ILLUMINAE & GEMINA BY AMIE KAUFMAN AND JAY KRISTOFF + GEMINA LAUNCH

Rating: <ERROR> ScAle Br0kEn

Illuminae Goodreads Book Description:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Gemina Goodreads Book Description:

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.

My Review:

I picked up a signed copy of Illuminae in Sydney last year as it was very hyped up but I was quite hesitant to start reading it but WOW. This book surprised me a lot, both in the incredible format but also how quickly I flew through it. I don’t read much sci-fi as it’s not a genre I would see myself reading, but Illuminae and Gemina have both been out of this world!

I absolutely loved the way the novels have been told through a collection of computer files, data reports, instant messages, recordings, and so on. I will admit that it was a little difficult to comprehend at first glance but after the first 50 pages, I had become more familiar with the layout. Seriously though, for a 600 page book, it flew by so quickly!

The characters in both books are fantastic, Kaufman and Kristoff are amazing at creating characters with such sass, wit and pure confidence. Kady is such a fun character, she’s flawed, strong, clever and loving. Her relationship with Ezra was absolutely heart wrenching yet beautiful and yes, it was super cheesy in parts but I LOVE CHEESY.

Hanna is another standout character, she’s much like Kady in her strength, determination and love for Nik. Even though she has a disability, she didn’t let that stop her from being one hella bad-ass chick who I DESPERATELY want to be friends with.

When the beauty that is Gemina landed in my hands, I could barely contain my excitement! I was slightly nervous that it wasn’t going to live up the high standards of Illuminae because as they say, “the original is always the best”. But Gemina was on a whole other level to Illuminae. Yep, BIGGER and BETTER than Illuminae. Needless to say, I’m anxiously waiting the day that Book 3 comes out!

And if you think, Illuminae looks awesome with its format…wait til you take a peek at Gemina because OHMYGOD the illustrations by Marie Lu had me screaming and hugging my copy to my chest because THEY’RE SOOO BEAUTIFUL.

Every time I get asked by someone “what is Illuminae?” I genuinely struggle to find the right words to describe what these books are about and not spoil every single detail. It’s actually difficult to explain everything that goes on in these two books but I’ll tell you now that the plot twists will blow your mind and crush your heart.

If you haven’t already, you NEED to read Illuminae and Gemina asap! Jay and Amie have created these phenomenal crazy masterpieces sure to grip you from the first pages!

 

Gemina Launch – Adelaide:

This may have been one of the most memorable and amazing nights of my life.

The wonderful girls at The YA Circle – if you’re ever in Adelaide, you must come meet these angels and come to our monthly book club – were lucky enough to be one of the first stops on the Gemina Australian Launch Tour! Woo! Go girls! xx

Jay and Amie spent 3-4 hours whilst coping with jetlag to talk to us about Gemina and answer our burning questions about The Illuminae Files trilogy. BLESS THEIR HEARTS. They were so patient and kind, gave us each a chance to talk to them and take photos.

Thank you so much to The YA Circle, Allen & Unwin, Dymocks Adelaide, Jay and Amie for coming out to spend the evening with us. It was truly an honor to be in your presence and celebrate the launch of Gemina, something many of us won’t forget.

Think Lovely Thoughts xo

THE YA CIRCLE: TOMMY WALLACH

A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO JOANNA FOR WRITING THIS xx

Huge thank you to everyone who submitted photos for this post, I appreciate you all so much!

