Gemina (The Illuminae Files) Hardcover – October 18, 2016

Part two of the most creative and entertaining sci-fi trilogy in the whole universe, Gemina, close on the heels of Illuminae and holding it’s own, does not disappoint. Ever. Also narrated in the form of an incriminating dossier of emails, schematics, transcripts and classified files, Gemina continues to tell the story of what happened after an outer space mining colony was attacked by a hostile corporation. But this time, Kady and Ezra take a backseat and let new characters Hanna and Nik drive for a while.Jump Station Heimdall is an insanely boring place for a teenager, at least according to the station commander’s daughter, Hanna. Spoiled, self-entitled, and a demon in the martial arts, Hanna spends her time sexting her boyfriend, buying overpriced jumpsuits and taunting her drug dealer, Nik. Raised by a long family line of criminals, Nik is easy-going, cocky and quite resourceful when it comes to breaking the law. And he definitely has a thing for Hanna.As in Illuminae, when the cow dung hits the fan, the teenagers are the only ones who can save the ship, or jump station, or universe. Your choice, its all there. At the Terra Day celebration, a highly trained elite force sent by BeiTech, the corporation that attacked the mining colony, invades the Heimdall. Led by a dead-eyed psychopath who finds bliss when everything goes his way, the assassin squad lies in wait for the ship bearing the last refugees from the mining colony. Hanna and Nik, polar opposites, join forces to defend the Heimdall, save their family and friends and prevent BeiTech from destroying the only living witnesses from the colony.My first impression of Hanna was: “I miss Kady.” Hanna is so bratty and self-centered that she is unlikeable and easily dismissed as a tease. Au contraire, mon ami, there is more to this little girl than meets the eye. Raised by a military father, this little girl has studied warfare, battlefield logistics and can quote Sun Tzu, Napoleon and the Bhagavad Gita. She’s sassy, kickass, and clever, and she grew on me.Nik, on the other hand, I loved from the beginning. With his life story inked on his body and his heart on his sleeve, Nik is absolutely charming in a bad boy sort of way.The book is powered by a wicked sense of humor and creative genius. Malware has infected the station’s computer system so that a single raunchy pop song is constantly playing: in the elevator, during a gunfight, while being attacked by mutant eels. Did I mention the mutant eels with their psychotropic body fluids? Evil little monsters. I caught a bunch of pop culture references: a computer actually uses a line from Rocky Horror Picture Show, and I’m pretty sure Nik is channeling the Joker from the movie Batman Beyond at one point. I saw the names of at least two young adult novelists on the Heimdall’s casualty list. And the texts between the teens, even in moments of crisis or sadness, are hysterical.There are more twists in this book than in your intestines. So many times my family heard me loudly proclaim how much I hated this book only to follow with “shhh, can’t talk, I’m at the good part.” It’s engrossing and compelling and entertaining and so so so so good. Now, in case you do miss Kady and Ezra and AIDAN, yes, AIDAN, do not worry, they join the story.What makes the only important difference between Illuminae and Gemina is the reader’s perspective. We know there will be painful twists that gouge our hearts, we know it will make us laugh out loud, make us cry, make us curse the authors and their unborn children (trust me, I did), we went through it all with Illuminae. As seasoned readers of the Illuminae Files, we know to look for the clues, the crumbs, left by the authors because we know they are there and it is so fun when you find them. And, in the end, on the very last page, when a character asks, “You wanna know how it ends?” my answer was a resounding “Yes. Yes, I do.”The last page always has the best line. Bliss.

