018
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About the author
Anna Todd
107 books26.2k followersANNA TODD (writer/producer/influencer) is the New York Times best-selling author of the After series, the Brightest Stars trilogy, The Spring Girls, and the After Graphic novels. The After series has been released in 35 languages and has sold over twelve million copies worldwide—becoming a #1 best-seller in several countries. Always an avid reader, Todd began writing stories on her phone through Wattpad, with After becoming the platform’s most-read series with over two billion reads. She has served as a producer and screenwriter on the film adaptations of After and After We Collided, and in 2017, she founded the entertainment company Frayed Pages Media to produce innovative and creative work across film, television, and publishing. A native of Ohio, she lives with her family in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,151 reviews
September 11, 2018
"I would always remember that, the way he made parts of me ache that I had never felt before. I would always be thankful for that."
Having reasonably enjoyed Anna Todd's After Series, this was something of a letdown for me. It had its perks that made you want to read on... but they were a few and a well-spaced few.
_________________
To Begin,
I have always taken notes on the books I read. I used to highlight, jot down and (vandalize) every book that meant something to me. However, when I started blogging late last year - I ended up doing it with every book I read. Regardless of its format.
I do this so when it comes to review time, my review ends up being an honest interpretation of what I was feeling whilst reading the book. Sometimes that affects the rating, sometimes it doesn't. I often do it to remember the good moments, but there are some books that I highlight quotes so I can back up the claims I'm making on my review.
While I was reading back my notes in time for this review, I ended up laughing because;
I can explain that last one. I found myself to be so unfocused on the plot that my head had managed to subconsciously think of all the other things I should be doing, and so I wrote down that I had to buy groceries on my kindle so I would remember the next day. I bought the milk, don't worry babes ;)
That long winded introduction leads me to the first thing about this book that didn't mesh well with me. It had a premise and blurb that seemed so promising and unique, yet nothing really hooked on to me. I was reading because I had to and not because I want to. That being said, I actually remember enjoying her After series and her writing albeit atypical really works well with me. This book just didn't .
The plot was mainly two dimensional and so were the characters for me. There were some really cliche and "instal-love" moments that had me cringing and wishing that the execution was better. I ended up fleshing out the setting and the context more than the characters and that made it really hard to invest myself into their chemistry.
Cliffhanger Warning
If you've already read the reviews, I'm pretty sure a lot of them will warn you that this is a part of a series. When the book had just been added to Goodreads, there was no indication that it wasn't a standalone and I went into it thinking that it was. There is a cliffhanger ending but I don't know if I plan on reading on.
There wasn't any dialogue that felt realistic, a lot of lapses in narration and just an overall awkward feeling. The writing often had an "I did this then that then went there and did that" undertone with the flow and pace. I'm used to Anna Todd's unusually lengthy bouts of inner monologue in her text. However, in this it completely swallowed the romance and the story of the characters and their development.
I think there was a reach for a slowborn but all I could feel was the slow...
Having reasonably enjoyed Anna Todd's After Series, this was something of a letdown for me. It had its perks that made you want to read on... but they were a few and a well-spaced few.
_________________
To Begin,
I have always taken notes on the books I read. I used to highlight, jot down and (vandalize) every book that meant something to me. However, when I started blogging late last year - I ended up doing it with every book I read. Regardless of its format.
I do this so when it comes to review time, my review ends up being an honest interpretation of what I was feeling whilst reading the book. Sometimes that affects the rating, sometimes it doesn't. I often do it to remember the good moments, but there are some books that I highlight quotes so I can back up the claims I'm making on my review.
While I was reading back my notes in time for this review, I ended up laughing because;
I can explain that last one. I found myself to be so unfocused on the plot that my head had managed to subconsciously think of all the other things I should be doing, and so I wrote down that I had to buy groceries on my kindle so I would remember the next day. I bought the milk, don't worry babes ;)
That long winded introduction leads me to the first thing about this book that didn't mesh well with me. It had a premise and blurb that seemed so promising and unique, yet nothing really hooked on to me. I was reading because I had to and not because I want to. That being said, I actually remember enjoying her After series and her writing albeit atypical really works well with me. This book just didn't .
The plot was mainly two dimensional and so were the characters for me. There were some really cliche and "instal-love" moments that had me cringing and wishing that the execution was better. I ended up fleshing out the setting and the context more than the characters and that made it really hard to invest myself into their chemistry.
Cliffhanger Warning
If you've already read the reviews, I'm pretty sure a lot of them will warn you that this is a part of a series. When the book had just been added to Goodreads, there was no indication that it wasn't a standalone and I went into it thinking that it was. There is a cliffhanger ending but I don't know if I plan on reading on.
There wasn't any dialogue that felt realistic, a lot of lapses in narration and just an overall awkward feeling. The writing often had an "I did this then that then went there and did that" undertone with the flow and pace. I'm used to Anna Todd's unusually lengthy bouts of inner monologue in her text. However, in this it completely swallowed the romance and the story of the characters and their development.
I think there was a reach for a slowborn but all I could feel was the slow...
May 14, 2023
Well, semi popular review is about to pop out! When I saw After series’ author released new trilogy, I clicked the request button without even thinking.
The military and angsty romance vibes attracted my full attention and the prologue about Kael and Karina’s meeting at coffee shop ( it might be from third book) gives us enough information that they’ve been through traumatic events and they reluctantly united because of funeral. Inner thoughts of Karina were honestly written at that chapter. So I got excited and moved on to see how they meet and they fall in, finally why they fall apart.
But… the book turned into Karina’s long inner monologues. I thought this book was slow burn romance. But it wasn’t. The book was slow. Their romance was way too much instant. I read nearly 400 pages and nothing important happened during the last three chapters. The drama, big secret at the end could be foreseeable from the beginning.
The cliffhanger at the end didn’t affect me so deeply and want me to read more about Kael ( Martin Mikael) and Karina’s angsty story.
The character development was not great either. We don’t know much about Kael: he is silent, introvert and traumatized obviously but that’s it! Reading from Karina’s POV makes harder to connect him.
Overall: I’m rounding up 2.5. stars to 3 for its promising beginning but I think I’m not the right target for this series.
So many thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
The military and angsty romance vibes attracted my full attention and the prologue about Kael and Karina’s meeting at coffee shop ( it might be from third book) gives us enough information that they’ve been through traumatic events and they reluctantly united because of funeral. Inner thoughts of Karina were honestly written at that chapter. So I got excited and moved on to see how they meet and they fall in, finally why they fall apart.
But… the book turned into Karina’s long inner monologues. I thought this book was slow burn romance. But it wasn’t. The book was slow. Their romance was way too much instant. I read nearly 400 pages and nothing important happened during the last three chapters. The drama, big secret at the end could be foreseeable from the beginning.
The cliffhanger at the end didn’t affect me so deeply and want me to read more about Kael ( Martin Mikael) and Karina’s angsty story.
The character development was not great either. We don’t know much about Kael: he is silent, introvert and traumatized obviously but that’s it! Reading from Karina’s POV makes harder to connect him.
Overall: I’m rounding up 2.5. stars to 3 for its promising beginning but I think I’m not the right target for this series.
So many thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
July 12, 2022
hmmm. i went into this with literally zero expectations, and yet somehow im walking away feeling disappointed.
and the only thing i keep coming back to is how every aspect of this book is mundane. the plot is pretty non-existent. theres no driving force for the characters. usually this isnt a problem for a romance story because the romance itself is that driving force and its supported by other entertaining things. but these characters have no personalities, hardly any connection, and such boring lives that i found myself not caring. i just kept waiting for something interesting to happen and it never did.
which is a shame because the prologue alludes to some tragic moment. so you go in knowing right from the beginning that something has happened to these two characters to make their relationship what it is, and you want to know what happened in their history to cause that. well, it for sure doesnt happen in this book. its never addressed and the book ends like in the middle of a scene? its very abrupt and bizarre. makes me feel like the editing could have been done better.
so even though the prologue had me interested and i still would like to know what happened to these two characters, nothing played out far enough/gave me enough answers in this first book to get me invested and make me want to pick up the next one, unfortunately.
thanks for the ARC, wattpad books.
↠ 2.5 stars
and the only thing i keep coming back to is how every aspect of this book is mundane. the plot is pretty non-existent. theres no driving force for the characters. usually this isnt a problem for a romance story because the romance itself is that driving force and its supported by other entertaining things. but these characters have no personalities, hardly any connection, and such boring lives that i found myself not caring. i just kept waiting for something interesting to happen and it never did.
which is a shame because the prologue alludes to some tragic moment. so you go in knowing right from the beginning that something has happened to these two characters to make their relationship what it is, and you want to know what happened in their history to cause that. well, it for sure doesnt happen in this book. its never addressed and the book ends like in the middle of a scene? its very abrupt and bizarre. makes me feel like the editing could have been done better.
so even though the prologue had me interested and i still would like to know what happened to these two characters, nothing played out far enough/gave me enough answers in this first book to get me invested and make me want to pick up the next one, unfortunately.
thanks for the ARC, wattpad books.
↠ 2.5 stars
September 6, 2018
➳A military romance that has so much potential of loving the characters, and letting my emotions run down craving for more...
➳I have never read an Anna Todd novel before, so I was taken a back at how much I truly enjoyed this novel. I was surprised when I got it as well because it arrived all of a sudden from my favorite publicist, and I am so honored and glad that she sent it over since I will forever cherish this novel and how incredible it utterly was. The characters, Kael and Karina have drawn up a true chemistry that is not very common to read in romance novels. Especially in a very tough romance where dealing with military life is at stakes. For many, (just like myself) it is a touchy subject since I get very emotional about it, but the back story that comes from Kael is definitely heart breaking since he is one hundred percent different from Karina. She is a ray of sunshine that is helping out her friendship with Kael, and convincing her heart to not let anything other than "friends" happen between her and Kael.
➳The angst is real, and there is no denying these two of being together. But the controversy of allowing changes to happen to Kael's life is what puts him at a pause.
➳Overall, this was a very interesting novel to read. The chapters were so short I couldn't believe how I was reading ten chapters in thirty minutes. However, the story that Anna has brought is one that has to be read for sure. Thank you to my favorite gal at LEO Pr sending me a copy of this beauty, I cannot wait for everyone else to enjoy it as much as I did!
➳ARC kindly provided by the publicist, in exchange for an honest review...
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➳I have never read an Anna Todd novel before, so I was taken a back at how much I truly enjoyed this novel. I was surprised when I got it as well because it arrived all of a sudden from my favorite publicist, and I am so honored and glad that she sent it over since I will forever cherish this novel and how incredible it utterly was. The characters, Kael and Karina have drawn up a true chemistry that is not very common to read in romance novels. Especially in a very tough romance where dealing with military life is at stakes. For many, (just like myself) it is a touchy subject since I get very emotional about it, but the back story that comes from Kael is definitely heart breaking since he is one hundred percent different from Karina. She is a ray of sunshine that is helping out her friendship with Kael, and convincing her heart to not let anything other than "friends" happen between her and Kael.
