Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Publication Date: October 18th, 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Goodreads 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.
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.
What a ride! Much like the first installment in the series, Illuminae, Gemina is a roller-coaster of a ride. With plenty of highs and lows, our characters are pushed to their very limits.
Nik and Hanna are the most unlikely allies. When you first meet Hanna, she comes across as a spoiled, privileged princess. She’s the captain’s daughter, the center of his world and with his position, Hanna is fortunate enough to get access to anything she wants. However, the further we go into the story, the more we get to see the layers of depth to her character. Beyond this socialite facade, Hanna is incredibly skilled and resourceful. Being the captain’s daughter, Hanna has been raised to understand military techniques and strategies. Yes, she embraces her femininity, but she can also handle her own when she needs to.
Nik is a bad boy with a heart of gold. A typical cliché, but again it’s very well executed. Hailing from the most notorious Mafia family, he’s been dealt a very tough hand by life. However, he doesn’t let the doom and gloom of his upbringing define him. He’s snarky, flirty, and the way he cares for his cousin, Ella, shows that beyond this bad boy exterior he is actually a softie.
Together, Nik and Hanna have an incredible dynamic. The chemistry is evident between them, and their interactions are full of witty-remarks and hilarious banter. The dynamic between them is awesome, and when Nik’s feisty and snarky cousin, Ella is added to the mix, you are treated to some golden moments.
Now, you might wonder how this book ties to the previous one, but rest assured the events of this book align with the happenings of the first one. Kady and Ezra’s tale is nowhere near over, and Nik and Hanna’s path eventually collides with theirs.
Admittedly, some of the events and revelations in the book were predictable, but that doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book. Like Illuminae, the unconventional narrative method is at the heart of the creativity of this book. From the surveillance footage to emails, posters, and even diary entries, the narrative heightens the tension and anticipation in the book, but also allows us to unravel the inner depths of our characters.
If you enjoyed the first book, you are guaranteed to love Gemina. It might take some time to make the connection between both books, but Gemina does a fantastic job at piecing them together and sets us up for Obsidio, which is guaranteed to be an incredible and tense finale.
Did you enjoy this book?
Who is your favourite character in the series so far?
What are your predictions for Obsidio?
Oh I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed that one so much, Lois! It was for sure a crazy, crazy ride. I loved Nik and Hanna so much, especially their dynamic when they were together. It was so much to read, you could feel the chemistry and I LOVED IT. The book kind of creeped me out, at times, which makes me really nervous for Obsidio… I don’t know if I can take it, ahah, but I’m so curious to see where the series goes! 😀
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I love the fact that I can still emotionally connect with the characters. I was worried that the narrative method would sever that connection but that wasn’t the case at all. Their personalities really shine through in the book and the chemistry was off the charts. I’d say Illuminae takes the crown for the creepy factor, but those alien things were icky. I’m so nervous for Obsidio too. I need all of the characters to make it out alive. They deserve it.
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Same here – I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to connect with the story at all. I was glad to be proven wrong! 🙂
I really want them all to make it out alive, but… I’m scared, ahah.
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I’m glad you loved this book! It’s one of my favorite books! I loved both Kady and Hanna but I can’t pick one favorite between these two. They’re both pretty good. The humor in this book is what made me love it even more especially that lolli-pop song. I’m really excited for Obsidio! It’s definitely going to be a blast! 🙂
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I could never choose between those two. They’re both incredible, well-fleshed characters. I loved how funny this book was. I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so humourous, but it kept the book from slipping too far into the doom and gloom. I was even annoyed by the lollipop song by the end haha.
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I loved this one! I think I might have even liked it better than Illuminae and can’t wait for the third book! Great review!
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Ah, I can’t even decide between the two of them. I’m to connected to all the characters to pick a favourite haha.
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Gotta agree- this was one hell of a ride!! So glad you enjoyed this!! And yes, even it took a while to link this with the first book, it really did set things up well for the finale (I agree- I bet it’s gonna be epic!!)
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I’m still trying to get my head around some of the scientific stuff, but they explain it really well so I get the gist of it haha. I’m so nervous about the finale and I’m praying they all make it out alive.
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hehe I tota;;y get that!! Me too!
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