[Review] Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Series: The Illuminae Files #2

Rating: 4.5 stars

Version: HC

Released: October 16th 2016

Goodreads 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 bestseller Illuminaecontinues 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.

Another epic space adventure by Kaufman and Kristoff. The villain wasn't as haunting as AIDAN was in Illuminae, but it was still an awesome ride.

Gemina follows Hanna, Nik, and Nik's cousin Ella as they try to save their home, the jump station Heimdall, from annihilation by BeiTech, all while dealing with an alien force that has found its way on board. It's a lot of sneaking around and spy moves here on in.

Top Ten Tuesday (10) - Ten Favorite Book Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a an original feature/ weekly meme that was created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new topic is presented and this week's is:

Top Ten Quotes from Books I Read This Past Year

This is also an opportunity for me to update my favorite quotes section on Goodreads.

Luckily for me, I tend to dog-ear the pages of my favorite quotes/passages. 

But don't you think that it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life? 

- (Claire) Audrey Niffeneger, The Time Traveler's Wife

[Review] Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Rating: 5 stars

Series: The Illuminae #1

Version: ARC

Release Date: October 20th 2015

Goodreads 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 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.

 I started this book Sunday night. I finished Monday night. If we're being technical I read the first page on Saturday, but regardless - Every time I had to put this book down because I had to do something else, I couldn't. I couldn't even sleep without reading another 100 pages. There's something compelling about this book, because it is a conglomeration of everything, and it's a good conglomeration. Illuminae takes what you expect from a sci-fi, from a dystopian novel, from a romance, and tosses it out the window to create its own totally new experience.

(And my friends/fellow blogger buds at Wonderland Novels didn't read it yet so I will try my best to remain not so-spoiler-y, although they really should read it!)

That being said, Illuminae starts out following the attack of the small colony Kerenza by a corporation known as Beitech. Survivors Erza Mason and Kady Grant, the latter having dumped the former earlier that day, are two of thousands of survivors onboard the three ships - Copernicus, Hypatia, Alexander. You're introduced to a ton of characters as the book goes on, and for the hundred or so pages of the book I wasn't sure where everything was going, besides the fact that they were trying to escape the Lincoln. But then Copernicus blows up... and it starts to get really fishy.

From all the emails and artsy dialogues and comms with all the characters, you start to see that while everyone is trying to do the right thing, is it really the right thing? AIDAN (Alexander's supercomputer) was programmed to protect everyone, but sacrifices others in the process who are deemed "harmful" to protecting Hypatia. Captain David Torrence orders to shoot down those who tried to protect Copernicus. Acting-Captain Syra Boll has to flush out the survivors from Alexander into space when she finds out some have the Phobos virus. And the way Illuminae displays these decisions, whether in be in caps or swirls or words or names flashed across a page, tears at my heart.

A lot of these scenes were so artfully crafted so when they were revealed (as Kady never responds directly to Ezra asking about her mom), my feels were broken. The two moments I have to say rank the top of the 'Raisa actually got really sad' scenes had to do with Kady's mom and the one with Acting-Captian Syra Boll and 'Chatter' Mikael Carlin. When you read these, you'll see why.

*tears*

Illuminae took the whole dystopian genre to an entirely new level. Space, literally. There will be many characters you love. There will be many characters you question in terms of judgment. There will be AIDAN, and I couldn't tell if he was good or bad until the very end. I felt bad for everyone. I was attached to everyone, without even reading about them in the typical descriptive storytelling format. Zhang's banter or McNulty's talk about the "Astro Princess" or Ann Chau's strong conviction for the Hypatia and the crew. Whether they die or not, that remains to be seen if you read the book! But they're all tested, and some of them even go mad.

I didn't think this book could get scary. But it got scary. I'm not even scared of scary movies and I was scared of the 'DON'T LOOK AT ME" mantras of the afflicted. There's even a few visuals to match, that's the creepy part. And because I played Bioshock, I ended up comparing this to the splicers (the zombie things).

Before I make this into the longest review ever, I gotta say a few words about our main characters. Ezra and Kady. Their love isn't defined by kisses or hugs, but rather words of caring and looking out for each other and unlike other books, it felt real. Even though Kady broke up with him, she still cared. And Ezra tried to win her back (and succeeded) using the sweetest gestures ever! (If only a guy sent me computer roses).

This book broke a lot of tropes. Kady, sure she stood out, pink hair and all. She had a boyfriend. But she was antisocial. And she loved her mom! And while she was extremely determined to save Ezra, she was also scared. Moral righteousness or for the greater good, you ask? Most of the higher ups spoke for the greater good, even AIDAN, so this was not a walk in the park full of rainbows everyone will survive book.