After I finished reading Illuminae, I had every intention of taking a short break before starting the next book in the trilogy, Gemina. But did I? OF COURSE NOT. On the day I finished it, I broke down and started Gemina.I usually try to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible, but when I’m writing about a series of books, this can be really difficult. The events of this book are directly tied to those that occur in Illuminae, so there will absolutely be spoilers for that book.This book was action-packed, and much like Illuminae, the plot revolved around a race against the clock, which worked as a great tension-builder. Hanna is pretty much a badass space ninja, and I am here for it. The lamina were HORRIFYING, and I was expecting some twisted nightmares. Thankfully, there were none. But I think they were an excellent (and obviously very creepy) addition to the book. Sort of like this book’s version of the Phobos outbreak. AIDAN’s surveillance footage summaries were entertaining, and it was good to see him again, along with Kady, Ezra, and the other familiar faces aboard the Hypatia! The pacing is just as breakneck as the first book, and once BeiTech attempts to seize control of Jump Station Heimdall, it’s hard to step away from the story.I liked Hanna, Nik, and Ella… but not as much as Kady and Ezra. It took me a while to become invested in their stories, and again, I just didn’t care about the romance. (I’m beginning to think this might just be me…) And without revealing too much, the ending didn’t feel realistic to me, in the sense that it seemed a little heavy-handed, defying ridiculously astronomical odds.Overall, even though I had a few minor issues with this book, I think it’s a strong installment in the series, and when I say that I can’t wait to read Obsidio, please know it’s a serious understatement.

Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman have done it again with this exceptional book. I loved Illuminae with a passion, so I was worried that this book wouldn't be able to keep up. My worries were completely unfounded. This book continues the story from Illuminae, but from a different perspective. The book focuses around the jump station Heimdall and how it gets overtaken by an elite BeiTech strike team. The two main characters, Nik and Hanna, are the perfect team to survive this attack. Both are strong, arrogant, and have learned to survive based on their life experiences. Their quips and witty conversation is bolstered by the addition of Nik's cousin Ella, who is a computer wiz and general badass female. As with Illuminae, the book design was unique, beautiful, and so entertaining. I was in a reading slump and needed a pick me up, which this book certainly did. I read it in a day and a half and was thoroughly entranced.I am so impressed with the illustrations by Marie Lu. I was floored when I saw some of the drawings. The illustrations and design of this book was even more beautiful compared to Illuminae. As an avid videogamer, I really enjoyed the formatting and presentation of the story. It reminded me of the quest journals you often find in RPG videogames. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of sci-fi and videogames. It is one of my favorite books of the year.My one complaint is that some of the "bloody" journal pages were really hard to read because the "blood stains" obscured the writing more than I would have liked. While this may have been intentional on some pages, I am not entirely certain it was intended for all of them.

I finished Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff last night.. well dawn.. 4 am, actually!😂😂 I think it sais a lot about a book that I NEEDED to stay up waaaay after my bedtime to finish it!At first I didn't feel like it's going to be as great as the first book. You know, sequels don't always meet the expectaions. But after some sh*t goes loose and basically our heros' (Hannah, the staiton captain's daugther and Nik, member of a criminal gang, House of Knives) lives turn upside down and the whole situation goes south.. Now then, my friends, begins this spectecular story.Again we have this spooky, scary feeling all through the book which keeps you on edge all the time. Some really detailed differences between the main characters make the conversations interesting. Then comes some backstabbing, and maybe three or four major turnes in the flow of the events that make you bite your nails and keep you reading at 2 am at night.My favourite part was when the real scientific theories ( I can't tell which ones as that would spoil things for you) came up and it again brought things closer to me! I'm a nerd so please forgive me that scientific theories excite me!😁Two thirds of the book was a bit disappointment for me in connection with the format. It was a bit boring and monotone after 1,5 books (not like in Illuminae) but the ending was beautifully constructed! I loved it and it completed the storytelling in a perfect way!Of course at the ending my heart skipped like three beats and I highly suggest you buy Obsidio before finishing Gemina 'cause maaaan.. Major cliffhanger alert!I was gaping at the last page for a minute thanking all the deities out thier for the fact that I've already bought Obsidio!😂 Again! I highly recommend this series to everyone!

“Patience and Silence had a daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”Hello trauma my old friend... It’s not nice to feel you again!I laughed. I cried. I glared at the book. I cursed my friend who talked me into reading this series. I put it aside when I knew it was going to hurt. I got so freaked out I couldn’t walk about the house with the lights off.... seriously, those alien slime worms absolutely horrified me and they made me sick to my stomach. I got sucked in, and I loved it.I really enjoyed the introduction to new characters and how the story spun to someone else’s viewpoint, then it all blended together and it was incredible.I’m still hurting. Those last few pages had my heart in an awful state. I’m going to go eat my feelings now.If you haven’t started The Illuminae Files yet, you should but be warned, it’s going to really hurt!“Most folks will take the extra moment. That single extra breath. Even when your world stops spinning and gravity dies and the blood glitters in the air like a galaxy of warm red suns all around you.A lot can happen between breaths, after all.”

