Review: Entertaining and fast paced dystopian with a winning protagonist
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 12, 2012
I was asked by the author to read this book in exchange for an honest review.Bright Star by Nickie Anderson is about Sadira, who watches her genius father, take off in a spaceship that then loses control and crashes. He is presumed dead. Sadira meets another young soldier whose brother was lost in the crash, and together, they realize there is more going on than meets the eye. These two journey across desert sand and harrowing dangers to try to find their loved ones as well as piece together a mystery that just seems to get more confusing as they learn more and more.I don't want to give away more than that, because finding out the book's secrets is part of the fun. I loved the world building-- I could taste the sand from the setting. Everything is so gritty and dry, and Anderson does a great job giving the prose that feel. Sadira is a great protagonist-- smart, resourceful, but yet scared-- a perfect combination of strong traits yet growth that needs to happen. My other favorite character has to be her nutty professor friend who helps her piece together the puzzle. The plot had plenty of twists and I was entertained from start to finish.I do wish there were a bit more world building in the sense of I'm not sure why the society is the way it is-- perhaps more will be revealed in the next installment as Sadira learns more. Also, I felt that one particular character became rather two dimensional-- but again, maybe we will learn more in the second book.Overall, a fast paced, imaginative dystopian with a winning protagonist. I'm eager to see what Anderson has up her sleeve!