Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss Gemina by Amie Kaufman, the second book of the The Illuminae Files series.


Pages: 659 pages


Length: 1 Month (March)


Participants: Dominique, Marleen.


Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

[Marleen]

Yay Dominique, I’m excited to continue this series! Just so you know, I won’t start this until the second week of April, because I’m focusing on books to read for the team readathon first.

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "Yay Dominique, I’m excited to continue this series! Just so you know, I won’t start this until the second week of April, because I’m focusing on books to read for the team readathon first."

We're on the same boat. Readathon first!

[Marleen]

Team readathon very successfully completed, next up: Gemina!

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "Team readathon very successfully completed, next up: Gemina!"

Yes!

[Marleen]

So far I’ve read the first 12% and I’m on chapter 16 according to my ebook’s table of contents (but we don’t really have chapters of course). Time for some first thoughts!

(view spoiler)[I’m really enjoying myself so far, it’s been a few months since Illuminae and I forgot how fun the mixed media is, jumping from format to format. Some things we’ve seen before ofcourse, like the chat logs, and some new stuff. I like the addition of Hanna’s drawings. They managed to give a quick and smooth introduction of the new setting and some of the new characters.

I was actually expecting to pick up from where we left of and follow Kady and Ezra further, but I’m sure we will meet up with them later when Hypatia reaches Heimdall. They didn’t survive for no reason.

The premise and setup feels very similar to Illuminae so far. Starting out with the reveal that something horrible will happen, and then following some young people going about their day to day life while we get closer to that moment, and with another countdown too.

I think I like what we’ve seen so far of the new characters, but we don’t know them all well yet of course. It took me a ridiculously long while to realize that Isaac Grant was Kady’s father, I had forgotten her last name so I only realized when he mentioned her. I hope he survives! And Ezra’s mother is truly evil, as we had a hint of at the end of the last book...

Other bits and pieces:

The bouncing cows with their floating poo made me laugh, what a visual... 🐄

The bullet hole and bloodstain on Hannah’s journal is such a macabre sight, promising disaster later.

Loved the little snippet of AIDAN in there. That was such a great character in last book, I hope we see more of AIDAN, since it managed to flee the Alexander on the shuttle as well in the end. (hide spoiler)]

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "So far I’ve read the first 12% and I’m on chapter 16 according to my ebook’s table of contents (but we don’t really have chapters of course). Time for some first thoughts!

I’m really enjoying myse..."

Sorry being late responding.
I have the physical, l'm on page 102 about 15%

(view spoiler)[ yes it's very similar to the first book. The banter between Hanna and Nik feels like Kady and Ezra but I like it. I wanted to listen to the audio but with the mixed media and the notes I feel it's better to see them visually.

When I saw the name Grant I felt like it was someone for the first until we got a reminder of Kady. Hopefully we'll read about Ezra and Kady soon.

I like the drawings, especially the one when she broke (sprain!) Nik's arm!

The more you read her journal, the bloodstains gets bigger so the person was holding the journal when the got shot. (hide spoiler)]

[Marleen]

Just a brief comment, I’m 24% in and this has turned into (view spoiler)[Die Hard in Space, and I’m here for it! (hide spoiler)]

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "Just a brief comment, I’m 24% in and this has turned into [spoilers removed]"

LoL, (view spoiler)[Agreed! She's kicking ass (hide spoiler)]

[Dominique]

Almost 40% in

(view spoiler)[ Ezra 's mother is way beyond evil. For her to say to Rapier that not only she hired people to kill for her but she wants the ship including the hired help to die also. I like the photo and the X marks on the gang when they die. I like Ella, hopefully all three will meet. I have a feeling about Hanna's boyfriend, he doesn't seem like the good guy she think he is (hide spoiler)]

[Dominique]

Merrick(view spoiler)[ is Rapier working for Frobisher. Maybe he does have fefor her but, he's part of the killing. I fell like Nik went to jail to cover for his father (hide spoiler)]

[Karin]

Since not many people have chimed in, I will I read this, but didn't love it--three stars, but my son rates the audiobook higher. I far prefer this in paper book form because the artwork and set up is integral to the story, IMO.

