This is one of the best cover —> story realizations I’ve ever seen. What I see:

1. A little James Bond
2. A conflicted boy who is still figuring himself out
3. A little danger when you slip too far into the abyss

I loved this book and Tate Bertram! A solid story from start to finish!

One of my biggest regrets is not reviewing this book right after I finished. Now that I’ve read it a second time, I can safely say it’s still just as amazing.

Join us for the Illuminae/Gemina readalong! Find the hashtag #illuminaereadalong on twitter and ask to be added to the DM groups!

A whole sky of different stars...

If you thought Illuminae was a wild ride, then you're in for an even more epic adventure with Gemina. Set right after the events in Illuminae, we are introduced to a cast of characters that you'll fall in love with (the bada$$ female heroines and the boys who love them) and hate (the BeiTech crew) through the dossier format that keeps you guessing from page to page.

ALSO, FREAKING HYPERSPACE.



The Who's Who:

Nik


+


Jay and Amie fulfilled our visual fantasies with Nik, who puts the HOT in psychotic. I tossed in Oli Sykes because Nik has some great tattoos and, in my mind, he's definitely a mix of the two. meow. Oh, and he's a pretty decent guy, despite his reputation as a criminal.

Hanna


(not to scale)

Hanna is Kady on steroids dust. A martial arts and war strategies expert who can rock a designer outfit while taking out a room of baddies, Hanna goes from party girl to universe salvager, without missing a beat. She's kicking a$$es and taking names. No doubt about it. Let's just say if this were a game of dodgeball (or Risk), you'd want Hanna on your side.

Ella



Ella is Nik's cousin who basically rules the cyber world on Heimdall. She's the reason Hanna and Nik are able to navigate a spaceship overrunned by BeiTech goons. She's full of sass and never let's her physical limitations (she was paralyzed by an infection when she was younger) stop her.

Supporting our band of heroes are Isaac Grant (yes, Kady's father), Jackson Merrick (Hanna's boyf), and Illuminae alums, Kady, Ezra, and AIDAN. One amongst this crew betrays our universe-savers but I'll leave that for you to figure out. On the other side of the ring is a 24 person BeiTech team who have come on board Heimdall to clean up the mess left in Illuminae, and man did they bring the big guns.

Oh, and then there's these guys:



which turn into these guys



Yeaaahhh. Lanima, our very own parasites (they even have their own Wiki page)! Those of us who grew up playing Resident Evil instantly visualize that monstrosity when someone says "licker." Included are in-depth descriptions of how these creatures look, feel, and are created. ugh. Do not read while eating.

Gemina is even longer than Illuminae, with new and familiar types of documents plus the return of our very own Security Camera Analyst 7213-0089-DN. Spoiler alert: he is still just as snarky. The last 59 pages will make you feel like you're inside the Heimdall during the height of the action; you'll be thrown

lefttoright,


up



and



down,

and you'll leave the book feeling bruised yet ready to continue the fight. You won't know who to trust yet find yourself wanting to trust our heroes and their supporters. You definitely won't look at cows the same ever again. *shudder* Poor Lucy!

Other things you should know:

-Nothing is as it seems
-Be ready to translate some binary.
-Always carry lipstick.
-The perfect storm is exactly what we should fear.
-Yes, it's as amazing as Illuminae. Gemina focuses a little more on character development, since the world is mostly built.
-Be ready with your tabs (I went through two containers trying to mark my GASP or fav moments)
-Eobard Thawne is real. (what. JUST READ IT.)
-Nothing is as it seems. Or is it.


***Even though the concept of fortune is nonsensical (thanks, AIDAN), I was lucky enough to nab a copy of Gemina at one of the recent tour events. This crazy-random-happenstance has not altered my opinions here.***

Was totally not expecting the story to go the way it did! Loved it once the two characters connected. Highly recommend for fans of EC Myers!

This book suffers what I found to be my main issue with Passenger...The worldbuilding is incredibly weak. We never get an in-depth look into what’s happening. So I was bored because I couldn’t find the motivation behind all the stuff that was going on. Maybe the movie will be better?

OK BUT THAT ENDING

Reading any Kristan Higgins is like a warm hug. <3

Well.

1. Too much focus on the adults. God their drama is so boring.
2. Not enough Rowan and Citra. Their chemistry and exploration of ethics and morality are what made Scythe great.
3. New characters and plots felt jumbled. The whole book felt rushed.
4. Audio narrator was good.
5. The ending didn’t grab me. That cliffhanger is supposed to make me want to read book 3 but eh.

Stacey could write an ad for a toaster and it would somehow find chemistry and leap off the page. That’s how all her books are...characters that stay with you and steamy scenes that hook you!

In 738 Days (which you've all read, right? Because it is AMAZING), we meet Calista and Eric while we are riding the rollercoaster that is Amanda and Chase's relationship. Stacey must have been reading our minds when she decided Calista and Eric needed their own book! Fans of 738 Days will be happy to hear Chase and Amanda make an appearance. For all of you new to the series, you do not have to have read 738 Days to read Starlight Nights. I just highly recommend that you do.

If you watch the news, you can see the detriments of young stardom. Abuse by adults runs rampant and the underdeveloped youth brain leads to some not great coping skills and decisions. Starlight Nights is an inside look into the teen TV stars we all adore. Starlight Nights is a version of "where are they now" coupled with what is their future?

I loved Calista and Eric's tension. They had some growing up to do but we see how that all plays out. Plus, if you know Stacey is a romance writer, you have some assurance that everything happens for a reason.

If you love a little angst, a lot of steam, and a story you can't put down, Starlight Nights is the perfect book for you!

PS What about that second party scene AMIRITE

No book featuring the love that got away should wait till the last 20 minutes of the audiobook before they do it and then basically fade to black.