Book Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Gemina

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Series: The Illuminae Files #2 

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Publisher: Knopf For Young Readers

Pub Date: October 18, 2016 

Pages: 608

My Copy: Hardcover from my TBR pile

Book Summary:

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.

Book Review:

I enjoyed this sequel to Illuminae. It was definitely a much more interesting sequel as we get two new characters and this couple of Hanna and Nik are not your typical Romeo and Juliet. I like how both of them seem to be someone that people expect them to be, but deep inside they both have rebellious streaks in them.

This book had lots of action, suspense, romance, not to mention a lot of humor that you need to have. Plus there are scientific explanations about why things are the way they are. Not to mention one our heroine Hanna Donnelly seems to be perfect at first, Nik not so much, since his family is a bunch of criminals.

Things seem like that both Hanna and Nik have good lives and are trying to pursue with one another yet things are complicated because of who they are and due to their social strata…and their careers. Plus everyone thinks that Hanna is dating someone else. We learn that these two individuals are very funny and sarcastic. Plus Nik has some artistic skills. The drawings and other illustrations were nice. I also like the format in which way the story is told. It’s told in journals, computer forms. Video tapes, etc.

So once things get crazy because people have tried to take the station hostage and do so, but those people on the station depending on where they are try to take them down and rescue the station from these very bad people who have their own agenda. I like how both Hanna and Nik have to work together with others on the station. Things get very complicated as they have to use various strategies and do things that they never thought possible. I like how action packed the struggle is.

Then at some point we get two universes merging and get two sides of the same coin. I thought that was interesting. As one set of choices lead to one of our characters being alive and not the other one. I also like how Nik and Hanna really work together as a team at one point. The way that Universe A and B each had only one of them living at the same time. This was very well done. Explaining how there were two universes was tricky. Yet they told it well and gave us two viewpoints and way the story is told. I totally loved how Hanna and Nik handled this news, plus they do end up merging the universes into one. I totally thought that this was good.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and the romance was great. Plus not to mention the way there were two universes. I really thought that this book had a lot of action, heart, humor and a great story about fighting for survival and for the people you love. The whole universe is at stake as well which made this book seem more epic. I totally recommend this book as well.

Rating:

4.5 Hearts