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Starbound
Space stations, spies, and two very lost kids.
Two days ago, Devon’s family packed up to move to Mars and left all his friends behind. He assumed things couldn’t get any worse.
Yesterday, he was nearly arrested for blasting a hole in a military space station. He definitely assumed things couldn’t get any worse.
Today, he and Melissa are living under the thumb of a CIA agent, rummaging through a dead man’s things, and trying to ignore the corpse across the room.
He was going to have to stop making assumptions, especially since life seemed to enjoy proving him wrong.
Starbound is a near-future space adventure.
Two days ago, Devon’s family packed up to move to Mars and left all his friends behind. He assumed things couldn’t get any worse.
Yesterday, he was nearly arrested for blasting a hole in a military space station. He definitely assumed things couldn’t get any worse.
Today, he and Melissa are living under the thumb of a CIA agent, rummaging through a dead man’s things, and trying to ignore the corpse across the room.
He was going to have to stop making assumptions, especially since life seemed to enjoy proving him wrong.
Starbound is a near-future space adventure.
- GenresScience Fiction
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2019
12 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
John Noble
222 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 11, 2021
The premise of this book is good- two kids thrown together because some external force wants to blow up the space station they're in, and the only person who seems to have answers to their questions is a dangerous woman who keeps a shit ton of weapons in her purse. However, that's about all that I like about this book.
My favorite character was a French girl who was important for literally one chapter, and even then, her English dialogue was awkwardly punctuated by way too many italicized French words. It was okay at first but eventually became unbearable and straight up unrealistic- we get it, she's French. On a few occasions, the French was even incorrect, and even for someone who's been learning French for years, there were points when I had to stop and try to figure out what she was saying.
That's just me nit-picking, though. A bigger issue I had was the casual racism in this book. Devon, the guy, describes two East Asian characters as "Chinese or Vietnamese...Korean, whatever," implying that all of them look the same (this line doesn't even make sense because it's established from the start that Chinese people are the bad guys in this story). These same characters are also described as "oriental" on multiple occasions. As an East Asian person myself, please for the love of God just say East Asian, not oriental. Also, the whole conflict being all these white Americans (the "good guys") vs. Chinese people (the "bad guys") made me extremely uncomfortable. The US is hailed by many as a "mixing pot of cultures," so it would've been easy for the author to incorporate nonwhite "good guy" characters, but instead the book just seems to villainize POC.
Beyond that, the characters were one-dimensional and had no character development, the climax kept dragging, I found it hard to keep reading because there was no reason for me to care about the conflict and I didn't feel attached to the story at all, and there was an awkward, forced romance between the main characters that had both the personalities and chemistry of two rocks.
This book was disappointing mainly because I had such high hopes for it based off of all the positive reviews and found myself gypped. It could've been amazing with more editing, but unfortunately it fell short for me.
My favorite character was a French girl who was important for literally one chapter, and even then, her English dialogue was awkwardly punctuated by way too many italicized French words. It was okay at first but eventually became unbearable and straight up unrealistic- we get it, she's French. On a few occasions, the French was even incorrect, and even for someone who's been learning French for years, there were points when I had to stop and try to figure out what she was saying.
That's just me nit-picking, though. A bigger issue I had was the casual racism in this book. Devon, the guy, describes two East Asian characters as "Chinese or Vietnamese...Korean, whatever," implying that all of them look the same (this line doesn't even make sense because it's established from the start that Chinese people are the bad guys in this story). These same characters are also described as "oriental" on multiple occasions. As an East Asian person myself, please for the love of God just say East Asian, not oriental. Also, the whole conflict being all these white Americans (the "good guys") vs. Chinese people (the "bad guys") made me extremely uncomfortable. The US is hailed by many as a "mixing pot of cultures," so it would've been easy for the author to incorporate nonwhite "good guy" characters, but instead the book just seems to villainize POC.
Beyond that, the characters were one-dimensional and had no character development, the climax kept dragging, I found it hard to keep reading because there was no reason for me to care about the conflict and I didn't feel attached to the story at all, and there was an awkward, forced romance between the main characters that had both the personalities and chemistry of two rocks.
This book was disappointing mainly because I had such high hopes for it based off of all the positive reviews and found myself gypped. It could've been amazing with more editing, but unfortunately it fell short for me.
