ARC Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World (Starbound #2)
Author(s): Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publication: December 23rd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA Science Fiction, Romance
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Rating: Five Stars
Goodreads

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: LOVED it

-- My Thoughts --

     I have found my favorite book of 2014, period. I read These Broken Stars such a long time ago and it blew me away! It was beyond amazing and I was afraid this wouldn't match up! It totally did!
     Jubilee Chase is the Captain of the forces on the planet Avon. She's fearsome and fearless. Flynn Cormac is one of the rebels. It's in his blood. He has to do everything to keep his people safe. Even if it means kidnapping Jubilee for ransom. But these two people might actually find unlikely allies in one another.
     I am absolutely in LOVE with the world that these two authors have created. I love their world-building. It's intense and vivid. I could almost picture it in my mind. All those secret passages, the swamp, the cave, the bases. All so believable and so beautifully crafted. They are masters of descriptions.
     Then, there are the characters; Jubilee and Flynn. Jubilee is fearless, smart, cunning, badass and she has a heart of gold. I loved her and loved her personality. She was as cold as iron at first, but she grew on me through the course of this book. Then, there's Flynn. Oh, Flynn "gushing". I don't know how Kaufman and Spooner write these perfectly flawed swoon-worthy male leads that will leave you awwing and ahhing over them (I just made up two words :P ). He was kind and maybe a bit too nice, but I fell absolutely in love with him.
     The romance was sweet, slow, and beautiful. It felt real. There aren't any dull moments in this book. It's fast-moving, suspenseful and thrilling. It kept me on the edge of my seat with every new revelation. The whispers in the first book make an appearance in this one too. And they are seriously creepy. I was creeped out by the scenes with them in it and I LOVED that.
     But my absolute favorite thing is the cameo that the main characters of the first book make in this one! We meet Lilac and Tarver again! I LOVED them in the first book. And seeing them with Jubilee and Flynn was amazing! I loved the interactions and their back-story together was PERFECTLY INTERWOVEN!
     I noticed that some reviewers said that the characters act too old for their age. But I didn't mind then. Imagine living in such a world and going through so many things at such an early age definitely changes a person. For worse or for better. And I understood the way the characters acted and they were smart, I loved that.
     I can go on and on about how amazing this book was but it would never be enough. I am sad that we are drawing nearer and nearer to the end of this series and I do NOT want it to end. It's one of my favorite series EVER and these two books are on my all-time favorite shelf. They are masterpieces and I admire the way these two authors co-write this series. It's flawless. If you're into fantasy, science fiction, and a touch of romance, then you will LOVE this!