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Fallen Star #1
The Fallen Star
For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she’s around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life.
But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.
But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2011
About the author
Jessica Sorensen
397 books20.2k followersJessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,692 reviews
September 12, 2011
As you can very well see
I haven't even finished the book yet.
But I can't hold back what I have to say about this book any longer.
I'm so glad I finally remembered how to put pictures on html sites! Yay me! I'm going to get picture happy now!
The Fallen Star is Twilight's (quoting myself from an earlier comment) drunk and sloppy cousin. I really don't think that I can actually finish this book, but damn it I am going to try my hardest! There is a shit ton of similarities between the two books.
Let's see. These will have to be hidden by spoiler tags...poo...but for those of you who aren't really interested in the book, these aren't really all that revealing.
1.
2.
3.
4.
These are the only ones I have picked up so far. I'm sure there is more to come. OOOOOh yes I completely forgot!
5.
6.
My goodness...this list could go on and on and on and on and on.....you get the point. And I am ONLY 30 pages into this book.
Now I have an issue with whiny, sniveling, barely useful, wimpy freaking female leads. This chick has the exact makings of a person who could severely piss me off.
Now don't get me wrong. I loved the first book in Twilight. I even liked the second one. I was one of those girls who was falling and tripping all over themselves to try and get a copy of the next Twilight book. But I had a problem with Bella, I had a problem with Edward. I hated their relationship and I hated Bella's "helplessness" and Edward's "woe is me" attitude, but I really just couldn't help myself when I fell in love with the story. Bella was annoying at best.
Gemma is worse than Bella. She jumped right over annoying and landed right into infuriating territory. I have no idea what the hell she's talking about half the time, because half of this book just doesn't make sense. There is a whole dumpster truck full of missing information on this book. For instance, I have no idea what she looks like, what anyone else looks like, or for that matter what anything around her looks like. There is NO (and I really do mean NONE) detail in this book.
None, zilch, zip, nada, zero.
I can't seem to get past the fact that the only thing the author seems adamant on focusing on, is how obsessed Gemma is with Alex and vice versa. Who the fruck cares? Tell me about the town she lives in! Tell me about what she looks like! Tell me what Alex looks like and Ailsin and Sophia and Marco. There is NO background on any of the characters! Get on with the damn story instead of focusing on Alex and Gemma so much! What happened to this book? How did it get past the publisher?
The I-hyphenate-everything-because-I-don't-know-what-I'm-talking-about is confusing and annoying and if I'm forced to read one more G.D. sentence with a hyphenated phrase I will go ballistic. And then there is the author's inability to use ADVERBS properly. Here is a sentence that just stuck out and made me clench my jaws until I felt like my teeth were cracking.
I am not shitting you. My eyes almost started bleeding when I saw this. I literally stared at this sentence for about five minutes wondering how in the hell the author could have miss this eye sore. Ugh.
Then there is the repetition of every word that the author wants to emphasize. Example: She was very, very hungry. I can think of at least two different words that have the same meaning as very very hungry: Famished and ravenous come to mind. I mean really...how hard is it to use dictionary.com? It's freakin free!
Then there is the annoying habit of Alex talking about shit that Gemma likes that the reader had no clue that Gemma liked it until Alex brought it up! Who the hell? How does Alex know that Gemma is interested in the supernatural world when the author didn't even bother to mention it to the reader? What, what, what what what what what on earth is going on?????
The dialogue kills me! I practically have to touch my eyeballs to keep them from rolling around in my head. How corny can you be? This is not how a normal conversation is carried out! And the way that Gemma "stands up" to people is ridiculous!!
REALLY?
Is she supposed to be mad? Scared? Intimidated? Furious? Is she spitting it out like a cobra shoots venom from it's fangs? GIVE me something? But no. We get the weak response of "what the heck is your problem". And really the girl that's taunting Gemma is only giving her dirty looks. Grow up and get over it chicky. People will be giving you dirty looks for the rest of your life. This is just practice!
And if I have read about how obsessed Gemma is with Alex one more fruckering time...I am going to spew green Exorcist chunks all over this book and then toss it into the trash. I'm not all that empathetic when it comes to other people's love issues. I apologize for being an icy queen bitch, in advance. Love stories really just don't interest me all that much. If there is a love story intertwined with something good like say, action and adventure, or horror and suspense, then hell yea I'm on board.
I have a friend that said she was going to stop coming to me for relationship advice because I wasn't very sympathetic when it came to her issues. I told her that if she stopped cheating on him then maybe things would get better. I haven't heard a thing about her or her boyfriend since. haha...
But this crap, this "OMG I can't get him out of my head because he's SO HOT" shit is just plain disgusting. I think YA has gotten into the habit of sending the wrong message to kids. Since when is it ok to tell kids to "fall in love" with people because of their looks?
Let's see: Bella fell for Edward instead of Jacob, Clary fell for Jace instead of Simon...I drew a blank...but you see where I'm going with this right? Why is it OK for a girl to fall for a guy simply because of his looks? Simon would have given Clary the WORLD if she had asked for it! Jace treats Clary like shit. (City of Bones by Cassandra Clare) If I were Clary I would have totally gone for Simon.
Thank goodness I only paid $2.99 for this book. I would have DEMANDED Amazon.com give me back my money. I'm just going to delete this book from my Kindle and forget I ever thought about trying my best to finish it.
This is me not being a happy camper right now.
I haven't even finished the book yet.
But I can't hold back what I have to say about this book any longer.
I'm so glad I finally remembered how to put pictures on html sites! Yay me! I'm going to get picture happy now!
The Fallen Star is Twilight's (quoting myself from an earlier comment) drunk and sloppy cousin. I really don't think that I can actually finish this book, but damn it I am going to try my hardest! There is a shit ton of similarities between the two books.
Let's see. These will have to be hidden by spoiler tags...poo...but for those of you who aren't really interested in the book, these aren't really all that revealing.
1.
2.
3.
4.
These are the only ones I have picked up so far. I'm sure there is more to come. OOOOOh yes I completely forgot!
5.
6.
My goodness...this list could go on and on and on and on and on.....you get the point. And I am ONLY 30 pages into this book.
Now I have an issue with whiny, sniveling, barely useful, wimpy freaking female leads. This chick has the exact makings of a person who could severely piss me off.
Now don't get me wrong. I loved the first book in Twilight. I even liked the second one. I was one of those girls who was falling and tripping all over themselves to try and get a copy of the next Twilight book. But I had a problem with Bella, I had a problem with Edward. I hated their relationship and I hated Bella's "helplessness" and Edward's "woe is me" attitude, but I really just couldn't help myself when I fell in love with the story. Bella was annoying at best.
Gemma is worse than Bella. She jumped right over annoying and landed right into infuriating territory. I have no idea what the hell she's talking about half the time, because half of this book just doesn't make sense. There is a whole dumpster truck full of missing information on this book. For instance, I have no idea what she looks like, what anyone else looks like, or for that matter what anything around her looks like. There is NO (and I really do mean NONE) detail in this book.
None, zilch, zip, nada, zero.
I can't seem to get past the fact that the only thing the author seems adamant on focusing on, is how obsessed Gemma is with Alex and vice versa. Who the fruck cares? Tell me about the town she lives in! Tell me about what she looks like! Tell me what Alex looks like and Ailsin and Sophia and Marco. There is NO background on any of the characters! Get on with the damn story instead of focusing on Alex and Gemma so much! What happened to this book? How did it get past the publisher?
The I-hyphenate-everything-because-I-don't-know-what-I'm-talking-about is confusing and annoying and if I'm forced to read one more G.D. sentence with a hyphenated phrase I will go ballistic. And then there is the author's inability to use ADVERBS properly. Here is a sentence that just stuck out and made me clench my jaws until I felt like my teeth were cracking.
"She gave Alex an angrily look.
I am not shitting you. My eyes almost started bleeding when I saw this. I literally stared at this sentence for about five minutes wondering how in the hell the author could have miss this eye sore. Ugh.
Then there is the repetition of every word that the author wants to emphasize. Example: She was very, very hungry. I can think of at least two different words that have the same meaning as very very hungry: Famished and ravenous come to mind. I mean really...how hard is it to use dictionary.com? It's freakin free!
Then there is the annoying habit of Alex talking about shit that Gemma likes that the reader had no clue that Gemma liked it until Alex brought it up! Who the hell? How does Alex know that Gemma is interested in the supernatural world when the author didn't even bother to mention it to the reader? What, what, what what what what what on earth is going on?????
The dialogue kills me! I practically have to touch my eyeballs to keep them from rolling around in my head. How corny can you be? This is not how a normal conversation is carried out! And the way that Gemma "stands up" to people is ridiculous!!
"'What the heck is your problem?' I ask."
REALLY?
