'Gemina' by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

ARC Book Review: Gemina

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Synopsis:

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestsellerIlluminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and theHypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.
Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Review

*I received a free advanced reader’s copy of this book from First in Line. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be released on October 18, 2016.*

There will be minimal spoilers for Illuminae in this review so tread carefully if you haven’t read it yet.

As soon as I finished Illuminae I picked up Gemina and I’m so incredible grateful that I was able to do that because this book is SO good! Typically I don’t like when sequels in a series don’t follow the same main characters in the first novel but I was so in love with the new characters in Gemina that it didn’t bother me at all.

In this novel the main characters are Hanna and Nik, two teens that come from two very different backgrounds. Hanna is the spoiled daughter of the Heimdall station’s captain, and Nik is part of the House of Knives crime family. While Hanna, Nik, and the rest of the residents on Heimdall are preparing for Terra Day (basically a day of celebration of parties), Kady and the rest of the Hypatia crew are on their way to Heimdall, as are some BeiTech troops and some drone ships. Awesome.

Although totally unplanned Hanna and Nik found themselves as the only means of protection for Heimdall and the only hope for the Hypatia crew. Together they’ll have to team up and figure out a way to save everyone…and the universe. Naturally things get complicated and Hanna and Nik have to trust each other if they even stand a chance of make it out of all of this alive. Just as with Illuminae, Gemina is filled with adventure, humor, plot twists, and a little romance. Also, the side characters are just as amazing as the MCs. When y’all meet Ella, you’ll know exactly what I mean. She’s a boss.

Anyway, the point is I couldn’t put this book down. I did, however, have to turn it upside down a few times. Just like Illuminae, this book is written in the same format of emails, surveillance logs, chat logs, journal entries, etc. I love how this book is formatted and the ending nearly killed me. I need to know what happens next!

Also, if you love Kady and the rest of the Hypatia crew as much as I did don’t worry they make an appearance in Gemina too but that’s all I’m going to say about that. No spoilers! I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can talk about it with all of you. It’s amazing!

Stars:

5 stars

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August Wrap-Up

‘Illuminae,’ ‘Gemina,’ And Other Books I Read This Month (August Wrap-Up)

It’s been way too long since I’ve done a wrap-up so here we go. I read a lot of books this month and none of them were on my TBR but hey, it happens. Here’s my faves from this month.


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Number of Books I Read This Month: 12

Top Three Books I Read This Month

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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Illuminae and Gemina actually tie for first place. They were both amazing and I got sucked into both. I couldn’t put them down. If you haven’t heard of these novels yet they’re told in this really cool format that makes it look like the book is a case file. Filled with emails, chat logs, video surveillance logs, and so much more Illuminae tells the story of Kady, who’s home has been destroyed. Now on ship filled with other refugees Kady will do anything to know what’s going on and how to fight those who destroyed her home and changed her life forever.

2. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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This was the perfect sequel to Illuminae. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone that hasn’t read Illuminae yet so I’ll just this book has the same level of action, humor, and crazy plot twists that Illuminae has. Gemina follows new characters but your favorites from Illuminae also show up as well. It’s amazing!

3. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

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I loved Ugly Love. This is by far my favorite Colleen Hoover book. The book is told in alternating point of views. We get Tate’s point of view in the present and Miles point of view in the past, explaining why he is the way he is when Tate meets him. This book was heartbreaking, romantic, and a little funny. I need this on my shelf immediately.

Other Books I Read This Month

  1. It Ends With Us
  2. Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles)
  3. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour
  4. The Silence of Six
  5. The Secret History
  6. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  7. Point of Retreat
  8. Interference

Books I Received This Month

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I only bought three books this month and I received five books from publishers. I put myself on a book buying ban this month and I think I did fairly well. I’m excited to buy more books next month though. Is it pay day yet?

'Illuminae' Book Review

Book Review: Illuminae 

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Synopsis:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Review

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

This is apparently the week of books written in unconventional writing styles. Although Illuminae is a very different book than The Boy is Back, it’s also told in the form of emails, IMs, and other various styles, which makes it really interesting and different. You know you’re reading an interesting book when you have to turn it upsides and sideways just to read it.

I was totally sucked into this novel. I’ve had this book on my shelf for months now and I have no idea why it took me this long to finally read it but I’m so glad I did. The main character, Kady, is such an amazing character. She’s goals. Seriously. The way she’s able to step up and take control when literally everything in her life has gone to crap is astounding and inspiring. I also really liked her ex, Ezra. He was so cute and funny and cheesy. Seriously, those two are relationship goals. Even when they fight it’s out of love.

Besides the romance, this book was a roller coaster. It seemed like every time Kady was getting her footing some other disaster would strike her world, turning it upside down (sometimes literally). This book was filled with plot twists and I had my heart broken multiple times throughout. If you think everyone makes it out of this book unscathed think again. I applaud Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff on keeping things real. This book is devastating but also filled with humor. It’s an interesting combination and I couldn’t put this book down.

If you love sci-fi, adventure, with a bit of romance and humor, you’ll love this book. I honestly had no idea what I was signing up for going into this book but I loved every second of this book and the sequel is just as good but I’ll get more into that in my next review. Until then, make sure to buy Illuminae and preorder the sequel, Gemina. Trust me, you’ll want it as soon as it comes out.

Stars:

5 stars

Favorite Line:

“You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

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