I'm... disappointed. My expectations for this series were sky high due to recently reading and loving The Illuminae Files. I was anticipating another brilliant unputdownable sci-fi series, but sadly that isn't what I got at all. The biggest disappointment for me were the characters, their personalities were all far too similar and they were all shallow and stereotypical. I couldn't feel anything for any of the characters which is very unusual for me, I felt no connection at all. The adventure when I wasn't distracted by the dullness of the characters was slightly enjoyable but not enough to continue with the series unfortunately.

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff have done it again! I am a huge fan of their Illuminae books so had very high hopes for this new series and it did not disappoint! The core characters are all compelling (Zila is my absolute favourite!) and the book is filled with plenty of snappy dialogue and an epic cliffhanger at the end!

My thoughts

This was the second book I have managed to read for #arcattack, and I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I received this book from netgalley in return for an honest review. Since requesting this book, I was really apprehensive about reading this book, as I have read A LOT of controversial stuff about JK, and I had read some really good books, so would be bummed if this ruined my streak.

I realised that after I found out the group of misfit aspect, this book was for me. Something I love is groups of characters that, in any other scenario, would not work together, but in turn become good friends. This book was no different in winning my heart. Talk about predictable?

So, going back to the characters, I thought the different narators for the chapters kept me on my toes, as I did have to go back and check who was talking. They kept the plot flowing, and had me giggling on numerous occassions. Honestly, they kept me going through work and my uni deadline.

The plot kept me hooked. There were times when I was able to predict what was going to happen, and then there were times when I was completely surprised. Plus I really felt for Aurora throughout the journey. I just want her to have the best she deserves.

This was such a fun and fast paced read. It tells the story of Tyler Jones, the best cadet at Aurora Academy. When he rescues a sleeping girl from a derelict spaceship the night before the draft, his ability to pick his team is lost and he is forced to squad up with a ragtag band of disparate characters.

The Positives: The pacing in this book is brilliant. It was so fast, moving from action sequence to action sequence with just the right amount of down time in between to catch your breath and prepare for the next high octane scene. I found the plot really compelling, and although there were a lot of common tropes at play here, they were done incredibly well, ensuring enjoyment and comfort in the familiar as opposed to irritation with the done to death. Things do get pretty creepy towards the end too, which I really appreciated.

The Negatives: I felt like a couple of the characters were a little bit interchangeable at times, which meant that there were times when I wasn't sure who we were following.

Overall, this was a riot of a book and I can't wait to pick up the sequel.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Why am I reviewing this so late?

Words cannont explain how truly excited I was when Rock the Boat reached out offering a review copy of this Aurora Rising. I really was over the moon when it arrived.

Then I broke my wrist, which meant two things:

1. So much time for reading. In fact I wrote a blog post about how I was able to complete my Goodreads challenge in February because of this.

2. Typing was truly difficult! Whilst I was able to mostly maintain my blog, once the pain had gone. It was an absolute chore to do so.

However due to the amount I read and the amount of time it took to type – I did in fact get behind on book reviews. I’m still catching up and hope I will do so by the end of February!

I particularly struggled when it was a book I loved. Especially when I loved it so much that I wanted to write an in depth reivew for it.

Which brings me nicely to Aurora Rising.
Aurora Rising Review

It’s now been almost a year since I read this book and I’m still not over how much I loved it. Though I am now a little more fuzzy on remembering everything.

But this is the first book I read by either of these authors! Wild huh? (Though I have since read Illuminae and Nevernight. So it’s safe to say I understand now why there was such existing hype for Aurora Rising.)

Personally I found it to be an easy book to read. The characters are well-rounded and there’s plenty of mystery to be uncovered. It’s a book that allows the reader to have a lot of questions, and ultimately it does answer most of them.

Of course with this being the first in a series it, and reasonably so, does end with some questions unanswered!

I believe the story contained within this book is well executed and leaves the readers thirsty for Aurora Burning. It sets up a much larger stage for this misfit crew to explore and save.

Above all else what truly made me fall in love with this book is it’s similarities to Firefly. Firefly is one of my all time favourite tv shows, so to see some very similar tropes felt like coming home. It filled the hole in my heart that Fox made. The only thing Aurora Rising lacks is it’s not a Western but that didn’t stop my enjoyment.

Highlight to see spoilers: To name a few similarities, in both media the leader finds a confused girl with powers. Both stories end on a planet that’s been devoured by a virus that weaponises humans.

When they pitched it as The Breakfast Club they did it a disservice. (Or at least I’m assuming so because I’ve never actually seen that).

