From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion

Seventeen-year-old Emma was the only one who hadn’t given up on her boyfriend, Lucas. Everyone else—his family, his friends, his doctors—believed that any moment could be his last. So when Lucas miraculously returns from the brink of death, Emma thinks her prayers have been answered.

As the surprised town rejoices, Emma begins to question whether Lucas is the same boy she’s always known. When she finds an unidentifiable object on his family’s farm—and government agents come to claim it—she begins to suspect that nothing is what it seems. Emma’s out-of-this-world discovery may be the key to setting things right, but only if she and Lucas can evade the agents who are after what they have. With all her hopes and dreams on the line, Emma sets out to save the boy she loves. And with a little help from a distant star, she might just have a chance at making those dreams come true.

Rating: 3/5

I have a thing for the color purple, stars and alien novels. From a Distant Star's cover and blurb made of the book the perfect combination for me (Yes, I judge books by its cover, sue me!). I was really looking forward to reading it when it came out (I had missed it on Netgalley, damn), though I wasn't really sure what to expect; a love triangle between Emma, her boyfriend and the alien invading it? An action packed escape from the authorities looking for this alien and Emma's search for a cure? A freaking alien invasion??

I don't know, but I really need to stop making up stories into my head before I start a book, just read the damn synopsis Mila! Because, in the end, this book was nothing like what I had envisioned, and I'm still trying to figure out whether that is a good or bad thing.

The story starts with Lucas, Emma's boyfriend being a terminally ill patient but, after a strange object crashes in his family's backyard Lucas miraculously recovers. Everybody is ecstatic, especially Emma who was the only one that hadn’t given up on his recovery. But soon Emma starts witnessing some strange behaviour on his part and, combined with the discovery of the strange object in his yard, it makes her think her boyfriend may not be himself anymore.

I'll be honest, I found the author's writing style a bit too juvenile for my taste. I guess it would be suited for younger readers or just people who enjoy that kind of writing.

I did like that Emma was not the usual MC who melts into a puddle when things go wrong. She was determined, stubborn even, and she was willing to fight for Lucas. Perhaps my problem with her was that she was too selfish for my taste. Yes, she loves Lucas, but her saving him was only because she couldn't live without him. She didn't care that Lucas may not want to live as a terminal patient, or the suffering she was causing to his parents. She spends every day next to him, not letting his parents grieve for the son they were losing. She was too focused on what she wanted and needed that her love for Lucas felt wrong, did she really care for him? Or only what he could do for her?

Her attitude toward other women was awful, any girl that came close to her boyfriend was immediately labelled as either a slut or shallow, and that made the reading more annoying.

The plot was alright, though I was expecting a bit more action and gore, everything works out with little problems whatsoever, and that's just not what I look for when I read an alien novel.

From a Distant Star is a good, light read about aliens. Though the writing can be juvenile and the plot predictable, it's decent for a fun time.