Stefanie's Thoughts: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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.

Hi everyone,

What a week, it snowed here for the first time and I hate snow; well maybe not the actual show but the super cold temperatures that follow. I guess those cold temperatures bring on being inside, watching movies, drinking tea and reading as many books as humanly possible.

I'm here today reviewing Gemina by Amie Kaufman book two in The Illuminae Files series. I'm not big on reading sci-fi (I prefer it in BBC TV like Doctor Who) but this series sounded so different that I figured I'd try it out. I had read Illuminae earlier this year (April) and loved it; my favorite part of that book was the star graphs and diagrams included. I think my favorite part of this series will be the fact it's told through messages, star charts, transcripts, security camera footage and more. I'm going to try to keep this spoiler free, but I will be mentioning plot points that happened in book one (although everything I mention I hope was part of the books synopsis, so it wouldn't be anything you've never heard of before).

My main problem I think with Gemina was the novelty had worn off. The unexpected feeling I got from reading Illuminae and not knowing what I would find inside wasn't there, because I knew I'd get the story told through different mediums. However I did find it easier to jump right into the book because I wasn't as confused trying to understand how to process/ read this book through the different charts. I actually thought Gemina needed more star charts! I think too in this book there was more of the story told through security footage narrative and messages and not enough pictures overall (however Marie Lu's illustrations were a much appreciated addition, hope she's included in book three) . I did skip a whole ton of transcipts because I found them not bringing anything to the story.

I also wasn't attached to Hanna and Nik like I was with Kady (I loved her in Illuminae). I honestly didn't care what happened to the two, I didn't care what would happen to Heimdall, the station our story takes place on. I guess I was more invested about watching how the Phobos virus was spreading through the ship than hearing how alien invaders. I guess personally the thought of trying to avoid a plague like virus or battling aliens, the virus thing seemed more deadly, more on my seat excited.

The ending however. I won't say anything about it but it was such a twist I know I'll need to pick up book three to see how everything plays out.

Overall I'm glad I picked up the book and read it; I felt like if I hadn't going into book three would be a huge mind boggling experience. I loved Marie Lu's illustrations, and really hope she's included in book three, or have another guest illustrator come in and share illustrations from a character's journal. I also enjoyed how the setting was out of our galaxy, I've always loved astronomy so even reading about fictional universes and space stations is a great ride.

My rating is a 3 out of 5

Until my next review,
Stefanie