The Starlight Conspiracy book review!
It’s been years since I’ve plucked this prize among the pre-loved goods at a book fair and up to now I have no regrets. The Starlight Conspiracy by Steve Voake is an exhilarating sci-fi thriller that will certainly galvanize you into turning the next page.
The story follows a defiant 14 year old named Berry Benjamin, who has lived the life of a nomad ever since she was a babe. Residing in a shabby blue bus, she tries to cope with the death of her unconventional mother until Angie the Social Worker arrives with the promise of a foster home and some education. But Berry is not interested and she soon finds a birthday card left by her mother, with a plane ticket to San Francisco.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she leaves the security of her ramshackle bus, runs and steps into the path of an oncoming bus when an old man mysteriously saves her, despite being hit by the bus himself. He walks away unharmed although Berry’s too stunned to notice and takes her home where they have a chat. When he learns that she has a ticket to the US, he persuades her to take a parcel to New Mexico. Berry is unenthusiastic however little does she know that he slips the parcel into her rucksack along with large sums of money and a mobile phone.
When the old man is assassinated, she realises he is not joking, and escapes out when a bunch of men claiming to be FBI turn up. She meets quirky 16 year old Ell who has recently run away from his own dysfunctional family, at a music festival and before you know it, they’re escaping over the Atlantic and find themselves dodging bullets in a desperate attempt to race across America to New Mexico. On a mission to find the item’s rightful owner - whoever, or whatever, they may be.
The scene that left a great impression on me was no other than the ending itself. After the extraordinary adventure she had, Berry winds-up in the middle of a crop circle, among stalks of corn, staring at her dream house and as Berry runs towards retired investigator Polly’s arms I can’t help but feel content that Berry has achieved happiness after all the fear and sadness and laughter and loss. What’s more is that beloved Elliot is by her side. Elliot is a wonderful invention. He is a strong character, having to tolerate his abusive father for many years and his quirky demeanour plus licorice-loving soul is terribly infectious
Overall, this is a fantastic book that made me sigh with despair when I reached the final page. A truly memorable read that had me yearning for more of Steve Voake’s tales. I would highly recommend this book to sci-fi and actions fans due to the bit of motorbikes, police-type-people and mysterious items. I would most definitely rate this book a five star and believe that this gem of a story deserves a place on your shelf!