➳The angst is real, and there is no denying these two of being together. But the controversy of allowing changes to happen to Kael's life is what puts him at a pause.
➳Overall, this was a very interesting novel to read. The chapters were so short I couldn't believe how I was reading ten chapters in thirty minutes. However, the story that Anna has brought is one that has to be read for sure. Thank you to my favorite gal at LEO Pr sending me a copy of this beauty, I cannot wait for everyone else to enjoy it as much as I did!
➳ARC kindly provided by the publicist, in exchange for an honest review...
➳Follow Me On:
Blog ♕ Instagram ♕ Facebook ♕ Twitter
October 7, 2018
Wer hat nicht auf Anna Todd's neuen Roman hingefiebert? - Seitdem sie die Veröffentlichung ihrer neuen Trilogie angekündigt hat, war ich auf jeden Fall Feuer und Flamme und habe mich sehr darauf gefreut etwas neues von ihr zu lesen, nachdem ich After so geliebt habe. Natürlich sollte man in sich abgeschlossene Geschichten nicht miteinander vergleichen, aber ich möchte trotzdem im Weiteren etwas näher erläutern, was bei der After Reihe geklappt hat, jedoch bei "The Brightest Stars: Attracted" nur mäßig funktioniert.
Wie wahrscheinlich jedem schon bekannt ist begleitet man in dieser Reihe Karina & Kael. Das erste Kapitel spielt in 2019, danach geht's jedoch wieder zurück ins Jahr 2017 und wir erfahren, wie die beiden Protagonisten sich kennengelernt haben. Karina ist dort gerade von zu Hause ausgezogen und arbeitet in einem Massage-Salon. Kael hingegen war Soldat in Afghanistan und ist gerade wieder in die Heimat zurückgekehrt.
Wer die After Reihe gelesen hat, der weiß, dass wir dort die Geschichte von Hardin & Tessa miterleben, aber trotzdem die ganzen Nebencharaktere nicht zu kurz kommen - im Laufe der Bücher können wir uns dort eigentlich von jeder Person ein gutes Bild machen. Und ich hoffe das dies bei "The Brightest Stars" nicht anders sein wird, denn im ersten Band hat man leider sehr wenig über die Charaktere erfahren. Sie waren mir alle zu schwammig konstruiert, weswegen ich auch nicht wirklich mit Karina & Kael mitfühlen konnte und mir ihre Beziehung mehr oder weniger "egal" war. Von den Randfiguren muss ich gar nicht erst anfangen, denn ich habe es nach rund 350 Seiten nicht mal richtig geschafft sie wirklich auseinander zu halten.
Was mich bei After außerdem nicht sonderlich gestört hat, mir hier aber ziemlich auf die Nerven gegangen ist, waren die kurzen Kapitel. Anna Todd hat es bei Kapiteln mit 2-3 Seiten einfach nicht geschafft Spannung aufzubauen. Im Gegenteil: Ich hatte die meiste Zeit des Buches das Gefühl es ist überhaupt nichts passiert und für mich schien alles so ereignislos. Natürlich sollte man bei einer Trilogie nicht direkt die ganze Handlung auf einmal verschustern, allerdings habe ich mich bei Karina & Kael gefragt, warum nach über der Hälfte des Buches nichts zwischen den beiden passiert und kurz bevor sich die Geschichte dem Ende neigt geht alles direkt von 0 auf 100.
Zudem habe ich mich beim Lesen auch die ganze Zeit gefragt, wie man sich nach so wenig Handlung überhaupt ein Ende mit einem spannenden Plottwist zusammen schustern kann. Ich habe erwartet, dass irgendwas passieren muss, was total überdramatisiert wird und das ist letzendlich auch eingetreten. Karina und Kael haben sich wie zwei unreife Teenager verhalten, die einfach alles überdramatisieren. Außerdem habe ich jetzt nicht das Gefühl ich müsste auf der Stelle weiterlesen. Ich habe eher das Gefühl eine Geschichte, die gut ein Einzelband hätte sein könnte, wurde weil es sich marketingtechnisch angeboten hatte, auf eine Trilogie gestreckt.
Fazit: Obwohl ich mich sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut hatte und auch ein großer Anna Todd bin, muss ich ehrlich gesagt zugeben, dass mich das Endresultat von "The Brightest Stars: Attracted" wirklich enttäuscht hat. Ich will das Buch nicht besser bewerten, nur weil ich den Autor dahinter sehr gerne mag, sondern wirklich ehrlich sein. Natürlich bin ich in erste Linie erstmal gespannt, ob die anderen Leser meine Meinung teilen. Ich bin mir noch unsicher, ob ich die Geschichte um Karina & Kael weiterhin verfolgen werde, aber der nächste Band erscheint eh erst nächsten Herbst.
Wie wahrscheinlich jedem schon bekannt ist begleitet man in dieser Reihe Karina & Kael. Das erste Kapitel spielt in 2019, danach geht's jedoch wieder zurück ins Jahr 2017 und wir erfahren, wie die beiden Protagonisten sich kennengelernt haben. Karina ist dort gerade von zu Hause ausgezogen und arbeitet in einem Massage-Salon. Kael hingegen war Soldat in Afghanistan und ist gerade wieder in die Heimat zurückgekehrt.
Wer die After Reihe gelesen hat, der weiß, dass wir dort die Geschichte von Hardin & Tessa miterleben, aber trotzdem die ganzen Nebencharaktere nicht zu kurz kommen - im Laufe der Bücher können wir uns dort eigentlich von jeder Person ein gutes Bild machen. Und ich hoffe das dies bei "The Brightest Stars" nicht anders sein wird, denn im ersten Band hat man leider sehr wenig über die Charaktere erfahren. Sie waren mir alle zu schwammig konstruiert, weswegen ich auch nicht wirklich mit Karina & Kael mitfühlen konnte und mir ihre Beziehung mehr oder weniger "egal" war. Von den Randfiguren muss ich gar nicht erst anfangen, denn ich habe es nach rund 350 Seiten nicht mal richtig geschafft sie wirklich auseinander zu halten.
Was mich bei After außerdem nicht sonderlich gestört hat, mir hier aber ziemlich auf die Nerven gegangen ist, waren die kurzen Kapitel. Anna Todd hat es bei Kapiteln mit 2-3 Seiten einfach nicht geschafft Spannung aufzubauen. Im Gegenteil: Ich hatte die meiste Zeit des Buches das Gefühl es ist überhaupt nichts passiert und für mich schien alles so ereignislos. Natürlich sollte man bei einer Trilogie nicht direkt die ganze Handlung auf einmal verschustern, allerdings habe ich mich bei Karina & Kael gefragt, warum nach über der Hälfte des Buches nichts zwischen den beiden passiert und kurz bevor sich die Geschichte dem Ende neigt geht alles direkt von 0 auf 100.
Zudem habe ich mich beim Lesen auch die ganze Zeit gefragt, wie man sich nach so wenig Handlung überhaupt ein Ende mit einem spannenden Plottwist zusammen schustern kann. Ich habe erwartet, dass irgendwas passieren muss, was total überdramatisiert wird und das ist letzendlich auch eingetreten. Karina und Kael haben sich wie zwei unreife Teenager verhalten, die einfach alles überdramatisieren. Außerdem habe ich jetzt nicht das Gefühl ich müsste auf der Stelle weiterlesen. Ich habe eher das Gefühl eine Geschichte, die gut ein Einzelband hätte sein könnte, wurde weil es sich marketingtechnisch angeboten hatte, auf eine Trilogie gestreckt.
Fazit: Obwohl ich mich sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut hatte und auch ein großer Anna Todd bin, muss ich ehrlich gesagt zugeben, dass mich das Endresultat von "The Brightest Stars: Attracted" wirklich enttäuscht hat. Ich will das Buch nicht besser bewerten, nur weil ich den Autor dahinter sehr gerne mag, sondern wirklich ehrlich sein. Natürlich bin ich in erste Linie erstmal gespannt, ob die anderen Leser meine Meinung teilen. Ich bin mir noch unsicher, ob ich die Geschichte um Karina & Kael weiterhin verfolgen werde, aber der nächste Band erscheint eh erst nächsten Herbst.
October 5, 2018
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/L3N4xn4TDbo
Anna Todd tenta la carta della maturità e, come in un romanzo di Liala, tenta di raccontare la malinconia delle giovani spose dei militari in guerra.
Sembra una storia del 1932, ma è ambientata nell'epoca degli smartphone.
C'è anche una scena che, se fosse un film, sarebbe un pianosequenza di diciotto ore alla Béla Tarr su una festa dove NON SUCCEDE NIENTE. Diciotto capitoli, DICIOTTO, in cui NON SUCCEDE NIENTE.
L'inutilità totale.
"After" almeno faceva involontariamente ridere.
Anna Todd tenta la carta della maturità e, come in un romanzo di Liala, tenta di raccontare la malinconia delle giovani spose dei militari in guerra.
Sembra una storia del 1932, ma è ambientata nell'epoca degli smartphone.
C'è anche una scena che, se fosse un film, sarebbe un pianosequenza di diciotto ore alla Béla Tarr su una festa dove NON SUCCEDE NIENTE. Diciotto capitoli, DICIOTTO, in cui NON SUCCEDE NIENTE.
L'inutilità totale.
"After" almeno faceva involontariamente ridere.
September 12, 2020
After a chapter in 2019, we go back to 2017. Karina is 20 years old. She's just left home - her dad and new step-mom's place - a little while ago, and now she's more or less happily living her life and working at a massage place.
Enter Kael. He's just back from Afghanistan today and he needs a massage real bad. Not that he said any of that to Karina. He's not what you might call a talker.☺
But he's a buddy of Karina's roomie's husband - so he's staying at their place for the night ...
The new guy in her life is unfortunately not the only exciting thing Karina has to deal with. Her family is a tiny little bit challenging too .... and Kael's military past and present also have to be dealt with.
What will happen with Karina & Kael?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER???
BUY THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
Even though you won't yet find out - book #2 won't be with us until late 2020 if we're lucky! ☹
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I remember way back when Anna posted the first Chapter on Wattpad - I read it, even though I hate Wattpad. But I just had to read it after all her teasing about it. And I remember loving it!
I didn't read any more on Wattpad, I stayed strong and now I finally have the book!
AND I LOVED IT!
It has this slow and sad and heartbreaking mood throughout. But we also see some adorable smiley moments from Karina and Kael. I just adored those two. I had to keep on reading just to see Kael smile! LOL!
It takes Karina ages until she even gets a word out of Kael. He's a silent thinker. But he doesn't mind her talking. Non stop. Adorable.
But of course we just know that there's a lot of baggage behind Kael's silence. He doesn't talk about 'work' - about the war. And he doesn't share much about anything else. And we just want to know allll the things about him.
I loved Kael and Karina's conversations. She talks, he listens ... and I think that they're both falling in love a little bit more with every word she says and he doesn't.
