Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan

Katie Khan has a fascination with the stars in the night sky so much so that back in 2012 she came up with the premise of the story-line and so it was Hold Back the Stars was born and now it is one of the most talked about debut novels of 2017. In Katie Khan a new literary star has really been born. This is an incredible story so beautifully woven and seamless.

The Europe as we know it today is Europia of tomorrow and this is where Hold Back the Stars it is set the Europe of the future after the World is torn apart by conflict and a new society was born but from this, the idea of young people falling in love is something that is not allowed that is for later in life. Our story begins in space two young astronauts are tumbling through space they have manged to escape their dying ship, but something is wrong and now they have only 90 minutes of air remaining and nothing else to help them. They are drifting further and further away and panic is setting. These two young lovers whose hearts have become one they have been drawn together as it was always meant to be and in a society where this is frowned on, now all seems lost. Imagine just helplessly drifting through space among the bright stars that just hang there. In space they say there are more stars than there are grains on sand on every beach on Earth.

What Katie Khan presents us is an act of sheer desperation so perfectly set in her writing and the tone, as both Cary’s and Max try everything to come up with a plan to save themselves at the same time they are looking back at their lives in moments of flashbacks. From the very start of this outstanding book I was hooked and never wanted to leave the young couple for too long. Cary’s is one amazing character she is full of life and one feisty young woman they are just a young couple with dep feelings for each other despite what the law makers think and want. It is so beautifully written I have found it difficult to pin this novel into any one genre as it crosses many of them. It is clever and also unusual but it really works and the ending well I am not giving any spoilers here but this is the only way it could have ended. You may need a handkerchief to hand. My goodness this is just so very special. It was written in the stars, but Hold Back the Stars really was written in the stars and for Katie Khan the future looks as bright as a night sky full of stars. Now you can add a new one.

Thank you to Sophie Christopher for the advanced review copy.

Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan is published by Doubleday and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops.