To celebrate the paperback publication of Hold Back The Stars by the lovely Katie Khan, I thought I would re-post the review I wrote before I took the plunge and started my blog.
I loved this book and I have been recommending it to everyone. It’s currently only 99p on eBook too!
Book Blurb:
Ninety minutes.
A few years from now, not too far in the future, two people meet.
It is a classic story of boy meets girl.
Except that it’s not.
When we find them, they have an hour and a half left.
Unless they can save themselves, they won’t survive.
The clock is ticking.
Bittersweet and life-affirming, Hold Back the Stars is the love story of the year.
My Review:
| Wow what a beautiful book! Beautiful, haunting and really unusual.
Stranded in space with only 90 minutes of air left and no help in sight, Cerys & Max have a chance to reflect on their relationship and the events that have led them here. In a world where love is forbidden, Cerys & Max broke the rules when they fell in love. Facing fierce opposition from friends and family the pair decide they can’t live without each other and decide to fight for their right to love. But can they really help change the rules and convince the council of the importance of love? Firstly this isn’t just a love story so don’t be put off by the fact that love is a central theme to this book. It’s setting and underlying themes make this book part science fiction, dystopian and thriller. The setting of Europia, Europe in the future, was fascinating to read about. I liked that it wasn’t all doom and gloom like a lot of dystopian novels I have read. There was some resemblance to the life we know now which helped to add a little sinister edge to the story as it made it much more real. Also adding to the sinister feel was that love is forbidden. Initially I thought this was just in relation to couples but I think it extended to families too which lead to some quite poignant and heart breaking parts in the book. Being a mother myself I can’t fathom a world were parents wouldn’t hug children and families didn’t live together. This world contrasts beautifully with the love story that develops between Max & Cerys which is very realistic and never seems forced. Their story isn’t perfect they do hit a few bumps along the way which is of course true innormal relationships. The main characters, Max & Cerys, are really well developed and realistic characters with lots of flaws. I didn’t really like them at the beginning but I found I really warmed to them as the story developed. The use of the time remaining as the chapter headings helps add to the tension which gradually increases as the time counts down. The fear and hopelessness Cerys and Max feel is almost tangible. I felt myself holding my breath and reading faster and faster as the book progressed as I needed to know what happens next. A few twists towards the end keeps you on your toes and you aren’t really sure until the end which ways things are going to go. The ending is so beautiful and poignant a really good way to end this book. I liked that the author didn’t choose an easy and obvious ending and instead went for a hard hitting one. I found I was tearing up at the end and I never cry at books. I would recommend this book to everyone as I think the mismatch of genres means there is something for everyone here. If you don’t believe me pick it up and give it a try I’m sure you’ll be hooked. Thank you to Sophie Christopher and Transworld publishers for giving me an ARC of this book. (less) |
About The Author:
Katie Khan is a writer from London whose first novel, HOLD BACK THE STARS, is being translated into twenty-one languages and published around the world across 2017. In the UK, the novel was published in January by Transworld (Penguin Random House), and in May by Gallery (Simon & Schuster) in the USA and Canada.
A graduate of the acclaimed Faber Academy writing course, and a fan of love stories with epic settings both on the page and on screen, Katie spent 10 years working in editorial and digital technology, including 4 years as Head of Digital at Paramount Pictures, before joining Warner Bros. in April 2017 to work on a major film production. Named in the 40 Under 40 working in European Cinema at CineEurope 2016, and The Drum’s Top 50 most influential people in social media marketing in the UK, Katie was also selected as a Rising Star by The Media Eye. people in social media marketing in the UK, Katie was also selected as a Rising Star by The Media Eye.
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