It's all really sweet ... but also very heartbreaking, because we know by reading the first chapter, that there won't be a happy end for those two anytime soon. The past. Family. Secrets. Military. War. Heartbreak? No idea what will happen - but I just know that it won't be easy for them or us ....
If I had to complain about a little thing... I'm writing this while still reading the book - I'm only halfway through it now. And I have no idea how it will end... BUT. What I do know is that there will be three books in this series!!!!! And NOWHERE on amazon or goodreads, does it say so. I only know because the german publisher already has all three books/covers up on their website and on amazon ... Book 2 will be out 2020 and book 3 in 2021. WHAT???? I will be so mad if there will be a cliffhanger and nobody told us about this being a series! I'm still living with the problably very false hope that the three german books are just one book cut into three shorter parts.
Back now after finishing - and yup. Cliffy. Not a realllly bad one - nobody got shot or anything, but it's so not finished. And I'm tempted to almost call it borderline criminal what Anna and the publisher did. Not telling people they're not buying a standalone, but book #1 in a trilogy? Not nice at all, because I wouldn't have bought the book if I had known. I'm one of those readers who has to read a series once all books are out. (#Booksalzheimers!) That's obviously why they did it, to make more money. Not ok! I know Anna is busy with the movies and all that - but then just DON'T do another series yet if you know you won't be able to deliver the sequels on time.
Another tiny little thing. The writing. While very beautiful at times. Sometimes it's very confuzzling. Anna jumps through the days so weirdly. Something happens and then Karina's walking home and tells about what happened last night and suddenly it's a while later and she's telling us about another thing. I was really confused at times.
And sometimes I didn't know who was talking.
And the slowness of the whole book - the relationship.... it was a bit too slow and uneventful for my tastes. It all just blubbers along so slowly and silently. Like lying in the sun next to a little creek with a bit of a slow John Mayer song softly playing in the background. I know, I'm weird.
Nothing happens almost all through the book, not even a kiss, and then suddenly they're dating and lying in bed? And it all happens within a week. It's so very weird. Which is making more sense, now that I know there will be three books about K+K.
And then the thing, the secret, the 'lying'? I didn't think it was all that bad? Karina mega-exaggerated about the whole thing. But...they're all only 20 years old. So they're allowed to react immature.
Maybe another editor should've gone over the book again. There were some things that a really good editor would've changed.
BUT - still - even though this book and the people responsible made me mad in the end - I still loved Kael and Karina so very much! And I can't wait to read the second book - even though I might have to read this one again to remember what happened - I HATE THAT! ☺
THE BRIGHTEST STARS was such a heartbreakingly beautiful & funny & moving & mysterious & exciting & adorable military & coming-of-age love story dramance! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Kael - this one is MINE!!!!
♡
♡
♡
♡
December 28, 2018
A ver, por donde empiezo...
Esperaba mucho más. Sabéis que yo soy de las personas que disfrutó AFTER, así que obviamente esperaba que este libro me hiciera sentir eso. Y aunque me ha enganchado, la historia en general me ha aburrido bastante y no me interesaba mucho.
Se nota lo que ha intentado hacer la autora. Dar un giro total a sus historias para que no la critiquen por lo mismo que la criticaron en AFTER y en eso, puedo decir que lo ha conseguido... pero haciéndolo ha creado la relación MÁS SOSA que he leído en un libro romántico en mucho tiempo. Que suplicio me daban las escenas de los protagonistas, les faltaba sangre en las venas.
Luego el tema del ejército... me ha aburrido hasta límites insospechados. Me daba igual Jael, el padre, los amigos, los clientes, el hermano. Así que he acabado hasta el moño del tema.
Luego en muchos momentos la historia era muy ¿confusa? Sentía que faltaba información o que se explicara mejor.
Cosas buenas tiene. Como que los capítulos son cortos y se leen en un suspiro. Y que en el fondo pues ha sido una lectura que me ha enganchado, pero repito, no la he disfrutado como pensaba...
Me ha faltado drama y eso que queda abierto para la siguiente parte, que no sé si perderé mi tiempo en leer.
Esperaba mucho más. Sabéis que yo soy de las personas que disfrutó AFTER, así que obviamente esperaba que este libro me hiciera sentir eso. Y aunque me ha enganchado, la historia en general me ha aburrido bastante y no me interesaba mucho.
Se nota lo que ha intentado hacer la autora. Dar un giro total a sus historias para que no la critiquen por lo mismo que la criticaron en AFTER y en eso, puedo decir que lo ha conseguido... pero haciéndolo ha creado la relación MÁS SOSA que he leído en un libro romántico en mucho tiempo. Que suplicio me daban las escenas de los protagonistas, les faltaba sangre en las venas.
Luego el tema del ejército... me ha aburrido hasta límites insospechados. Me daba igual Jael, el padre, los amigos, los clientes, el hermano. Así que he acabado hasta el moño del tema.
Luego en muchos momentos la historia era muy ¿confusa? Sentía que faltaba información o que se explicara mejor.
Cosas buenas tiene. Como que los capítulos son cortos y se leen en un suspiro. Y que en el fondo pues ha sido una lectura que me ha enganchado, pero repito, no la he disfrutado como pensaba...
Me ha faltado drama y eso que queda abierto para la siguiente parte, que no sé si perderé mi tiempo en leer.
Read
November 9, 2019💗 An Unexpected Meeting with Love 💗
Anna Todd is an author mostly appealing for the teen audience. (T for Todd, T for Teens, what a coincidence 😉). However, in this plot, characters will be more mature than the ones we met in her previous novels, and... maybe that fact joined with another I will tell you later, would make it also readable for the non teens who can’t live without peeping into other people’s love stories — and...as you probably guessed by now... I just told you the second fact I promised to tell you about, some sentences ago 😉
The Brightest Stars is a fast read, with chapters that end before turning boring, and... encloses a simple but not uninteresting kind of message:
Love is found whenever needed but not begged 😉
Anna Todd is an author mostly appealing for the teen audience. (T for Todd, T for Teens, what a coincidence 😉). However, in this plot, characters will be more mature than the ones we met in her previous novels, and... maybe that fact joined with another I will tell you later, would make it also readable for the non teens who can’t live without peeping into other people’s love stories — and...as you probably guessed by now... I just told you the second fact I promised to tell you about, some sentences ago 😉
The Brightest Stars is a fast read, with chapters that end before turning boring, and... encloses a simple but not uninteresting kind of message:
Love is found whenever needed but not begged 😉
September 22, 2018
„Nur“ 3 Sterne für meine liebste Anna Todd ABER das Ende war unglaublich gut! Nur leider waren so 75% des Buches in viel zu kurzen Kapiteln, die mich einfach unfassbar gestört haben und meinen Leseflow nicht gerade gefördert haben.
Die Thematik ist an sich interessant, aber ich bin mit der Geschichte und Kael einfach nicht warm geworden. Im Nachhinein weiß ich nicht, was eigentlich großartig passiert ist.. irgendwie nicht viel.
Freu mich trotzdem auf Band 2, wenn der so weitergeht wie das Ende dann kann’s nur was werden!
Die Thematik ist an sich interessant, aber ich bin mit der Geschichte und Kael einfach nicht warm geworden. Im Nachhinein weiß ich nicht, was eigentlich großartig passiert ist.. irgendwie nicht viel.
Freu mich trotzdem auf Band 2, wenn der so weitergeht wie das Ende dann kann’s nur was werden!
September 10, 2018
4,5
Ich fand es so gut... I can’t
Und wo ist bitte Band 2 😩
Ich fand es so gut... I can’t
Und wo ist bitte Band 2 😩
August 29, 2023
Trash fire
September 30, 2018
Ich bin leider sehr enttäuscht von dem Buch. Es passiert kaum was, die Charaktere waren sehr flach und die Chemie zwischen Karina und Kael kann ich auch nicht spüren ☹️
September 25, 2018
‘Stars seemed so fierce and bright, but by the time they got to us, they were dying, almost gone. And the biggest stars? They burned the fastest as if their intense radiance was too much for them to hold onto.’
Anna Todd writes a melancholy slow burn story about abandonment, deceptions, survival, and love in The Brightest Stars. We carry the marks of our childhoods –be they good or bad- with us into our adult lives. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger as they say, however sometimes, whilst we may have an inner strength, we also develop traits of insecurities, skepticism and a self-preservation that can impact us as negatively as it can positively.
‘Life support. That’s what he was starting to feel like for me. I should have been worried about that, but I wasn’t.’
‘We were trying to crawl inside each other, anything less…well, nothing would feel close enough unless that was possible.’
Karina has had a disruptive childhood with absent parents added to the difficulties that come with growing up in a military family. The strains and the impact of this life as well as being abandoned by her own mum has influenced how she currently lives her life. It’s not a bad life, however, her self-inflicted constraints rules a large part of it. A twenty year old girl who has already experienced more than most women her age she has a somewhat cynical view yet at the same time she’s certain in her wants and needs. Karina came across lonely, with only her twin brother a positive constant in her life. She’s protective, forgiving and nurturing despite them being the same age. Karina braces herself automatically against life in some respects. We felt for her the whole way through and understood her actions to be an instinctual consequence to what was taking place around her.
“Everything hurts,” he said. “All my body. All the time.”
As this story was entirely in Karina’s pov we never fully connected with Kael, but oh did we want to. His story, alongside Karina’s, had a solemnness to it. A twenty year old solder back from war who is clearly struggling physically as well as emotionally. We were desperate to get into his head to uncover how deep those evident scars ran. A man of few words, you just know that the words he does set free are relevant and meaningful. This man is the quiet to Karina’s inner storm.
“The words, your words—“ Kael’s voice was raspy, his dark eyes smoky. “The way they taste.” He bent down to kiss them. “They taste even better than they sound.”
No road to stillness, calm and love runs smoothly though. Secrets are uncovered, hearts are broken and loyalties are tested. Some bonds are stronger than others when faced with adversity at a most inopportune time. Love needs roots to grow and find its strength or the roughest current can dislodge it, making it harder to hang onto and preserve. We were left with a heart full of emotions as we wait for the continuing story of Karina and Kael. In The Brightest Stars, Anna Todd writes a very different character driven story with such detail and emphasis on life and its daily routines. An emphasis on people, their actions as well as thoughts, ensuring the -we as readers- become fully immersed into the fray.
“Let me fall in love with you, Karina.”
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November 22, 2018
2.5/5 ★
I have a love-hate relationship with this author.
Some books of her’s I love some I hate.
(this was me reading this book, confuse at why I’m still reading it, considering that I wasn’t enjoying it - I blame the fact that I won this as a birthday present.)
This one is in between, I didn’t love it but didn’t hated it either. There were things that really bother me about it, like the end (what was that?), the romance and the characters in general. I wasn’t hooked at all reading this book. Which is sad, because the synopsis seemed quite interesting.
The writing was okay, although at some times it pissed me off how quick everything passed. And how I couldn’t connect with any of the characters.
I don’t know why they like each other. This is mine major problem with Anna Todd books, I never understand why the characters like/love each other.