December 9, 2020
*Note: I received a free copy from the author through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review*
I want to start by saying that I'm not particularly a fan of sci-fi or space adventures. However, I actually quite enjoyed this book. It's well written and edited and is actually very engaging. I found myself not wanting to stop reading, even when I had to. The characters are well designed and there's a good balance of good, bad and ambiguous characters which makes things interesting. The mystery element is well maintained throughout, I was guessing who the culprit was right up until we were told. And the action scenes are so well written I felt almost like I was there watching events unfold. Overall a very good book and I'd be happy to read any future adventures Melissa and Devon find themselves embarking on, if any did ever occur
I want to start by saying that I'm not particularly a fan of sci-fi or space adventures. However, I actually quite enjoyed this book. It's well written and edited and is actually very engaging. I found myself not wanting to stop reading, even when I had to. The characters are well designed and there's a good balance of good, bad and ambiguous characters which makes things interesting. The mystery element is well maintained throughout, I was guessing who the culprit was right up until we were told. And the action scenes are so well written I felt almost like I was there watching events unfold. Overall a very good book and I'd be happy to read any future adventures Melissa and Devon find themselves embarking on, if any did ever occur
June 27, 2021
When I first started reading this book, I have to admit, it didn't really grip me. I found the head hopping distracting, and there were grammatical issues with it too. That being said, I soon got caught up in the story, and, if you enjoy YA sci fi, this is rollicking good read that will keep you entertained for an afternoon.
Here are my in-depth comments. Bear in mind, even if these sound critical, I actually enjoyed the story.
Narrative Style
I'm not really sure how to describe this narrative style. I think it was going for third person limited, since when you're in one character's head, you don't know what's happening with other characters, but there was a lot of head hopping involved. You would start a scene in Devon's head, and then, all of a sudden, you would be in Melissa's. Towards the end of the novel, you get POV chapters with Kristina and Melissa's dad, to overcome the narrative limitations of third person limited.
The characters
I wasn't super engaged with either Devon or Melissa, but I have to admit, they read as real teenagers (as a high school teacher, I spend a lot of time with kids this age, and the awkwardness is true to life).
Personally, I thought Kristina's character was the most interesting, and I think the story would have been more interesting had more of it been told from her perspective. That being said, there was a certain charm to their uncertainty, and there was one scene where Devon was trying to convince Melissa of something she already believed, which I found quite amusing.
Devon's younger sister Evie existed purely as a plot device. Her only purpose in the story is to lose her necklace and give Devon and Melissa the excuse that they need to be in the sewerage treatment plant at the wrong (right?) time to get the plot started, then she disappears from the narrative.
The introduction of Gabrielle's character read as a bit of deus ex machina. Melissa needed help to rescue Devon - cue bored French girl, offering to help just for a lark. She was present for one chapter, and then she disappears from the narrative entirely until right at the end (sound familiar?).
The kids' parents are not believable. They are introduced one way at the beginning of the novel, and then are attentive/ inattentive according to the needs of the plot. I'm pretty sure if Melissa's dad had been as over protective as he came off in the beginning, she wouldn't have been able to do half the things she did, no matter how much his wife intervened. And the negligences exhibited by Devon's parents is nearly criminal, and I don't believe it.
Plot
Although this plot relies on a few coincidences that stretch plausibility (Devon manages to figure out the code to enter a secure location, he manages to program a shuttle after a few turns in a simulator), it is a good ride, and if you can suspend your disbelief, it will keep you turning pages.
The Writing
The prose for the book was serviceable. As mentioned above, I noticed a few punctuation and grammatical errors throughout, but not enough to make me put the book down.
Other
This book follows the Chekov's gun principle of not introducing something if you're not going to use it later.
In the opening chapter Devon is thinking about his time in the flight simulator (even though no reason is given for why he would be given this opportunity), and at the end of this book, this comes back into play.
At the dinner party, Sophie tells Melissa about a bored teenager diving through space from one airlock to another, and at the end of the book, Melissa and Devon end up doing this to get back to the space station (although it's Devon's idea in this case - I think it would have been better coming from Melissa 1. so she can play some part in the plan, and 2. because she's the one who heard the idea).