Is she supposed to be mad? Scared? Intimidated? Furious? Is she spitting it out like a cobra shoots venom from it's fangs? GIVE me something? But no. We get the weak response of "what the heck is your problem". And really the girl that's taunting Gemma is only giving her dirty looks. Grow up and get over it chicky. People will be giving you dirty looks for the rest of your life. This is just practice!
And if I have read about how obsessed Gemma is with Alex one more fruckering time...I am going to spew green Exorcist chunks all over this book and then toss it into the trash. I'm not all that empathetic when it comes to other people's love issues. I apologize for being an icy queen bitch, in advance. Love stories really just don't interest me all that much. If there is a love story intertwined with something good like say, action and adventure, or horror and suspense, then hell yea I'm on board.
I have a friend that said she was going to stop coming to me for relationship advice because I wasn't very sympathetic when it came to her issues. I told her that if she stopped cheating on him then maybe things would get better. I haven't heard a thing about her or her boyfriend since. haha...
But this crap, this "OMG I can't get him out of my head because he's SO HOT" shit is just plain disgusting. I think YA has gotten into the habit of sending the wrong message to kids. Since when is it ok to tell kids to "fall in love" with people because of their looks?
Let's see: Bella fell for Edward instead of Jacob, Clary fell for Jace instead of Simon...I drew a blank...but you see where I'm going with this right? Why is it OK for a girl to fall for a guy simply because of his looks? Simon would have given Clary the WORLD if she had asked for it! Jace treats Clary like shit. (City of Bones by Cassandra Clare) If I were Clary I would have totally gone for Simon.
Thank goodness I only paid $2.99 for this book. I would have DEMANDED Amazon.com give me back my money. I'm just going to delete this book from my Kindle and forget I ever thought about trying my best to finish it.
This is me not being a happy camper right now.
May 2, 2011
I enjoyed this book so much that it kept me up into the wee hours of the night.
I was intrigued and completely excited to read this book. It started off with a girl Gemma with no feeling and then suddenly she starts having this emotions. That in itself was intriguing because everyone has some sort of emotions right? Right.
Then of course she meets this "strange" Gorgeous guy name Alex who makes her feel all kinds of emotions. Want. Nostalgia. And not to mention that he's hot and treats her like dirt. Before I go any further this is sooooo NOT Twilight. Not in the least.
This is the story of a girl finding out about who and what she really is and along the way there are things "Death Walkers" That do go bump in the night and can kill you. Death by Freeze.
The characters we get introduced to all play major roles in the story. There are some minor ones but they still matter and push the story forward. Gemma doesn't understand why she hasn't been able to feel anything for most of her life, but now that she is feeling she knows exactly what she's been missing out on.
She keeps having the recurring dreams of the strange man with the scar on his face ordering her monsters to slay her, barely escaping the dream when she wakes, only to find that the dream isn't a dream at all but the players and monsters are in fact real.
She feels connected to the stars and can never figure out why until Alex and his sister Aislin come along. Although Alex is part of a secret order of so called protectors against her monsters he hides from her the worst of all secrets. Yet Gemma is still pulled by their connection the two share, but neither understand. Alex being the guy that he is plays on the connection trying to earn her trust. Is he friend or is he foe?
Laylen once part of the same secret society was turned to a vampire and offers some light into her past history... Who she was who her mother was and perhaps all is not what it seems to be. Who exactly can Gemma trust to help her not only fight her demons but to rescue a woman she sees in visions that was pulled into a lake and taken to a prison beneath the earth?
There are so many twists and turns in the story and the ending will leave you wanting more. Sorensen wrote a dark and intriguing book. I went looking for the publisher to request a review copy of the next book when it does come out and found that this was self published by the author herself. Its very well written. Nothing will keep you from turning the page and embarking on the Journey that Gemma goes on.
I recommend this book hands down!
I was intrigued and completely excited to read this book. It started off with a girl Gemma with no feeling and then suddenly she starts having this emotions. That in itself was intriguing because everyone has some sort of emotions right? Right.
Then of course she meets this "strange" Gorgeous guy name Alex who makes her feel all kinds of emotions. Want. Nostalgia. And not to mention that he's hot and treats her like dirt. Before I go any further this is sooooo NOT Twilight. Not in the least.
This is the story of a girl finding out about who and what she really is and along the way there are things "Death Walkers" That do go bump in the night and can kill you. Death by Freeze.
The characters we get introduced to all play major roles in the story. There are some minor ones but they still matter and push the story forward. Gemma doesn't understand why she hasn't been able to feel anything for most of her life, but now that she is feeling she knows exactly what she's been missing out on.
She keeps having the recurring dreams of the strange man with the scar on his face ordering her monsters to slay her, barely escaping the dream when she wakes, only to find that the dream isn't a dream at all but the players and monsters are in fact real.
She feels connected to the stars and can never figure out why until Alex and his sister Aislin come along. Although Alex is part of a secret order of so called protectors against her monsters he hides from her the worst of all secrets. Yet Gemma is still pulled by their connection the two share, but neither understand. Alex being the guy that he is plays on the connection trying to earn her trust. Is he friend or is he foe?
Laylen once part of the same secret society was turned to a vampire and offers some light into her past history... Who she was who her mother was and perhaps all is not what it seems to be. Who exactly can Gemma trust to help her not only fight her demons but to rescue a woman she sees in visions that was pulled into a lake and taken to a prison beneath the earth?
There are so many twists and turns in the story and the ending will leave you wanting more. Sorensen wrote a dark and intriguing book. I went looking for the publisher to request a review copy of the next book when it does come out and found that this was self published by the author herself. Its very well written. Nothing will keep you from turning the page and embarking on the Journey that Gemma goes on.
I recommend this book hands down!
April 15, 2011
GREAT BOOK! At first I was having a hard time getting into the story, but once I did I was hooked! Gemma's life is far from normal. She has no friends, no close family, and lacks any kind of emotion. She passes her time basically being a zombie until one day she feels a prickle. A prickle of emotion...suddenly she feels anger, pain, sadness, and happiness. While trying to decipher her new found emotions she discovers that she and everyone around her are not who they seem. Thrust into a world of Keepers, Forseers, and all things that go bump in the night-Gemma must come to terms with her new life and everyone in it before it's too late!! This book leaves off with a HUGE cliffhanger that makes my mouth water with anticipation for the next book!!!
September 11, 2012
The Fallen Star is about a girl named Gemma who was not able to feel any emotions until recently. Gemma meets Alex and she feels different around him, and after meeting him she starts to piece to together information about her past and she finds out that the monsters that haunt her in her dreams are actually real.(summary from book)
Fallen Star is the first in a young-adult paranormal series by indie author Jessica Sorensen. The summary for the book, does not say a lot on what it is about, so I will tell you some, no spoilers though.
We can see that Gemma is troubled. There are some new classmates Aislin and Alex that seem to know things about Gemma, things, she doesn’t even know. Gemma can be pretty strong willed at times, as well as impulsive. But then, there are times we can see the mysteries surrounding her scare her. She will soon find out a shocking revelation about her life. This is a very creative story, love the fantasy and mysteries around it.
The world that Jessica has created along with the characters and the magicks she places into this world are very intriguing. As this is only part of a series, there’s obviously a lot of depth and complexity that she can explore. She has Fallen Angels, Fallen Stars, Foreseeres, Faeries, Vampires, Keepers, Witches, Death Walkers, the works really.
The plot itself has lots of potential as well. The idea of a fallen star is not unique to this story, but the twist and turn she has given it is very original. This star can save the world, and that’s the intriguing premise and the fun one that can really draw a reader in.
Also, having the character suddenly be able to feel emotions is an interesting idea. I felt that Sorensen could potentially delve into exactly what Gemma’s feelings and how she feels it. There is a very complex and interesting idea of the soul and emotions tied together, and that being the very essence of a human being is something that she could explore.
As of writing this (updating) I have already read the rest of the series, and will tell you now, that this book is necessary to read to understand it all, but keep in mind, it’s a first step in a series, and the characters and story really grow over the series of books, questions you have in this one do get answered, I promise, its written this way. It’s worth reading, and for sure going on to the next 3 after this one. (There is even a spin off series that is also amazing, with same characters, with a whole new adventure)
The best part is how within a few pages you are sucked into the story! I stayed up WAY too late doing the `one more Chapter' thing till the wee hours of the morning. It hooks you from the first chapter. I am hooked on the series, and impatiently waiting for the 2nd in the spin off. The Lost Soul is out, and I read it, now waiting for book 2.
I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys the supernatural with some twist and turns, and suspense.
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January 16, 2016
Downloaded for free from Amazon.co.uk
This was an okay story, but it was a bit slow and long for me.
Gemma was an okay character, although she could have done with improving her eavesdropping skills as she kept getting caught! She also seemed to ramble a bit.
The storyline in this reminded me a bit of a couple of other books, and also of a season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
My main problem with this book was the amount of information that didn’t move the story along, which really slowed the pace down and made the book drag.
