June 18, 2017

All the Stars Left Behind Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway



All the Stars Left Behind
Author: Ashley Graham
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Description:

Relocating to Arctic Norway would put a freeze on anyone’s social life. For Leda Lindgren, with her crutches and a chip on her shoulder the size of her former Manhattan home, the frozen tundra is just as boring as it sounds. Until she meets her uncle’s gorgeous employee. 

Unfortunately, no matter how smoking hot the guy is, Roar comes with secrets as unnerving as his moving tattoos. And Leda doesn’t trust him. 

Roar shouldn’t be drawn to the moody human girl with eyes that leave him weak in the knees. But when Leda gets shot by one of his enemies and survives, Roar finally understands why he’s drawn to her: Leda is exactly what he was sent to Earth to find. A weapon of immense power capable of saving his planet. 

She just doesn’t know it yet.
All the Stars Left Behind is a new young adult science fiction novel that fans will enjoy. It's the author's debut - which I think showcases her potential and talent. The plot might not be wholly original - there's aspects that I've seen plenty of times before - but the author gives it an unique feel that sets it apart. The story is one of star-crossed lovers that fall for one another but can never (or should never) be together. In this instance, the guy is an alien and the girl is actually a weapon that can save his endangered world. There's an obvious instalove situation between Roar and Leda, the main characters. I'm not a huge fan of instant "love at first sight" - at least not at the extreme. It was really intense between them right from the beginning and doesn't ease up during the story. I have to admit that I didn't like the way their connection started - these situations always make it feel cheesy and unrealistic to me (in any situation). But as I got to know them each better and watched their relationship grow over the course of the story, I got on board. I liked seeing them work together to overcome problems and obstacles, as well as the romance - obviously. I just think it would've worked better (for me, at least) if it hadn't been so immediate and over the top. Just my opinion though - it's nothing against the book.

Another thing worth noting and is always a big deal for me as a reader, was the writing style. I'm a huge fan of the first person point of view for several reasons and I almost always believe that it's the best way to go. Unfortunately for me, the book was written in the third person POV - from alternating perspectives of Roar and Leda. Don't get me wrong - I love that the story is told from both Roar and Leda's POVs. We get to see everything that happens from each of their viewpoints, which is always a great style, in my opinion. I really wish that it had been written in the first person instead. I think I would have connected easier and deeper with each of the main characters if it was done in the first person. My experience would've been much different, most likely better. One thing I love is getting to really know a character on a deeply personal level - it allows me to slip into their world more easily and I can usually identify with the narrator better. Again - this is solely my own opinion and preference - and has nothing to do with the writing or the story. I do recommend this book to fans of YA, science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, and romance.
Ashley Graham was born in Ontario, Canada, and has since lived in five countries. Before writing her first manuscript in 2015, she worked as a clerical assistant, quality assurance officer, chef, and stay-at-home mom/homeschool teacher. When she isn’t writing or reading every book she gets her hands on, Ashley enjoys online window shopping, Netflix binges, and spends way too much time thinking about space travel. ALL THE STARS LEFT BEHIND is her debut novel. 

Author Links:
https://twitter.com/writer_ag
https://www.facebook.com/ashleygrahamya/
http://ashleygrahamya.blogspot.ca/
 









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1 comment:

  1. GinaJune 18, 2017 at 4:21 AM

    Ooh! Sounds rather interesting. I don't often stray into SciFi, even in YA, but it certainly looks good!

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