In terms of the sci fi genre, I appreciate that this has just the right amount of science. It made the station feel real, without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary detail. I understand the author is an engineer, and I appreciate the time he put into 'doing the math' so this wouldn't completely strain credulity.
* I received a free copy of Starbound through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.
Here are my in-depth comments. Bear in mind, even if these sound critical, I actually enjoyed the story.
Narrative Style
I'm not really sure how to describe this narrative style. I think it was going for third person limited, since when you're in one character's head, you don't know what's happening with other characters, but there was a lot of head hopping involved. You would start a scene in Devon's head, and then, all of a sudden, you would be in Melissa's. Towards the end of the novel, you get POV chapters with Kristina and Melissa's dad, to overcome the narrative limitations of third person limited.
The characters
I wasn't super engaged with either Devon or Melissa, but I have to admit, they read as real teenagers (as a high school teacher, I spend a lot of time with kids this age, and the awkwardness is true to life).
Personally, I thought Kristina's character was the most interesting, and I think the story would have been more interesting had more of it been told from her perspective. That being said, there was a certain charm to their uncertainty, and there was one scene where Devon was trying to convince Melissa of something she already believed, which I found quite amusing.
Devon's younger sister Evie existed purely as a plot device. Her only purpose in the story is to lose her necklace and give Devon and Melissa the excuse that they need to be in the sewerage treatment plant at the wrong (right?) time to get the plot started, then she disappears from the narrative.
The introduction of Gabrielle's character read as a bit of deus ex machina. Melissa needed help to rescue Devon - cue bored French girl, offering to help just for a lark. She was present for one chapter, and then she disappears from the narrative entirely until right at the end (sound familiar?).
The kids' parents are not believable. They are introduced one way at the beginning of the novel, and then are attentive/ inattentive according to the needs of the plot. I'm pretty sure if Melissa's dad had been as over protective as he came off in the beginning, she wouldn't have been able to do half the things she did, no matter how much his wife intervened. And the negligences exhibited by Devon's parents is nearly criminal, and I don't believe it.
Plot
Although this plot relies on a few coincidences that stretch plausibility (Devon manages to figure out the code to enter a secure location, he manages to program a shuttle after a few turns in a simulator), it is a good ride, and if you can suspend your disbelief, it will keep you turning pages.
The Writing
The prose for the book was serviceable. As mentioned above, I noticed a few punctuation and grammatical errors throughout, but not enough to make me put the book down.
Other
This book follows the Chekov's gun principle of not introducing something if you're not going to use it later.
In the opening chapter Devon is thinking about his time in the flight simulator (even though no reason is given for why he would be given this opportunity), and at the end of this book, this comes back into play.
At the dinner party, Sophie tells Melissa about a bored teenager diving through space from one airlock to another, and at the end of the book, Melissa and Devon end up doing this to get back to the space station (although it's Devon's idea in this case - I think it would have been better coming from Melissa 1. so she can play some part in the plan, and 2. because she's the one who heard the idea).
In terms of the sci fi genre, I appreciate that this has just the right amount of science. It made the station feel real, without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary detail. I understand the author is an engineer, and I appreciate the time he put into 'doing the math' so this wouldn't completely strain credulity.
* I received a free copy of Starbound through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2021
I'll start by saying that I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers in exchange for a review.
I enjoyed the concept of this book a lot. Two families travelling to a space station on their way to relocate to a different planet. Space station is attacked and teenagers have to help save the day. Standard YA premise in an interesting environment. The world building is pretty solid. There is enough description of the space station's limitations, gravity differences, and navigation to make this book feel solidly sci-fi without being overwhelming for people who want a casual read. The reasons that the families are making the journey, how the teenagers meet, and why Melissa in particular has her skill set is established in a realistic way that allows for easy suspension of disbelief. The writing style itself makes for a pleasant read and it's not plagued by errors
That said, my biggest complaint is character development. I did appreciate that Melissa was probably the more practical and ultimately useful of the two teenagers and Kristina is a force to be reckoned with - leaning hard on the strong and capable female lead concept - but it left Devon feeling a bit bland and average. There is supposed to be a romantic interest between the teenagers, but if so, it comes on way too quickly and seems forced just to make that a thing in the story. It's kind of awkward in a way that seems strange given the other events going on. The biggest issue with the character development is the lack of development of a villain. The Chinese threat is essentially a nameless, faceless enemy - much like the stereotypical German or Russian threat. There are two additional enemies that are given small glimpses of personality, but not much. I guess an enemy in plain sight type deal. But I much prefer an enemy that feels more present and is either completely hateable from the outset or is semi-sympathetic.