[Dominique]

L'm doing the last half with the audio and the book and both of them together is great.

[Karin]

Dominique wrote: "L'm doing the last half with the audio and the book and both of them together is great."
That sounds like a good way to do it, but I didn't try that. With normal books I find the audiobook too slow for me to enjoy reading along, but with the graphics it might not have been an issue.

[Dominique]

I finished the book

(view spoiler)[ I enjoyed it. I liked the two dimension story where you didn't know if they were really dead. I did like the characters especially Ella. My only complains are that Kady and Ezra. Hopefully the third book will have more of them and that the conclusion with Frobisher will be a satisfying one. The audiobook was a great way to hear the characters and Aidan. (hide spoiler)]

[Marleen]

I finished this too, late last night. It’s another 4star for me, same as Illuminae.

(view spoiler)[I really liked the setting and the tension, as they crawled through vents and tried to escape and outsmart the bad guys. The lanima were a creepy extra element, but never became a proper separate thread to Nik and Hanna and plotwise they were mostly used as a handy way to get rid of some of the bad guys.

I enjoyed Nik more than Ezra, and Hanna pretty much the same as Kady (they were very similar). Same as in the previous book, I could have done without the romance, and I though the flirting and banter was often inappropriate for the situation they were in. For instance Hanna flirting with Nik pretty much right after finding out her father was dead, or Nik distracting Ella when she was doing something crucial.

About Merrick: there were a few moments in his chats with Hanna that were odd, but at that point I thought that maybe someone was impersonating him (like when AIDAN impersonated Ezra). I was Not expecting him to be Rapier, and only realized he was Beitech the last page before the reveal. Did you realize he was Rapier before the reveal?

Was very happy to meet up with Kady and AIDAN again, and I hope they are the main characters of the last book again. Loved the parallel universe Heimdall stuff.

I totally believed that our main characters and everyone on the Mao died in the end. Can’t believe they fooled me to think main characters had died in both books...! I will not fall for this again! (But I probably will...) (hide spoiler)]

[Marleen]

Do you want to plan a buddy read for the last book Dominique?

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "I finished this too, late last night. It’s another 4star for me, same as Illuminae.

I really liked the setting and the tension, as they crawled through vents and tried to escape and outsmart the b..."

Marleen wrote: "I finished this too, late last night. It’s another 4star for me, same as Illuminae.

I really liked the setting and the tension, as they crawled through vents and tried to escape and outsmart the b..."

Marleen wrote: "Do you want to plan a buddy read for the last book Dominique?"

(view spoiler)[ I agree, the romance felt flat for me. Her father and his uncle are dead but still flirt almost like nothing happened.

When Falk called Merrick Rapier, I had to reread it again. I knew something was off with him, i expected him to be dead at the oarty and someone was impersonating him. At least he redeemed himself at the end.

I love that it was confusing, they're dead, oh no they're not.. kept me guessing and shocked.
Hanna was kick-ass, alwats trying to be one step ahead by sometimes acting innocent but planning to destroy them.

I hope we get some back story with Ezra and his mom, especially why she's like that (hide spoiler)]

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "Do you want to plan a buddy read for the last book Dominique?"

Yes, when do you want to read the last one?

[Marleen]

For me either May or July would be good.

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "For me either May or July would be good."

Let's do July.

[Marleen]

Great, I posted it in the Buddy read signup thread!
I just noticed that last year they published a short prequel novella as well, maybe we can read that in July as well after we finish Obsidio.

[Dominique]

Marleen wrote: "Great, I posted it in the Buddy read signup thread!
I just noticed that last year they published a short prequel novella as well, maybe we can read that in July as well after we finish Obsidio."

Yes, it's less than a 100 pages.