Josephine Angelini's debut novel Starcrossed is a blend of Percy Jackson and Twilight with a dash of The Mortal Instruments, but is never as good as the three parts separately. However, the intriguing premise and chemistry between the two main characters kept me coming back for more until I'd read almost the entire novel in one sitting. 
 While Helen knows she's different, she's led a secluded, pseudo-normal life on Nantucket...until Lucas Delos and his family arrive. As fate seems to pull at Helen and Lucas--both tearing them apart and pushing them together--Helen discovers the secrets of her heritage. An epic battle is brewing, and nothing will ever be the same. 
 Angelini puts some twists on standard paranormal romance fare, creating some unique moments. Instead of the standard "glance across the hall and fall in love," Angelini's characters want to kill each other when they first meet...literally. It's refreshing to watch a female main character discover her ancestry and powers and then match wits and strength with her male counterparts. 
 Starcrossed features some sizzling chemistry between Lucas and Helen, and once their urgings for mortal combat are gone, I burned through several chapters to see what would happen between them next. Angelini's writing is highly addicting, and she knows how to weave a set of characters and plot elements into a compulsively readable novel. 
 While Starcrossed explores some new planes for YA paranormal romance, at times the mythology becomes too complex, bordering at times on convoluted. With a world and mythology this big to establish, I'm sure it's difficult to fully explain and develop without a lot of details and mythological elements, but at times, all of the new revelations, prophecies, details, and twists became a bit smothering. It seemed like maybe there was too much going on. Because this novel is the first in a series, I have hopes the next novel will be more concise with the mythology now that the world is established. 
 There's one spin at the end (you know where I'm talking about if you've read this) where I had to put the novel down after hours of reading because I really, really wished the story didn't go there, but at least Angelini lets the reader in on the secret instead of dragging it out for a few more books. While I wished our characters didn't have to be quite so starcrossed, I guess that's the point, right? I need a resolution to that relationship cliffhanger stat!