All in all, the plot was definitely interesting enough to keep me reading and I did enjoy it.
I enjoyed the concept of this book a lot. Two families travelling to a space station on their way to relocate to a different planet. Space station is attacked and teenagers have to help save the day. Standard YA premise in an interesting environment. The world building is pretty solid. There is enough description of the space station's limitations, gravity differences, and navigation to make this book feel solidly sci-fi without being overwhelming for people who want a casual read. The reasons that the families are making the journey, how the teenagers meet, and why Melissa in particular has her skill set is established in a realistic way that allows for easy suspension of disbelief. The writing style itself makes for a pleasant read and it's not plagued by errors
That said, my biggest complaint is character development. I did appreciate that Melissa was probably the more practical and ultimately useful of the two teenagers and Kristina is a force to be reckoned with - leaning hard on the strong and capable female lead concept - but it left Devon feeling a bit bland and average. There is supposed to be a romantic interest between the teenagers, but if so, it comes on way too quickly and seems forced just to make that a thing in the story. It's kind of awkward in a way that seems strange given the other events going on. The biggest issue with the character development is the lack of development of a villain. The Chinese threat is essentially a nameless, faceless enemy - much like the stereotypical German or Russian threat. There are two additional enemies that are given small glimpses of personality, but not much. I guess an enemy in plain sight type deal. But I much prefer an enemy that feels more present and is either completely hateable from the outset or is semi-sympathetic.
All in all, the plot was definitely interesting enough to keep me reading and I did enjoy it.
November 8, 2020
Maybe I should begin my review by just saying that I am not really a science fiction fan. My genre of choice is typically fantasy fiction. That said, I actually enjoyed reading Starbound by John Noble. This book is set in space, which is normally where I lose interest. What I loved and what made the difference for me, is that the story frames the characters and the plot. There are a few sci-fi details, but I wasn't inundated with killer robots or bizarre aliens.
These families are on their way to spend a year on Mars as part of some kind of government program. The main characters are typical, American teenagers, who are being forced to relocated to another planet. They are witty and a little bored and ultimately stumble into something that they had no business being in the middle of.
It was a fun read with the added spice of Russian spies and espionage. I liked the characters and the story moved fast enough to keep my interest. Noble didn't make my head spin with technical, sciencey details. He did a good job of writing realistic and relatable characters. I'm not sure how I stumbled into this one, but I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
These families are on their way to spend a year on Mars as part of some kind of government program. The main characters are typical, American teenagers, who are being forced to relocated to another planet. They are witty and a little bored and ultimately stumble into something that they had no business being in the middle of.
It was a fun read with the added spice of Russian spies and espionage. I liked the characters and the story moved fast enough to keep my interest. Noble didn't make my head spin with technical, sciencey details. He did a good job of writing realistic and relatable characters. I'm not sure how I stumbled into this one, but I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
January 6, 2021
Only the first day on a space station and already deep in trouble. Devon and Melissa have no idea what they're in for when they agree to help out a mysterious stranger who saved their lives. But it was their curiosity that almost got them killed in the first place.
Being a teenager isn't easy. Esspecially when you need to save thousands of lives in space from evil terrorists... is that a spoiler... I don't know.
This book is a good read. It's well written and easy to follow. It starts a little slow to introduce the characters properly and then it turns into a read page turner. Each chapter is filled with action and adventure.
Being a teenager isn't easy. Esspecially when you need to save thousands of lives in space from evil terrorists... is that a spoiler... I don't know.
This book is a good read. It's well written and easy to follow. It starts a little slow to introduce the characters properly and then it turns into a read page turner. Each chapter is filled with action and adventure.
June 18, 2020
Fast paced future space adventure
This was a well written and edited novel. The author obviously took pride in his work . Having worked most of my life in the aerospace industry, I can verify that the author took existing technology and built a logical future space adventure. I did not find things improbable. Characters were well developed. Once you begin reading, you will find it hard to put down. Great read for teens and adults.
