From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion

Genre: Science Fiction
Group: Young Adult
Page Count: 272
Publication Date: May 19th, 2015
Rating: 7/10
*Source: Netgalley*

Goodreads Blurb:

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.

Review:

My first thought upon receiving this book was - the Host. I mean, it sounds exactly like it except gender reversed right? And I gotta say that I loved the Host as a book(the movie sucked, Hollywood just can't stop ruining movies!). So I had pretty high expectation starting out because it's living under the glory that is the Host, it has certain size 2 Louboutin stilettos(aka perfection) to fill. Just to put it out there because I am judging this book pretty harshly.


Well, the start is amazing, the perfect
effect. And come on, who doesn't like seeing a doggy start a book? Then we met Emma. My first impression of her was a really good one. I really love a girl who doesn't give up. #girlpower all the way! Her doing anything to get her boyfriend Lucas back and staying by his side despite the parents is a really sweet and admirable thing. I mean, parents are scary, they have the parent look and the authority card. Still sticking to your plan after one or both parents use both cards is serious guts that I admire. So I really loved Emma and was "you go, girl"ing her until she talks about how Lucas and her got together. 

It's the typical story. Boy out of girl's league, boy notices girl, girl and boy become a thing, boy parents don't like girl, you know how this goes. If you don't, just turn on the tv. So I was nodding along until she goes from super lucky girl to possessive lioness real quick. Like one minute she was sighing about how lucky she is and the next she is glaring at girls and repeatedly saying "MY MAN!!!". I mean, I get it, he's a keeper, but do you really need shove it in everyone's face? How about you just write "MINE" on his forehead eh? He'd really like that. There's more but I have to talk about Scout first.

So Scout is the alien inhabiting Lucas' body. He just came down to Earth and doesn't know anything. He's innocent and is desperately trying to learn everything in a short amount of time. He is just the cutest thing!! I mean boy...uh...species...frankly, whatever you want to call that dude. He's cool! I melted when Scout asked what a less than 3(<3) is. It was the most adorable thing!! 

Which is why instead of being "I can show you the world", Emma's whole MO towards Scout is "please get out of my world and get the hell out of my boyfriend!". Dude, that is so mean. It's a whole new world for him and he's being rejected and told he doesn't belong. You're in high school, you should know how much it hurts. He has no choice in the matter, more so, he saved your boyfriend from a coma! You should be thanking him and baking him chocolate cookies and being nice while helping him go back home. 

There's more. So before Lucas woke up, Emma went to some witchy mojo thing and did something to Lucas(that I will not tell). Then Scout arrived and saved him and Emma thought she was the one who saved him. And that girl is dying, DYING, to take credit. I don't know how many times I read "I saved him, me". Have you ever heard of Philanthropy? AKA doing nice thing without needing to take credit. I find it so annoying and really sad. And a tad bit funny since she didn't even saved him in the first place. Yeah. Basically the whole time I was yelling to her in my head "Would it kill ya to be nice to him?". I get that you're upset because he's not your Lucas. Which by the way, is another annoying thing about her. For about 40% of the book she was saying repeatedly: this is not my Lucas and I miss my Lucas. We get it! He's not Lucas! But can you stop whining and actually do something about it? Whining doesn't get you anywhere! A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G. Then the other 40% she was getting flashbacks about how much Lucas is like Lucas but not like Lucas and reminded of how much she misses him. By that time I don't even read her narration anymore. Anyways getting back to being nice. It's a four letter word and basically it's just:


Yeah. It's not that hard. Even Jamie Lannister can be nice once in a while, why can't you?

One thing that made me feel better was Eric, Lucas' brother and using Emma's words - a nerd. I don't know if it's just me but I feel like nerd is a bad word. Or maybe society has just made nerd a bad word. But seriously? How is being a genius extraordinaire bad? He's like the coolest guy ever. Renovates cars, open minded, likes country movies... You know, cool. Most of all, he's super nice to Scout and was never offensive to him. See Scout? There are nice humans in this planet. So don't come bombing the Earth or anything. I think Eric just might've saved the world. Ya never know.

It doesn't seem like it but I somehow vaguely described the plot to you. Character is the plot. Now it's time for the ending. The ending was one of the cutest, most adorable and sweet thing I've read/seen. It's like those things that no matter what, you can't stop saying "AWWWWWWW...." It was the perfect ending. 

I don't think there's gonna be a second book or at least it's not indicated. And frankly I am perfectly happy with the ending so yeah. Cool.