"Gemina" | Book Review

*Includes Minor Spoilers*

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Damn, this book was a roller coaster.

Coming out of Illuminae, Kristoff and Kaufman had made me ready for Gemina. I could barely wait to get my hands on it. The explosive ending to it prepared me for a rocket-quick and mind-bogglingly large story in Gemina.

I think it was these high expectations that made the beginning a let-down. In fact, for the first 300 pages, I was a bit upset at the plot we were getting. Yes, the invasion was exciting, but even that comes so late in the book it wasn't the speed I was expecting.

And that's fine. There was nothing wrong with that. In fact, that slow-burn build up was part of what I loved about Illuminae. It just wasn't what I was expecting for Gemina.

Now, this didn't ruin the book. While I didn't love our new cast of characters, Nik, Hanna, Ella, and co. slowly won my heart. The way they were developed in this epistolary novel makes it much more interesting to read about.

Also, I LOVED the drawings by Marie Lu in this novel. The journal and the almost light tone the drawings added to this book where it was lacking in Illuminae.

And yes, by the time the plot amped up, and my nerd side was TOTALLY satisfied by the idea of gemina particles and alternate realities, I fell in love with this series again.

The unique style, the intense plot, and the awesome ending where Nik and Hanna save their world by returning the ship to the correct universe at exactly the same point is what ultimately left me just as excited as the last one did.

Oh yeah, and that ending was badass.

Characters: 85%

Plot: 90%

Depth: 80%

Style: 100%

Intrigue: 80%

Overall Rating: B+