STAR DARLINGS 2

Libby's book has an introduction that explains some of the details on how the SD's world works. I imagine this will be in every subsequent book.

Libby rooms with Gemma. They're the other two First year Starlings, the first two (Sage and Cassie) being featured in the first book. They've been sent some pretty flowers, but can't agree what they smell like and get into an argument over it.

Let me just say that Libby has the patience of a saint. Gemma would drive me fucking nuts. I hate people that talk just to hear themselves speak and don't let others get a word in edgewise.

Libby gets a call from her parents, wanting to plan their upcoming vacation. They want to go somewhere luxurious, as they're very wealthy, while Libby wants to work with her Aunt Kit, travelling around Starland and helping in animal shelters and orphanages. (Color me surprised that this planet even has animal shelters. These books are preachy about animal rights, so why does this planet full of more advanced people need something lowly Earth has?) Her parents are a bit rude about it. "That's our Libby. Always thinking about others and never about us." Except that these two are so busy they don't exactly lavish attention on Libby, so shut the fuck up, business parents.

Scarlet pays them a visit and I love that she and Libby are friends. Unfortunately, no one else in the SD's has been willing to give her a chance apparently. Gemma doesn't believe she's as nice as Libby says and that's bitchy in so many ways. Scarlet also clashes with her roommate, Leona, who's a real handful. I'm not really thrilled that 2 of the 3 main POC girls are kind of...jerks. Scarlet notices they got the flowers, too. She and Leona did and so did Tessa and Adora. She comments that they smell like her fave flowers, so it's obvious there's something up with them. Scarlet tells the girls she found Leona wearing her grandfather's top hat AGAIN. Scarlet's grandfather is deceased and she keeps his hat in a special case. This is what made me really dislike Leona, because to disrespect the dead AND your roommate's wishes is just too fucking much. You can't write it off as being the effects of the flowers either, because Scarlet makes it clear this is not the first time. Leona's a selfish bitch. I'm quite hoping she learns a lesson in the next book, because she sorely needs one. I mean, how awful is that? Majorly awful.

The girls go to breakfast and it's clear something is up between Adora and Tessa, too. Tessa and Gemma cannot fucking shut up about the farm they're from, which wouldn't annoy me so much if it didn't strike me as preachy. The worst thing about these books is that the authors clearly have some pro-vegetarian agenda and this society is supposed to be perfect because absolutely everything is a vegetarian. It's so creepily unnatural. Without natural predation, the animals should be ruling the goddamn planet. So weird. But anyway, yeah, I'm not sure I'm going to like Tessa either. I hate those people that yammer on about fresh food and organic yadda yadda, like everyone can afford it.

At the end of the day, the girls are in their special class and they're discussing Sage's mission and where she went wrong. Lady Cordial accidentally interrupts and this poor lady. I feel so bad for her any time she's in a scene. The guide didn't make her sound so incredibly awkward. She knocks over a plant and asshole Leona laughs at her. She's the only one who does, by the way. Why are we supposed to like her? They've made her into an even more unlikable character than the original version of Sage. The professor isn't very nice either. She's so into her subject that she's being completely insensitive to Sage and she spills the beans that Sage didn't collect as much wish energy as she should have, which upsets her. Thankfully, Libby provides the bright side to her situation and that helps Sage feel better.

Leona announces she's holding Star Darlings-only tryouts for a band. She's going to be the singer, of course. Libby heads back to her room and pulls her keytar out from under her bed. Gemma gives her attitude because she's played sooooooooooooo many instruments and never seen a keytar before. Libby decides to go for it, partly because she wants to show Gemma up. And I don't blame her one bit. The brat's a know-it-all. I'll be curious to see if I like her when she's not under the effects of these flowers, but right now, she's a jerk. Not nearly as bad as Leona, but close. Unfortunately, these tryouts that were supposed to be SD-only have now become an all-school thing, complete with adult supervision and a "ranker" that makes sure the band is selected fairly. Which is completely unfair, because it was Leona's idea and she might not even make her own band. What the hell is the point? Why would a band even stay together without the person whose idea it was? Leona is suspicious that Scarlet sent out the holo-flyer advertising the tryouts, but Scarlet says it wasn't her. I find it amusing that Leona is not nearly as talented as she thinks. She's got a good voice but not a lot of range. She makes up for it in stage presence, but I always love it when cocky people don't have quite the skills they think they do.

Libby gets the notice that there's about to be a new wish mission. When she's the one selected, she's pleased but nervous. She talks to her parents before she goes to bed and says maybe they can compromise and she and Aunt Kit could do some volunteer work at the same place her parents go.

I'm not going to write a ton about her Wishworld mission. She locates the right person, but doesn't get the right wish until the last moment with a little help from Sage. It concerns a class election, which is where the title comes from. For some reason, I thought there would be an election involving Libby herself, too. I think she said in the guide something about wanting to be class president. Eh. Whatevs. My favorite moments from these chapters were her reactions to everything. She, way more than Sage, makes it clear that she's never seen a lot of Earth things before. There is a preachy section on how there's no waterlife in Starland, but instead of being really interested, she's sad the animals are contained. Everything roams free on Starland. Yeah, there's no predation either, so they're safe to roam free. Humans do plenty of dumb things concerning animals, but this whole preachy bit really needs to lay off. You're not better than anyone else if you don't eat animals. You still eat living things, after all. There's one glitchy moment, because Libby sees Sage in her Wishworld disguise. In the previous book, Sage saw Tessa as her Starland self, not the disguise.

Back at school, the band results have been posted and we know who made it. Later, Libby and Gemma have a scene where they admit they find each other really annoying. But that goes unresolved. Then Libby doesn't get her flower or power crystal, because something has happened and it seems like one of them is not a Star Darling after all. And finally, Scarlet is the one told to stay behind, most likely the one not a SD.

So that's where the book ends, with three cliffhangers, as I mentioned yesterday.

Overall, I enjoyed this one more than Sage's. Sage's was bogged down with the world-building info that was necessary, but doesn't make for the best story. I find Libby a more likable character than Sage, likely because I can relate to a lot of things she does. I would want to help so many people if I could grant wishes. I let more self-centered people like Gemma talk over me all the time, just like Libby did. And I like to mediate between people and bring up "bright side" things that make others feel better. I'm also really pleased she's friends with Scarlet, because I see a lot of me in Scarlet, too. (Others as well, but these two are sticking out the most so far.) I am greatly disappointed in Leona, because she seems way too selfish and disrespectful. The incidents with Scarlet's heirloom and Lady Cordial are pretty bad. Gemma is more annoying and rude than anything else, but she's not presented very well either. I think the rudeness is the effect of the flowers, but her yabbering would make me crazy, so she's probably going to be pretty low on my list of faves.

Definitely looking forward to the next 3 releases in January. I'm really hoping Leona's improves her character A LOT. I don't want to dislike her, but how can I not right now?

(Also pretty disappointed that Wishworld Libby is another brunette. She looks a lot like Sage's disguise. I really thought she'd be blonde and I'm sad she isn't.)