This was a well written and edited novel. The author obviously took pride in his work . Having worked most of my life in the aerospace industry, I can verify that the author took existing technology and built a logical future space adventure. I did not find things improbable. Characters were well developed. Once you begin reading, you will find it hard to put down. Great read for teens and adults.
October 16, 2020
This science fiction story was very good. It was extremely interesting and well written. I was fond of the interactions between the family and the structure they have. This was a great space adventure! It actually made me wonder how the future will turn out to be. The fight scenes were very exciting and I enjoyed the characters a lot. The author did a fantastic job in creating such a fantastic story.
July 30, 2021
Even though I'm much older than the average YA reader I really enjoyed this story. What's not to like about it? If you want to indulge in an alternative reality for a while, where teens are the heroes, then this is the book for you.
I recommend this to anyone who wants a sci-fi adventure that is easy to read and who can let their imagination go along for the ride.
My only complaint.....there was no award ceremony for our two young heroes.
I recommend this to anyone who wants a sci-fi adventure that is easy to read and who can let their imagination go along for the ride.
My only complaint.....there was no award ceremony for our two young heroes.
November 6, 2020
What a rollercoaster, don’t pick up this book until you have time to not put it down. It is a great read from beginning to end. I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to add spoilers but if you like books with adventure, espionage, teenage angst and family relationships. Oh and space travel this is a book for you, oops I said more....
December 25, 2020
Enthralling YA sci fi adventure
The world building is excellent, the characters are likeable and believable, and the story kept me up until 3am. But the body count is very high with some graphic violence. There are laugh-out-loud moments as well. I enjoyed the book and look forward to Persephone 2.
The world building is excellent, the characters are likeable and believable, and the story kept me up until 3am. But the body count is very high with some graphic violence. There are laugh-out-loud moments as well. I enjoyed the book and look forward to Persephone 2.
July 23, 2021
After having to say goodbye to all his friends in school and to planet earth Devon does not believe that things could get any worse. Devon is wrong!! This is a great story one of hope friendship and laughter. I can recommend this book to anyone who loves using their imagination. I received this free copy from Voracious Readers Only.
September 12, 2020
As a fan of sci-fi, this story had me hooked from the beginning. Space.... murder mystery.... teen angst.... fans of Stranger Things will enjoy the characters and humor. Looking forward to more adventures!
June 21, 2021
I got this book free from Voracious Readers Only. The book was meh for me. Between the constant grammar mistakes (which are a major pet peeve of mine) and the okay story line the book stays midrange for me. The plot was okay, but I feel like the book contacted a lot of useless parts at times.
December 28, 2020
Good book
Great book,really liked the characters, story was good, can't wait for a second book, no mistakes that I could find
Great book,really liked the characters, story was good, can't wait for a second book, no mistakes that I could find
March 6, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It was YA but not whiney at all. I don't know if the science was accurate, but the story was enjoyable and the main characters were interesting people.
March 23, 2021
Started off kind of slow and then things picked up real quick. Did not know what was going to happen next, which was fun.
March 28, 2021
This is such a wonderful read about adventures in space. Once you start it you will be unable to stop reading until the last page
May 8, 2021
Straight Read
Really enjoyed the plot and got hooked quickly. I could picture the trouble having often been in trouble with my parents.
Really enjoyed the plot and got hooked quickly. I could picture the trouble having often been in trouble with my parents.
January 18, 2024
Terrorist are threatening, but who is who? Will the station survive? Borrow using Kindle unlimited on January 17, 2024. 2nd book in series.
July 19, 2021
Think murder mystery filled with teen angst that is set in space… What better set up can you get than that? This book should honestly be a tv show. I’d promote the heck out of it. So glad I found a new author in John Noble! I appreciate him giving me a chance to read Starbound in exchange for an honest review through Voracious Readers.
April 30, 2020
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. The plot was original and the pace of the book was excellent. I couldn't put it down.
The dialogue was well written & there was plenty of intrigue & action. I thoroughly enjoyed it & I hope he writes another book, making it into a series.
I absolutely loved this book. The plot was original and the pace of the book was excellent. I couldn't put it down.
The dialogue was well written & there was plenty of intrigue & action. I thoroughly enjoyed it & I hope he writes another book, making it into a series.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews