Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Gemina
Author: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 18 , 2016
Pages: 659
Rating:

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 bestseller Illuminae 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 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.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! I seriously have no freaking clue which book I loved better, ILLUMINAE or GEMINA! They both were equally AMAZING! And I don't think I have ever thought that about a first and second book in a a YA Series. To be so speechless beyond believe. To read a book that really stuns and wow's you! To not be able to put the book down. I mean, my god. HOLY FUCK, THIS BOOK! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! As you know from Illuminae, we still have that great format I love so much. GEMINA is told in emails, documents, military files, ims, pictures and more. And it's one of the things I absolutely love about this trilogy.

GEMINA focuses on the Hemidall Jump Station where the Hypatia is trying to get to spread word about the Kerenza invasion. But Hemidall is having their own problems as a elite BeiTech strike team invades Hemidall to take control and killing people off. And we have Hannah Donnelly, the Captain's daughter and Nik Malikov, member of a crime family trying to save Hemidall and help Hypatia from BeiTech! Now when I heard the book would be centered on a different cast of character I was slightly disappointed. So I didn't read this right after Illuminae, I put it off for some time. I worried over nothing. The characters were just as amazing as the ones in Illuminae!

Hannah and Nik! At the beginning Hannah had a boyfriend and Nik was her drug dealer. And Nik was obviously so into Hannah. And she off as a spoiler rich girl. But once the story moved along I came to like them. I'm not going to say I liked them more that Kady and Ezra, but I really did enjoy them. But once the BeiTech strike team invades Hemidall, damn! these two definitely how bad-ass they were. Especially Hannah! Behind all gorgeous face is a warrior!

Of course, I have to have a SPOILER SECTION, so BEWARE if you haven't read the book and don't blame me if you spoiled yourself. I did WARN YOU. But I just have to talk about this shit! Charles Donnelly. My heart broke when he died. All I could think about was Hannah. And he died so horribly. My god. And obviously Hannah kicking the shit out of these BeiTech team members. You go, girl! And when Hannah stabs Nightingale in the eye and wrote in lipstick on the floor: WHO'S NEXT? COME PLAY! HD XOXO Oh, my god! You gotta love this girl!

Jackson Merrick. Hannah's BFF. Secret Double Agent. I knew there was something up with him when he was telling her to turn herself in the BeiTech strike team so they won't kill anymore or some shit. That was just bizarre. But to find out he was the one who betrayed everyone. He is the reason why BeiTech got on Hemidall. Oh, my god! PURE RAGE! And the part later were he is talking to her that she chose Nik and not him?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? You fucking betrayed her? Her fucking dad id dead because of you! And after all that she's suppose to choose you!? ARE YOU FOR REAL? In the end he does right by Hannah and stays behind to sacrifice himself she Hannah, Nik and Ella (Nik's cousin) can escape.

I prayed through this whole book that Isaac Grant made it out alive. Thank god he did. I couldn't take it if Kady lost both her mom and her dad. Thank you for not killing him! And the different universe thing. Like what? So much shit happening in this book! And before I forget NOT ENOUGH AIDAN! Please let there be more Aidan in the final book! I NEED HIM IN MY LIFE! And then the ending! Can somebody say cliffhanger? Thank god Obsidio is already out! We are now at the END OF THE SPOILER SECTION.


But DAMN! I got so freaking excited when I read such a fantastic book that I go kinda crazy for a little bit! GEMINA definitely had me engaged. It's like these books read like an actual movie and you're there and you're seeing everything unfold. And The Illuminae Files would be a FUCKING AMAZING movie! All I can say is what I've been saying for this whole review already, it was absolutely amazing and I was blown alway and I need to leave you and go reads OBSIDIO ASAP!

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Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 20 , 2015
Pages: 602
Rating:

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.