Overall, I Aurora Rising really impressed me. It wasn’t too predictable to not be enjoyable and the character dynamics worked super well. Plus it really pulled on my heart strings a lot.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 5 Star Review
Hi friends! I’m so excited to bring you my review of Aurora Rising! Amie Kaufmanand Jay Kristoff have a habit of writing spectacular books, and an even more amusing habit of breaking the internet. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, where have you been? Every time special editions of Aurora Rising has gone on sale, the site it’s being sold on has crashed dramatically. It has been amusing, and a bit sad with how people have reacted but I’m not getting into that now.

Thank you so much Rock the Boat for sending me an ARC of this for an honest review!

Hand holding Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff in front of a bookshelf

ANYWAY. I read this and LOVED IT. As you know if you follow me, I LOVE space books. This is a space book, so I already love this by default… but the book itself is also good, don’t worry. Shall we get into the review? As always, NO SPOILERS.

Aurora Rising Jenniely

Book Review Synopsis

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | 5 Star ReviewAurora Rising by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman
on May 7, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 480
Format: Paperback
Goodreads

From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is re...
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Book Review Overview

Okay I genuinely have no idea how to write this review, how do I write reviews for books I love again? Let’s give this ago.

I really enjoyed this book, the mix of characters worked so brilliantly, I just wanted to cuddle all of the little beans. I also loved the LGBQIA+ rep that was there! Gotta love some bisexual characters! Mild spoilers ahead in regards to the pairings: View Spoiler » The spoiler doesn’t say who ends up with who or anything, just about sexuality and gender etc. I also love the subtle use of non-binary language. There’s a bartender who they refer to as simply they/them etc and it just warms my heart to see it, and it not be called attention to you know? The characters weren’t all, mis gendering them and being corrected like I often see in books.

My only criticism would be that it almost felt like two different books – the first half and second half had such different pacing and the story was dramatically different. BUT. I loved both parts, so it’s not really a criticism just more like an observation.

I also loved little easter eggs from Illuminae that were in there – I won’t say what just keep an eye out and see if you notice them too!

Book Review Structure

The story is told from multiple POVs, which I really enjoyed. I also liked thinking that if some of the POVs weren’t there, we as readers would have felt so differently towards some characters. It really shows that there’s a lot going on beneath the surface of people that we don’t always appreciate or understand. It’s a good moral for not judging people by their covers.

It’s not set out in the same way as Illuminae etc is, but there is a little element of those books in it. There’s not an AI like Aidan but there is a kind of AI that adds comic relief, and also we get some cool insert pages which look a bit like the pages in Illuminae with world building info. I really loved that they were in there.

As I mentioned, the pacing dramatically changes towards the end of the book. The first half is pretty steady, quite comedic with high stakes, the end is VERY fast paced, full of tension, even higher stakes, twists and genuinely quite creepy/scary in parts. I was about to put it down to go to sleep when I reached this new pacing level and then finished the whole thing that night because I JUST COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN.

Book Review Character

Aurora Rising Jenniely silouhette of a man with a purple blue sky backdrop

“Who wants to be normal when you can be interesting instead?”
The characterisation of Aurora Rising is ON POINT. Honestly, I really enjoyed getting to know each of them and seeing them grow as the book went on. They were all so unique and each of them were dealing with their own issues. It’s hard to say much without spoiling so I’ll give it a go.

I loved the twins! They were both so nuanced and different, I really enjoyed that take. So very often twins are done badly in my opinion, but Scar and Tyler compliment each other’s personalities and I love it.

Auri… well first I LOVE HER NAME. It’s my dog’s name so I was already partial to our girl out of time. She has such an interesting character arc, honestly, things keep getting thrown at her and I love seeing her navigate this new life she’s been thrown into.

Cat irritated me quite a bit, her love sick puppy but also I’m a hard-ass persona irked me so much but I also loved her? Not all characters are likeable and I loved that I didn’t like her? She was very flawed and I loved her arc.

Okay my memory is terrible and I’m already having to go back and check their names because I’ve forgotten some!

Fin! I loved his smart assery and the fact that he’s disabled! YES FOR DISABILITY REP. That isn’t just fixed for the plot? He had to walk with the assitance of an exo skeleton suit thing and I LOVED IT. He over exerted himself and had to rest and I just appreciated it and wanted to cuddle him.