This could have been a standalone, and the thought that I have to read 2 more other books so their story can have a conclusion makes me mad. Because they don’t need 3 novels. One is more than enough.
I guess this is in between 2/2.5 stars. But I’m still a bit conflicted.
Overall this was bad, but not bad enough for me to DNF.
Hopefully the sequels are better.
I have a love-hate relationship with this author.
Some books of her’s I love some I hate.
(this was me reading this book, confuse at why I’m still reading it, considering that I wasn’t enjoying it - I blame the fact that I won this as a birthday present.)
This one is in between, I didn’t love it but didn’t hated it either. There were things that really bother me about it, like the end (what was that?), the romance and the characters in general. I wasn’t hooked at all reading this book. Which is sad, because the synopsis seemed quite interesting.
The writing was okay, although at some times it pissed me off how quick everything passed. And how I couldn’t connect with any of the characters.
I don’t know why they like each other. This is mine major problem with Anna Todd books, I never understand why the characters like/love each other.
This could have been a standalone, and the thought that I have to read 2 more other books so their story can have a conclusion makes me mad. Because they don’t need 3 novels. One is more than enough.
I guess this is in between 2/2.5 stars. But I’m still a bit conflicted.
Overall this was bad, but not bad enough for me to DNF.
Hopefully the sequels are better.
October 2, 2018
Leider war die Handlung ziemlich langweilig und ich habe keine große Bindung zu den Charakteren aufgebaut.
Trotzdem werde ich weiterlesen, weil ich Anna Todds Schreibstil liebe und dieser Cliffhanger echt fies ist
Trotzdem werde ich weiterlesen, weil ich Anna Todds Schreibstil liebe und dieser Cliffhanger echt fies ist
April 25, 2019
3,5/5⭐️
Decían que ésta historia era algo más madura que After. Y qué razón. Ha sido una sorpresa.Una historia que me he leído en nada, ya que los capítulos son cortos.
Me muero de ganas de saber cómo continúa. Menudo final 😭
Lo único que no me ha gustado es que a veces me perdía un poco y que ha tenido algún altibajo. Pero por lo demás me ha gustado.
Decían que ésta historia era algo más madura que After. Y qué razón. Ha sido una sorpresa.Una historia que me he leído en nada, ya que los capítulos son cortos.
Me muero de ganas de saber cómo continúa. Menudo final 😭
Lo único que no me ha gustado es que a veces me perdía un poco y que ha tenido algún altibajo. Pero por lo demás me ha gustado.
November 16, 2018
Persönliche Meinung
Als Leseexemplar von der Kollegin bekommen, war ich doch recht neugierig auf dieses Buch. Immerhin ist es Anna Todd! Bisher hatte ich noch kein Buch von der Autorin gelesen, deshalb war ich entsprechend neugierig.
Was ne Enttäuschung!
Nach etwas über 100 Seiten in denen ich mich beinah zu Tode gelangweilt habe und gleichzeitig nicht verstanden habe, wie jemand ein so bekannter Autor sein kann und dabei so schlecht schreibt, habe ich beschlossen das Buch quer zu lesen um zum Ende zu gelangen.
Gott sei Dank waren die Kapitel nur immer etwa drei Seiten lang, so kam man immerhin schnell voran.
Die Hauptperson Karina sagt zwar im Klappentext, dass sie eine strickte No Dating Policy hat und somit keine Beziehung will, kaum tritt aber Kael auf, ist sie von ihm fasziniert. Aber nicht auf diese typische „OMG ein Eight-Pack!“ weise, obwohl Kael natürlich ebenfalls verdammt gut aussieht. Sondern eher von einer beinah kreepy Art und Weise. Nun gut. Allgemein hält sich Karina für recht cool, sie hat mit 20ig endlich ein eigenes Haus (!!! Ok, es ist Amerika!) und es ist auch kein Ding diesen fremden Typen einfach bei sich wohnen zu lassen. Nichts gegen fremde Typen aber fremde Typen die gar nichts sagen und nur teilnahmslos mal so in der Story sind? Und dann nimmt sie ihn auch einfach mit ans wöchentliche Essen mit der Familie? Hä? Manchmal gab es so seltsame Sprünge in der Story die sich einfach nicht fliessend lesen liessen. Nach 100 Seiten war echt nichts Spannendes passiert und Kael hat vielleicht 5 Sätze gesagt. Sätze die aus „OK. Ja. Nein. Vielleicht“ Bestanden. Ein richtiger Traumtyp halt! Aber Karina will ihn ja irgendwie eroberern, auch wenn das nicht ganz so klar ist.
Dann hat ihr krimineller Bruder heimlich ne Party im Elternahaus wo sie und Kael auch sind und was lässt unsere Heldin für Sprüche von sich? „Ah ich komm nicht in mein Zimmer, aber das ist normal, manchmal schläft ein Typ seinen Rausch in meinem Bett aus oder ein Pärchen vögelt da.“ Ich habe mir das Zitat leider nicht markiert aber ich dachte nur so: ooookay… nun gut, Geschmäcker sind verschieden, vielleicht steht sie ja darauf.
Auf jeden Fall sind die beiden urplötzlich zusammen und ab da kommt der Stein ins Rollen und ein Teil des Geheimnisses um Kael kommt zum Vorschein. Das war dann so an den Haaren herbeigezogen, ich konnte nichts mehr ernst nehmen. Und dann Zack Einfach praktisch mitten in der Szene Ende und es schreit geradezu nach: LIES WEITER!
LOL nicht mit mir!
Ach ja, Sex gibt’s auch. Wobei der darin besteht das er sie einmal mit seinem breiten Finger pflügt *Zitat* und einmal mit seiner Zunge beglückt. Monsterorgasmus inbegriffen. War leider auch nicht ganz so dass, was ich erwartet hatte...
Alles in allem waren die Charaktere einfach schräg und nicht liebenswert. Die Chemie zwischen den Beiden war nicht vorhanden, die Story war unspektakulär, peinlich und langweilig und der Schreibstil war wirklich, wirklich nicht gut.
Fazit: Plumper Schreibstil, unspektakuläre Charaktere, schwache Story
Als Leseexemplar von der Kollegin bekommen, war ich doch recht neugierig auf dieses Buch. Immerhin ist es Anna Todd! Bisher hatte ich noch kein Buch von der Autorin gelesen, deshalb war ich entsprechend neugierig.
Was ne Enttäuschung!
Nach etwas über 100 Seiten in denen ich mich beinah zu Tode gelangweilt habe und gleichzeitig nicht verstanden habe, wie jemand ein so bekannter Autor sein kann und dabei so schlecht schreibt, habe ich beschlossen das Buch quer zu lesen um zum Ende zu gelangen.
Gott sei Dank waren die Kapitel nur immer etwa drei Seiten lang, so kam man immerhin schnell voran.
Die Hauptperson Karina sagt zwar im Klappentext, dass sie eine strickte No Dating Policy hat und somit keine Beziehung will, kaum tritt aber Kael auf, ist sie von ihm fasziniert. Aber nicht auf diese typische „OMG ein Eight-Pack!“ weise, obwohl Kael natürlich ebenfalls verdammt gut aussieht. Sondern eher von einer beinah kreepy Art und Weise. Nun gut. Allgemein hält sich Karina für recht cool, sie hat mit 20ig endlich ein eigenes Haus (!!! Ok, es ist Amerika!) und es ist auch kein Ding diesen fremden Typen einfach bei sich wohnen zu lassen. Nichts gegen fremde Typen aber fremde Typen die gar nichts sagen und nur teilnahmslos mal so in der Story sind? Und dann nimmt sie ihn auch einfach mit ans wöchentliche Essen mit der Familie? Hä? Manchmal gab es so seltsame Sprünge in der Story die sich einfach nicht fliessend lesen liessen. Nach 100 Seiten war echt nichts Spannendes passiert und Kael hat vielleicht 5 Sätze gesagt. Sätze die aus „OK. Ja. Nein. Vielleicht“ Bestanden. Ein richtiger Traumtyp halt! Aber Karina will ihn ja irgendwie eroberern, auch wenn das nicht ganz so klar ist.
Dann hat ihr krimineller Bruder heimlich ne Party im Elternahaus wo sie und Kael auch sind und was lässt unsere Heldin für Sprüche von sich? „Ah ich komm nicht in mein Zimmer, aber das ist normal, manchmal schläft ein Typ seinen Rausch in meinem Bett aus oder ein Pärchen vögelt da.“ Ich habe mir das Zitat leider nicht markiert aber ich dachte nur so: ooookay… nun gut, Geschmäcker sind verschieden, vielleicht steht sie ja darauf.
Auf jeden Fall sind die beiden urplötzlich zusammen und ab da kommt der Stein ins Rollen und ein Teil des Geheimnisses um Kael kommt zum Vorschein. Das war dann so an den Haaren herbeigezogen, ich konnte nichts mehr ernst nehmen. Und dann Zack Einfach praktisch mitten in der Szene Ende und es schreit geradezu nach: LIES WEITER!
LOL nicht mit mir!
Ach ja, Sex gibt’s auch. Wobei der darin besteht das er sie einmal mit seinem breiten Finger pflügt *Zitat* und einmal mit seiner Zunge beglückt. Monsterorgasmus inbegriffen. War leider auch nicht ganz so dass, was ich erwartet hatte...
Alles in allem waren die Charaktere einfach schräg und nicht liebenswert. Die Chemie zwischen den Beiden war nicht vorhanden, die Story war unspektakulär, peinlich und langweilig und der Schreibstil war wirklich, wirklich nicht gut.
Fazit: Plumper Schreibstil, unspektakuläre Charaktere, schwache Story
September 3, 2018
“There was a time when he’d say my name, and just like that, I’d give him anything he wanted.”
I should state that I didn’t know that this wasn’t a standalone. I honestly just saw that Anna Todd was coming out with a new book and wanted to read it! If ya’ll could have seen my face when I reached the end of the book and realized that the ending was a cliffhanger, you would have laughed at me!
Our two main characters are Kael and Karina. Kael was a soldier who has just gotten home. He doesn’t really talk much and Karina notices something about him. Something that makes her want to get to know him. Karina is a massage therapist that’s trying to distance herself from her army father and his new wife.
For the most part, I did like our main character Karina. I related to her in a way that felt like home. The way she deals with things and her thought process felt really familiar to mine. Does that make me a mess? hell yeah, it does.
“I’ve always been good at pretending the world isn’t burning around me”
The chemistry between these two was there but it was always something there that made it seem like the author was holding back. Also, I’m still a little confused about the timeline! Did they know each other for 2 weeks for longer?
In this book, we have two people helping each other heal while falling in love along with family drama and some secrets that come to light.
This ends on a cliffhanger that could almost be considered brutal. Like I said before, I was unaware that this wasn’t a standalone. So while it wasn’t an absolute favorite of mine, I will still be reading the next book because I need to know what happens next!