Gemina is the second installment from the Illuminae Files, and like the first book, it did not disappoint. I am not usually a sci-fi reader, but the book is comprised of instant messenger chats, surveillance accounts, image and email transcripts, making it an easy and enjoyable read. I took to this format as it is a very unique style and it really helped encapsulate you into the story.Like 'Illuminae' the story is told from the perspective of teenagers, who are continuously 'fighting the good fight' against the big bad bei-tech corporation, who are still desperately attempting to cover their tracks after the Kerenza incident from book one.We are introduced to Hanna Donnelly, the spoilt child of the Heimdall space station commander, and learn about her habits and her relationships with 'squeaky-clean' Jackson and the tainted bad boy Nik. I didn't really take to her character like I did previously with Kady Grant in Illuminae, however as the book progressed and the story became more and more intense, she grew on me and I enjoyed her witty altercations with Nik and his cousin Ella.Nik is a supposed bad boy, but like Hanna he is complex and has several layers to his personality, he is funny and you can't help but root for him.This book is full of action-packed drama with a body count tally to match, it is cleverly composed and like the first book has many surprises along the way and a carefully crafted explanation of events in its finale.I would recommend this book to anyone who is tempted to try mixing up their reading lists with a new genre, and anyone who loves to get stuck into an easily readable series.

I'm so conflicted about this book. Illuminae was amazing I loved the layout and the concept but I think that light fizzled out for me during the second book. Kind of like 'yeah I get it cool layout' the story was a bit dull it didn't really have any of the energy or thrill of the first one and I really just don't like the main characters of Gemina compared to Kady and Ezra because I love those so much and genuinely cried over the first book. The little black slither creatures things were interesting but the whole story just couldn't live it up to the first book. I was a bit bored reading it tbh and it's not the best Sci Fi I've read but it's definitely not the worst book I've ever read so 3 stars I think is a good enough credit.The ending has left me a bit confused I don't know if I'm suppose to be confused and read book 3 to find out but I might not bother because I'm not that invested in the story and I think it's pretty concluded from here.This Review is straight after I've read the book so I'm still conflicted and might change it later but for now this is it

This was the best buddy read in the all the history of buddy reads. That was down to the fabulousness of this book but also down to how we attacked the reading together. Slow in the week, followed by weekend gluttony. If there is a book to unleash your inner glutton on, GEMINA is it.The formatting of book two was a slight cut above book one, with the most fantastic illustrations by Marie Lu. As with ILLUMINAE, the use of digital dialogue, pictures, unusual and creative illustrations enhanced the reading experience. Of course, the words and story itself are what truly makes the book. GEMINA immediately plunges you into your previous knowledge of the Hypatia, Kerenza and uses this to launch a new story focusing around Jump Station Heimdall. Heimdall is the residence of the Commander's daughter and 'princess' Hanna. This entitled prima dona is not stuck up and events cause Hanna to become a fighter outside of the dojo. Her old school buddy Nik, of crime family House of Knives is both her adversary and admirer but Hanna already has a love and romance in Jax who is a young officer in her father's command. What ensues is corruption, attack and larvae. Yes, I did say larvae and believe me, a significant portion of buddy chat was used to debrief on the larvae.The character development in GEMINA was superb and there were some strong secondary characters that wowed me, such as Ella, the little spider and the cows!! The dialogue was witty and sarcastic, hitting lots of happy buttons for me. The plot twists were all unexpected and quite frankly took my breath away, which is where buddy reading was so helpful. The developing story was engaging, angsty and memorable. For me, this book pipped ILLUMINAE every so slightly in my affections. It's such a treat to have a second in series be so strong. I am highly anticipating book three and it can't come soon enough. Highly recommended in paper form for illustration and formatting purposes and enjoyment.Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.