MASL Book Trailer Winner
About the Author
ALEXA DONNE is the author of Brightly Burning and The Stars We Steal, YA sci-fi romance retellings of classics set in space out now from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Her YA thriller, The Ivies, is set in the world of competitive college admissions, out now from Crown/Random House. Her next one, Pretty Dead Queens, a dark small town secrets love letter to Murder, She Wrote releases October 4, 2022. A graduate of Boston University, she works in TV marketing and has done pro bono college admissions mentoring since 2014. In her “free” time she mentors with WriteGirl, runs the Author Mentor Match program, and manages one of the most popular writing advice channels on YouTube. She lives in Los Angeles with three cats. You can find her in most places @alexadonne.
About the Book
Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, only has one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?
But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love Elliot returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one that got away, the boy Leo’s family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now, he’s the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo’s life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself failing for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.
Fans of Katharine McGee and Kiera Cass will be dazzled by this world of lost love and royal intrigue.
Praise for The Stars We Steal
“This bold new take on a classic love story crackles with romantic tension, delivering a twisty ride full of secrets and betrayals.” Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Frostblood series.
" Jane Austen meets The Bachelor, told in space...recommended for fans of Kiera Cass."—Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN School Library Journal
"Donne’s complex characters...are deeply flawed and human....Similar in spirit to Brightly Burning (2018), which staged Jane Eyre in space, this novel takes its cues loosely from Jane Austen’s Persuasion with shimmering success." Booklist
"[R]omantic intrigue will keep readers turning pages." School Library Journal
"A thrilling romance." Kirkus
"[R]eaders may sigh over the well-crafted romantic storyline and strong chemistry between its leads." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Alexa Donne whips up another irresistible combination of sparkling romance and savvy social politics. An original and inventive retelling, readers are in for a treat." —Jessica Cluess, author of A Shadow Bright & Burning series and the forthcoming House of Dragons
"A rich, swoony adventure bursting with wit, this book doesn't just steal the stars - it'll steal your heart!" —Emily Suvada, award-winning author of This Mortal Coil series
Other Titles by Alexa Donne
Brightly Burning (2018)
The Ivies (2021)
Resources/Teaching Ideas
Jane Austen & Persuasion:
https://www.janeausten.org/persuasion/persuasion-online.php
A complete guide for middle school from the US government:
Teacher's Guide - Patents, Trademarks, Copyright, Intellectual Property
Female Inventors:
https://www.history.com/news/women-inventions
https://www.one.org/international/blog/10-female-inventors-you-should-definitely-know-about/
Social Media