** ARC provided for an honest review. Quotes were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter
I should state that I didn’t know that this wasn’t a standalone. I honestly just saw that Anna Todd was coming out with a new book and wanted to read it! If ya’ll could have seen my face when I reached the end of the book and realized that the ending was a cliffhanger, you would have laughed at me!
Our two main characters are Kael and Karina. Kael was a soldier who has just gotten home. He doesn’t really talk much and Karina notices something about him. Something that makes her want to get to know him. Karina is a massage therapist that’s trying to distance herself from her army father and his new wife.
For the most part, I did like our main character Karina. I related to her in a way that felt like home. The way she deals with things and her thought process felt really familiar to mine. Does that make me a mess? hell yeah, it does.
“I’ve always been good at pretending the world isn’t burning around me”
The chemistry between these two was there but it was always something there that made it seem like the author was holding back. Also, I’m still a little confused about the timeline! Did they know each other for 2 weeks for longer?
In this book, we have two people helping each other heal while falling in love along with family drama and some secrets that come to light.
This ends on a cliffhanger that could almost be considered brutal. Like I said before, I was unaware that this wasn’t a standalone. So while it wasn’t an absolute favorite of mine, I will still be reading the next book because I need to know what happens next!
** ARC provided for an honest review. Quotes were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter
September 10, 2018
Das erste Kapitel findet im Jahr 2019 statt. Danach geht's zurück nach 2017. Karina ist 20 Jahre alt. Sie ist gerade von zu Hause ausgezogen. Zu Hause war das Haus ihres Vaters und der Stiefmutter. Jetzt lebt sie mehr oder weniger glücklich ihr eigenes Leben und arbeitet in einem Massage-Salon.
Kael.
Er ist gerade aus Afghanistan zurück und braucht ganz dringend eine Massage für seine ledierten Muskeln. Nicht dass er irgend etwas davon Karina erzählt hätte .... Kael ist nicht unbedingt der grösste Redner. ☺
Aber er ist ein Kumpel des Mannes von Karinas bester Freundin und Mitbewohnerin ... und es sieht so aus als würde er heute Nacht bei den Mädels nächtigen.
Der neue Kerl und die neuen Gefühle sind leider nicht das einzig aufregende in Karinas Leben.
Ihre Familie ist ein ganz klein wenig kompliziert und anstrengend ... und Kaels Militär-Vergangenheit und Gegenwart und die damit verbundenen Geheimnisse müssen auch verarbeitet werden.
Was wird passieren mit Karina & Kael?
Wird es ein Happy End geben???
KAUF DIR DAS BUCH UM ES HERAUSZUFINDEN!
Bzw. werden wir es noch lange nicht herausfinden, da es noch 2 weitere Bücher geben wird! ☺
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Ich kann mich noch erinnern als Anna das erste Kapitel auf Wattpad gepostet hat. Ich habs damals gelesen und geliebt - obwohl ich Wattpad hasse! Aber das wollte ich unbedingt lesen und es war wirklich ein tolles erstes Ausschnittchen - aber weiter hatte ich dann nicht gelesen - ich wollte auf das Buch warten.
Und hier ist jetzt endlich das 1. Buch!!!!
YIPPIIIIEE!!!
Ich fands echt super!
Wir haben diese irgendwie herzergreifende und traurige und langsame Stimmung das ganze Buch lang. Aber dann haben wir auch mega-süsse und goldige lächel-Momente von Karina und Kael. Ich fand die zwei einfach goldig. Selbst wenn einem nichts an dem Buch gefällt, man muss einfach weiterlesen nur um Kael lächeln zu sehen - oder zumindest den Hauch eines Lächelns zu sehen. ☺
Karina braucht ewig bis sie überhaupt ein Wort aus dem Kerl rauskriegt. Er ist mehr so ein stiller Denker. Aber ihn stört es überhaupt nicht, dass sie so viel redet. Non Stop! Herzallerliebst!
Natürlich wissen wir schnell, dass hinter Kaels Schweigen einiges an Problemen und Erinnerungen aus dem Krieg stecken. Er redet gar nicht über all das. Auch über so ziemlich nichts anderes redet er eigentlich. Obwohl wir doch ALLLLESSS von ihm wissen wollen!
Ich fand die Unterhaltungen von Karina und Kael so toll! Sie redet - er hört zu.... und während sie das tun verlieben sie sich langsam in einander ... mit jedem Wort das sie sagt und er nicht sagt.
Es ist alles so sehr süss und goldig ... aber es geht auch alles sehr ans Herz - im negativen Sinn. Weil wir einfach wissen - nach dem 1. Kapitel - dass es für die beiden so bald kein Happy End geben wird!
Die Vergangenheit. Die Familie. Geheimnisse. Die Army. Der Krieg. Gebrochene Herzen. Wir haben keine Ahnung was passieren wird - aber man weiss dass es nicht einfach wird. Nicht für die beiden - und auch nicht für uns....
Es ist auch alles sehr 'nah-an-der-Zeit' - mit dem Militär und Rassismus, etc. - und vor allem ist alles auch dezent aus Annas Leben. Das fand ich auch super.
Wenn ich mich über ein paar Kleinigkeiten beschweren dürfte?
Ich habe das Buch auf Englisch gelesen und kein Mensch, kein Verlag, kein Goodreads, keine Anna hat jemals erwähnt, dass es eine Trilogie werden wird. Das fand ich sehr unnett. Geldmacherei-ig.
Aus Interviews und vom deutschen Verlag wusste ich, dass es drei Bücher werden, aber als englischer Leser der sich nicht so sehr auskennt wie man im Internet recherchiert ... da wär ich echt angepisst wenn ich zu dem Ende komme und es noch nicht fertig ist. Naja gut - in Deutschland wissen wir ja dass es drei Bücher werden. ☺
Dann - der Schreibstil. Irgendwie war der sehr verwirrend hier und da. Es ist schön geschrieben an sich. Aber ab und zu hab ich nicht kapiert was was war. Wer gerade spricht und warum sie von irgendwas erzählt was gestern stattfand und dann aber auf einmal wieder ins Jetzt springt und dann nach morgen ... ich war dezent verwirrt!
Dann ... das Buch war mir zu langsam. Die Beziehung der beiden war irgendwie so langsam und ereignislos für meinen Geschmack. Es blubbert alles so vor sich hin. Als würde man in der Sonne liegen ... neben einem Bächlein und es läuft ganz leise ein John Mayer Song. Ja, ich weiss, ich bin bekloppt! ☺ Aber es passiert irgendwie nix! Noch nicht mal ein Kuss und auf einmal - bam - sind sie zusammen und liegen im Bett? All das in einer Woche und ohne darüber gesprochen zu haben? Seltsam! Naja gut - es werden drei Bücher - da kann sich das ja alles noch entwickeln.
Dann noch was - am Ende
Ich finde, für das englische Buch zumindest, hätte noch mal ein Lektor drüber gehen sollen. Da gehört für meinen Geschmack einiges geändert.
ABER - wie auch immer - ich fand das Buch toll. Ich liebe Karina und Kael und ich kann's kaum erwarten das zweite Buch in die Hände zu kriegen!!! Wobei ich dann wahrscheinlich das erste noch mal lesen muss. #BuchAlzheimer
THE BRIGHTEST STARS war eine wunderschöne, herzergreifende und goldige Love Story!
Eilt zu eurem nächsten Amazon-Händler und kauft euch euren eigenen Kael - der hier gehört mir!!!!
♡
September 12, 2018
3.5 stars
Karina has grown up in a military family. Her father is in the army and her whole life has been spent living on posts all over America. Pretty much everyone she knows is military too. She and her twin brother Austin made a pact to never follow in the career footsteps of their father.
In an effort to cement her independence, Karina has managed to purchase her own home and is doing well in her work as a massage therapist. She has a fractured relationship with her dad and her Tuesday night dinners with him are more than enough time spent in his presence.
When a new customer does a walk in for a massage, Karina struggles to get any conversation out of him. He is obviously military and has recently returned from overseas assignment. After several more appointments she eventually gets to know Kael and after a while Karina develops a huge crush on him but he is a hard person to read. Their friendship is hard work on her side but eventually things to develop into something more. In fact it is Karina’s first time falling in love.
‘I didn’t want to admit it, but I was starting to feel that addictive pull. Addicted. There was no other word for it. His beautiful face. His strong body. His confident voice.’
This book started quite well but then it just kind of fell away. I liked Karina and her quirky, chatty personality but I struggled to feel the connection between her and Kael. I completely understand that the way he was with her is normal behaviour for someone who has recently returned from overseas combat. However, it was hard to figure out that they were actually ‘together’ - it felt kind of forced. I liked how much Kael changed when he was with Karina but then it just kind of ended with things up in the air.
I have mixed emotions about this book and I can’t really figure it out. When I signed up to read an early copy there was no indication that this was part of a series so I had assumed it was a stand alone. This meant that the closer I got to the end of the book the more confused I was about there being enough time to resolve things. The first chapter of this book is set in the future so I guess I was trying to figure out how we were going to get back to that setting.
Karina has grown up in a military family. Her father is in the army and her whole life has been spent living on posts all over America. Pretty much everyone she knows is military too. She and her twin brother Austin made a pact to never follow in the career footsteps of their father.
In an effort to cement her independence, Karina has managed to purchase her own home and is doing well in her work as a massage therapist. She has a fractured relationship with her dad and her Tuesday night dinners with him are more than enough time spent in his presence.
When a new customer does a walk in for a massage, Karina struggles to get any conversation out of him. He is obviously military and has recently returned from overseas assignment. After several more appointments she eventually gets to know Kael and after a while Karina develops a huge crush on him but he is a hard person to read. Their friendship is hard work on her side but eventually things to develop into something more. In fact it is Karina’s first time falling in love.
‘I didn’t want to admit it, but I was starting to feel that addictive pull. Addicted. There was no other word for it. His beautiful face. His strong body. His confident voice.’
This book started quite well but then it just kind of fell away. I liked Karina and her quirky, chatty personality but I struggled to feel the connection between her and Kael. I completely understand that the way he was with her is normal behaviour for someone who has recently returned from overseas combat. However, it was hard to figure out that they were actually ‘together’ - it felt kind of forced. I liked how much Kael changed when he was with Karina but then it just kind of ended with things up in the air.
I have mixed emotions about this book and I can’t really figure it out. When I signed up to read an early copy there was no indication that this was part of a series so I had assumed it was a stand alone. This meant that the closer I got to the end of the book the more confused I was about there being enough time to resolve things. The first chapter of this book is set in the future so I guess I was trying to figure out how we were going to get back to that setting.
July 1, 2019
Deși este o poveste plină de mister, cu multe probleme de actualitate, cărții i-a lipsit totuși, ceva. Cumva a fost statică și unilaterală. Nu a transmis emoțiile așa cum m-aș fi așteptat. Ca și scriitură, trebuie să recunosc că este mai matură, mai bine ancorată. Aș fi vrut să fie ceva mai detaliată povestea. Sper ca următorul volum să îmi lămurească anumite aspecte.