To say that Tommy Wallach is a bigoted, holier than thou author would be the farthest thing from the truth since “Donald Trump will be a good President”. Armed with a quick wit, funny anecdotes, and incredibly charming, Tommy easily drew in the crowd and created the kind of atmosphere you’d find at a bonfire gathering. Not afraid to poke fun at himself, Tommy took us through his journey as a writer. First being published in literary magazine in his younger days, he goes on to talk about the six fully written novels he had gone on to write which were all horrible. Without holding anything back, Tommy gives aspiring young writers in the crowd the reality of what being an author is really like: difficult, and taxing on the psyche as you try to complete a piece of work which is good. Although, despite the negatives, he does give some advice that gives hope to anyone looking for a career in the arts: that hard work, determination, and the proud feeling you get from being praised is what makes it all worth it in the end. Whether you’re a struggling musician or an aspiring writer, the payoff is what makes the effort worthwhile. And having a stable income from somewhere doesn’t hurt either! Not everything was all good fun, Tommy did say the unspeakable: that the Harry Potter ending was terrible! His love for ambiguous endings was obvious in both We All Looked Up and Thanks For The Trouble, however we could forgive him when he let drop that he has written a screenplay for Thanks For The Trouble. He is also working on a young adult trilogy set 1000 years after an apocalyptic event, which everyone will be looking forward to reading.

Luckily for us, one of the girls brought along an acoustic guitar which allowed Tommy to play Seduce Me from his album for We All Looked Up. A beautiful song that transfers to the audience, giving you a sense of what the characters in the novel were feeling. Tommy is a skilled musician who puts a bit of their heart and soul into their music which you could definitely feel while watching him play. Tommy doesn’t beat around the bush about his musical journey which, like writing, included years of hard work, and also learning that classical music isn’t the only genre you can play on a piano. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t pick up any girls playing the piano!

Tommy is a wonderful and talented person, who takes his audience seriously, but isn’t afraid to have a little fun as well. I’m excited to see what work he produces in the future, and definitely excited to read his next trilogy.

- Joanna (Instagram: @joanna_pastro )

Think Lovely Thoughts xo

THE SIDEKICKS BY WILL KOSTAKIS

Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Book Description: The Swimmer. The Rebel. The Nerd.

All Ryan, Harley and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac's gone, what does that make them?

My Review: I picked up The Sidekicks for The YA Circle book club and I was excited but also unsure of how to approach this book, I didn’t really have any major plot expectations going into this but it was totally worth the read!

I originally thought it was just a book about 3 teenagers who are simply pulled together when the boy they are all very close with dies.

But it was so much more than that. It was about how each of the 3 boys are trying to find their place in the world, taking wrong terms and having to face the consequences. There are elements of the loss of Isaac and how they each dealt with their loss of a wonderful friend however the story managed to keep Isaac’s spirit alive through recounting memories of Isaac.

It was so special to see how the 3 boys all ended up interacting with each other, standing up for one another and helping to overcome the loss of Isaac.

I was fortunate to meet the lovely Will Kostakis at The YA Circle April meeting and he was so down to earth, sweet and hilarious. He told all about how he got published – probably the funniest story I’ve heard – and answered all our questions about him and his books.

I’m very excited to see what Will produces in the future as I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.

Think Lovely Thoughts xo

PASSENGER BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Book Description:

passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

ii. A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home…forever.

My Review:

I’ve never felt my heart be broken and repaired so many times throughout a book. I feel like my heart was ripped from my chest and crushed whilst reading the story of Nicholas and Etta.

Nicholas Carter, one of the most beautifully described, chivalrous, brave 18^th century pirates I’ve ever read about. It has been a true honor to delve into the 18^th century life with Nicholas and Etta, to travel to different time periods in history and learn about his life.

Etta Spencer, a stunning, courageous, passionate, driven young woman. Beauty in all that she is, Nicholas is instantly drawn to her. She is swept up into circumstances she never imagined; yet they change her whole life.

Seeing the changes of time through both Nicholas and Etta’s eyes was truly amazing. The description of each era they traveled to, the people, the places, the fashion; it all was wonderfully written, you could tell that Alexandra has certainly put her research into her history.

If you have not read Passenger, you are most certainly missing out on an enchanting story of time travel, pirates and an adventure you won’t forget. Nicholas and Etta will certainly remain in my hearts forever.

Think Lovely Thoughts xo