The ending to this was basically just a big cliff-hanger.
6 out of 10
This was an okay story, but it was a bit slow and long for me.
Gemma was an okay character, although she could have done with improving her eavesdropping skills as she kept getting caught! She also seemed to ramble a bit.
The storyline in this reminded me a bit of a couple of other books, and also of a season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
My main problem with this book was the amount of information that didn’t move the story along, which really slowed the pace down and made the book drag.
The ending to this was basically just a big cliff-hanger.
6 out of 10
August 13, 2011
My Thoughts:
HOLY WOW!!!! I loved this story!
"In the midst of a dark forest, haunted by the winters chill, I ran for my life." (quoted from page 1 of The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen)
That is the first sentence - gripping!!! I was "in" from that very sentence. What struck me first is the fantastically visual language. The writing is so vivid that I was able to actually FEEL Gemma's panic. The characters are mysteriously created with vague descriptions that are intriguing and led me to turn the pages and read on to learn more. By chapter six I was still in the grip of Gemma's emotions and could feel my heart pounding as I continued to read. The story is wonderfully written. The characters are fascinating and I couldn’t wait to find out all the answers to the questions I had compiled.
The story finished as strong as it started. The characters and the plot developed before my eyes! I found myself unwilling to put the book down, always needing to read just one more page; one more chapter. The story tells of secrets both kept and told, friendship, duty, and betrayal. I love the characters, they drive the story. This is a new theme; the fallen star with the power to save or condemn the world. There are mysteries left unsolved and the story finishes in a heart wrenching cliffhanger. Well worth the read!!!!
HOLY WOW!!!! I loved this story!
"In the midst of a dark forest, haunted by the winters chill, I ran for my life." (quoted from page 1 of The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen)
That is the first sentence - gripping!!! I was "in" from that very sentence. What struck me first is the fantastically visual language. The writing is so vivid that I was able to actually FEEL Gemma's panic. The characters are mysteriously created with vague descriptions that are intriguing and led me to turn the pages and read on to learn more. By chapter six I was still in the grip of Gemma's emotions and could feel my heart pounding as I continued to read. The story is wonderfully written. The characters are fascinating and I couldn’t wait to find out all the answers to the questions I had compiled.
The story finished as strong as it started. The characters and the plot developed before my eyes! I found myself unwilling to put the book down, always needing to read just one more page; one more chapter. The story tells of secrets both kept and told, friendship, duty, and betrayal. I love the characters, they drive the story. This is a new theme; the fallen star with the power to save or condemn the world. There are mysteries left unsolved and the story finishes in a heart wrenching cliffhanger. Well worth the read!!!!
June 7, 2011
Found the "heroine" a bit hard to relate to or stomach as she was pretty childish, bratty and inconsiderate, not to mention cowardly. I really did feel like slapping her quite a few times and telling her to grow the heck up.
Aside from the very flawed main character and the equally irritating and elusive love interest, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading it till the end. Has a slight Stardust mixed with Nightworld feel to it.
Wouldn't mind reading the next installment to find out what happens next and if the main character manages to grow a pair without whining about it.
Aside from the very flawed main character and the equally irritating and elusive love interest, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading it till the end. Has a slight Stardust mixed with Nightworld feel to it.
Wouldn't mind reading the next installment to find out what happens next and if the main character manages to grow a pair without whining about it.
March 11, 2014
Bullet Review:
DNF at 5%.
Absentee parents? Check.
Guardians who don't give two sh!ts about you? Check.
Falling in love with the new guy? Check.
A guy who is hot? Check.
Who hates your guts for no good reason? Check.
And whom you feel possessive of for no damned good reason? Check.
And hate on other chicks because you want the Abs? Check.
And you have a mildly interesting ability that takes a backseat to Abs? Check.
I'm SO DONE with this entire stupid genre of "dumb girl with mildly interesting talents falls in lust with the first set of Abs she lays eyes on and forgets the rest of the human race because she just needs to get laid more often". I don't give two f@$&s that I didn't even give this one my 10% rule - I'm SO DONE. If I wanted this, I would reread "Twilight".
DNF at 5%.
Absentee parents? Check.
Guardians who don't give two sh!ts about you? Check.
Falling in love with the new guy? Check.
A guy who is hot? Check.
Who hates your guts for no good reason? Check.
And whom you feel possessive of for no damned good reason? Check.
And hate on other chicks because you want the Abs? Check.
And you have a mildly interesting ability that takes a backseat to Abs? Check.
I'm SO DONE with this entire stupid genre of "dumb girl with mildly interesting talents falls in lust with the first set of Abs she lays eyes on and forgets the rest of the human race because she just needs to get laid more often". I don't give two f@$&s that I didn't even give this one my 10% rule - I'm SO DONE. If I wanted this, I would reread "Twilight".
July 21, 2011
The Fallen Star didn’t live up to my expectations at all; it was an extremely frustrating read.
From since before she can remember, Gemma hasn’t been able to feel emotion of any sort, she has gone through life with no friends and no family she can talk to. Until one seemingly unimportant day, when she feels her first emotion ever, and things spiral downward from there.
Gemma was an extremely stupid, naive, boring character, she encompasses everything that is – stupid teenage girl. From day one she made inappropriate decisions that simply cannot be passed off as adolescent immaturity.
My biggest pet peeve with her was her constant running to Alex and her non-committal statement confirming that she shouldn’t be doing it but she just wants to have a bit of fun after so many years of not feeling blah blah snore. Alex lied to her, kept things from her, deliberately distracts her and is obviously using her for not only selfish but dangerous purposes.
Gemma never followed anything up, Alex would let something important slip about her past and Gemma would constantly make a point of saying “you are not going to get out of telling me this”, but does she ever follow through? Of course not, which gives Alex the go ahead to continuously lead her on without telling her anything and lying to her the whole way.
Even after confirmation that she was being lied to and a perfectly good reason not to go with Alex, she still chased after him.
Gemma was a weak character and extremely dull. Sorensen tried to make her witty by talking to the reader even going as far to say “oh, don’t look at me like that” but it just didn’t work. Gemma was not only boring, but extremely dumb. After seeming to develop visions of the past and possibly the future, Gemma is given all of the pieces of the puzzle about halfway through the novel to piece everything together, even after the reader was told what was going on at the end of the story, Gemma whose POV we are in, still didn’t seem to know what was going on.
I’m not quite sure what Sorensen was trying to achieve with the character of Alex, but whatever it was, she didn’t pull it off at all. Alex was a complete tool. He was not a handsome broody guy, he was a complete wanker, there is absolutely nothing to like about him, he is a brainwashed, pathological liar. He tries to hide behind the “I’m just a moody guy” excuse but no, he is just a malevolent character. At one point I actually swore out loud at the book because he promised Gemma that he “would tell her everything” my kneejerk reaction to that was bulls***!
I also found it hard to get through The Fallen Star because of the horrible editing. Usually a few mistakes here and there don’t bother me, but whened a sentencing is contantly reads like this and these author seems to haves no concepts of the correct uses of the word “there” it becoming very frustrate.
It read like a first draft basically, errors were everywhere and the book probably could have been at least fifty pages shorter if you simply took out the amount of times certain facts were repeated, sometimes the same line used consecutively over the course of three chapters.
The Fallen Star was a big disappointment for me, the characters had no life and were complete contradictions of themselves, the story line relied too heavily on the characters so it never seemed to move and the book was so badly edited that I was tempted to line edit it myself.
Find this review at storywings.com
From since before she can remember, Gemma hasn’t been able to feel emotion of any sort, she has gone through life with no friends and no family she can talk to. Until one seemingly unimportant day, when she feels her first emotion ever, and things spiral downward from there.
Gemma was an extremely stupid, naive, boring character, she encompasses everything that is – stupid teenage girl. From day one she made inappropriate decisions that simply cannot be passed off as adolescent immaturity.
My biggest pet peeve with her was her constant running to Alex and her non-committal statement confirming that she shouldn’t be doing it but she just wants to have a bit of fun after so many years of not feeling blah blah snore. Alex lied to her, kept things from her, deliberately distracts her and is obviously using her for not only selfish but dangerous purposes.
Gemma never followed anything up, Alex would let something important slip about her past and Gemma would constantly make a point of saying “you are not going to get out of telling me this”, but does she ever follow through? Of course not, which gives Alex the go ahead to continuously lead her on without telling her anything and lying to her the whole way.
Even after confirmation that she was being lied to and a perfectly good reason not to go with Alex, she still chased after him.
Gemma was a weak character and extremely dull. Sorensen tried to make her witty by talking to the reader even going as far to say “oh, don’t look at me like that” but it just didn’t work. Gemma was not only boring, but extremely dumb. After seeming to develop visions of the past and possibly the future, Gemma is given all of the pieces of the puzzle about halfway through the novel to piece everything together, even after the reader was told what was going on at the end of the story, Gemma whose POV we are in, still didn’t seem to know what was going on.