November 24, 2018
5/5⭐️
Los personajes me han gustado bastante. Karina es una joven con una autoestima regular, pero que lucha por su independencia. Y Kael es un soldado que acaba de volver del frente y que se muestra reservado con todo el mundo. La historia nos cuenta cómo se conocen y cómo empiezan a sentir atracción el uno por el otro. No es amor al instante, aunque sí se desarrolla en un periodo muy corto de tiempo. Hasta que todo estalla y el libro se acaba, dejándonos con mil preguntas y ni una sola respuesta. Con ganas de leer el siguiente.🥰💛
Los personajes me han gustado bastante. Karina es una joven con una autoestima regular, pero que lucha por su independencia. Y Kael es un soldado que acaba de volver del frente y que se muestra reservado con todo el mundo. La historia nos cuenta cómo se conocen y cómo empiezan a sentir atracción el uno por el otro. No es amor al instante, aunque sí se desarrolla en un periodo muy corto de tiempo. Hasta que todo estalla y el libro se acaba, dejándonos con mil preguntas y ni una sola respuesta. Con ganas de leer el siguiente.🥰💛
October 18, 2018
2,5⭐️
Tiene capítulos cortos que hacen que te enganches pronto y se lea rápido. La historia me ha gustado, una chica con su pasado y un chico misterioso. Pero me ha parecido Tan misterioso que... no, no me ha convencido. Han habido momentos que me ha emocionado, pero luego han habido otros que me he perdido. Es la primera vez que leo algo de la autora y no me ha acabado de convencer del todo. Estoy algo confusa con mi opinión sobre este libro, porque había momentos que me gustaba y disfrutaba, y otros que no entendía nada de la historia ni del comportamiento de los personajes. Lo pensaré más y haré la reseña en el canal.
Tiene capítulos cortos que hacen que te enganches pronto y se lea rápido. La historia me ha gustado, una chica con su pasado y un chico misterioso. Pero me ha parecido Tan misterioso que... no, no me ha convencido. Han habido momentos que me ha emocionado, pero luego han habido otros que me he perdido. Es la primera vez que leo algo de la autora y no me ha acabado de convencer del todo. Estoy algo confusa con mi opinión sobre este libro, porque había momentos que me gustaba y disfrutaba, y otros que no entendía nada de la historia ni del comportamiento de los personajes. Lo pensaré más y haré la reseña en el canal.
June 6, 2023
FOREWORD
I have read this book in 2018 when Anna first released it. I liked it, but it was a bit boring and silly. But I really wanted to read the next books because I hate not finishing things - and I loved Kael. But then she never released the next two books in the series - due to depression or anxiety or stress or fear-of-not-having-written-the-story-she-wanted or whatever personal reasons. Which is totally understandable, but still sucks for readers. So I was happy to see that the series was getting a new look and here we go. I will leave my old review in here ↓ for you to read, since I don't think much will have changed in the story. But I will write a new one once I'm done reading!
What I already don't like much is the cover. The old one was soo pretty with the stars and stuff. The new one looks like Scully and Mulder are about to drive down that road. So weird. There are no aliens and dark country roads in this story.
And I also am still very worried that Anna won't have books 2+3 done yet and we'll have to wait another few years - which I would hate! I hate that so much. If I were an author - I would write all the books in my trilogy and then I would release the first one. Not a second sooner!
Okay. I'm back now after finishing the book.
Anna says that she changed a lot and that 30k new words were written... I didn't really see that. Could be because I was fast-forwarding a lot. I sometimes just couldn't read all the thoughts and inner monologue passages, so I only read the conversations. The book is still way too slow and full of nothing. It's just ... nothing and that repeats itself constantly. Walking to work. Everyday. Telling us every few pages that she has to be at work at 11 am. Walking back home. Talking about her house. Talking with Elodie - which is also stupid. What is she doing there? I like her but she doesn't need to be in the book like that. Talking with Kael. Falling for him. Not wanting to fall. Worrying about the brother. Not seeing that he has bigger problems. Daddy issues. Et etera.
The idea is there. It could be so great. This young, brave, smart, strong twenty year old girl with her dream job and her own house and maybe doing some fun HGTV stuff, building a great life. Meeting this hot, silent, mystery army guy. But nothing happens. And it's all so immature with her constant sorrys and daddy issues. Just don't go to the tuesday dinners. Why did she buy a house in his town anyway? Ugh. It's all so therapy-session-worthy-ish.
I don't know. I love Kael. But Karina really needs lots of therapy and time to grow up some more. She's not ready for that happily ever after yet. And that's why we get three books. And I hate that. First I hate waiting - which is just horrible with my bookalzheimers. And then I just wish that Anna would've put this whole story into one huge book or maybe a duet. But three books? Ugh. What has to happen to our darlings until they get that happy end?
Three books is just too much.
When a book doesn't have at least one scene where I say awww or where I laugh about things ... I don't know. I want to love this, but I just can't. Maybe once I'm done with all three books I will be in love with everything and everyone.
Also - now that I think about. We get this prologue and then the book ends without getting back to that at all. That is weird. Yes, we get more books, but shouldn't a prologue of one book be finished in that book too?? I think so. Hm.
Okidoki - that was it. Now follows my old review - which is a lot more positive. But my reading likes and dislikes have changed a lot in four years. LOL! And back then I got a really really pretty box from the publisher with the book and goodies and fairy lights and whatnot... so maybe that influenced my review a tiny bit towards a more positive opinion? I don't like to think so, but maybe it did. 🤷♀️
Don't let me scare you away from reading this book - it's still a great Anna Todd romance - we just have to wait a while for that happy end!
MY OLD REVIEW FOR THE BRIGHTEST STARS 2018:
After a chapter in 2019, we go back to 2017. Karina is 20 years old. She's just left home - her dad and new step-mom's place - a little while ago, and now she's more or less happily living her life and working at a massage place.
Enter Kael. He's just back from Afghanistan today and he needs a massage real bad. Not that he said any of that to Karina. He's not what you might call a talker.☺
But he's a buddy of Karina's roomie's husband - so he's staying at their place for the night ...
The new guy in her life is unfortunately not the only exciting thing Karina has to deal with. Her family is a tiny little bit challenging too .... and Kael's military past and present also have to be dealt with.
What will happen with Karina & Kael?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER???
BUY THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
Even though you won't yet find out - book #2 won't be with us until ???! ☹
══════════════════
I remember way back when Anna posted the first Chapter on Wattpad - I read it, even though I hate Wattpad. But I just had to read it after all her teasing about it. And I remember loving it!
I didn't read any more on Wattpad, I stayed strong and now I finally have the book!
AND I LOVED IT!
It has this slow and sad and heartbreaking mood throughout. But we also see some adorable smiley moments from Karina and Kael. I just adored those two. I had to keep on reading just to see Kael smile! LOL!
It takes Karina ages until she even gets a word out of Kael. He's a silent thinker. But he doesn't mind her talking. Non stop. Adorable.
But of course we just know that there's a lot of baggage behind Kael's silence. He doesn't talk about 'work' - about the war. And he doesn't share much about anything else. And we just want to know allll the things about him.
I loved Kael and Karina's conversations. She talks, he listens ... and I think that they're both falling in love a little bit more with every word she says and he doesn't.
It's all really sweet ... but also very heartbreaking, because we know by reading the first chapter, that there won't be a happy end for those two anytime soon. The past. Family. Secrets. Military. War. Heartbreak? No idea what will happen - but I just know that it won't be easy for them or us ....
If I had to complain about a little thing... I'm writing this while still reading the book - I'm only halfway through it now. And I have no idea how it will end... BUT. What I do know is that there will be three books in this series!!!!! And NOWHERE on amazon or goodreads, does it say so. I only know because the german publisher already has all three books/covers up on their website and on amazon ... Book 2 will be out 2020 and book 3 in 2021. WHAT???? I will be so mad if there will be a cliffhanger and nobody told us about this being a series! I'm still living with the problably very false hope that the three german books are just one book cut into three shorter parts.
Back now after finishing - and yup. Cliffy. Not a realllly bad one - nobody got shot or anything, but it's so not finished. And I'm tempted to almost call it borderline criminal what Anna and the publisher did. Not telling people they're not buying a standalone, but book #1 in a trilogy? Not nice at all, because I wouldn't have bought the book if I had known. I'm one of those readers who has to read a series once all books are out. (#Booksalzheimers!) That's obviously why they did it, to make more money. Not ok! I know Anna is busy with the movies and all that - but then just DON'T do another series yet if you know you won't be able to deliver the sequels on time.
Another tiny little thing. The writing. While very beautiful at times. Sometimes it's very confuzzling. Anna jumps through the days so weirdly. Something happens and then Karina's walking home and tells about what happened last night and suddenly it's a while later and she's telling us about another thing. I was really confused at times.
And sometimes I didn't know who was talking.
And the slowness of the whole book - the relationship.... it was a bit too slow and uneventful for my tastes. It all just blubbers along so slowly and silently. Like lying in the sun next to a little creek with a bit of a slow John Mayer song softly playing in the background. I know, I'm weird.
Nothing happens almost all through the book, not even a kiss, and then suddenly they're dating and lying in bed? And it all happens within a week. It's so very weird. Which is making more sense, now that I know there will be three books about K+K.
And then the thing, the secret, the 'lying'? I didn't think it was all that bad? Karina mega-exaggerated about the whole thing. But...they're all only 20 years old. So they're allowed to react immature.
Maybe another editor should've gone over the book again. There were some things that a really good editor would've changed.
BUT - still - even though this book and the people responsible made me mad in the end - I still loved Kael and Karina so very much! And I can't wait to read the second book - even though I might have to read this one again to remember what happened - I HATE THAT! ☺
THE BRIGHTEST STARS was such a heartbreakingly beautiful & funny & moving & mysterious & exciting & adorable military & coming-of-age love story dramance! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Kael - this one is MINE!!
💜
💜
I have read this book in 2018 when Anna first released it. I liked it, but it was a bit boring and silly. But I really wanted to read the next books because I hate not finishing things - and I loved Kael. But then she never released the next two books in the series - due to depression or anxiety or stress or fear-of-not-having-written-the-story-she-wanted or whatever personal reasons. Which is totally understandable, but still sucks for readers. So I was happy to see that the series was getting a new look and here we go. I will leave my old review in here ↓ for you to read, since I don't think much will have changed in the story. But I will write a new one once I'm done reading!
What I already don't like much is the cover. The old one was soo pretty with the stars and stuff. The new one looks like Scully and Mulder are about to drive down that road. So weird. There are no aliens and dark country roads in this story.
And I also am still very worried that Anna won't have books 2+3 done yet and we'll have to wait another few years - which I would hate! I hate that so much. If I were an author - I would write all the books in my trilogy and then I would release the first one. Not a second sooner!
Okay. I'm back now after finishing the book.
