For Darkness Shows the Stars
by Diana Peterfreund
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #1
Published: June 12, 2012
Genres: Dystopian, Retelling, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eBook (402 pages)
Source: Purchased
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology. Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.
First of all, I loved finding all the similarities between For Darkness Shows the Stars and Persuasion. The book stands really well on it’s own if you don’t want to read Persuasion, but I had a lot of fun recognizing the familiar characters. For Darkness Shows the Stars is set in a post-apocalyptic world, but when the world eventually recovers and we finally come full circle, it is eerily similar to Jane Austen’s time. For Darkness Shows the Stars was a more faithful re-telling than I thought it would be which I loved. I was a little confused with some of the terms at first (like the term “Post” for a class of people) but it gets explained later on. The history of how the world was destroyed is also revealed, but it takes a few chapters. I found the moral dilemma in the book of whether technology is good or bad completely fascinating. I would never have thought that a Jane Austen sci-fi re-telling would work, but it totally does. I loved this unique story and it is one that will definitely stick with me.
Content Rating: Mild. There was hardly any swearing (if any), a few mentions of kissing and mentions of past violence.
About Diana Peterfreund
Diana Peterfreund has published eight novels for adults and teens, including the four-book Secret Society Girl series (Bantam Dell), the “killer unicorn novels” Rampant and Ascendant (Harper Teen), and For Darkness Shows the Stars, a post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. In addition, she’s written several critically acclaimed short stories and a variety of non-fiction essays about popular children’s literature. Diana lives in Washington D.C., with her family.
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
So many people have really loved this book! Somehow I missed that it was a sci-fi retelling but that has got me very curious. I’ll have to check it out. :)
Let me know if you do! I want to know what you think :)
I love Persuasion so I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.
It’s good! If you love Persuasion you’ll love this one too.
I loved this book to! Need to post my review, but so glad you liked to! :D
<3 Inky@ Book Haven Extraordinaire
Can’t wait to read your review! :)
Yay! I totally loved this one, too, even though I have never read Persuasion. I was thinking I would actually rent the movie so that I could make comparisons because that sounds like fun!
The characters were the most fun to compare. I should watch the movie! I didn’t know there was one.
I enjoyed this one and felt like it felt authentic to the Jane Austen feel even though I don’t recall reading Persuasion, but for some reason I kind of struggled with it. I liked it, but I was a little bored at times. I’m glad you loved it though!
I can see it being slow. The only reason I didn’t think it was was because I was comparing it to Jane Austen the whole time. I like Jane Austen but her stories can be slooow :)