Review – Gemina (Illuminae Files, Book 2) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 672 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 18, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-0553499155
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Illuminae Files series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars

“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.”

This is the second book in the Iluminae files series and I enjoyed this book a ton. I didn’t like it quite as much as the first book but it was pretty close to being just as wonderful.

This story takes place on the Heimdall jump station, the jump station that the Hypatia is planning to take refuge at. Unfortunately, BeiTech is desperate to cover things up and decides to invade and attempt a takeover of Heimdall station. Similar to the first book there are two main obstacles for our characters: the first is the invading force and the second is of a more alien nature.

I didn’t relate to these characters and enjoy them quite as well as the ones in Illuminae. Hanna is a pampered captain’s daughter with hidden depths and Nik is a gangster who is misunderstood. These aren’t my favorite types of characters, but they did end up being interesting and worked well in the story.

The invasion that happens here is much more in your face. The alien presence adds a creepy factor to the story but I didn’t think it was nearly as scary as what happened in Illuminae.

The book is action-packed and incredibly hard to put down. I continue to really love the world, the story, and the creative way the book was pulled together and formatted.

Overall this was an absolutely amazing addition to the Illuminae Files series. Although I didn’t like it quite as much as Illuminae, it was still an incredibly awesome read. I already picked up the third book at my library so I can read it soon!