This Book is Like Candy!

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This is my first Armentrout novel, but The Darkest Star is eminently bingeable brain candy with undercurrents that tackle some important issues. It's essentially a YA romance/thriller with aliens (the Luxen) and cool sci-fi elements. 17-year-old Evie is living in a tentatively peaceful world four years after an alien invasion nearly conquered humanity. Now she is drawn into a world full of secrets and intrigue that will change her life forever. Oh, and this includes meeting Luc- a hot, dangerous guy who is wonderfully snarky and has plenty of his own secrets. (I'm LIVING for the banter!)

Armentrout ends every chapter with a new reveal, a cliffhanger, or a juicy tidbit that keeps you endlessly forging on to the next chapter. It's a well-written page-turner with interesting characters and plenty of intrigue, but it also poses questions about how we treat those who are different and, potentially, dangerous. Human-Luxen politics involve Luxen being registered and controlled, with threats of segregated communities and limited rights. It calls to mind racial segregation in the United States, Japanese internment camps, and current discussions about refugees from certain parts of the world. Fear of the other can lead to inhumane behavior and I appreciated the social commentary.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and the world. I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future! I read an advance copy of this book that I was lucky enough to pick up at BookCon