These Broken Stars

I don’t know what to say about this one.  I honestly don’t know if I liked it or not.  Basically, your average Joe small-town war hero crash lands on a deserted planet with the daughter of the richest guy in the galaxy.  Drama ensues.  I thought a lot more could have been done with the world they landed on, especially since so many hints were dropped along the way that “something wasn’t right.”  It was another story (yes, another one!) where I was really excited that the author was going to take me on this awesome journey and wrap it up nicely without me having to take a giant leap of faith, and the actual conclusion left me a little disappointed as I scratched my head and wondered what moment took it too far.  Sigh.  At least this story did not contain a giant flying squid.  That would have pushed me over the edge.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138635-these-broken-stars?from_search=true

Poor Little Dead Girls

Also known as Barbie and the Secret Society.  Interesting at first, almost pulled me in, then became too contrived and lost my interest.  It took too long to figure out exactly what the plot was, and the resolution was…hmmm….odd.  And I totally called it.  I wish the story could have focused more on the issues of the scholarship girl trying to make it in high society and less on the creepy hospital and Skull and Bones-like underworld.