Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

"How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart."-GoodReads.

Hardcover, 496 pages                                                         

                                                                            Published May 31st 2011 by HarperTeen

                                                                            Source: HarperTeen via NetGalley.

Starcrossed is an amazing Greek Mythology retelling. Probably my favorite so far. At almost 500 pages it may seem a little daunting, but it is so fantastically told that I hardly even noticed how long it was.

And being that long really allows for story and characters to development. Angelini also takes the time to introduce readers to the world of Greek Mythology, instead of assuming that they already know the myths. But don't worry, it is informative but it does not read like a history book.

What I truly loved about Starcrossed is that it is not about the Greek Gods directly, but about the Scions- or demigods as more people may know them- and how 'The Houses' are fighting due to past transgressions that the Fates keep repeating throughout history. 
High school relationships are hard enough as it is, but then you add in the Furies trying to get you to rip apart a family you haven't even been formally introduced to and then falling for the very guy the Fates have dictated you are supposed to kill. And then on top of that, finding out that if you and the aforementioned guy do find a way to be together, you cannot really be together-together or all the Heavens and Hell will break loose and a war will be started. The entire fate of The Houses rest upon Helen's and Lucas's shoulders. As long as they can control their raging teen hormones they should be okay, right? Yeah, I guess that is easier said then done.

Helen was an okay character. Not my favorite female protagonist, but definitely not my least favorite. It was just a bit hard to relate to her at times since one of her biggest problems in life is dealing with being a model look-a-like and not enjoying the attention she gets because of that. She is sweet and likable, I just enjoyed the Delos family much more. What an array of characters they were. I am loving books where the secondary characters really stand out and help make the story. In Starcrossed I got that with Helen's best friend Claire. She was a fun girl to have around. Very lively and a great best friend.
Lucas on his own was also an alright character. He was a much stronger and more likable character when he was with his family or around Helen. He may not have reached "book boyfriend" status for me, but he and Helen were great when they were together. The tension, the longing, the need to kill the other. It was all just so romantic.


So if you have not had very good luck with finding a Greek Mythology book that you like lately (as was the case with me), but you still kind of want to give this one a shot, do it. As I said before, even if you don't know the myths, Starcrossed does a wonderful job of telling them in the story. 
Or maybe you are a Greek myth book trip and just cannot get enough of them. Starcrossed will not disappoint and it most definitely satiate your desire for another great myth read.