Anna says that she changed a lot and that 30k new words were written... I didn't really see that. Could be because I was fast-forwarding a lot. I sometimes just couldn't read all the thoughts and inner monologue passages, so I only read the conversations. The book is still way too slow and full of nothing. It's just ... nothing and that repeats itself constantly. Walking to work. Everyday. Telling us every few pages that she has to be at work at 11 am. Walking back home. Talking about her house. Talking with Elodie - which is also stupid. What is she doing there? I like her but she doesn't need to be in the book like that. Talking with Kael. Falling for him. Not wanting to fall. Worrying about the brother. Not seeing that he has bigger problems. Daddy issues. Et etera.
The idea is there. It could be so great. This young, brave, smart, strong twenty year old girl with her dream job and her own house and maybe doing some fun HGTV stuff, building a great life. Meeting this hot, silent, mystery army guy. But nothing happens. And it's all so immature with her constant sorrys and daddy issues. Just don't go to the tuesday dinners. Why did she buy a house in his town anyway? Ugh. It's all so therapy-session-worthy-ish.
I don't know. I love Kael. But Karina really needs lots of therapy and time to grow up some more. She's not ready for that happily ever after yet. And that's why we get three books. And I hate that. First I hate waiting - which is just horrible with my bookalzheimers. And then I just wish that Anna would've put this whole story into one huge book or maybe a duet. But three books? Ugh. What has to happen to our darlings until they get that happy end?
Three books is just too much.
When a book doesn't have at least one scene where I say awww or where I laugh about things ... I don't know. I want to love this, but I just can't. Maybe once I'm done with all three books I will be in love with everything and everyone.
Also - now that I think about. We get this prologue and then the book ends without getting back to that at all. That is weird. Yes, we get more books, but shouldn't a prologue of one book be finished in that book too?? I think so. Hm.
Okidoki - that was it. Now follows my old review - which is a lot more positive. But my reading likes and dislikes have changed a lot in four years. LOL! And back then I got a really really pretty box from the publisher with the book and goodies and fairy lights and whatnot... so maybe that influenced my review a tiny bit towards a more positive opinion? I don't like to think so, but maybe it did. 🤷♀️
Don't let me scare you away from reading this book - it's still a great Anna Todd romance - we just have to wait a while for that happy end!
MY OLD REVIEW FOR THE BRIGHTEST STARS 2018:
After a chapter in 2019, we go back to 2017. Karina is 20 years old. She's just left home - her dad and new step-mom's place - a little while ago, and now she's more or less happily living her life and working at a massage place.
Enter Kael. He's just back from Afghanistan today and he needs a massage real bad. Not that he said any of that to Karina. He's not what you might call a talker.☺
But he's a buddy of Karina's roomie's husband - so he's staying at their place for the night ...
The new guy in her life is unfortunately not the only exciting thing Karina has to deal with. Her family is a tiny little bit challenging too .... and Kael's military past and present also have to be dealt with.
What will happen with Karina & Kael?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER???
BUY THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
Even though you won't yet find out - book #2 won't be with us until ???! ☹
══════════════════
I remember way back when Anna posted the first Chapter on Wattpad - I read it, even though I hate Wattpad. But I just had to read it after all her teasing about it. And I remember loving it!
I didn't read any more on Wattpad, I stayed strong and now I finally have the book!
AND I LOVED IT!
It has this slow and sad and heartbreaking mood throughout. But we also see some adorable smiley moments from Karina and Kael. I just adored those two. I had to keep on reading just to see Kael smile! LOL!
It takes Karina ages until she even gets a word out of Kael. He's a silent thinker. But he doesn't mind her talking. Non stop. Adorable.
But of course we just know that there's a lot of baggage behind Kael's silence. He doesn't talk about 'work' - about the war. And he doesn't share much about anything else. And we just want to know allll the things about him.
I loved Kael and Karina's conversations. She talks, he listens ... and I think that they're both falling in love a little bit more with every word she says and he doesn't.
It's all really sweet ... but also very heartbreaking, because we know by reading the first chapter, that there won't be a happy end for those two anytime soon. The past. Family. Secrets. Military. War. Heartbreak? No idea what will happen - but I just know that it won't be easy for them or us ....
If I had to complain about a little thing... I'm writing this while still reading the book - I'm only halfway through it now. And I have no idea how it will end... BUT. What I do know is that there will be three books in this series!!!!! And NOWHERE on amazon or goodreads, does it say so. I only know because the german publisher already has all three books/covers up on their website and on amazon ... Book 2 will be out 2020 and book 3 in 2021. WHAT???? I will be so mad if there will be a cliffhanger and nobody told us about this being a series! I'm still living with the problably very false hope that the three german books are just one book cut into three shorter parts.
Back now after finishing - and yup. Cliffy. Not a realllly bad one - nobody got shot or anything, but it's so not finished. And I'm tempted to almost call it borderline criminal what Anna and the publisher did. Not telling people they're not buying a standalone, but book #1 in a trilogy? Not nice at all, because I wouldn't have bought the book if I had known. I'm one of those readers who has to read a series once all books are out. (#Booksalzheimers!) That's obviously why they did it, to make more money. Not ok! I know Anna is busy with the movies and all that - but then just DON'T do another series yet if you know you won't be able to deliver the sequels on time.
Another tiny little thing. The writing. While very beautiful at times. Sometimes it's very confuzzling. Anna jumps through the days so weirdly. Something happens and then Karina's walking home and tells about what happened last night and suddenly it's a while later and she's telling us about another thing. I was really confused at times.
And sometimes I didn't know who was talking.
And the slowness of the whole book - the relationship.... it was a bit too slow and uneventful for my tastes. It all just blubbers along so slowly and silently. Like lying in the sun next to a little creek with a bit of a slow John Mayer song softly playing in the background. I know, I'm weird.
Nothing happens almost all through the book, not even a kiss, and then suddenly they're dating and lying in bed? And it all happens within a week. It's so very weird. Which is making more sense, now that I know there will be three books about K+K.
And then the thing, the secret, the 'lying'? I didn't think it was all that bad? Karina mega-exaggerated about the whole thing. But...they're all only 20 years old. So they're allowed to react immature.
Maybe another editor should've gone over the book again. There were some things that a really good editor would've changed.
BUT - still - even though this book and the people responsible made me mad in the end - I still loved Kael and Karina so very much! And I can't wait to read the second book - even though I might have to read this one again to remember what happened - I HATE THAT! ☺
THE BRIGHTEST STARS was such a heartbreakingly beautiful & funny & moving & mysterious & exciting & adorable military & coming-of-age love story dramance! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Kael - this one is MINE!!
💜
💜
June 21, 2022
First of all, I want to say a thank you to Frayed Pages X Wattpad Books for sending me an early physical copy of this book!! I finished it in a day!!
Now I’ve read Anna’s After series, so I was excited to read something new by her since it’s been years for me!
Starting off I really liked the short chapters, it really had me flying through the book!! The beginning has you beyond interested in finding out why Kael is so quiet and grumpy and you just keep turning the pages to unravel him! It starts of with a flash forward so you get a taste of what it’s like now versus when the book is actually set, which was another thing that kept me going!
Now I will say, it fell a little flat for me. I don’t really know how to describe it other than what I’ve seen others say, which is it was a lot of internal monologue, several chapters of seeming mundane things that didn’t really add to the plot. I wish there was more character development earlier than the last portion of the book. But with that being said, this is book ONE in a trilogy so I have hope that the series just gets better from here !!
I know book ones’ are setting up the story and aren’t always the best, so I will be looking forward to book 2 to see more of Kael and Karina’s story and how they evolve apart and together :)
Thank you again to the publisher and don’t let my review stop you from entering Anna’s new universe !!
Now I’ve read Anna’s After series, so I was excited to read something new by her since it’s been years for me!
Starting off I really liked the short chapters, it really had me flying through the book!! The beginning has you beyond interested in finding out why Kael is so quiet and grumpy and you just keep turning the pages to unravel him! It starts of with a flash forward so you get a taste of what it’s like now versus when the book is actually set, which was another thing that kept me going!
Now I will say, it fell a little flat for me. I don’t really know how to describe it other than what I’ve seen others say, which is it was a lot of internal monologue, several chapters of seeming mundane things that didn’t really add to the plot. I wish there was more character development earlier than the last portion of the book. But with that being said, this is book ONE in a trilogy so I have hope that the series just gets better from here !!
I know book ones’ are setting up the story and aren’t always the best, so I will be looking forward to book 2 to see more of Kael and Karina’s story and how they evolve apart and together :)
Thank you again to the publisher and don’t let my review stop you from entering Anna’s new universe !!
May 26, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy.
As much as I wanted to like this book I felt a little lackluster by my experience reading it. There really wasn’t any overarching plot to tie everything together it was just a lot of little things happening that culminated in broken hearts at the end.
I was underwhelmed by the relationship between Karina and Kael because I felt like they spent most of their time asking each other if they were okay. It’s good to be interested in your partners well being but I need more character bonding and I just didn’t feel that between the two of them. Karina was constantly apologizing (which is her character trait), but after a while it just became tedious. She is a woman who bought her own house, she doesn’t need to apologize for existing to everyone.
I expected more from the characters overall but having read The After Series I should have been prepared for most of the secondary characters to force the story into certain directions and the main characters to be influenced by that. It’s the way the author prefers to write her stories and I should have known that would probably be the case with this one as well.
———
Above is my nicer and more succinct review, below is the more ranty and rambly review filled more with disjointed thoughts.
———
I would like to live in the imaginary world that the author has created where a single income 19 year old can just buy themselves a house no problem. No paying roommates. No nothing. Just buying an house easy peasy. Wouldn’t that just be the dream. (Although I wouldn’t put it past the author to someone make it that the father owns the house and he tricked Karina with it and he pulls it out as a power play in a later book).
Sometimes I feel like the author puts a lot of pressure on her male romantic leads to be mysterious. Kael will make little comments like “I have a lot to earn forgiveness for” or “oh I dated and it was enough to last a lifetime” or the ever dreaded “run away before something worse happens to you.”And sometimes it’s just too much for a 20 year old act this specific way. Instead of him coming across as someone who has serious trauma, both physical and mental, he sounds very melodramatic. He reminds me of a 15 year old who just got dumped and not a sergeant in the military.
My issue with Karina is that she gets really upset with Kael for not telling her stuff that quite frankly isn’t her business. He doesn’t have to tell her about stuff in the military because for all the reader knows it’s all classified information and he can’t tell her. She’s mad that he doesn’t tell her all about Mendoza’s trauma and that he previously knows her dad. She gets so angry about it but let’s be honest, it’s only been maybe a handful of weeks that they have known each other. Not enough to be sharing state secrets let alone him spilling his guts.
I just felt bored reading this. The author writes rather big books where honestly nothing happened. There is no overlying plot at all. It’s just a lot of Karina getting up going to work and falling for Kael without really anything else impacting them except for other peoples drama. This book’s themes reminded me a lot of her previous series. The only thing is these two don’t have the same toxic relationship that Tessa and Hardin did. So thank goodness for that.
Lastly I have compiled a list in the way this book is similar and dissimilar to her other series, “After”.
