Winter Young: international pop star with a huge following
Sydney Cossette: youngest member of an elite covert ops group, with an ear for languages and lightning quick reflexes
An unlikely pair, but the two end up working together when a major crime boss asks Winter to perform a concert for his daughter's birthday. Using the opportunity to infiltrate by sending in Sydney as a bodyguard, will the pop star and the spy be able to work together and successfully take down the crime syndicate?
I love spy thrillers, but Stars and Smoke was a stretch. Sydney seemed to have more experience than someone twice her age, which really was not possible. The tech used was really cool and definitely advanced (without spoilers, I can only say that the tech was never around when it was needed). Sydney's character flaws did not make much sense, especially considering the fact that she was trained to stay under the radar. Winter's character development was spotty and did not come together for me. Overall, the plot was pretty transparent and the story was not all that interesting.
As a fan of many of Marie Lu's previous works, Stars and Smoke largely fell flat. YA readers might like the characters, as they both have plenty of characteristics that seem similar to those in the author's other novels.
Sydney Cossette: youngest member of an elite covert ops group, with an ear for languages and lightning quick reflexes
An unlikely pair, but the two end up working together when a major crime boss asks Winter to perform a concert for his daughter's birthday. Using the opportunity to infiltrate by sending in Sydney as a bodyguard, will the pop star and the spy be able to work together and successfully take down the crime syndicate?
I love spy thrillers, but Stars and Smoke was a stretch. Sydney seemed to have more experience than someone twice her age, which really was not possible. The tech used was really cool and definitely advanced (without spoilers, I can only say that the tech was never around when it was needed). Sydney's character flaws did not make much sense, especially considering the fact that she was trained to stay under the radar. Winter's character development was spotty and did not come together for me. Overall, the plot was pretty transparent and the story was not all that interesting.
As a fan of many of Marie Lu's previous works, Stars and Smoke largely fell flat. YA readers might like the characters, as they both have plenty of characteristics that seem similar to those in the author's other novels.