I’m not quite sure what Sorensen was trying to achieve with the character of Alex, but whatever it was, she didn’t pull it off at all. Alex was a complete tool. He was not a handsome broody guy, he was a complete wanker, there is absolutely nothing to like about him, he is a brainwashed, pathological liar. He tries to hide behind the “I’m just a moody guy” excuse but no, he is just a malevolent character. At one point I actually swore out loud at the book because he promised Gemma that he “would tell her everything” my kneejerk reaction to that was bulls***!
I also found it hard to get through The Fallen Star because of the horrible editing. Usually a few mistakes here and there don’t bother me, but whened a sentencing is contantly reads like this and these author seems to haves no concepts of the correct uses of the word “there” it becoming very frustrate.
It read like a first draft basically, errors were everywhere and the book probably could have been at least fifty pages shorter if you simply took out the amount of times certain facts were repeated, sometimes the same line used consecutively over the course of three chapters.
The Fallen Star was a big disappointment for me, the characters had no life and were complete contradictions of themselves, the story line relied too heavily on the characters so it never seemed to move and the book was so badly edited that I was tempted to line edit it myself.
Find this review at storywings.com
December 15, 2015
Meet Gemma: She is your typical uncoordinated, I'm-so-uninteresting-yet-everyone-is-interested-in-me loner YA protagonist and small town girl who is actually very special. Additionally, she falls for a hot guy even though she sees nothing in him except how good-looking he is (...Bella, is that you?). She is completely unaware of everything and always manages to make the wrong decisions, typically by doing exactly the opposite of what everyone tells her. "Oh, so you mean that opening this door might kill me? Okay! I guess that means I should open this door!" She likes to point things out about herself and then say, "Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm such a loser" or "Yeah, okay, I'm a total brat."
Gemma, you don't need to constantly remind us about these things. We know.
Meet Alex: He is your typical attractive, mysterious, snarky, and flirty male lead who is, of course, also special, forbidden to get with the girl he wants, and has perfectly messy hair all the time (...Edward, what are you doing in this story?). "I am so attractive that it totally justifies the absolutely horrible way I treat you! Now kiss me!"
That's about it. This book was awful. It is written like amateur fanfiction, and there were so many inconsistencies that I don't even know how I got through it since it felt like I was reading five different stories. In one part of the book, Gemma is angry at herself over the fact that she can't read people's lips when they speak. Then, later on, on two separate occasions, someone mouths something to her and she flawlessly understands them.
There was actually a part in the book that went, "He gave me a doubtful look. Oh, don't you give me that look too." Yes, everybody...Gemma just addressed you as the reader. It actually happens many, many times. Charlotte Brontë pulled this off in her novel. Jessica Sorensen did not.
Also, Gemma mentions how much of a liar Alex is at least 5037 times throughout the book:
1. "He was usually lying..."
2. "'You are such a liar...'"
3. "He looked stunned, but like I've said before, he was an expert liar."
Then why do you keep talking to him, Gemma? WHY??
And let me indulge you with these wonderfully written excerpts:
1) "He also had this strange smell to him, like lilacs mixed with forest and freshly fallen rain. The smell was intoxicating, and I had to wonder if he had recently stepped out of a rainforest."
Poetic...I guess...
2) "Okay, so I am not a jewelry wearing kind of girl. Putting on a necklace was a whole new experience for me."
This just baffled me. I was speechless when I read this sentence. Since when did it become a thing for YA authors to FORCE the reader into understanding how different and unique and special their protagonists are?
Really, Gemma? Putting on a necklace was such an exhilarating experience that you had to point it out to me?
And this one!
3) [in the middle of an argument, Alex literally GRABS Gemma and forces her up against his chest]
"'Well, it’s good to see that your wrist is feeling better,' he said.
'Yeah…' It felt so nice when he touched me."
Gee, Gemma, I'm sure it'll feel really nice when you realize how abusive his behavior is.
Actually, to correct myself earlier, Gemma isn't totally unaware of everything. She is completely aware of how much of an idiot she is:
Whoops! Too late.
The ending was also not even an ending. It was like the book ended in the middle of a chapter.
What the hell did I just read? Please. Skip this one, trust me.
Gemma, you don't need to constantly remind us about these things. We know.
Meet Alex: He is your typical attractive, mysterious, snarky, and flirty male lead who is, of course, also special, forbidden to get with the girl he wants, and has perfectly messy hair all the time (...Edward, what are you doing in this story?). "I am so attractive that it totally justifies the absolutely horrible way I treat you! Now kiss me!"
That's about it. This book was awful. It is written like amateur fanfiction, and there were so many inconsistencies that I don't even know how I got through it since it felt like I was reading five different stories. In one part of the book, Gemma is angry at herself over the fact that she can't read people's lips when they speak. Then, later on, on two separate occasions, someone mouths something to her and she flawlessly understands them.
There was actually a part in the book that went, "He gave me a doubtful look. Oh, don't you give me that look too." Yes, everybody...Gemma just addressed you as the reader. It actually happens many, many times. Charlotte Brontë pulled this off in her novel. Jessica Sorensen did not.
Also, Gemma mentions how much of a liar Alex is at least 5037 times throughout the book:
1. "He was usually lying..."
2. "'You are such a liar...'"
3. "He looked stunned, but like I've said before, he was an expert liar."
Then why do you keep talking to him, Gemma? WHY??
And let me indulge you with these wonderfully written excerpts:
1) "He also had this strange smell to him, like lilacs mixed with forest and freshly fallen rain. The smell was intoxicating, and I had to wonder if he had recently stepped out of a rainforest."
Poetic...I guess...
2) "Okay, so I am not a jewelry wearing kind of girl. Putting on a necklace was a whole new experience for me."
This just baffled me. I was speechless when I read this sentence. Since when did it become a thing for YA authors to FORCE the reader into understanding how different and unique and special their protagonists are?
Really, Gemma? Putting on a necklace was such an exhilarating experience that you had to point it out to me?
And this one!
3) [in the middle of an argument, Alex literally GRABS Gemma and forces her up against his chest]
"'Well, it’s good to see that your wrist is feeling better,' he said.
'Yeah…' It felt so nice when he touched me."
Gee, Gemma, I'm sure it'll feel really nice when you realize how abusive his behavior is.
Actually, to correct myself earlier, Gemma isn't totally unaware of everything. She is completely aware of how much of an idiot she is:
Whoops! Too late.
The ending was also not even an ending. It was like the book ended in the middle of a chapter.
What the hell did I just read? Please. Skip this one, trust me.
May 22, 2011
Originally posted @
The YA Bookworm
*sighs* isn't the cover so breathtaking?? *sighs* that violet eye is really something.
this book is absolutely amazing! i enjoyed reading every single page of it, the opening is delivered really good cause the opening is about Gemma having this nightmare wherein a pair of glowing eyes is on to kill her.
The concept of the book is hard to get first, cause the title of the book is "The Fallen Star" and i don't get at first it's relation to Gemma, cause Gemma is actually this weird girl who is incapable of feeling any emotion until a new guy came to her class, Alex then she started to feel this electric buzzing, prickling her skin and then it turns out that a fallen star's energy is reeling through her and that energy is needed to open a gate to release the "Death Walkers" who by the way are the creatures hunting Gemma's dreams.
so the first couple of pages I get to read thought from Gemma (it's written in a 1st person POV) so i get to witness how childish she thinks and i guess Gemma mirrored the thoughts of what a normal girl will think, added the fact that throughout her life she's been branded as a weirdo and a loner, so i enjoyed reading her perspective she is so darn funny BTW, she reminds me of Anna from the Book Anna and the french kiss.
the maybe near half of the book is really good! i was so ready to give it 5 stars a lot of "supernatural" concept is introduced in this book (vampires,foreseers,black angel,keepers,faeries,city of crystals) so yeah, kinda sound TMI to you right? well this book is kinda TMI-ish BUT! this one is so different, kinda resembles TMI but in a good way, cause some added stuff are introduced here and the concept of foreseers is really something new to me.
the ending is such a darn Cliff hanger my mouth was hanging Open! OMG! darn! why did the book end like that, really??? seriously??? i have encountered a lot of cliff hangers, but this one is so darn unforgivable! ha! you wanna know the ending?? i won't tell you! ( using my most teasing voice) you'll just have to read this one to find out.
=====================
*ding,ding,ding!* 5 stars it is...
--- review to come... :)
*sighs* isn't the cover so breathtaking?? *sighs* that violet eye is really something.
this book is absolutely amazing! i enjoyed reading every single page of it, the opening is delivered really good cause the opening is about Gemma having this nightmare wherein a pair of glowing eyes is on to kill her.
The concept of the book is hard to get first, cause the title of the book is "The Fallen Star" and i don't get at first it's relation to Gemma, cause Gemma is actually this weird girl who is incapable of feeling any emotion until a new guy came to her class, Alex then she started to feel this electric buzzing, prickling her skin and then it turns out that a fallen star's energy is reeling through her and that energy is needed to open a gate to release the "Death Walkers" who by the way are the creatures hunting Gemma's dreams.
so the first couple of pages I get to read thought from Gemma (it's written in a 1st person POV) so i get to witness how childish she thinks and i guess Gemma mirrored the thoughts of what a normal girl will think, added the fact that throughout her life she's been branded as a weirdo and a loner, so i enjoyed reading her perspective she is so darn funny BTW, she reminds me of Anna from the Book Anna and the french kiss.
the maybe near half of the book is really good! i was so ready to give it 5 stars a lot of "supernatural" concept is introduced in this book (vampires,foreseers,black angel,keepers,faeries,city of crystals) so yeah, kinda sound TMI to you right? well this book is kinda TMI-ish BUT! this one is so different, kinda resembles TMI but in a good way, cause some added stuff are introduced here and the concept of foreseers is really something new to me.
the ending is such a darn Cliff hanger my mouth was hanging Open! OMG! darn! why did the book end like that, really??? seriously??? i have encountered a lot of cliff hangers, but this one is so darn unforgivable! ha! you wanna know the ending?? i won't tell you! ( using my most teasing voice) you'll just have to read this one to find out.
=====================
*ding,ding,ding!* 5 stars it is...
--- review to come... :)
May 29, 2015
Very, very slow-moving story, the characters are not very well developed, and the writing is full of repetitions. The Fallen Star could have told the same story exactly in only 150 pages, and then be the introduction to the series, rather than a full-length novel where nothing much happened in the first 70-75%. Not sure I'll continue with this one.
June 17, 2011
This book had every chance to be another vampire/witches same old paranormal novel, but it pleasantly shocked me, so much that I finished reading it cover to cover in one day. There is so much creativity in the story and how it evolves around Gemma, the main character, and how she is learning about her life for the first time. The author does such a good job with the emotions in the story, and her descriptions painted such a vivid picture of the people and places she encounters. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys the paranormal, but also anyone that can appreciate the lack of emotion she felt for life until things started to change for her. It really isn't like other fiction in it's genre, with girls falling in love with vampires or werewolves, and it leaves you wishing you had the second book already. I know that I am hoping to read the next installment in the Fallen Star series as soon as it comes out.
Reviewed by Gabi for Book Sake. http://booksake.blogspot.com
Reviewed by Gabi for Book Sake. http://booksake.blogspot.com
June 23, 2011
Posted on: http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com
Firstly I’m going to say “Buy this book and read it.” My oh my…..I honestly don’t even know how to begin reviewing this book and try and give it the justice it deserves…..but I’ll try.
This story follows Gemma, an eighteen year old girl who hasn’t been able to feel any emotions what so ever until recently. Only within the last few months have the emotions slowly been working their way through Gemma’s body, and as she experiences each one she starts to feel a little bit more human. When new boy Alex starts school, Gemma’s emotions soon start to intensify because every time she is near him she feels electricity sparking between them. Soon they start to get to know one another but Gemma realises that Alex is hiding secrets, secrets that somehow involve her, leaving her wondering if he’s a friend or foe? This leads her into a deadly situation.
Isn’t the book cover of this book beautiful? It’s what initially attracted me to the book but once I read the blurb, I was more than excited to read it. The blurb on Goodreads doesn’t really give any indication as to what this story is actually about, so I kind of started the book a little blindfolded, but wow, I didn’t realise that the title of this book says it’s all.
I was completely amazed by how Jessica Sorensen has created this story; she has not stuck to an original love story or original vampire’s, werewolf’s story but created a topic I never imagined reading about. Not only was this story interesting but it was captivating, intriguing, and mysterious, a lot of creativity has gone into it and I loved every minute of it. It’s safe to say I’m wondering why this book hasn’t been picked up by a publishing company.
Our main character Gemma was such a loveable character and I loved feeling the new emotions that she experiences. It was also great to see how her character adapts with everything crazy happening to her, when she cried I cried and when she was happy, I was happy with her. Not only is she a strong character but a character that I felt truly connected with and I pray there is a happy ending for her.
Now Alex, where to start with him? Let’s say….wow! He is one hot guy but god did I have a love hate relationship with him. One minute he’s mean and the next he’s nice, it was hard to keep up with him sometimes but I honestly think his true feelings are genuine. He’s obviously battling between what’ he believes is right and wrong, so I can understand why he is the way he is but I’m dying to find out what happens between him and Gemma. Their romance is minimal during this book but you do see bits that manage to keep you interested enough.
The story itself was completely refreshing and unique. We get introduced to foreseers, vampires and witches with a slightly new take. I found I was more interested in the foreseers, especially when Gemma is introduced to their world and I can’t wait to read more about it.
Overall, this is a fantastic debut novel. Jessica has done a great job and I’m dying to get my hands on the next book. I’m so glad I only have to wait until September for the next instalment because talk about a cliff-hanger! Yeah, it’s a big one! Read it guys! You’ll love it.
Thank you to Jessica Sorensen for giving me the opportunity to review your work.
Firstly I’m going to say “Buy this book and read it.” My oh my…..I honestly don’t even know how to begin reviewing this book and try and give it the justice it deserves…..but I’ll try.
This story follows Gemma, an eighteen year old girl who hasn’t been able to feel any emotions what so ever until recently. Only within the last few months have the emotions slowly been working their way through Gemma’s body, and as she experiences each one she starts to feel a little bit more human. When new boy Alex starts school, Gemma’s emotions soon start to intensify because every time she is near him she feels electricity sparking between them. Soon they start to get to know one another but Gemma realises that Alex is hiding secrets, secrets that somehow involve her, leaving her wondering if he’s a friend or foe? This leads her into a deadly situation.
Isn’t the book cover of this book beautiful? It’s what initially attracted me to the book but once I read the blurb, I was more than excited to read it. The blurb on Goodreads doesn’t really give any indication as to what this story is actually about, so I kind of started the book a little blindfolded, but wow, I didn’t realise that the title of this book says it’s all.
I was completely amazed by how Jessica Sorensen has created this story; she has not stuck to an original love story or original vampire’s, werewolf’s story but created a topic I never imagined reading about. Not only was this story interesting but it was captivating, intriguing, and mysterious, a lot of creativity has gone into it and I loved every minute of it. It’s safe to say I’m wondering why this book hasn’t been picked up by a publishing company.
Our main character Gemma was such a loveable character and I loved feeling the new emotions that she experiences. It was also great to see how her character adapts with everything crazy happening to her, when she cried I cried and when she was happy, I was happy with her. Not only is she a strong character but a character that I felt truly connected with and I pray there is a happy ending for her.
Now Alex, where to start with him? Let’s say….wow! He is one hot guy but god did I have a love hate relationship with him. One minute he’s mean and the next he’s nice, it was hard to keep up with him sometimes but I honestly think his true feelings are genuine. He’s obviously battling between what’ he believes is right and wrong, so I can understand why he is the way he is but I’m dying to find out what happens between him and Gemma. Their romance is minimal during this book but you do see bits that manage to keep you interested enough.
The story itself was completely refreshing and unique. We get introduced to foreseers, vampires and witches with a slightly new take. I found I was more interested in the foreseers, especially when Gemma is introduced to their world and I can’t wait to read more about it.
Overall, this is a fantastic debut novel. Jessica has done a great job and I’m dying to get my hands on the next book. I’m so glad I only have to wait until September for the next instalment because talk about a cliff-hanger! Yeah, it’s a big one! Read it guys! You’ll love it.
Thank you to Jessica Sorensen for giving me the opportunity to review your work.
September 28, 2018
OH . MY . GOD .
I've read this on the worst time possible. On the day after, I'll be having a major quiz on my one and only subject taken during summer. But I've took the risk and continued to read without studying. I know, its stupid. But whatever. It's totally WORTH IT!.
GEMMA is actually kind-of a twin sister of BELLA in Twilight. I know that some of you who'll read this might have a double take, but let me finish. As I was saying, Gemma has some of those annoying characteristics that Bella have. Let me emphasize on the word "some" and "annoying". But luckily for her, I find her funny.
Upon reading, I found out that the author has done some of her reading on the book twilight. There are some hints that justify this observation.
So anyway, for the whole plot, it was totally original. And to make a long story short, I'm on my knees right now, praying for the next installment to hurry up! The suspense is killing me!
I've read this on the worst time possible. On the day after, I'll be having a major quiz on my one and only subject taken during summer. But I've took the risk and continued to read without studying. I know, its stupid. But whatever. It's totally WORTH IT!.
GEMMA is actually kind-of a twin sister of BELLA in Twilight. I know that some of you who'll read this might have a double take, but let me finish. As I was saying, Gemma has some of those annoying characteristics that Bella have. Let me emphasize on the word "some" and "annoying". But luckily for her, I find her funny.
