Starcrossed

Starcrossed

by Josephine Angelini

Summary

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.

My Review

This book was absolutely amazing! I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to read it at first; it’d been too long since I last read anything related to Greek mythology, but I’m certainly glad that I gave this book a chance. It was especially fun to read because we’d just discussed The Iliad and The Odyssey in school, so I actually understood what the characters were talking about. The novel follows main character Helen Hamilton, who is like a modern-day Helen of Troy. Although she was described to be a bit selfish and insensitive, I felt that her character was really strong. She was not one to deny mistakes, and she willingly accepted any negative traits she may have had. She also acted quite selfless at one point, as she was more than ready to fight despite knowing that she could die. I found it really inspiring, as well, because in spite of the fact that these people were always told that their fates had already been written, they never gave up hope of changing them and forging their own destinies.

Quotes I Like

“I don’t care how hard being together is, nothing is worse than being apart.”

“So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard your choice turns out to be, at least you can find comfort in knowing you're avoiding something even worse.”

“Do you have any idea how late it is? Go to sleep," she scolded as she hurried past him.

"I know, I'm going to bed right now ... Hey! YOU go to sleep," Jerry scolded back, belatedly remembering that he was the parent.”