Those and the info graphics which would count down to like an explosion or something, in this book and the last, build the suspense to the nth degree. One of my favourite things, and something that really helped to build the suspense of the novel, was that there was always a page with the pictures of the BeiTech strike team that would come up every so often and (SPOILER) show you how many of the team were remaining. The use of pictures in these novels really attracts me (I love visuals!) and there was literally things beyond my imagination in this book. Believe when I say that Hanna and Nik are quite deadly.Īlso, something that this book really blew me away with was the illustrations? And guess what, they turn out to be by this other amazing author, Marie Lu! I couldn’t believe it. So yeah, different type of danger, and different set of skills. Ella, Nik’s cousin, also plays a big part in the novel, and together these three teens are struggling to survive against what is basically an execution squad from BeiTech (remember, those guys who blew up the planet in the first book?). Kaufman and Kristoff have an incredible ability to create compelling backstories and always find the right time to divulge information so that you love the characters all the more. First of all, I love these two characters. While the first book focused on the stuggle of Kady and Ezra against AIDAN and a highly-contagious disease, Gemina focuses on two new characters, Hanna and Nik.

While it may seem at first super similar to Illuminae, Gemina has a couple things that really shine about it. The characters and plot are again really great in this book. I found myself turning page after page and unable to put it down. While some people might find it disjointed or distracting, I find that the different points of view with the combination of actual conversations in the first person and then 3rd person recounts of what happened really bring it to life for me. I know that I said this in my review of the first book, but I love the format that this series is written in. I read the first book in around a day I think, and the sequel was no different. Continuing on with the Illuminae series was a no brainer for me.

Amie kaufman and jay kristoff books