book

THESE BROKEN STARS

Name: THESE BROKEN STARS
Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for THESE BROKEN STARS by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. This book is recommended for ages 13+; content notes include Romance, Death of a character, Frightening scenes; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Creativity & curiosity.

Ages 13+Source checked

Why this age? The novel combines survival danger, frightening situations, loss, trauma, and emotionally intense romance with accessible YA prose. Sexual content is limited, but the peril and themes suit teens. This is guidance, not a safety guarantee; reading level and family context may differ.

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At a glance

Recommended age13+

Strongest cautions

Romance4/5
Death of a character3/5
Frightening scenes3/5

Strongest positives

Courage & resilience4/5
Creativity & curiosity3/5
Good role models3/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character3/5

Why this rating?

Deals with the loss of passengers in a mass casualty event; emotional weight is significant.

Graphic injury1/5

Why this rating?

Minor mentions of injuries from a crash; not graphically detailed.

Strong language1/5

Why this rating?

Mild, occasional swearing consistent with a teen audience.

Romance4/5

Why this rating?

The developing relationship between the two protagonists is central, including attraction, trust, and romantic tension.

Frightening scenes3/5

Why this rating?

Features intense feelings of isolation and strange, unsettling alien discoveries.

Sexual content & nudity1/5

Why this rating?

Some romantic kissing and implied intimacy, but no explicit sexual activity.

Alcohol or drugs1/5

Why this rating?

No significant substance use.

Violence3/5

Why this rating?

Includes scenes of survival, accidents, and some conflict with planetary environments.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5

Why this rating?

Characters repeatedly confront isolation, danger, trauma, and powerful adversaries with persistence and moral courage.

Creativity & curiosity3/5

Why this rating?

The alien world, survival problem-solving, speculative technology, and inventive setting strongly encourage imagination.

Diverse representation2/5

Why this rating?

Includes some variation in background and social status, though limited in wider scope.

Kindness & empathy3/5

Why this rating?

Care, empathy, cooperation, and protecting vulnerable people become increasingly important to the protagonists.

Positive messages3/5

Why this rating?

It emphasizes trust, cooperation, resilience, responsibility, confronting injustice, and choosing compassion under pressure.

Good role models3/5

Why this rating?

Protagonists show resourcefulness and courage under extreme circumstances.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
How did relationships or romance affect the characters’ choices?
Which choice in THESE BROKEN STARS would you have made differently, and why?
Who changed the most in THESE BROKEN STARS, and what caused that change?

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