Title: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Rating: Five Blazing Stars
Description from Goodreads: 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 BeiStrike 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 fat 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 Illuminiae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.
Okay, you guys. Let me first just remind you that this is a book I stood in line for ALMOST THREE HOURS at BEA for an ARC of this book. I did this because, as you well know, FREAKING ILLUMINAE (!!!) IS MY FAVE. So I waited in that line. Three hours for the drop, and then another two to get it signed. I stood in that line because I just knew GEMINA was going to be as good as the first book, if not better.
See what might be my favorite picture from #BEA16: HERE
See Gemina Bookstagram: HERE
And you know what, guys?
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It was everything I hoped for.
Once again, the compilation for totally not-normal pages was just insane. You got radio transmissions, camera feed translated by our favorite analyst, IMs, emails, drawings (Round of applause for Marie Lu on that one), diagrams, even sheets of code among so many other things. The format is one of the things that makes the reading of this series truly a fascinating experience. If you read it via audio book, that's wondeful, and I'm not criticizing your decision at all but... wait... yes I am-- BUY YOURSELF A COPY OF THIS BRICK AND THUMB THROUGH THESE BEAUTUFIL PAGES AS THEY WERE MEANT TO BE THUMBED THROUGH. IT IS WORTH IT, I PROMISE.
Now, let's talk characters. I was highly disappointed when I found out that GEMINA wouldn't be centered around my beloved Kady and Ezra. I loved them as the focus of ILLUMINAE, and was so pumped to get more of them, and then the description came out and I was all sad puppy. But now I know Hanna and Nik, and holy geez I love them, too. Not as much as Kady and Ezra, but pretty darn close. Once again, Aussie Author Squad managed to make me love even the side characters that we had the littlest information about.
As for plot. My freaking goodness. I was never in doubt of the skills of our Aussie Author Squad, but I did wonder a bit how they were going to continue the story line without making the book seem unoriginal or predictable. *laughs* how stupid am I to even contemplate the skills of these guys? Because I just finished the book an hour or two ago and I cannot even handle this.
AGAIN WITH THOSE PLOT TWISTS.
AGAIN WITH THE SENDING ME INTO A RAGE.
AGAIN WITH THE PULLING THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER ME.
(I'M LOOKING AT YOU, PAGE 589)
AGAIN WITH THE REALIZATIONS AND REVEALS THAT MADE MY BRAIN GO
Boy do these guys know what they're doing. Literally if I could screenshot my conversations with Ehmann and Bayram without spoiling all of the things, I would. Because it was ALL CAPS, BABY. Why? See above caps.
If you haven't read ILLUMINAE yet, and you're reading this, shame on you. *Mushu voice* DISHONOR ON YOUR COW. X-out this page and go get the book. Read it, then come back. Because you're missing out on what could quite possibly be the best reading experience you will ever find yourself in the middle of.
If sci-fi, outerspacey, deathmurderblood is your thing, you'll love this. If it's not (I hate sci-fi) you'll probably still love it, beacause I hate sci-fi and here I am. Writing this. On a reading high (Not a dust high).
*Laughs at own joke that only GEMINA readers will understand*
Seriously, this book was amazing. It gets five blazing, exploding, burning stars for me. Book 3, I'm expecting you to come in clutch.
Happily,
Stephanie
P.S. It's nice to be back.