I loved that Zila’s entries were short and sweet. Anything more wouldn’t have suited her personality. Arguably I think she’s one of the more interesting characters, but that being said – she literally barely says or does anything throughout the book. AND she’s kinda coded as autistic? But not in a good way, so I’m really hoping she isn’t. I kinda get the feeling they added one too many characters to this cast and crew and Zila kinda fell through the cracks.

I love that Kal is quite literally fighting his inner demons. I think that his inner turmoil can be applied to our own mental health, I am constantly fighting against the voice inside telling me that I’m not good enough, so I really appreciate that nuanced aspect of Kal.

Full review to come but I’m not usually one for Sci/fi but I thought I’d give it a go due to the hype and the author!

I can certainly understand why everyone loves this so much, there’s just so much for everyone! A great cast of characters with a rollercoaster plot makes for a fast-paced, adventurous read!

I feel a bit guilty saying this but as much as I love the Illuminae Files and Nevernight, this just didn't do it for me. All the elements were there but this time they felt a bit same-y as if this was a slightly different, and poorer, version of Illuminae. I liked the fast paced plot, great world building as ever, but found myself getting annoyed by the characters all being sarcastic, mouthy and sexually attractive, it seemed cliched. This won't stop me reading more Kristoff and Kaufman but I was underwhelmed.

If there was ever a book that undoubtedly lives up to the hype and then some it's this.one.

Featuring the best ragtag band of misfits since Six of Crows, Squad 312 are trying to save the universe, one disastrous fudge-up at a time. Loaded with action, humour and lovable characters that will tug at your heartstrings, Aurora Rising has undeniably won its space in my heart that is reserved for those rare few books that just GET it. I cannot wait to see where Amie and Jay take this story and one thing is for certain - they're gonna' give us one hell of a ride as they do it!

When star pilot Tyler Jones lets off a little steam, taking an unregistered flight, he doesn't expect to find a a miracle girl who has been trapped in space for two hundred years. Nor does he expect to end up with the crew nobody wants, taking on a mission nobody would believe.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lot of fun.

It starts with Tyler, who is the best of the best, at the Aurora Academy. He follows every rule precisely and is bound for amazing things, just like his famous father. Things are knocked off track when he rescues a strange young women from a ruined spaceship.
His heroism is rewarded with missing the Selection, and instead of getting the pick of the best crew, he gets the rejects nobody else wanted.

The girl he rescued, Aurora, has an even stranger time of it all. She was supposed to be joining her dad on an early colonisation mission; but instead she is lost in space for 200 years. When she wakes up, there are aliens and strange visions, and the fact that everyone she knows is dead. It's a lot for anyone to deal with, but it gets even more complicated when she realises she might have landed in a massive conspiracy.

Tyler's crew are great. It becomes clear that they all have their own skills, they just don't perform well in tests, or conform to the boring student model.
They each have their turn narrating, as they squabble and clash, and start to turn into a real team.
It's funny and full of banter, and each character has their own view on life.

Their adventure takes them across the known universe, having to deal with violent aliens, space pirates, and zombies!
They face multiple threats, as they try and uncover a conspiracy that has been infecting the human governments. Their only guide are a few mysterious hints, but they know that if they stop, they will be killed for what they know.

I very much enjoyed this, and I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

Wow! This book had a bit of everything. It was a superb, fast paced space romp with an intergalactic heist, huge monster and creepy plants thrown in for good measure.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the tag – line ‘They’re not the heroes we deserve. they’re just the ones we could find.’ It grabbed my interest straight away, in the event I think it was a little mis-leading. Yes, squad 312 were certainly a rag-tag bunch with whole load of issues but they were (sort of) chosen. OK, they were the un-chosen dregs and weren’t chosen as such but once formed into a squad the Admiral did appear to pick them for the task they were sent on.

That said I adored squad 312. They were all so unique with their own hang ups and distinct voices. I loved Cat’s cockiness and delight in flying. Tyler’s instincts and desire to do the right thing. Scarlet’s (and Fin’s) sarcasm, Zila’s quiet contemplation, Kal’s internal battles to overcome his instincts and Aurora’s dive into a future she never expected to be in.

I loved the way being a Squad meant there was a good reason to have an expert on everything, flying, tactics, computer skills, fighting etc. It didn’t feel un-reasonable that they could tackle everything that came their way.

The small touches in this book we’re also enjoyable. I adored Megallen the almost-but-not-quite sentient handheld computer who’d pipe up at the most inappropriate of times.

There were certainly heavier bits to this book and some of it was decidedly creepy but it also had great humour and heart. At points I found it reminiscent of The Girl With All the Gifts (not a bad thing) and at others it was a really fun space jaunt. I definitely recommend.

