I had the opportunity to get an early copy of the new paperback edition of Stars and Smoke, which includes new artwork and a bonus scene. Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and BookishFirst; all opinions in my review are solely my own.

I really enjoyed reading Stars and Smoke. I thought both of the main characters were interesting and felt relatable in their own ways, with complicated pasts. The banter between Winter and Sydney was fun and I enjoyed the development of their relationship along the way. The "pop star turned spy" concept was interesting and done well. There was a lot of action, and parts of the story even had a cinematic feel to them. I was expecting some kind of twist along the way and thought I had it all figured out, but it turns out the book was still able to provide surprises. This was one of those books where, once I started getting close to the end, I couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and reading more by this author! ( )

I listened to this novel by Marie Lu and really enjoyed the fun of it.

Winter Young is the Taylor Swift of music in this book; he can't go anywhere that there's not a crowd. How do these people always find him?!? He's asked by a secret group, Panacea, to go undercover for them. He has skills, so he's really a good choice; he moves gracefully, learns moves quickly, and thinks several steps ahead. He's paired with Sydney--a 19-year-old agent who gets out of tight situations and gets the bad guy. Syd isn't happy about working with another pop star because they're difficult and self-centered. She finds Winter much more introspective and really train-able. He's really good. They are to get to one of the wealthiest people in the world and find out where chemical weapons will be shipped so that it can be stopped. The criminal has a daughter who loves Winter. Winter will be performing at the daughter's birthday party, so Panacea needs him to accept the invitation and help Syd. Syd will play his body guard.

Needless to say, many things go wrong, but Winter and Syd find they work well as a team. There are a few twists that may surprise you. I don't think it's super clever, but it was fun. ( )

Marie Lu weaves an intricate tale in this young adult book about a world-famous musician. She brings her reader a story of intrigue that is filled with heart stopping moments. There is forbidden romance, self-reflection, and true friendship.

This book is classified as young adult since the main characters fit into that age range. But, in my opinion, if they were not described as older teens, then they could really have been any age – a feature that should make this book popular also among readers outside of that age frame. There are, however, references to sexuality, drugs, and other potentially sensitive topics.

I will admit that it took me a chapter or two to really start enjoying this book, but once I reached that point, well, I was completely hooked and found myself quickly turning the pages. Characters are well developed and settings are carefully constructed so that you feel a part of the story. But don’t think you have everything figured out as you are likely to be surprised at the end. ( )

If only the ending had not been so over the top and dragged on, this would have been one of the most perfect YA and Adult thrillers.

As it stands, both superstar singer and dancer Winter Young and superstar spy Sydney Cossette were finely drawn and unusually un-stereotyped characters. Both delivered compelling reading, notably with their mood shifts and introspections.

While their attraction was not quite predictable, with Winter still a closet gay, exploring it was still enjoyable. as the plot evolved into a new world of Under Hotel Training and backstage concert routines. Book Cover reveals were great and what a movie it will make with two lonely spy vs star balanced by Winter's wit and intelligent, intuitive awareness.

Penelope's personality was improbably concealed.

The opening Mission Logs were a fun and challenging lead off, while Necco Wafers
earn a new awakening.

Plot questions: Why would Winter EVER consider another mission after he nearly got Leo's family murdered? Shouldn't a Bodyguard have stayed with Winter and Penelope?
How did Niall and Sauda so quickly find them on the cargo ship? ( )

As an adult reader, I find YA reads are either a hit or a miss. There never seems to be an in between. I found "Stars and Smoke" by Marie Lu to be a definite hit! The characters are believable, the plot intriguing with lots of twists and turns, and the settings are well described. The storyline follows the lives of Winter Young, a world-wide superstar and Sydney Cossette, a nineteen-year-old agent working for an elite organization. Winter is recruited to join Sydney in taking down the notorious crime boss, Eli Morrison. At first, Sydney and Winter are at odds. The plot quickly changes as both realize that there is more to each other's backgrounds than they were originally led to believe. As they maneuver through spying on Eli and his associates, they quickly realize that all is not what it appears to be. I love when a novel has a surprise ending, and this one certainly did. An excerpt of the next novel in this series, "Icon and Inferno", is included at the end of this book. I love that it's set up as a stand-alone novel. It looks intriguing and another novel by Ms. Lu that I'm looking forward to reading. ( )