I BINGED THE ILLUMINAE FILES SERIES // gemina (book two): and the epicness continues

Hi hello you saw the title. You know what’s happening!

This was originally going to be a series review, but um that’d be a million years long SO I’m doing a thing where I post a review for each book each day. For three days obviously because there are three books.

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If you were interested in reviews for the other books (note if you are reading these as they come out, one of these links won’t be available till tomorrow)

➵ ILLUMINAE BOOK #1 REVIEW

➵ OBISIDIO BOOK #3 REVIEW

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Gemina was A ROLLERCOASTER!! Let the screeching commence.

Title: Gemina
Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Author: Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
Page count: 659
Date published: 18 October 2016
Genre: Young Adult science fiction

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Synopsis:

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.

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STAR RATING (5 out of 5 stars):

★★★★★

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HOLY HECK WHAT EVEN?!

I honestly do not know what I’m reading even anymore. Wtf did I get myself into?!?!

Somebody help me out of this grave I dug myself into, please!!

This book just took everything to the next sci-fi level. Like OH MY, HOW? I was at first like why are we with these characters but then I was just WHATTTT?? I still would’ve liked to have the MCs from book one in this book more but I also can’t imagine this book being any different and I thought it was a fantastic sequel.

There isn’t a ton to say without spoiling anything too much welp.

• Jackson: huh what is it with these anti-heroes I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE. He’s not even an anti-hero I JUST HAVE CONFLICTED FEELINGS
• Isaac Grant: ahh I loved Kady’s father, he’s super awesome!!
• Ella Malikov: this sassy queen!! I loved her so much OH MY GOSH!! Ella is the actual coolest and so badass and awesome. Her banter with Nik is just prime excellence and I lived for it all.
• Hanna Donelly: how does this series have so many awesome kickass ladies?! Hanna just slays everyone and I. LOVED. IT. She’s just so awesome and her interactions with Nik are also just gold!! A ninja!!
• Nik Malikov: this man is just the best kind of tortured soul which I ALWAYS love. Ahh, Nik we love him. He’s one of the BEST characters and I ADORED ADORED ADORED his sassiness. Ahh so good!!

I truly apologise because I hardly remember the beginning parts of this book so… whoops.

I do know that I LOVED the beginning texts when Nik was selling Hanna the drugs ICONIC!

But as soon as the citizens got trapped inside I WAS HOOKED. I still wanted to see my babies Kady and Ezra but I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

Ella is a lil hacker GENIUS who I LOVED as she was literally just sitting away at her computer firing sassy comments at Nik AND being a technology whiz. I aspire to be that amazing. Also, just her relationship with Nik is amazing and I wish to trade places please and thank you.

I never really liked Jackson and I KNEW something had to happen to him so he could move out of the picture. I mean OBVIOUSLY Nik and Hanna had something going on and he was either going to a) die or b) be evil so thankfully it was the latter. Okay, that sounded twisted. If he died, well Hanna might’ve taken a while to like Nika ya know?!?!

We also loved Hanna’s diary entries. Also even more iconic that Marie Lu illustrated them!!

And omg let’s talk about how Nik was TOTALLY one of the analyst narrators. I had an inkling as soon as we met him! So all the yes to his PERFECT comments!! Loved that so so so so much!!! But also he described what Hanna was doing in such a way I was like this HAS to be Nik.

Speaking of them, Nik is so obsessed with Hanna, it’s adorable. Also hilarious but SO GREAT!!!

Those worms creeped me the f out. Like what even did we read. So gross omg!!

That scene where they’re just above Nik and Hanna was SO INTENSE I WAS SO AFRAID! Those guys chasing after them literally had me SCREAMING!!!

And we OBVIOUSLY now need to talk about the BIGGEST PLOT TWIST. I was like HOLD THE FRONT DOOR WHAT! I am sick of the precious boys fake dying on me EXCUSE ME JAY AND AMIE!!! How rude!! Also, I don’t like time travel and the like. Usually, when it’s done, plot holes and inconsistencies are created and just no. But with this one, I think just enough was revealed and we could learn just enough that it didn’t do that. Which like YES.

But OMG MY MIND WAS REELING!!! HOW EVEN!! Nik was dead and Hanna and Kady and I JUST WHAT!?!?!? FANTASTIC!!!

I couldn’t find that many from Gemina IDK why. Rude I know.

“You might get only one shot. So shoot. You know who said that?”
The rifle clatters to the bloody floor.
“Hanna FUCKING Donnelly. That’s who.” – Hanna Donnelly

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“AIDAN: The concept of fortune is nonsensical, but Kady is insisting I wish you both good luck anyway.
AIDAN: So good luck, Hanna Donnelly.
AIDAN: The universe itself depends on you.
AIDAN: ...No pressure.”

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“But faced with the choice of living one breath longer or crashing in right now, most folks would 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.”

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“you might get only one shot. so shoot”

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“I’m not going to sit here and spitball about hyperspatial reality theory with a psychopathic calculator. This conversation is over.”

Again WELP!

As you could probably tell MY MIND WAS BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS.

Tune in tomorrow for book three I guess.

Ha, she says in a voice that’s had the life drained out of it.

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE SEQUEL? DID YOU LIKE IT MORE THAN THE FIRST? WHAT WAS THE LAST SERIES YOU BINGED? LET ME KNOW!

xo