(If you haven't read the first book, check out Macky's Illuminae review!)
This Illuminae series. This second book, Gemina. How to even begin… I personally think there’s no in-betweens for Gemina. There is no fence. There's only a line that is drawn; on one side, there are those who adore this book, and then there is everyone else who didn’t think much of it.
A lot of second books don’t stand alone. They’re transitions, or worse, inferior departures from the celebrated elements of the first book. But this, this gem (yeah, I went there). Much like the first installment, it takes its time to set up, then goes from zero to lightspeed in an instant. The end of Illuminae sets up quite the intergalactic conflict. The events of the first book and the ending create this intense domino effect that will for sure reverberate throughout the known universe. This is the rebellion discovering Death Star plans. This is the remnant of mankind discovering there are human Cylons within their fleet. We are talking crew of the Serenity versus the Gorram Alliance!
So, to shift focus on a whole new cast of characters was kind of a curve ball. I was not ready to not continue on where Illuminae left off. My heart was not prepared to let new people in. But sweet Christmas, this book was quite a ride. I want to spoil it so badly, and just fanboy like crazy because I loved it that much!
Cue our new cast of characters, who are on the Jump Station Heimdall, the station our Kerenza refugees were fleeing to in the first book. All seems to be well until BeiTech (the evil empire corporation of doom that went all Wayland Yutani without the Aliens on the Kerenza settlers) finally unleashes a can of their corporate hijinks on the station. Madness ensues. And there's so much awesome that I can’t help but agree with every blurb this book has received on Amazon and Goodreads and the like.
This book is going on the shelf. Top shelf. I mean, I heart my New York Public Library card for getting this book into my hands, but I am certainly going to wait for the three book collection and I am going to buy that and give it a home. Why, you say? Two words. Hanna Donnelly. Not saying she’s perfect or that no flaw can be found in her, her characterization or even the novel itself.
What I’m saying is this: I loved it. I’m saying that Gemina took what I loved about Illuminae, hiked it up a few hundred notches and kicked it over in a completely different direction at warp speed. Can book three please come out now?! *dies*
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (ill. by Marie Lu) | Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Previous Book in the Series: Illuminae
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers | Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Source: Hardcover borrowed from the library
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