REVIEW: Defy the Stars

Defy the Stars
Author: Claudia Gray

The planet Genesis was once an Earth colony. But its people have been fighting a decades long war for independence from Earth. It's difficult to defeat the armies of mechs that Earth sends through the space gate near Genesis, forcing the planet's leadership to form a desperate plan to give them a window of time to rebuild their ravaged forces and attempt to finally put an end to the war. At 17, Noemi Vidal is a soldier ready to give her life to aid her planet. When her only friend is injured in a surprise attack, Noemi finds herself on a long-abandoned ship near the space gate. Its only other occupant is a mech named Abel who is more advanced and intelligent than any mech Noemi has encountered before. Through strange circumstances, they end up working together to attempt to destroy the space gate. During their journey, Noemi learns that Abel is more than a machine. And Abel discovers he can form an attachment to a human  that is so much more than just his programming. Can these two mis-matched warriors save a planet?

I loved this book! Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Although the plot has been done before in various ways, I found this story engaging, emotional and interesting. I liked Noemi for her independence and strength. And Abel was so desperate to experience new things and develop his mind and emotions much further than his basic programming. When forced to make certain moral decisions, he learned to not just follow his programming but to discern the right thing to do. It was so interesting how his character developed throughout the book. The rag-tag bunch of supporting characters were not as well-developed, but still likable and integral to the plot.

The ending hinted at a continuing series. I can't wait to find out what the future has in store for both Noemi and Abel.

Claudia Gray is the author of several Young Adult books including the Firebird and Evernight series. To find out more about the author and her books, check out her website at www.claudiagray.com

**I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Little Brown Books via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**