Book Review: Starstruck by S. E. Anderson

Starstruck by S. E. Anderson

This review also includes a book trailer.

After an incident with a hot-air balloon causes college-dropout Sally Webber to lose her job, she sets off to find direction in her life. Crashing into a teleporting alien, however, is not on her to-do list.

Now she's on the run from TV-drama-loving aliens, and things are just getting started. Zander won't stop reeling her into life-or-death situations to save her planet, as he waits for his laser-wielding sister to search the universe for him. Though Sally isn't quite sure if he wants to save Earth from annihilation, or just quell his curiosity of all things human.

Now she's got to find lost alien emissaries, as well as a job, and stop the planet from getting incinerated in the process. But with Zander as her roommate, what could possibly go wrong?

Title: Starstruck

Series: The Starstruck Saga

Author: S. E. Anderson

Publisher: Bolide Publishing Limited

Published: May 4, 2017

Genre: Science Fiction

Recommended Age: Young Adult

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After an incident with a hot-air balloon causes college-dropout Sally Webber to lose her job, she sets off to find direction in her life. Crashing into a teleporting alien, however, is not on her to-do list.

Now she's on the run from TV-drama-loving aliens, and things are just getting started. Zander won't stop reeling her into life-or-death situations to save her planet, as he waits for his laser-wielding sister to search the universe for him. Though Sally isn't quite sure if he wants to save Earth from annihilation, or just quell his curiosity of all things human.

Now she's got to find lost alien emissaries, as well as a job, and stop the planet from getting incinerated in the process. But with Zander as her roommate, what could possibly go wrong?

"My name is Sally Webber. I'm a human from Earth, a college dropout with no career ambition. I'm wearing a wig, and I really need to sit down; these heels are killing me. And I'm going to save my planet and everyone on it from complete annihilation."

The best way I can describe this book is Doctor Who meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 

Here's why:

Start out with Sally Webber, a depressed college dropout who is lost in life after the passing of someone close to her. Add in Zander, a quirky yet charming alien who suddenly appears out of no where having no clue about anything human-like (or as he calls it Terran-like) but is suddenly in need of a place to stay. A couple clueless Earthlings. Some Killians, science fiction picturesque aliens intent on the annihilation of the planet. A sprinkle of Blayde, a scary-as-hell, kind-of crazy, bad ass sister on a mission. A crazy, psychotic villain. And a whole lot of sarcasm, nerdy references, and wit! 

This book is the recipe of comedy, science fiction perfection!

From the chapter titles like "Someone Crashes My Date and the Glass Ceiling All at Once" or "It's Not a Drinking Problem if Aliens are Involved" to the sarcastic, quotable lines like,

 "Everything's possible in an impossible chicken..." 

I was laughing out loud the whole way through. However, this book was not all fun and games. With plenty of action to keep you on your toes, there was also depth to Starstruck. Hard realities had to be faced by Sally and not just the reality that aliens actually exist! 

Having a normal life while trying to keep the secret of aliens existing is not as easy as it sounds - especially with a jealous boyfriend, a worried best friend, and the alien being Sally's roommate. 

Starstruck made me truly wish for Earth to be the unknowing, behind-the-times, unsuspecting world that it is in this book! 

"An alien doped up on coffee and wearing a flowery dressing gown, possibly commando, would cause widespread panic. Worst case scenario - he'd end up viral on the internet."

Plus I mean, who doesn't want to read a book with that line in it?

5 out of 5

S. E. Anderson can't tell you where she's from. Not because she doesn't want to, but because it inevitably leads to a confusing conversation where she goes over where she was born (England), where she grew up (France), and where her family is from (USA) and it tends to make things very complicated.

She's lived pretty much her entire life in the South of France, except for a brief stint where she moved to Washington D.C., or the eighty years she spent as a queen of Narnia before coming back home five minutes after she left. Currently, she goes to the university in Marseille, where she's starting her Masters of Astrophysics.

When she's not writing, or trying to science, she's either reading, designing, crafting, or attempting to speak with various woodland creatures in an attempt to get them to do household chores for her. She could also be gaming, or pretending she'd not watching anything on Netflix.

Read If You Liked:

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Bill, The Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison
Soulless by Gail Carriger

May you always find adventure.

- Jaiden

* This book was received from S. E. Anderson for an honest review.