For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

OK, so time to review one of my favourite books of all time.

 It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Jane Austen:

I can begin to tell you how much I love Jane Austen! I have been in love with her novels since I read Pride and Prejudice! Alas, I'm the only person who loves her in my family. My relatives think Jane Austen writes girly books and that that kind of literature is not good enough for  their tastes. But enough on my relatives. I haven't read Persuasion yet. It's the only Austen novel I haven't read. Shame on me! But this book has been on my shelf for ages and I'm very happy I picked it up!

Reading:

I have been having trouble sleeping these days so after I woke up at 4 AM this morning I decided to start this book. And I loved it. (I think I said that already! Several times!) It's a very fast read. It took me around 4 hours to read it. And I was tire and sleepy.

World:

The book is set in a dystopian world. In the future after The reduction there are now two races of people. The Ludite aka. the great, good and rich and The Reduce- their slaves, servants, workers. So mainly before the Reduction the Reducted wanted to improve themselfs so they started making themselfs better body parts and new eyes, you get it. Right? But a group of people refused to improve themselfs. That group were the Ludite. But the improvements went too far and the people who were improved became very disorientated. You can call it stupid, too! So the Ludite became the masters and the Reduced- their slaves. But The genes of The Reduced started getting normal again and the new generations became cleverer and cleverer. Those were the so called Children of The Reduction. They are the same as Ludite generations, they can think and speak and they are normal. Like you and me! (Well, technically I'm not normal!) But The Children of The Reduction were discriminated. So that's the world where the story is set. I explained it because for people who haven't read the book it will be easier to understand it if they read this first!

Elliot North:

I loved Elliot. Firstly, if you have read Persuasion youu have already noticed the name similarity Anne Elliot/ Elliot. Then Ellliot was a working girl. She took care for everything after her mother died. She could live in the same house with her sister and father without killing them. (Something I wouldn't have been able to do!) And she wanted to leave and see the world with Kai, but she stayed. Because she is responsible and she puts other people's needs before herself. And she broke the law. She experimented on the seeds so there could be food so her friend and family and the other Reduced won't die.

Kai:

Kai was an enjoyable character. Of course, I was very anoyed with hima at times. I just wanted to shout at him: Can you see she still loves you? And you love her. Don't try to hide it. Just freaking tell her. But in the end everything was alright. Kai became himself again and it was hreat.

The Ending and a little before that:

This is the moment weh I say how much I hate Elliot's father. He was so mean and selfish and the only thing he ever thought about were money and himself. And sometimes about how to entertain himself. But I think I have mixed feeling about him, because on the other hand he wasn't broughtup to be a leader. They just thaught him how to be a party boy. I was just so mad at him after Elliot's grandpa died and he left that will. But as always Elliot did the right thing. She made  a bargain with Tatiana, her also annoying sister. And again Elliot proves to be a working girl and makes not one, but two masions wealthy. Now moving on to The Ending. It was so great! I loved it. Sailing away to see the world and to find other survivors.

Ro:

And how couldn't I mention Ro. She was alovely little thing. I think she was example that the Redused are not brainless. She was actually clever. She couldn't speak or write or read, but how can anyone be sure what she is thinking. Maybe she is cleverer than all of them. And the moment when they re-named her to Tommorow was...was..well, I actually have no word for it.

So I think that's it. If there's anybody reading this blog, please comment.