Link to buy Eos
Story Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review:
When Hesper Fane was growing up, she was full of promise and
high expectations. After high school, she left her small Maine hometown for
college in Los Angeles. She was trying to finish a graduate degree in English
when the money ran out. Now, tail between her legs, she must return home to
live with her mother. If disappointed hopes and the ignominy of being an adult
moving back in with mom aren't enough, the only job Hesper can find is working
as a custodian at her former high school. Needless to say, that results in lots
of uncomfortable conversations with Hesper's former classmates and teachers when
she runs into them.
The only bright spot in Hesper's life is Altair, the
handsome, mysterious astronomer who rents the guest house at Hesper's mom's
place. The circumstances of their first meeting aren't ideal, and she's not
happy that his presence in the guest house prevents her from being able to live
there, but he has an undeniable allure for Hesper. As the pair grows closer, it
becomes clear that Altair has a tremendous secret of his own. The question is
whether that secret will drive him and Hesper apart forever.
As a science fiction novel, Eos offers plenty of references
to popular sci fi books and movies. It's also a romance, so the relationship
between Hesper and Altair is front and center throughout the story. The problem
was that I didn't fully understand why the gorgeous and entirely unique Altair
was suddenly so smitten with Hesper. He'd lived a very long life alone, and
suddenly he falls for a broke college dropout who's living with her mom. In
other romances, there's usually something about the couple that explains their
attraction. For instance, in Twilight, Edward Cullen has been around for a long
time and seen a lot of girls, but Bella is unique because he can't read her
thoughts the way he can read everyone else's. It makes Bella mysterious to him.
In Eos, it was clear why Hesper would be fascinated by Altair, but the opposite
side of the coin wasn't as obvious.
Another aspect of the story left me torn. On the one hand,
the notion that Hesper was going back home to work as a janitor at her old high
school was the cherry on top of her humiliation cake. She was going to run into
everyone she had known and have to explain what happened with her lofty dreams.
That made for some nice conflict in the book. At the same time, though, it made
me uncomfortable that Hesper looked down her nose at her janitorial job. It was
insulting to everyone who does janitorial work, which is important work that
keeps the world spinning. The irony is that Hesper obviously feels the work is
beneath her, yet she's lousy at it. It was good that the author made a point of
demonstrating that being a reliable employee and doing good work aren't just
mindless accomplishments that any clown can do.
Overall, Eos was an entertaining science fiction love story.
It will probably appeal more to science fiction fans than straight romance
lovers, but there's room here for both types of readers to get something out of
the tale.
Reviewed by Amanda
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