Some things I’ve noticed that Anna Todd includes in her books:
•Divorced parents
•Tattooed love interests
•Men with brusque behavior
•Parent fixated on appearance of the child
•Very mature FMC
•Bully parent
•Timid female MC
•Characters with mommy & daddy issues
•Instalove
•Big heartbreak at the end of the book
Ways she has improved:
•Acknowledges slut shaming
•MC has been in therapy
•Multicultural couples
•Plus size representation
*Mild Spoilers?*
Also I just have to tack in here saying I really lost respect for the author to throw in that completely unnecessary sexual harassment scene just to get Karina and Kael to engage again. That is an example of the story forcing the characters instead of allowing
the characters to enforce the story. It’s lazy writing.
Truly this book wasn’t bad per-say, just uneventful. Watching 20 year olds get into/break up fight and keeping secrets from each other isn’t my type of story telling. I couldn’t bring myself to care about anyone except Elodie (and I’m sure her relationship with Phillip will be a big part of the next book). At the end I just sat there and thought: “that’s it, that’s the ending?” Needless to say I want impressed with this. I didn’t hate it, I just wanted it to be better. It for someone who enjoys second chance romances and being inundated with military jargon then this book might be appealing.
As much as I wanted to like this book I felt a little lackluster by my experience reading it. There really wasn’t any overarching plot to tie everything together it was just a lot of little things happening that culminated in broken hearts at the end.
I was underwhelmed by the relationship between Karina and Kael because I felt like they spent most of their time asking each other if they were okay. It’s good to be interested in your partners well being but I need more character bonding and I just didn’t feel that between the two of them. Karina was constantly apologizing (which is her character trait), but after a while it just became tedious. She is a woman who bought her own house, she doesn’t need to apologize for existing to everyone.
I expected more from the characters overall but having read The After Series I should have been prepared for most of the secondary characters to force the story into certain directions and the main characters to be influenced by that. It’s the way the author prefers to write her stories and I should have known that would probably be the case with this one as well.
———
Above is my nicer and more succinct review, below is the more ranty and rambly review filled more with disjointed thoughts.
———
I would like to live in the imaginary world that the author has created where a single income 19 year old can just buy themselves a house no problem. No paying roommates. No nothing. Just buying an house easy peasy. Wouldn’t that just be the dream. (Although I wouldn’t put it past the author to someone make it that the father owns the house and he tricked Karina with it and he pulls it out as a power play in a later book).
Sometimes I feel like the author puts a lot of pressure on her male romantic leads to be mysterious. Kael will make little comments like “I have a lot to earn forgiveness for” or “oh I dated and it was enough to last a lifetime” or the ever dreaded “run away before something worse happens to you.”And sometimes it’s just too much for a 20 year old act this specific way. Instead of him coming across as someone who has serious trauma, both physical and mental, he sounds very melodramatic. He reminds me of a 15 year old who just got dumped and not a sergeant in the military.
My issue with Karina is that she gets really upset with Kael for not telling her stuff that quite frankly isn’t her business. He doesn’t have to tell her about stuff in the military because for all the reader knows it’s all classified information and he can’t tell her. She’s mad that he doesn’t tell her all about Mendoza’s trauma and that he previously knows her dad. She gets so angry about it but let’s be honest, it’s only been maybe a handful of weeks that they have known each other. Not enough to be sharing state secrets let alone him spilling his guts.
I just felt bored reading this. The author writes rather big books where honestly nothing happened. There is no overlying plot at all. It’s just a lot of Karina getting up going to work and falling for Kael without really anything else impacting them except for other peoples drama. This book’s themes reminded me a lot of her previous series. The only thing is these two don’t have the same toxic relationship that Tessa and Hardin did. So thank goodness for that.
Lastly I have compiled a list in the way this book is similar and dissimilar to her other series, “After”.
Some things I’ve noticed that Anna Todd includes in her books:
•Divorced parents
•Tattooed love interests
•Men with brusque behavior
•Parent fixated on appearance of the child
•Very mature FMC
•Bully parent
•Timid female MC
•Characters with mommy & daddy issues
•Instalove
•Big heartbreak at the end of the book
Ways she has improved:
•Acknowledges slut shaming
•MC has been in therapy
•Multicultural couples
•Plus size representation
*Mild Spoilers?*
Also I just have to tack in here saying I really lost respect for the author to throw in that completely unnecessary sexual harassment scene just to get Karina and Kael to engage again. That is an example of the story forcing the characters instead of allowing
the characters to enforce the story. It’s lazy writing.
Truly this book wasn’t bad per-say, just uneventful. Watching 20 year olds get into/break up fight and keeping secrets from each other isn’t my type of story telling. I couldn’t bring myself to care about anyone except Elodie (and I’m sure her relationship with Phillip will be a big part of the next book). At the end I just sat there and thought: “that’s it, that’s the ending?” Needless to say I want impressed with this. I didn’t hate it, I just wanted it to be better. It for someone who enjoys second chance romances and being inundated with military jargon then this book might be appealing.
June 4, 2022
I felt like I was handed a first draft manuscript that had been dropped on the ground and had chapters switched or lost. I checked and rechecked the copy of my book looking for the words "proof" or "unedited copy" but found none.
This book was not only full of spelling mistakes (including my biggest pet peeve of using the wrong "there") but the characters didn't make sense, the plot was jumpy, and the sequence of events did not match. One second you're reading about how she's faring the day after an event and the next the author makes you second guess if you had the timing all wrong and it's really been two months since the event in question. The relationship development of the characters was unrealistic and unconvincing. She barely knew the guy and yet her reactions are so over the top you once again wonder if they'd been together longer and you just happened to skip 12 chapters of character development.
The book layout in and of itself was a disaster. Seventy chapters and 301 pages (with this information I am really hoping someone will tell me I got a messed up copy and am missing half the book because really, I am so confused how this even got published) is roughly 4 pages per chapter. These frequent chapter breaks added even more confusion to the flow of the book. They broke up sequences that didn't need a break, or they threw the reader out of the current event into a completely unrelated one making you scratch your head in confusion at what was happening. Plus, the chapter headings took up half a page so in reality the chapters were 3.5 pages long, if even that because the last page would usually only be partially full.
And the ending. Don't even get me started. Since the beginning of the book starts in 2019 and then you jump back into 2017, you expect the book to tie full circle. Instead, after revealing a major plot shift, the book ends. No closure. No resolution. No bringing it full circle. In fact, there were so many loose ends that I keep imagining the author stuffing a bunch of half formed book ideas into an envelope, shipping it off to the publisher where no one read the manuscript, but then plot twist! Some one accidentally slapped a stamp of approval on it assuming that it had been OK'd and then before you know it we have a bunch of fire kindling in book form. As soon as I get home this book is going right in the trash. No one deserves to waste their time on this unedited mush of words.
EDIT: I was talking to a friend about this book and after making up a story on how it got published she said she really hoped that was in my Goodreads review, so here goes:
The author, who has published several books before, was on deadline for a new release. Having suffered writer's block she had nothing to send in, but wanting to show that she was trying, she hastily gathered up a few of her writing prompts and story excerpts of potential writing material for this book and stuffed them in a manila envelope for her publisher. The publisher receives what she believes to be a competed manuscript but upon opening the envelope she is startled by a loud commotion in the hallway causing the envelope to fly from her hands, papers spilling out on the floor. Not realizing a small stack of those papers had ended up under her office bookcase (those pages being our missing ending), she hastily gathers up the spilled sheets and stuffs them back in their envelope knowing she'll need her intern to go through and put the pages back in order. She leaves to handle the commotion in the hallway, running into her intern on the way and hastily telling him to take care of the manila envelope on her desk. So he does. "Take care of" always meant send it on to be printed and that is what he does. The publisher, having received another story from another author doesn't even realize she never got around to The Brightest Stars until the published book appears on her desk for final approval. But even then she doesn't recall reading it. She trusts her previous judgement and doesn't look through it before giving it her OK. Tens, hundreds, or hopefully not thousands of books were printed and distributed. And that was how we got this book.
This book was not only full of spelling mistakes (including my biggest pet peeve of using the wrong "there") but the characters didn't make sense, the plot was jumpy, and the sequence of events did not match. One second you're reading about how she's faring the day after an event and the next the author makes you second guess if you had the timing all wrong and it's really been two months since the event in question. The relationship development of the characters was unrealistic and unconvincing. She barely knew the guy and yet her reactions are so over the top you once again wonder if they'd been together longer and you just happened to skip 12 chapters of character development.
The book layout in and of itself was a disaster. Seventy chapters and 301 pages (with this information I am really hoping someone will tell me I got a messed up copy and am missing half the book because really, I am so confused how this even got published) is roughly 4 pages per chapter. These frequent chapter breaks added even more confusion to the flow of the book. They broke up sequences that didn't need a break, or they threw the reader out of the current event into a completely unrelated one making you scratch your head in confusion at what was happening. Plus, the chapter headings took up half a page so in reality the chapters were 3.5 pages long, if even that because the last page would usually only be partially full.
And the ending. Don't even get me started. Since the beginning of the book starts in 2019 and then you jump back into 2017, you expect the book to tie full circle. Instead, after revealing a major plot shift, the book ends. No closure. No resolution. No bringing it full circle. In fact, there were so many loose ends that I keep imagining the author stuffing a bunch of half formed book ideas into an envelope, shipping it off to the publisher where no one read the manuscript, but then plot twist! Some one accidentally slapped a stamp of approval on it assuming that it had been OK'd and then before you know it we have a bunch of fire kindling in book form. As soon as I get home this book is going right in the trash. No one deserves to waste their time on this unedited mush of words.
EDIT: I was talking to a friend about this book and after making up a story on how it got published she said she really hoped that was in my Goodreads review, so here goes:
The author, who has published several books before, was on deadline for a new release. Having suffered writer's block she had nothing to send in, but wanting to show that she was trying, she hastily gathered up a few of her writing prompts and story excerpts of potential writing material for this book and stuffed them in a manila envelope for her publisher. The publisher receives what she believes to be a competed manuscript but upon opening the envelope she is startled by a loud commotion in the hallway causing the envelope to fly from her hands, papers spilling out on the floor. Not realizing a small stack of those papers had ended up under her office bookcase (those pages being our missing ending), she hastily gathers up the spilled sheets and stuffs them back in their envelope knowing she'll need her intern to go through and put the pages back in order. She leaves to handle the commotion in the hallway, running into her intern on the way and hastily telling him to take care of the manila envelope on her desk. So he does. "Take care of" always meant send it on to be printed and that is what he does. The publisher, having received another story from another author doesn't even realize she never got around to The Brightest Stars until the published book appears on her desk for final approval. But even then she doesn't recall reading it. She trusts her previous judgement and doesn't look through it before giving it her OK. Tens, hundreds, or hopefully not thousands of books were printed and distributed. And that was how we got this book.
December 14, 2018
De todos os livros que já li desta autora, este foi o que menos gostei. Para começar, fala de um tema que não me suscita muito interesse, depois tem uma história que não cativou a minha atenção e um fim que não gostei nada.
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