The Blogosphere is going nuts for For Darkness Shows the Stars. A few quotes:
Luxury Reading: “Elliot is a wonderful character. She was so strong and I just wanted to scream and cry for her. She took everything in stride and had way too much responsibility for an eighteen-year-old. She was constantly up against obstacles and I loved how much she grew throughout the novel. If you’re expecting a novel where the female damsel-in-distress always needs aid from the male hero, you aren’t going to get it here. Elliot holds her own. She could go down in young adult history as one of the strongest main characters, in my opinion.”
The Book Swarm: “You know that gaping emptiness when you finish a book, an emptiness that seems will never be filled by another story? One that makes you stare off into space, absently brushing your fingers across the cover of the book as if you could magically dive back into that world and be deeply involved yet again with those people and their lives? Yes. This. This book did it to me.”
Bookalicious: “I loved all of the characters. The mean spirited sister who was more vulnerable than she seemed. The hands off idiot dad who only cared about THINGS not people. The post reductionists who could talk and were a source of comfort for our dear Elliot. Kai, who became a man of his own making instead of being a slave. The captain’s of the ship that would sail off to find what is left of the world after the apocalypse. Each character was well fleshed out and made a lasting impression upon me. It has been four and a half months or something since I read For Darkness Shows the Stars and I still think about the plots, the plights, and the people almost every day.”
Almost Grown Up: “Word had not yet reached me that it was science-fiction… or, more importantly, THAT IT WAS AWESOME. But I am here to vouch for the fact that it is one awesome, sci-fi, dystopian-esque, Austenite retelling. I found it a little confusing at first as the world and characters were set up, but I’m telling you, guys, if you’re reading For Darkness Shows the Stars or plan to read it, muscle your way past that because it is so SO worth it. Once you get it, the world clicks into place and the story becomes so textured and gorgeous. I love the world that Diana Peterfreund constructed in For Darkness Shows the Stars and I think that that is a big part of what gives the story such an amazing feel. It’s the future, yes. And yes, it’s science fiction. But the society is constructed in a way that hearkens back to class systems of the old days with the Luddites playing the part of the nobility. Although, HOLLER for a society that isn’t totally patriarchal in this case because women can be Luddite lords just as easily as men. And, as I said, I think that vibe of old-timey-ness, from the fashions to the fixations on titles and estates, is what gives such an authentic feel.”
Imaginary Reads: “…a gripping dystopian novel that will break your heart to pieces as you share Elliot’s heartbreak over her choice in duty over love. From the first pages, Peterfreund had my heart gripped in her hand.”
BookNerd (Canada): “I enjoyed the world building in this one so much. The world divided into two distinct sides: Luddite and Post-Reductionists…Elliot North is a Luddite and when she meets Captain Malakai Wentforth, she realizes it’s her childhood best friend Kai. And with that comes all the drama that Jane Austen is keen on writing about. I for one haven’t read Persuasion, but after reading this novel, I think it’s safe to say I’ll pick it up one day. I love reading any re-tellings, and this one was just beautifully written.”
Katie’s Book Blog: “For Darkness Shows The Stars is such a completely unique, wonderful story. Diana Peterfreund’s futuristic reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion will blow readers away. Fans of the original will love it and those who haven’t read the original will be dying to.”
Librarian of Snark: “I fell in love with the characters and the setting, and the book kept me in suspense the whole way through, as I longed to know what would happen (and even what had happened). I think this is a fantastic new novel from Peterfreund and I imagine it will be a great success.”
Word Spelunking: “Diana Peterfreund’s For Darkness Shows the Stars was nothing like I expected it be, which is actually a good thing. My enjoyment of this story kind of slowly crept up on me and multiplied the more I read it, and it turned out to be quite the captivating read.”
After the Last Page: “I cried through a lot of this – not because it’s sad, but because it’s so beautiful. It’s written so wonderfully that Austen would be proud of the retelling of Persuasion.”
I Just Want To Sit Here and Read: “FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS, by Diana Peterfreund, contains quite an array of genres and ideas, that initially I had no idea how a good story could cohesively come together, but thankfully my fears were not realized. I absolutely loved this book! I did a quick Wikipedia search on Persuasion since I hadn’t read it yet (please don’t throw things at me!) but then a reviewer said it was very loosely based on the novel so I gave up my search and read the book with little knowledge of that story and found myself lost in this amazing work.”
Ladybug Storytime: “First the title captivated me, then I saw the beautiful cover and then I found out that it was inspired by Jane Austin’s Persuasion. I was hooked! I never read Persuasion but I always found modern retellings of classics fascinating. I was so excited to snag a copy at ALA, and For Darkness Shows the Stars met every single one of my expectations and more. It easily has been added to my favorites of 2012 list!”
Forever 17 Books: “Gah, THE LETTERS! I absolutely adored these letters! They were the perfect touch to the story and added such depth to the Elliot and Kai dynamic we see in the present time, which is four years after he left. The intimate look into years of their relationship had me rooting so hard for them to find each other once again. Best part of the book for me….This book had everything I wanted in a read – amazing characters, unique and engaging storyline, surprises, sweet memories, and a well paced romance to root for. I highly recommend this book to fans of sci-fi, dystopian and everlasting love. 5 out of 5!”
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Thank you to everyone reading and enjoying my book. Elliot and Kai and Ro and Felicia and Nicodemus and Donovan and Andromeda and heck, even Tatiana — they are such special people to me. I’m so glad you are finally geting a chance to know them and love them like I do. Thank you!
