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Title: Scavenge the Stars
Author: Tara Sim
Sub-genre: Fantasy, Retelling
Not going to lie, I read this one just a couple of weeks ago and I’m having trouble remembering much about it. Not a great sign. I received Scavenge the Stars in my last Owl Crate and was definitely intrigued by the premise: a gender-swapped retelling of Count of Monte Cristo. Not going to lie (again), I’ve never read Count of Monte Cristo (bad former English teacher!) but I was intrigued nonetheless.
The story begins with Amaya, a young girl who has been sold into slavery on a ship in order to pay off her parents’ debts. One day she rescues a man from drowning and the man promises her a once in a lifetime opportunity in exchange for her help. She is released from her servitude and follows the man into a crazy scheme. Amaya only wants revenge on the man she thinks stole her from her parents, but the more she learns about her hometown and her family, the more confused she becomes. Amaya doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn.
So from what I can remember of this book, it was enjoyable to read while I was actually reading it. It had some twists and turns, I liked the characters, and I was interested to see how things were going to turn out. All that being said, not much stuck with me about this book. It’s one that if I were going to read the sequel (which would probably only happen if it were in another book box or I found a used copy), I would need to go back and read the first one again (which I hate doing because I don’t have time for that!). So while I liked this one while reading, I don’t know that it is one I could say I truly loved because nothing about it made a lasting impression. Maybe if I knew the original story I would feel differently, but for me, this one is mostly meh.
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars