Review: Zodiac - Romina Russell

Zodiac
Romina Russell 
Series: Zodiac, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Thanks to Razorbill for the ARC I received at Book Expo America!

When jumping into Zodiac, pretty much all I knew about it was that it had something to do with the zodiac - the twelve astrological star signs that are popular for telling your horoscope. After starting the book, I realized there was going to be more to this book than I had imagined.

Zodiac follows Rhoma Grace as her world seems to be falling apart. In her society, people live among the stars on planets in the different constellations of the zodiac - Rho being from Cancer. After an unexpected tragedy that Rho predicted, she's whisked onto a journey to save the entire zodiac from an unknown power.

At the start of Zodiac, I was a little confused. Right from the start, Romina Russell throws you right into the world of the book, using terms specific to the world. There is a lot of information that the reader has to internalize quickly to understand what's going on with the world. While it was a bit to wrap my mind around, I actually really liked the way it all came together. Romina Russell puts things into context and explains the things that need explaining in order to follow what's going on without making the reader feel stupid. It's a fast paced story, but I definitely didn't feel like I was getting lost along the way.

Speaking of fast paced, this story definitely is. There is so much that happens in Zodiac! While it is whirl wind, I didn't feel like the story was rushed when it didn't want to be. When something needed time to develop, the time was taken; when something was quick, the story moved right along. That being said, there really is a lot that happens in Zodiac. From space travel and world destruction to intrigue and deception to romance and friendship, Zodiac kept me excited and involved from cover to cover. This is a pretty heavy story, but it's totally worth it.

When it comes to the characters in Zodiac, I really liked Rho, Matthias, and Hysan. I thought the interaction between the two boys was nothing short of comical and the relationship between Rho and the two boys was very sweet. While there was a love triangle, I didn't think it took over the story. Saving the world definitely trumped finding a boyfriend for Rho.

All in all, I really enjoyed Zodiac! It's an action packed science fiction with great characters and thought provoking plot. I highly recommend this for lovers of interstellar science fiction with a splash of romance.

- Kiersten
Aquarius

What's your zodiac?
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