Under Different Stars  - Amy A. Bartol

What kind of name is Kricket anyway? I'll try not to get too annoyed but she's a very annoying character and more importantly. She's a special snowflake.

 

Having lived always on the run from social services in Chicago, Kricket does get herself chased and later kidnapped by what seems to be two different gangs of aliens. They tell her she's an alien and take her home, where she'll have to pay for her terrible crime: existing.

 

Kricket is a very special girl. Her blond hair discolours as soon as it is cut and even more spectacular: it will grow back immediately after being cut. A bit like Harry Potter. What kind of evolutionary benefit this growing back hair provides to the aliens isn't made clear and I can't think of any reason myself. The book states several times that she's supposed to be a weak female, but her special-snowflakeness prevents her from actually being one. *sigh*

 

It's the second alien book I've read in a very short time but it has the same problems. The aliens are just like people, except that we're told they're aliens. The look like humans, act like humans, whine like humans. They're basically just humans. I am to believe that they are the same except better without a reason to believe why they should be better. I'm not buying that.

 

Throw in some overly complicated love-interest and some slightly interesting intrigue, although it never really takes any form because the complete incompetence of the leader and you've got Under Different Stars...

 

Under Different Stars is the first book in the Kricket series. The next book, Sea of Stars, is expected to be published in March.

 

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!