This book came to life, in forms you would least expect - emails, texts? Everyone seems so dull in their texts in real life. But that isn't the case there. Kaufman and Kristoff utilized everything, from art to posters to font change, to bring us the masterpiece that is Illuminae.

Liked or disliked Illuminae? Hopefully liked it? Tell me what you think in the comments below!

Top Ten Tuesday (8) - Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR!

Top Ten Tuesday is a an original feature/ weekly meme that was created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new topic is presented and this week's is:

Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR (in no order whatsoever!)

1. 

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows might actually be one of my later books on my fall TBR; I'm still two books behind. Nevertheless, I have my signed copy lined up to read what happens to our favorite female assassin! Also, don't reveal any spoilers for me hehe. 

Release Date: September 1st 2015

2. 

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles is a great series, and Meyer does such a great job of creating a diverse range of characters. I finally caught up with Cress a few weeks ago, and I must say, I'm really glad Cinder and Kai are back together again! I can't wait to see what happens in Winter - I have faith in the Rampion crew! (Also really hope they get Scarlet back b/c it seems like she's going through hell)

Release Date: November 10th 2015

3. 

A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire #5) by George R.R. Martin

I've been reading this series since... Junior year of high school. And because of the extreme length, it has taken me years to finally get to this point of catching up. Actually, I've just been really lazy about books until this year. Nevertheless I can't wait to see what ADWD has in store, and really hope (although it probably won't happen) that Winds of Winter comes out soon!

Published: July 12th 2011

4. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

For a really long time, I've wanted to read this book, as the premise resonates so well with me! And I also read Shug as a child, only recently realizing that she wrote this book too. I wonder what happens, when you send out love letters to your former loves. I can't wait to read it - I just got it in the mail!

Published: April 15th 2014

5. 

Fire Falling (Air Awakens #2) by Elise Kova

Everyone on this blog can tell you how in love I was with Air Awakens. It was so amazing and poignant and wonderful - before I go on, I must say, I can't wait for Fire Falling to come out this November! I'm thoroughly anticipating this one (UGH SO MANY GOOD NOVEMBER RELEASES) because I need more Aldrik and Vhalla and Fritz and Larel in my life! This is also basically me throwing my recommendation to everyone to read Air Awakens!

Release Date: November 19th 2015

6. 

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray

I picked up A Thousand Pieces of You while I was on vacation, and it blew me away. Romance across parallel dimensions written well - I loved how the Firebird technology worked, and how you can be yourself, and also the person of that dimension, when you dimension-hope. I might be explaining this in a confusing fashion, but it was a fast-paced compelling read for me I'm excited to get! I really want to hear more about the other dimensions, especially the Russia-verse. 

Published: November 3rd 2015

7. 

The Crimson Crown (The Seven Realms #4) by Cinda Williams Chima 

I got into the Seven Realms series because I was searching for a book with my name in it, and stumbled upon it. There are not that many books with a Raisa in 'em, and this one did not disappoint. Princess Raisa transformed throughout the books and she's now the most powerful Queen of the Fells. What will happen to her and Han in this conclusion? Or the Bayars? This is high fantasy and court intrigue at its finest. Also, all the chills reading about the awesome things 'I'm' doing.

Published: October 23rd 2012

8. 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

My interest in this book came from the sampler I got at this year's Bookcon. From what I got out of it, it's really something different than my usual high fantasy or contemporary novels. It seems darker and much more mature, as well. Now, this is one of the books that is out in stores at the moment, but I don't have a copy of it yet. Hopefully I get one soon, as this looks like a read I shouldn't miss. 

Published: April 28th 2015

9. 

Illuminae: The Illuminae Files #1 by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I picked up the ARC of this at Bookcon, and this one takes a totally different style of writing than the usual left-to-right line after line. And that's pretty awesome! It's a futuristic dystopia out there, complete with the action and adventure. I'll be reading and reviewing this one sometime in October.

Release Date: October 20th 2015

10. 

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Coincidentally, today is the release day of Walk on Earth a Stranger! Check out my fellow blogger Yiling's post here with some release day blitz and giveaway fun. Does the sensing gold power seem similar to King Midas's everything he touches turns to gold, or is it just me? Regardless, it's a cool power, and it's a historical novel too! (I love my historical fiction)

Release Date: Today! 

Well that's my top ten fall TBR. Are any of these books on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below!