Early Review: Gemina

TITLE: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)
AUTHORS: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/18/2016
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 608
SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher
MY RATING:


SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): 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; Nike 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.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in this series, but I liked the format and the way that the story was told so I wanted to give the sequel a try. I'm glad that I decided to go ahead and read this one, but I ended up really enjoying it quite a bit more than I expected to. I felt like there was more action and it was more intense.

CHARACTERS: I enjoyed the characters in this book more than the characters in the first book. I really liked Hanna. She was such a cool character. She's smart, tough and can take care of herself, which she proves over and over.

COVER: The cover is really nice. I like the shades of blue.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine/The publisher for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

I Remember You Review

Goodreads

TITLE: I Remember You

AUTHOR: Cathleen Davitt Bell

PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 2/10/2015

FORMAT: ARC

PAGES: 320

SOURCE: Amazon Vine

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Seventeen-year-old Lucas is a star hockey player who's headed for the marines as soon as high school is over. Then there's Juliet, straight-A student and rigorous debater, whose college trajectory has been carefully planned for year. They couldn't be more different. But from the moment Lucas sees Juliet, he swears he remembers their first kiss. Their first dance. Their first fight. In fact, Lucas knows everything that's going to happen between them--not because he can predict the future, but because he claims to have already lived it.

Juliet doesn't know whether to be afraid for herself--or for Lucas. Because as Lucas's memories occur more frequently, they also grow more ominous. All Juliet wants is for Lucas to be safe with her in the present. But how do you hold on to someone you love now when they've begun slipping away from you in the future?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: From the moment I picked up this book and started reading, I was intrigued and had a hard time putting it down. I was completely sucked into the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I couldn't read it fast enough. As I started to actually understand what was I happening, I feel like it slowed down slightly, but only for a very small portion of the book. I was wondering what was going to happen at the end, and I was pleased with the way it turned out.

CHARACTERS: I liked both Juliet and Lucas. I felt they were good together and had great chemistry.

I did not like Juliet's best friend, Rosemary. I felt like she was acting the way that she thought she was supposed to act in order to be popular, like she was putting on a show.

COVER: This cover is one of my favorites of all time. It is gorgeous! I love the color scheme and the title font is perfect.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.