Review of Starcrossed, by Josephine Angelini

How do you defy destiny?
 
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart. (From GoodReads)

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I don't think it is an understatement when I say that books using Greek mythology as a part of their storyline are a HUGE deal right now. Some utilize the mythology better than others. In a world saturated with these books, Starcrossed rises above the crowd.

Starcrossed got off to an interesting start, but I wasn't quite sure how the story would come together. That caused me to take a while to become fully invested in the book.  But once the story picked up the pace, I was taken on one heck of a ride!

The main character, Helen, has no idea why she has freakishly abnormal traits, why she wakes each morning parched and dirty, or why she tries to kill newcomer Lucas Delos at first glance. As weird as it may seem, I can't express how happy I was that Helen has this reaction to Lucas. Almost every book I read has the heroine feeling love at first sight when she sees the mysterious new guy in town. Every time Helen and Lucas tie it up, the crazy person inside of me cheered. Of course, this violence between the two cannot go on and the explanation as to why they share this violent, visceral reaction to each other is tied to the Fates.

In Starcrossed, the reader is able to go on the journey of discovery with Helen, learning the secrets to her abilities, her heritage and destiny.  As she moves down the path of  awareness, Helen must learn to control her powers while trying to maintain a normal facade with her father and friends.

The book is filled with loads of amazing secondary characters. Lucas' extended family, especially his sister and cousins, help move the story along, as they help Helen understand and embrace what is her's. Helen's best friend, Claire, is a pint-sized powerhouse. She's funny and almost completely unflappable, rolling with the unending "punches" Helen's life brings. The antagonism-turned-flirtation between Claire and Jason, Lucas' cousin, was a particular bright spot in the story.

The twists and turns in Starcrossed are unending. The end of the book left me infuriated and heart-broken. It
"hurt so good". The forces at work against Helen and Lucas are of legendary proportion and seem practically insurmountable. Who can fight fate? Who can fight the gods?

Hopefully, we will get some of the answers when Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) is released May 2012.

On a side note, I am impressed and appreciative of the work Josephine Angelini did involving the Greek mythology in Starcrossed. I am a huge fan of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and loved how she made him and his works part of the story.

*I received Starcrossed via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I also own my own copy of the book.*