HOLY FUCK, THIS BOOK! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! I freaking loved ILLUMINAE to death! To be honest, this book was not on my radar at all, probably because I was taking a break from YA for the last few years. But I noticed this book all over #booktube and #bookstagram and seen how highly rated it was on Goodreads that I had to take a chance on it. Now the fact that it was a sci fi book made me want to pass it by because sci fi is one of my least favorite genres. I just find them so boring. But like I said, I just had to take a chance on this book and I am glad that I did!

I knew very little going into ILLUMINAE and I'm glad I knew very little. The only thing I new was a planet was invaded and destroyed and remaining survivors flee on these ships and those who destroy the planet are on hot pursuit to kill the remaining survivors. Sounds like a wicked awesome plot, right? But to add to that awesomeness this whole book is told in emails, documents, military files, ims, interviews and more.

Now I have never read a book in such a format like this, I'm sure lots of readers haven't, but I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about it at first. Was it going to be easy to understand everything going on? Was I going to like it? The way this book was written is the best damn thing they could'be done, I think I enjoyed this book 100X more than if it was written in the traditional way! I was freaking hooked on the first page and could not freaking stop! I remember just having to stop, because I have to sleep, right? But I would keep thinking about this damn book everytime I wasn't reading it! It was THAT good!

But let's get into it! Our main duo, it Kady and Ezra, who just broke up before chaos erupted on their planet and they are trying to flee and survive. They both up on different ships. Kady ends up on the Hypatia and Ezra ends up on the Alexander-78V while the Lincoln (aka. the bad guys) are hot on their trails to finish off the remaining survivors! But even though Kady and Ezra are both on different ships, they are still in contact with each other via emails/im's!

Now I loved Kady and Ezra, from the beginning to the ending. Both of them just trying to stay alive and get back to each other. Now besides this book being so amazing, it's also horrifyingly violent! Let's just say if you're squeamish, turn around please! I swear at some parts I wanted to close my eyes and hold my mommy, but wait, I'm reading a book, not watching a movie. lolz! I heard myself screaming! and saying EEWW quite a lot. But the horrifying things make for such a good book!

And I have to talk about HIM. I have to! If you've read the book, you know damn well who I'm referring to. I have a crush! I have a crush on a crazy psychotic insane computer. AIDAN. I swear he took the show away from Kady and Ezra for a while there. I immensely enjoyed his mind and his talks with Kady and everything about him. PERFECT.

Of course, I have to have a SPOILER SECTION, so BEWARE if you haven't read the book and don't blame me if you spoiled yourself. I did WARN YOU. But I just have to talk about this shit! James McNulty! Why? Did he have to die? I loved the way he went though and that he had a choice. He made that video and I loved that we got to hear his final words. Byron Zhang! Why? At least you saved Kady from yourself! But I loved you too!

David Torrence. Why? Wait! You're asshole self deserved to die. And Aidan adds the perfect touch to his death, playing Mozart. If this was a movie, I want to see this scene the most. And Aidan, I cannot believe you! Pretending to be Ezra to Katy to the Alexander! Oh.my.god. I'm sorry, but I didn't see that! I did a doubletake. What? I prayed Aidan was lying and Ezra was not dead. Low behold, I get to the ending and scream, FUCK YES!

But OMG. These last 100 pages, I was freaking balling my eyes out crying! I mean Kady and Aidan's last words to each other. THE FEELS! And I was SCREAMING, 'someone please find Kady before she dies'. Thank god, my prays were answered! And, Ezra's mom?! Oh.my.god. I thought I was shocked beyond believe enough already. What.the.hell. That's it! I NEED the next book now! We are now at the END OF THE SPOILER SECTION.

But DAMN. This book took me so many places. When I first picked up this book, I didn't expect to love ILLUMINAE this damn much. This book horrified me to no ends, it gave me so many feels! And made me weep for these characters, characters that you are only getting their story through these emails and documents. That is saying something! Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Goddess and God of Science Fiction YA! I bow down to you!

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