3 out of 4 stars
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Every few billion years in the solar system, a Star-child is born and dropped off on a different planet. No one knows the child‘s purpose. The only information known is, once reaching maturity, the Star-child will harness a power that could jeopardize the galaxy. With that threat looming over them, the planet Fabricius sends out a bounty hunter to eliminate the child. In Braxton A. Cosby‘s book, Protostar, Prince William from Fabricius, finds himself in that position. He sets off for Earth to locate the Star-child and to restore his family‘s honor from a previous failure. This venture does have its risks. Others have warned William that the Star-child could elicit strong feelings within him and make him willing to compromise. With that in mind, William is cautious when he encounters his target, Sydney, a seventeen-year-old girl. Quickly though, William realizes that Sydney differs from what they told him to believe. Those warnings the others gave soon become William’s reality. Will he complete his mission?
Truly, love is the prevalent theme throughout the book. What does it look like, and can you live without it? Sydney and William’s budding teenage relationship drives most of the narrative. Their fluctuations in emotions towards each other, the intensity they felt them, and their insecurities in expressing themselves were all realistically done. At times, these star-crossed-lovers reminded me of Romeo and Juliet in their expression of their love. Not only was Sydney charmed by William, but I also fell under his spell as well. His polite, calming demeanor, coupled with his out-of-this-world abilities, made him an attractive figure. Sydney appeals to those who like a strong female character. She craves for more excitement than her small town has to offer, and I could relate to that in my life.
I admit I care little about romances and if that was all this book was about, I probably would not have enjoyed it as much. However, there is also the mystery of what a Star-child actually is and the political intrigue on William‘s planet that’s alluded to in this book. Cosby also threw in some other surprises along the way that kept me engaged till the end. I was hoping to experience Fabricius more, but most of the action happened on Earth or in outer-space. By the conclusion though that didn’t matter because it looks like I might get my wish in the next installment.
There were a few inconsistencies in the storyline, and they were the biggest drawback of this book. At first, William‘s hair was auburn, but later it is blond. William takes showers but somehow is afraid of the rain. Also, there were sentences with odd phrasing like: “He stopped and pulled her eyes to his as he lifted her chin.” The words “face” or “head” would have made more sense. I only found two grammatical errors in the story and it looked professionally edited in that area.
I give Protostar 3 out of 4 stars. Overall, I liked the book, but the conflicting parts were distracting. This book would appeal to a variety of readers who enjoy YA fiction with its mixture of science-fiction, light romance, and action. There are religious undertones throughout but not heavy-handed enough to deter anyone.
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Protostar
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