Mundie Moms

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff / Blog Tour: Book Review


ByAmie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published byAlfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers 
To Be Released on: October 18th, 2016
Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
I received an arc to review from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review

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.


Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik is 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, Grant and the Hypatia 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, 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.

An action packed, heart pounding sequel! Kauffman and Kristoff don't waste any time thrusting readers right back into the dangerous world they introduced their readers to in Illuminae. Not only does this story take place during Illuminae's same time frame, it's also written in the same manner.

GEMINA introduces readers to a new couple, Hanna and Nik. While they're very much the main focus of the story, Kady and Ezra are also part of the story. I'll be honest, I had a harder time liking Hanna and Nik. I'm not sure why, because it had nothing to do with the way they were written. Kauffman and Kristoff's written was great, but the characters and I just didn't seem to hit it off like I did with Kady and Ezra. Or maybe it's because I didn't find them as believable as a couple, like I did with Kady and Ezra. Kady and Ezra's relationship felt natural, but Nik and Hanna's felt more like they were using each other, which I know wasn't the case.

Once again, Kauffman and Kristoff had me liking a sci-fi. Until I read Illuminae I could count on one hand how many sci-fi books I had read. What I loved about Illuminae, I liked about Gemina.  I liked seeing the story told from a different perspective. There's so much that's going on in the story, the IMs, files, video surveillance transcript, emails, etc add a lot more detail to the story.  I like that this is a book that compliments the first story in this series, and it can also be read as a stand alone. 

I love the way this series is written, but for some reason I had a harder time getting into this story. What I finished in one sitting w/ Illuminae, took me longer to get into with this book. Thankfully the second half of the book made up for it. That ending more than made up for the slump I felt in the middle. Now I'm wishing I had the next book in the series. 

ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff / Book Review


ByAmie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published byAlfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers 
To Be Released on: October 20th, 2015
SeriesThe Illuminae Files #1
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It
I received an arc to review from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review

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 an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
 

This book was out of this world, awesome! I don't even know where to begin. I guess I should start off by saying hell froze over, because Kauffman and Kristoff made me like a sci-fi book. Something I don't think I've really said before. I am not a sci-fi fan, but this book was bloody brilliant. I never thought I'd say that either. 


The narrative for ILLUMINATE is awesome! It is unlike any book I've ever read before, and told in such a unique way. There's not really a narrator, but a series of interview questions that throw readers effortless into the story of the main characters (whom are being interviewed), as well as briefing notes, interview transcripts, emails, files, notes, transcribed video, and other documents. Normally you'd think it would be hard to get into a story because of this, but it made it so much easier jumping into this story. It definitely added the element of intrigue and entertainment to the story.


Kady and Ezra are two characters I really enjoyed getting to know. Kady is definitely my kind of character. She's stubborn, defiant, and isn't afraid of taking on anything. Ezra, her recent ex-boyfriend (as in they broke up not long before the attach happened), is her perfect match. While she's head strong, he's more level headed. He also comes with some dangerous family secrets..... I think it's safe to say that these two have had a horrible day, because not long after Kady breaks up with Ezra, their tiny planet is brutally attacked. With not many survivors, Kady and Ezra have to keep their wits about them in order to figure out what the heck is going on, and who's behind it. 


With her knack for hacking into things, Kady and Ezra are about to take on something much more powerful than the two of them. The more Kady and Ezra uncover, the more danger they put themselves in. Things are not what they seem. Racing against time, Kady and Ezra not only have to trust in each other, they have to trust in themselves. It's just the others they need to save, they need to figure out how to survive themselves. 


Kauffman and Kristoff sure know how to make a reader feel every range of emotion possible while reading this book. I went from loving it, to being peeved off, to loving it some more. I laughed out loud more than a few times, cheered on the characters multiple times, wanted to throw the book maybe more than once, and then in the end I loved it the book even more. Yeah, every range of emotion was felt while reading this book. I get the feeling that these two authors secretly enjoy tormenting their readers in all the best ways possible. 


This story has plenty of danger, action, shocking twists, and an ending that I didn't see coming. That ending was awesome! Actually the entire book was awesome. Once I started it, there was no putting it down until I finished it. I am so glad this is part of a series, because I can not wait to read the next book. 


OUT TODAY - New YA Releases for Tuesday 9/20/16


It is an awesome release day today! Happy Book Birthday to the following new releases, which are now out on bookstore shelves:

 

 

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