{"id":65683,"date":"2016-10-26T15:58:56","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T04:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.booktopia.com.au\/?p=65683"},"modified":"2016-11-07T09:43:00","modified_gmt":"2016-11-06T22:43:00","slug":"sarah-mcduling-gemina-laugh-loud-funny-terrifying-sweetly-romantic-utterly-devastating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2016\/10\/26\/sarah-mcduling-gemina-laugh-loud-funny-terrifying-sweetly-romantic-utterly-devastating\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarah McDuling on Gemina: It’s laugh-out-loud funny, terrifying, sweetly romantic, utterly devastating."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gemina<\/em>, the highly-anticipated second book in the Illuminae Files series, is available today! Pure, unadulterated fun with an action-packed plot full of crazy twists and turns, Gemina<\/em> is being described as Die Hard meets Aliens\u2026 how cool is that? (The answer is very cool.)<\/p>\n

Read what 3 Booktopians thought of the book…<\/p>\n

Plus, as part of Booktoberfest<\/a> at Booktopia, if you order Gemina<\/em> before October 31st, you\u2019ll go into the draw to win a year\u2019s supply of books. <\/a>That\u2019s a $50 gift voucher every week \u2013 for an entire year! And… you’ll be put into the draw to win a kids book pack valued at $800!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Review by Sarah McDuling
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Illuminae<\/i> <\/a>was definitely one of my favourite books of 2015. So much so that I couldn\u2019t wait to get my hands on a copy of Gemina<\/i>.<\/a> And now that I have read it, I cannot wait to read it all over again! Gemina<\/i> not only manages to match the mad genius explosion of space opera awesomeness that was Illuminae<\/i> \u2013 it takes things to a whole new level.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so very rare to find a book that is both laugh-out-loud funny, genuinely terrifying, sweetly romantic, utterly devastating and also triumphantly uplifting \u2013 but such is the magic of the Illuminae Files series. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff have somehow managed to capture exactly the right blend of action, horror, humour, romance and adventure. Basically, it\u2019s a perfect storm of everything amazing.<\/p>\n

(And if it sounds like I\u2019m gushing like a rabid fangirl that\u2019s only because I AM.)<\/p>\n

Gemina has been described as \u201cDie Hard<\/i> meets Aliens<\/i>\u201d which is a very apt description. This book has everything from psychic alien worms through to space mafia mobsters. With a story that creatively unfolds through a combination of emails, IMs, transcripts and dossiers (plus illustrations by Marie Lu!), reading this book is truly an immersive experience. Much like its predecessor, Gemina<\/i> is a wildly addictive and super fun reading experience that will leave you cheering and craving more!<\/p>\n

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Review by Emily Meredith
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Like Illuminae<\/em> (if you haven\u2019t read it, do that stat!), Gemina<\/em> is a dossier of sorts \u2013 filled with journal entries, chat records, and death counts. It is a very unique format, and it is incredible that such a thrilling story can be told in this way. This book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.<\/p>\n

In Gemina<\/em>, space station Heimdall is our scene. Our key players are Hannah, the daughter of Heimdall\u2019s commander, and Nik, a member of a Mafia-esque crime ring. Hannah is rich and privileged; Nik has gang tattoos showing that he\u2019s killed someone. But when an elite BeiTech team storm the station with the intent of wiping it out, Nik and Hannah are the only two with any way of making a difference.<\/p>\n

While I did like the main characters, my absolute favourite was Nik\u2019s cousin Ella \u2013 she is incredibly sarcastic and a mad hacker; I loved her to pieces. It\u2019s also a lot of fun when reading the death counts to find names you might know \u2013 there are other famous authors, and my fabulous colleague Sarah McDuling also appears!<\/p>\n

And then we get to the action! The problem with a book like Gemina<\/em> is that I risk giving too much away if I say anything at all \u2013 that\u2019s how intricately everything is tied up! But this book will make you feel things; lots of things. It will shock you to your very core. There\u2019s beautiful art by Marie Lu, but I most adore the pictures made from words (literally). This book is not just a fantastically thrilling story, but a piece of art in its own right.<\/p>\n

I am still broiling in a pot of emotions (and I read this book about a month ago), so much so that coherent sentences when discussing it are slightly problematic\u2026 But this book will not disappoint AT ALL. Amie and Jay have done it again \u2013 blown me away completely and utterly. Now the wait is on for The Illuminae Files \u2013 Book 3.<\/em> Any tips on how to make the year go faster???<\/p>\n