Starcrossed by Angelina Josephini

Helen Hamilton has always tried her hardest to be normal and fit in with the rest of the crowd at school. This has never been easy for her, however, as she continues to grow abnormally tall and is super strong and extra fast. But when the mysteriously gorgeous Delos family moves into town, Helen's powers are magnified even more so. With slight reluctance, the Delos family helps Helen learn about who she is and where she came from. Still, as Helen grows and fine-tunes her powers, a darker, more sinister being awaits for the perfect opportunity to strike.

As much as I loved the cover for this book, I wasn't at all sure I would actually like the story. Perhaps the low expectations made for a nice surprise, as I ended up liking this book well enough. It was refreshing to see that Helen always knew she was different, even if she wasn't quite sure how or why she wasn't normal. She is aware of her powers but finds them more confusing that those other characters that suddenly wake up and have unique abilities. Though one of her powers specifically (you will know which one when you read it!) seems very out of place compared to the others in the book. The writing sounded a bit amateur in places, as Angelini preferred to tell things rather than show them. But the overly alluring characters made up for the weaker writing. Many readers will see similarities to the Twilight Saga (especially with the beautiful new family coming to town), but really the similarities stop there. Angelini works hard to make this story her own, and it is obvious she loves her Greek mythology. The long chapters pull the story along, moving the reader through the action in large chunks. I am not yet sure if I will read the next book, but this was is worth the read.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars