About the novel
Title: Gemina
Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Space, Action
Published: October 18th 2016
Read: January 2017
My Copy
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Cover: Paperback
Purchase Location: Gift from my Mom
My 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. 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. |
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My Review
I can’t believe I waited this long to actually read Gemina. Okay, I just got the book after Christmas, but I could have ordered it online or got it from a bookstore… Anyways, I’m so glad that I finally managed to read it. After enjoying Illuminae so much, I was scared that I’d be disappointed by the second book in the series. But it was just as good!
I love the style Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff use to tell the stories. It’s so different to what I’m used to (there’s not really a narrator, but rather a collection of different chats, video commentary and other high-tech stuff). Also, this time around we get to see sketches from the protagonist’s diary which really lighten the story up a bit.
If you haven’t read Illuminae yet: Pick it up as soon as possible and I hope you’ll enjoy it! It’s definitely worth a try, and hang in there at the beginning. It might feel weird with this new writing style at first, but you’ll learn to appreciate and love it!
If you’ve read Illuminae already, but haven’t started Gemina yet: What are you waiting for? Go to the nearest bookstore and start reading! Don’t even wait until you’re home. Just sit down in front of the bookshelf in the store and start disappearing in the galaxy with Hanna and Nik!
I really liked the characters Hanna and Nik! At first I was a little disappointed not to be reading mostly about Kady anymore because I adored her personality, but these two new protagonists were just as exciting to learn about. (I might admit that I missed the strong presence of AIDAN a little too, although he/it still creeps me out.)
There are so many plot twists and turns, that I never saw coming, and one that I just anticipated throughout the whole story. It was so clear that those Lanima would come back to get in the way of our heroes. I even expected that there would be some kind of parallel universe that got mixed up and would save Nik’s live, although at the same time I had barely any hope left for him to actually survive the story (read on for my conspiracy theory against the authors…).
The last few pages of the book, though. PHEEEWWW. I’m still not over those! The authors played with my emotions: Ripped out my heart, broke it apart and then tried to miraculously stitch it back together (which worked pretty well, but I wasn’t over that shock for a few days straight). I really thought that all those people actually died and that Rapier / Jackson survived… (I already had all my conspiracy theories against Amie and Jay lined up because I thought they had some kind of guilty conscience because they let both of the heroes live in the first book and they wanted to shake things up a bit. I’m really glad that it was all just a secret plot against Biotech!
I love the style Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff use to tell the stories. It’s so different to what I’m used to (there’s not really a narrator, but rather a collection of different chats, video commentary and other high-tech stuff). Also, this time around we get to see sketches from the protagonist’s diary which really lighten the story up a bit.
If you haven’t read Illuminae yet: Pick it up as soon as possible and I hope you’ll enjoy it! It’s definitely worth a try, and hang in there at the beginning. It might feel weird with this new writing style at first, but you’ll learn to appreciate and love it!
If you’ve read Illuminae already, but haven’t started Gemina yet: What are you waiting for? Go to the nearest bookstore and start reading! Don’t even wait until you’re home. Just sit down in front of the bookshelf in the store and start disappearing in the galaxy with Hanna and Nik!
Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution. |
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I really liked the characters Hanna and Nik! At first I was a little disappointed not to be reading mostly about Kady anymore because I adored her personality, but these two new protagonists were just as exciting to learn about. (I might admit that I missed the strong presence of AIDAN a little too, although he/it still creeps me out.)
There are so many plot twists and turns, that I never saw coming, and one that I just anticipated throughout the whole story. It was so clear that those Lanima would come back to get in the way of our heroes. I even expected that there would be some kind of parallel universe that got mixed up and would save Nik’s live, although at the same time I had barely any hope left for him to actually survive the story (read on for my conspiracy theory against the authors…).
The last few pages of the book, though. PHEEEWWW. I’m still not over those! The authors played with my emotions: Ripped out my heart, broke it apart and then tried to miraculously stitch it back together (which worked pretty well, but I wasn’t over that shock for a few days straight). I really thought that all those people actually died and that Rapier / Jackson survived… (I already had all my conspiracy theories against Amie and Jay lined up because I thought they had some kind of guilty conscience because they let both of the heroes live in the first book and they wanted to shake things up a bit. I’m really glad that it was all just a secret plot against Biotech!
Other Reviews in the Illuminae Series:
Have you read Illuminae or Gemina? What are your thoughts on the series and do you share my opinions on the story? Let me know in the comments! :) |
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