SPSFC REVIEW: A STAR NAMED VEGA OR HAVE YOU SEEN THAT COVER?!?

Hello everybody! Today I am back with a review, yay! And the protagonist is one of the finalists for SPSFC, so I won’t waste any more time, and I just start with it!

Title: A Star Named Vega
Author: Benjamin J. Roberts
Pages: 256
Publication Date: June 21st, 2021

Androids, starships, hackers, and spray paint. In the high-tech paradise of the 30th Century, a rebellious young street artist finds herself leading the charge to save a warrior race from extermination.

This was one of the books that intrigued me most from the start of the contest, and I am really happy to have finally read it! Let me just spend a couple of words on the cover, because it is not only beautiful, but it is one of the aptest covers ever. It is just so so right for the story! And it is eyecatching!

And now let’s start with the book. It is a fast-paced YA set in a really rich World. The world-building is vivid, full of colors and wonders and there is a ton of amazing things to see there. I especially loved the school there, it would be a dream to learn like they do. And sure, someone can argue that we are moving toward that direction, sure, but we lack the technology, and what they did here is pretty amazing. And if I am making you curious, sorry not sorry, I guess there is just one thing you can do. And it is to go and read the book! And the lessons that Aster takes here help us understand this complex and fascinating world. And the idea behind it is original. We have some sort of IA, powerful and complex, that creates habitats for their humans on some faraway planets, and these Mothers are the power of the world, the government, and the engine who drive them all forward. Things are a tad more complicated than that, obviously, but now you have an idea of what is waiting for you!
And I loved Vocks, it is a sort of game and social media thing, but way cooler. You get points for “acts of civil disobedience with artistic merits”. The coolest thing ever! And our MC, Aster, is an active Vockser, she is specialized in painting flowers and she is pretty good at what she does!
The technology is advanced here, we get to see a lot of IA around, and some new wonders. It was so nice to explore!

And with this really rich and diverse world, we have some really interesting characters! Aster is the MC, and she is a young girl with artistic talents and the heart in the right place. We get to really know her between these pages and see how good-hearted and determined to do the right thing she is, even when all (or almost all) are against it is heartwarming.
Then we have Isaac. He was my favorite. He is just so sweet, so daredevil in his own ways, and a rebellious little genius. Sure, he needs some supervision because left on his own he is not really the most reliable boy out there. But he is witty, resourceful, and so cute!
And then we have a whole cast of characters besides these two, obviously, and all of them are pretty good, too. Rel is another of the best in here, and the only downside here is that I hoped to see more of him around, because he is a good character in his own right, and he deserved more space to shine. But I am not really complaining. He was sweet, too, at times, and he was strong, and brave and it was a pleasure to meet him!
But let’s not forget about Aster’s father. He is a nice man, he is a nice character all around, but the best thing is that they have an amazing relationship, and I loved to read a YA with some good parental figures. It is such an uncommon occurrence! And this is really a shame because I think that we really need more good, caring parents in books too. Because they exist, I swear. They are out there, and they are not all so oblivious to what their children are doing. I usually find parents in YA, when they are present, really annoying, but not here. Doctor Vale is an amazing father, and seeing his relationship with Aster, and Isaac too, was heartwarming and it was something that I want to see in more books!
There are other interesting characters, and they really made for an interesting cast.

And, last but not least, we have an interesting plot. We have actions, mysteries, and intrigues, we have rebellion and we have quite a lot going on. And it is so good to see our characters try their best to fight for what they know is the truth. The pace is the right one, it is not too fast, so that we can get acquainted with this new universe, but it is not too slow, so we don’t lose momentum. And it all comes together nicely.

This was a really nice reading, I loved to explore this universe, and I had a good time with all these characters. If you are in for a nice book, that it is not too demanding and it has some vivid description of a wonderful world, well… search no more!

And what about you? What do you think of the cover? And have you read this book?? Let me know!

Happy reading!
S.