Upon reading, I found out that the author has done some of her reading on the book twilight. There are some hints that justify this observation.
So anyway, for the whole plot, it was totally original. And to make a long story short, I'm on my knees right now, praying for the next installment to hurry up! The suspense is killing me!
January 13, 2013
The narration was weird, but it was kinda cute. Then, as it went on, it felt more and more like I was reading a retelling of City of Bones, just with less demons and more hating on cold weather.
Gemma/Clary was a normal girl once, but then her mother disappeared and everything went to shit. Then Alex/Jace shows up and saves her life a few times, while also telling her about this crazy ass world she just stumbled into, and how he's part of this super special club called the Keepers/Shadowhunters. She then goes off with said group, learns more about her weird powers and generally tries to save the day. The end.
I'm mildly intrigued, and the sequel is only $0.99, so I will keep reading. But I swear, if Alex's father turns out to be Gemma's father as well, I might strangle something.
Gemma/Clary was a normal girl once, but then her mother disappeared and everything went to shit. Then Alex/Jace shows up and saves her life a few times, while also telling her about this crazy ass world she just stumbled into, and how he's part of this super special club called the Keepers/Shadowhunters. She then goes off with said group, learns more about her weird powers and generally tries to save the day. The end.
I'm mildly intrigued, and the sequel is only $0.99, so I will keep reading. But I swear, if Alex's father turns out to be Gemma's father as well, I might strangle something.
November 15, 2018
Good story .. Kept me on my toes
April 15, 2012
This is a really good read. I was intrigued when it said I would recognize the beginning from another series and I kinda saw what the reviewer meant but it definately NOT like any other series. There is a lot of mystery in the beginning and its really upsetting the way Alex and Aislen treat Gemma. Gemma is a really emotionally abused kid and the reason's why were confusing at first.....then the story took off. I started reading #1 because there was a give away for #4 and I don't like to win a book in a series unless I have read all the books before it. Now a couple days later I am on book #4 and can't put the series down. It is different from anything I have read. Witches, vampire's, faeries and other supernatural beings play a role in this end of the world story as well as star people which I have heard of in the past but haven't read anything dealing with the subject. I recommend this series and this author to anyone looking for something new, different and exciting to read. Very well written and super creative. (only .99 ¢ on kindle for a couple of the books) Gemma is a super heroine but I love Alex and Laylen too! oh and Aislen, Nicholas etc etc.
April 18, 2011
I couldn't put this book down after I got into it. It was great! Love the ending, can't wait for part 2 and hope it is out soon!
July 15, 2013
*** 3 Stars ***
What I liked about the story:
1.) The idea of a Fallen Star's energy living in someone. I think it's pretty cool and it somehow in some way reminded me of the movie Stardust. The story is nothing like the movie but it's just something about it. Maybe because they both have fallen stars? *shrugs shoulders*
2.)The character Laylan. Even though he plays a part in which is listed in the "What i disliked or am if'y about" section. I prefered his character over everyone elses.
3.) The memories or visions that Gemma would get. For me those were touching and sad. Maybe because
4.) Aislin who is a witch. I want to read more about her for some reason. There is something about her. *taps my pointer finger on my lips*
5.) That the author tried and some how succeeded to bring something new and give different twists to certain things (paranormal things).
***********************************************************************
What I disliked or am if'y about the story:
1.) The constant "electric" feelings that Gemma got from being around Alex. Personally I think it was over done. If it had been mentioned just a few times it would have been ok but no. It was like every page I read about the "electric tingly sensation" that Gemma felt.
2.) Vampires? I was not expecting vampires or a vampire to be in this book. For me it threw me off a little. I know it's a paranormal read but I still wasn't expecting it.
3.) Gemma. She got on my nerves with everything. Maybe she acts the way she does is probably due to the fact that she is able to
4.) Didn't feel the connection between Gemma and Alex even with all the "prickling, electric sensations" that was constantly happening between them two.
I'm sure I will be coming back to this review to add more things to both list but for now those are the things that really stuck out for me, both good & bad. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. But that's me. If you decide to pick up this book and fall in love with it...kudos to you.
Even though I gave this book 3 stars I went ahead and purchased the second book to see (hoping) that some things get explained more. I'm crossing my fingers that there will be no more mentioning of the "electrical zaps" between Gemma and Alex. (To the author: We get it. There is something there between them). The series has potential and I hope that it gets better with each book.
Until Next Time,
Happy Reading :)
What I liked about the story:
1.) The idea of a Fallen Star's energy living in someone. I think it's pretty cool and it somehow in some way reminded me of the movie Stardust. The story is nothing like the movie but it's just something about it. Maybe because they both have fallen stars? *shrugs shoulders*
2.)The character Laylan. Even though he plays a part in which is listed in the "What i disliked or am if'y about" section. I prefered his character over everyone elses.
3.) The memories or visions that Gemma would get. For me those were touching and sad. Maybe because
4.) Aislin who is a witch. I want to read more about her for some reason. There is something about her. *taps my pointer finger on my lips*
5.) That the author tried and some how succeeded to bring something new and give different twists to certain things (paranormal things).
***********************************************************************
What I disliked or am if'y about the story:
1.) The constant "electric" feelings that Gemma got from being around Alex. Personally I think it was over done. If it had been mentioned just a few times it would have been ok but no. It was like every page I read about the "electric tingly sensation" that Gemma felt.
2.) Vampires? I was not expecting vampires or a vampire to be in this book. For me it threw me off a little. I know it's a paranormal read but I still wasn't expecting it.
3.) Gemma. She got on my nerves with everything. Maybe she acts the way she does is probably due to the fact that she is able to
4.) Didn't feel the connection between Gemma and Alex even with all the "prickling, electric sensations" that was constantly happening between them two.
I'm sure I will be coming back to this review to add more things to both list but for now those are the things that really stuck out for me, both good & bad. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. But that's me. If you decide to pick up this book and fall in love with it...kudos to you.
Even though I gave this book 3 stars I went ahead and purchased the second book to see (hoping) that some things get explained more. I'm crossing my fingers that there will be no more mentioning of the "electrical zaps" between Gemma and Alex. (To the author: We get it. There is something there between them). The series has potential and I hope that it gets better with each book.
Until Next Time,
Happy Reading :)
May 22, 2011
This self published novel is a breath taking display of talent from this new author. Gemma’s story is unique and heartbreaking; creating a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. With a story that plays on the sympathy of the readers it is almost impossible to not find yourself absorbed into this story with so much intensity. Though, I must note this book is so much more than just sadness for Gemma’s life; the story is action packed and mysterious creating a suspenseful read for the paranormal and supernatural lovers. With no clear cut direction this is a compilation of the species that readers love in this genre. Gemma carries a Fallen Star’s power that proves unique and intriguing, but as the story progresses it is evident that this author knows no bound including Vampires, Fae, Forseers, and a entirely new species that would include the Death Walkers. Specifically, the Death Walkers remind me of the Dementors out of Harry Potter movies, but I have to say that in my opinion it did not deter the story’s integrity; other than a slight feeling of déjà voo. I am speechlessly impressed by the ability that this author has shown in this debuting novel, and to find it self publisher was shocking. The conclusion was a heart stopping cliff hanger that comes to a very abrupt halt. As a reader this left me distraught with the lack of a clear cut ending; although as a reviewer I think this was a promise of talent in the author to notice an opportunity to leave the readers guessing for the future of this novel. This is definitely a book to be recommended.
May 30, 2011
Let me preface this by saying...a 5 star rating from me means I loved the book page to page cover to cover and word for word... It means the book picked me up and dropped me into the book world created by the author and when it was over I was kicking and screaming not wanting to leave. So 5 stars from me = epic proportion.
Now that being said 4 stars as I've given this book means I liked it. A lot. I was certainly absorbed into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's well worthy of 4 stars. I realized part way through this book that it was self published by a debuting author and I thought to myself..."keep your eye on this girl, she's gonna take you great places". which is what I love about a great book - the places it takes you!
Like many YA fantasy or paranormal books there's a romantic element yet what's different in this book is the tension and lack of actually being together for the couple... You get glimpses and teasers of almost but not quite moments and except for one or two shall we call them electrified moments ;) the relationship between Gemma and Alex hasn't yet materialized. Yet the potential.., ahhh such potential!
It was intriguing how Sorensen mixed sci-fi elements with paranormal/fantasy and managed to do so in a way that fit like a glove. The storyline reminds me a bit of Mortal Instruments yet with it's own twists and ideas.
A fun read with a huge cliffhanger at the end leaving you wanting more. Looking forward to the next book!
Now that being said 4 stars as I've given this book means I liked it. A lot. I was certainly absorbed into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's well worthy of 4 stars. I realized part way through this book that it was self published by a debuting author and I thought to myself..."keep your eye on this girl, she's gonna take you great places". which is what I love about a great book - the places it takes you!
Like many YA fantasy or paranormal books there's a romantic element yet what's different in this book is the tension and lack of actually being together for the couple... You get glimpses and teasers of almost but not quite moments and except for one or two shall we call them electrified moments ;) the relationship between Gemma and Alex hasn't yet materialized. Yet the potential.., ahhh such potential!
It was intriguing how Sorensen mixed sci-fi elements with paranormal/fantasy and managed to do so in a way that fit like a glove. The storyline reminds me a bit of Mortal Instruments yet with it's own twists and ideas.
A fun read with a huge cliffhanger at the end leaving you wanting more. Looking forward to the next book!
April 29, 2011
Wow....What an amazing story. Another book read in one day, I kept trying to go to sleep but every page was exciting so I just kept going. Then when I read the last page, my mouth hit the floor and my mind started going wild. This one is a leaves~you~breathless~cant~wait~for~the~next~one type of story. Jessica Sorensen did an awsome job on this.
October 9, 2012
Kept me interested.
First time I've ever not liked the love interest guy in a book. Looking forward to reading book two. I'm sure with the way the book ended that Jessica has something up her sleeve in the love department. At least I hope :)
The paranormal aspect was very different and unheard of. I was surprised a few times.
First time I've ever not liked the love interest guy in a book. Looking forward to reading book two. I'm sure with the way the book ended that Jessica has something up her sleeve in the love department. At least I hope :)
The paranormal aspect was very different and unheard of. I was surprised a few times.
May 13, 2011
Gosh, the cliffhanger is just a very cruel torture! Can't wait for the sequel coz I'm totally in love with the story! Good job, Ms Sorensen! Geez... :D
November 3, 2017
Well, this was rather disappointing.
Gemma lost her parents when she was younger leaving her to be raised by her very cold grandparents. She's a bit of a loner with no friends and apparently no feelings until recently. What has started as little tingles have grown into full blown feelings and Gemma isn't sure what's going on. And now with this new brother and sister duo who showed up out of nowhere, Gemma is more certain than ever that something is going on.
Let me just start off by saying that Gemma is the most oblivious and gullible child ever. She was very meek at all times and literally was just there. I honestly had no care as to what happened to her because she was just so boring. Then there was Alex, who reminded me so much of Edward Cullen that it was ridiculous. Talk about the Twilight effect - it is present here, my friends.
The only interesting character was the random vampire inserted into the story. And he was the only one who told the truth. Everyone else were LIARS. How Gemma was attracted to Alex baffles me...but I guess it really shouldn't anymore.
The story as predictable, even up to the "cliff hanger" ending. I'm pretty sure I can predict what's going to happen so I'm probably going to skip reading the sequels.
Gemma lost her parents when she was younger leaving her to be raised by her very cold grandparents. She's a bit of a loner with no friends and apparently no feelings until recently. What has started as little tingles have grown into full blown feelings and Gemma isn't sure what's going on. And now with this new brother and sister duo who showed up out of nowhere, Gemma is more certain than ever that something is going on.
Let me just start off by saying that Gemma is the most oblivious and gullible child ever. She was very meek at all times and literally was just there. I honestly had no care as to what happened to her because she was just so boring. Then there was Alex, who reminded me so much of Edward Cullen that it was ridiculous. Talk about the Twilight effect - it is present here, my friends.
The only interesting character was the random vampire inserted into the story. And he was the only one who told the truth. Everyone else were LIARS. How Gemma was attracted to Alex baffles me...but I guess it really shouldn't anymore.
The story as predictable, even up to the "cliff hanger" ending. I'm pretty sure I can predict what's going to happen so I'm probably going to skip reading the sequels.
April 19, 2013
I decided to read this book because I enjoyed Jessica Sorensen's book The Secret of Ella and Micha. However, I was sorely disappointed by this book. To quote Samantha Souza's one-star review, "The Fallen Star is Twilight's drunk and sloppy cousin." And it's so true! I don't think it's necessary for me to expand on the never-ending list of tragic similarities to Twilight, so instead...
Welcome to my guide on how to make a cliché paranormal romance novel! Here are the KEY components to doing a good job, complete with examples from this book:
1. The heroine cannot have any friends. Because friendship is the root of all evil, apparently. She must be an outcast. But not only is she an outcast, she is one that "stands out," meaning, she is not invisible. She does not go unnoticed, but is often either made fun of in the halls or hit on by random guys. She eats lunch in the library so she can enjoy her willing solitary confinement. She's very smart, earning her a reputation as not only a loser but also a nerd. ("Kelsey Merritt--aka the cheerleader who sat at the table in front of me--turned around and shot me one of her infamous you're-such-a-loser looks.")
2. The heroine is unattractive. (Or so she thinks.) She always makes a point of telling the audience about her strange appearance. ("My legs were way too long, my skin far too pale, and my eyes...they were violet. Yes weird, I know.") But have no fear, dear readers, for she will prove herself to be a hidden beauty soon enough. (I actually have no idea if that happens in this book, but it happened in Evernight, Twilight, Hush Hush, The Mortal Instruments, etc. and only a couple of those series pulled it off.)
3. Enter the hero. Or should I say, maddeningly sexy hot guy that came straight from the Planet Pheremones in a smoldering piece of attractiveness? I'm not too against that, actually. As a girl, I love hot guys. And since evolution compares us humans to apes, I'm willing to accept that supernatural non-humans would look totally better than us. Maybe.
Anyway.
4. The hero and heroine have some strange connection. In this book it's electricity. In Twilight it was the hot-cold thing. In the Hush Hush series and the Existence trilogy it was the ability to speak through thoughts. Daemon and Kat from Lux have a sort of empathy link. This connection ties the two protagonists together before they even get to know each other, and it usually results in fierce hatred from one side and intense curiosity from the other.
5. The hero (maddeningly sexy blah blah blah) becomes interested in our boring heroine. First he acts like the biggest a$$hole on the face of the earth towards her. But she can't resist his smoldering attractiveness from the Planet Pheremones, so she remains attracted to him. (His look, not his personality.) But eventually, he begins to show interest in her. For one reason or another, she fascinates him. (And I quote, "He said, 'But I find you interesting all together.'") So what does he do? He learns everything about her and spouts random tidbits of information he knows about her like an over-zealous fourth grader on a science field trip.
6. There is almost always a set of twins or triplets or something. In this series it's the twin guy and his sister. In Lux it was Daemon, Dee, and their brother (but in Jennifer Armentrout's defense, the Lux series is freaking awesome). Edward from Twilight didn't have blood siblings per se, but his family counts. Et cetera.
7. The heroine's parents are either deceased or high-corporate officials who don't have time for things outside of work. This way, the heroine can go on her escapades with Mr. Hotness without anyone noticing or caring. (I suppose that's why she has no friends either.)
Well, that's all I can think of right now! I'm sure there's more, but I hope you enjoyed my mini-guide on how to write a cliché paranormal romance!
Of course, there were lots of other issues I had with the book. What's up with the "not being able to feel emotions" thing? Also, there were lots of typos. Maybe it's the version I had or something, but I nearly had a coronary when I read, "I became hyperaware that there wasn't a single sole in site." Sole?? Like, a shoe sole? And that was definitely not the only typo I saw.
At any rate, this book seemed to defy my definition of an insta-romance, and I did not enjoy it at all. Too cliché, and not even well-executed at that. I struggled through seven chapters and then gave up. I do not recommend this book.
Welcome to my guide on how to make a cliché paranormal romance novel! Here are the KEY components to doing a good job, complete with examples from this book:
1. The heroine cannot have any friends. Because friendship is the root of all evil, apparently. She must be an outcast. But not only is she an outcast, she is one that "stands out," meaning, she is not invisible. She does not go unnoticed, but is often either made fun of in the halls or hit on by random guys. She eats lunch in the library so she can enjoy her willing solitary confinement. She's very smart, earning her a reputation as not only a loser but also a nerd. ("Kelsey Merritt--aka the cheerleader who sat at the table in front of me--turned around and shot me one of her infamous you're-such-a-loser looks.")
2. The heroine is unattractive. (Or so she thinks.) She always makes a point of telling the audience about her strange appearance. ("My legs were way too long, my skin far too pale, and my eyes...they were violet. Yes weird, I know.") But have no fear, dear readers, for she will prove herself to be a hidden beauty soon enough. (I actually have no idea if that happens in this book, but it happened in Evernight, Twilight, Hush Hush, The Mortal Instruments, etc. and only a couple of those series pulled it off.)
3. Enter the hero. Or should I say, maddeningly sexy hot guy that came straight from the Planet Pheremones in a smoldering piece of attractiveness? I'm not too against that, actually. As a girl, I love hot guys. And since evolution compares us humans to apes, I'm willing to accept that supernatural non-humans would look totally better than us. Maybe.
Anyway.
4. The hero and heroine have some strange connection. In this book it's electricity. In Twilight it was the hot-cold thing. In the Hush Hush series and the Existence trilogy it was the ability to speak through thoughts. Daemon and Kat from Lux have a sort of empathy link. This connection ties the two protagonists together before they even get to know each other, and it usually results in fierce hatred from one side and intense curiosity from the other.
5. The hero (maddeningly sexy blah blah blah) becomes interested in our boring heroine. First he acts like the biggest a$$hole on the face of the earth towards her. But she can't resist his smoldering attractiveness from the Planet Pheremones, so she remains attracted to him. (His look, not his personality.) But eventually, he begins to show interest in her. For one reason or another, she fascinates him. (And I quote, "He said, 'But I find you interesting all together.'") So what does he do? He learns everything about her and spouts random tidbits of information he knows about her like an over-zealous fourth grader on a science field trip.
6. There is almost always a set of twins or triplets or something. In this series it's the twin guy and his sister. In Lux it was Daemon, Dee, and their brother (but in Jennifer Armentrout's defense, the Lux series is freaking awesome). Edward from Twilight didn't have blood siblings per se, but his family counts. Et cetera.
7. The heroine's parents are either deceased or high-corporate officials who don't have time for things outside of work. This way, the heroine can go on her escapades with Mr. Hotness without anyone noticing or caring. (I suppose that's why she has no friends either.)
Well, that's all I can think of right now! I'm sure there's more, but I hope you enjoyed my mini-guide on how to write a cliché paranormal romance!
Of course, there were lots of other issues I had with the book. What's up with the "not being able to feel emotions" thing? Also, there were lots of typos. Maybe it's the version I had or something, but I nearly had a coronary when I read, "I became hyperaware that there wasn't a single sole in site." Sole?? Like, a shoe sole? And that was definitely not the only typo I saw.
At any rate, this book seemed to defy my definition of an insta-romance, and I did not enjoy it at all. Too cliché, and not even well-executed at that. I struggled through seven chapters and then gave up. I do not recommend this book.
August 15, 2011
Gemma's life has always been strange, but lately things are changing from strange to just plain alarming. She's used to feeling nothing, and yet now her emotions begin to creep up on her with a tickling, unsettling sensation every time Alex is around. But her nightmares are beginning to haunt her in daylight and her emotions are overwhelming her everywhere she turns. A part of her wants to figure things out, but the rest of her longs for the simplicity of her former invisibility. Can she figure out what's happening her before these transformations and uncovered secrets become deadly?
Let me preface my review by saying that I'm a true fan of indie authors. I love the idea that true genius doesn't have to be represented by some huge name to be amazing. The Fallen Star is a book brimming with creativity and promise, creating a intriguing and fresh world. Author Jessica Sorenson clearly did her due diligence when planning out The Fallen Star. It's a world that's interesting and accessible and will definitely find a niche for paranormal readers everywhere. Balancing a tricky plot with a host of intricate characters, The Fallen Star offers a thrill ride for those seeking a twist on the old paranormal with hints of the new.
It's tricky to review a book like The Fallen Star because I truly mean it when I say that the author and the book have potential. I really enjoyed the creativity involved in the actual premise and setup of the book, but I will say that my main issue with The Fallen Star was the execution of the novel, unfortunately. The fact of the matter is that this is a book that makes the reader work to find the action and then, ultimately, fails to give some sort of adequate resolution. While I understand it's a part of a series, I like books to stand on their own, and the ending of The Fallen Star sounded more like a chapter than that of a novel. In a novel that's precariously close to 500 pages, I would like to get into the thick of the action before nearly a third of the book is done. My other major issue with the book was the editing or lack thereof. I can overlook some spelling errors, and heck, I can overlook some grammar, but the pages were, unfortunately, littered with errors that were actually detrimental to my ability to follow the plot. My last real issue was, simply, that I often felt Gemma was talking more to the reader than to the other characters in the book, and it felt jarring.
Now, I'm by no means saying that The Fallen Star is a bad book. It shows promise for the author, and I'm sure it will find its niche and home on many a reader's shelf. However, it just didn't work as well as I'd hoped for me. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal trilogies.
I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
Let me preface my review by saying that I'm a true fan of indie authors. I love the idea that true genius doesn't have to be represented by some huge name to be amazing. The Fallen Star is a book brimming with creativity and promise, creating a intriguing and fresh world. Author Jessica Sorenson clearly did her due diligence when planning out The Fallen Star. It's a world that's interesting and accessible and will definitely find a niche for paranormal readers everywhere. Balancing a tricky plot with a host of intricate characters, The Fallen Star offers a thrill ride for those seeking a twist on the old paranormal with hints of the new.
It's tricky to review a book like The Fallen Star because I truly mean it when I say that the author and the book have potential. I really enjoyed the creativity involved in the actual premise and setup of the book, but I will say that my main issue with The Fallen Star was the execution of the novel, unfortunately. The fact of the matter is that this is a book that makes the reader work to find the action and then, ultimately, fails to give some sort of adequate resolution. While I understand it's a part of a series, I like books to stand on their own, and the ending of The Fallen Star sounded more like a chapter than that of a novel. In a novel that's precariously close to 500 pages, I would like to get into the thick of the action before nearly a third of the book is done. My other major issue with the book was the editing or lack thereof. I can overlook some spelling errors, and heck, I can overlook some grammar, but the pages were, unfortunately, littered with errors that were actually detrimental to my ability to follow the plot. My last real issue was, simply, that I often felt Gemma was talking more to the reader than to the other characters in the book, and it felt jarring.
Now, I'm by no means saying that The Fallen Star is a bad book. It shows promise for the author, and I'm sure it will find its niche and home on many a reader's shelf. However, it just didn't work as well as I'd hoped for me. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal trilogies.
I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
January 7, 2015
First of all, I don't think the book was so bad. I read a couple of reviews and they say its just another Twilight story. Well, I have to admit, I had a hard time getting hooked to the story at the beginning, but the story itself was original for me. It's not usual, vampire/werewolf/fallenangel/nephilim or any kind that I had read before. It was really strange, and for a little while, I thought Gemma was a star and she had fallen....And If It'd been anything like that, I'd have stopped reading it! LOL! But thank God, the story made sense to me when I read it. Gemma has power inside her because of a fallen star-- If you are curious the relation between them, you have to read! [I am evil!!] LOL.
So our girl is Gemma, she is eighteen-year-old, living with her grandparents in a really small town. She has violet eyes-dont say purple she gets angry! She was told that she lost her both parents in a car accident, so she's been living with her grandparents(who nobody would want to have as a grandparent, by the way!) since she was one. She's been emotionless most of her life, LITERALLY! But one day, she starts to feel, and every time she feels a new emotion, she feels prickling sensation on the back of her neck. She is happy about the emotions, but she also starts having nightmares. Its the same one everytime she fell asleep--where she gets killed by someone. So many things are happening in the book. And I didn't get bored or rolled my eyes. There was just one thing, I think was so weird: so in the book, we have a girl who has a power of a star inside, and a group of people who call themselves 'Keepers' protecting Gemma(BULLSHIT, by the way!) Till here everything is normal, right? Yeah, but we also have Witches, magic and all, and we have vampires(yeah!!) and blackangels(like fallen angels), and Death walkers( like zombies) LOL! So I think it was too much, all of them together?!? Dunno! They were all wrapped up well, have to admit it.
So what do I think? Well, I definitely DONT think, Its another Twilight. Nope! But also DONT think it was an awesome book. There are so many liars around her, so the story is only just began, at the first book. I, however, dont have the patience to read the second! It was an okay paranormal read, if you have patience!
So our girl is Gemma, she is eighteen-year-old, living with her grandparents in a really small town. She has violet eyes-dont say purple she gets angry! She was told that she lost her both parents in a car accident, so she's been living with her grandparents(who nobody would want to have as a grandparent, by the way!) since she was one. She's been emotionless most of her life, LITERALLY! But one day, she starts to feel, and every time she feels a new emotion, she feels prickling sensation on the back of her neck. She is happy about the emotions, but she also starts having nightmares. Its the same one everytime she fell asleep--where she gets killed by someone. So many things are happening in the book. And I didn't get bored or rolled my eyes. There was just one thing, I think was so weird: so in the book, we have a girl who has a power of a star inside, and a group of people who call themselves 'Keepers' protecting Gemma(BULLSHIT, by the way!) Till here everything is normal, right? Yeah, but we also have Witches, magic and all, and we have vampires(yeah!!) and blackangels(like fallen angels), and Death walkers( like zombies) LOL! So I think it was too much, all of them together?!? Dunno! They were all wrapped up well, have to admit it.
So what do I think? Well, I definitely DONT think, Its another Twilight. Nope! But also DONT think it was an awesome book. There are so many liars around her, so the story is only just began, at the first book. I, however, dont have the patience to read the second! It was an okay paranormal read, if you have patience!
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