Now I just have to wait for the next one…

Fun, action-packed, and in SPACE! Another hit from Mister J! I am so incredibly happy to have had an early copy of this. Aurora Rising delivers gut-punching moments, but we all know that Mister J. holds no prisoners, he goes in straight for the kill. I love the Squad and I love how they're all misfits.

From GoodReads:
A motley crew of teenage misfits out to save the galaxy!
Races along at a hundred miles an hour from adventure to adventure never stopping to take a breath.
Start of a fantastic new YA series - can't wait for the next one.
I don't care what they are actually called - but there are elves!!!

Ouch! Writing this review kinda hurts my heart!

Nevernight, penned by Jay Kristoff, is one of my favourite books of all time and I also have a deep appreciation, awarding all books in the series a full five stars, for The Illuminae Files, which is penned by both Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. Given how ardently I adored both authors' previous work I felt sure this was going to receive the same fanfare, but alas...

I truly think this is a case of 'it's not you, it's me' as there is nothing to fault about this novel, per se. Instead the structure of the story was seamless and the plot was twisted and nuanced. The characters felt authentic and the interplanetary exploration was vivid and thrilling. All these aspects combined to make this an action-packed read and yet I found something still missing in it, for me.

I think much of my dissatisfaction stemmed from the snarky personalities of all central characters. I found their sarcasm and sass not unlikable but not how I prefer my protagonists to voice their concerns. With sarcasm being their go-to response in any dire situation, some of the drama of the text was also lost for me. This felt, on times, forcefully upbeat and any gravitas the plot points could conjure was quickly lost. This is, of course, merely a personal preference, hence why this review and star rating feels like an unfair one, but was an element of the text I struggled to overlook, no matter how much brilliance was penned into every other area of it.

Aurora Rising was an *ASTRONOMICAL SUCCESS*
*Received from netgalley in exchange for review- but any into-the-stratosphere gushing and (bad) space puns is all me*
WOW. THIS. BOOK. Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman are back with another space adventure and I am blown away by its sheer awesomeness. I don’t even know where to begin with this review to be honest. I thought I took tons of notes for this, but truth be told I had so much trouble putting the book down that all I really came up with was “oohs” and ahhs” (and the occasional “oh damnnnn”)… so I guess I’ll be doing most of this review on the fly 😉
Starting off with a hold-your-breath situation, this quickly escalates with heart-stopping intensity, until you’re taken through *every emotion under the sun*. See why I couldn’t stop reading? What’s incredible about this book is that it gets better and better, launching into clever storylines and introducing creepilicious villains. There’s edge-of-your-seat peril at all turns; there’s explosive twists and clever revelations.
I had such a blast with this book- not least because the concepts are amazing. At times it feels like sci fi, at times it has a fantasy feel and always it delivered on a sense of foreboding mystery. There’s an ever-present sense that the heroes have dug up a universe worth of problems- and that makes for some serious entertainment. Think how the authors created a sense of stakes and drama in Illuminae… then times it by a billion. I swear, this author duo got the formula exactly right for those books and then, dare I say it, took it lightyears beyond that.
Especially because the world building is so. darn. cool. Set in the future, with more aliens and more tech, you really get a more advanced civilisation feel. Aurora Rising certainly transported me *out of this world*. I also really appreciated how each element- including the dialogue- was designed to give a sense of the universe. The way each of the characters talk gives a sense of different peoples.
This is largely thanks to it being ridiculously well written. I mean, on the one hand it has beauty in the hypnotic stargazing way and then on the other it’s hilariously witty and intelligently plotted. Like the Illuminae Files, this has a lot of inserts and multiple voices- except that in this case it’s a lot less fragmentary and easier to get into. Not only did I like how the tidbits between chapters built on the story and world, I also *loved* how differing writing styles were used to characterise all the povs. From Kal’s more flowery voice to Cat’s sharp humour to Auri’s charm, the entire cast shines and you really get the chance to know everyone. Achieving this shows off both author’s skills and I was rooting for all my heroes by the end!
I could easily wax lyrical about the characters as well. Some were down to earth relatable, while other’s made me starry eyed. I particularly loved Auri- I mean she curses in baked goods- how cute is that?! I also really liked Kal and Magallen- but yeah, Auri is where it was at for me. And if that wasn’t enough, the romance also put me into orbit! Even in space, they can hear me squealing! (yes, I know, I defy the laws of physics!)
Sorry for the gush… except I’m not really sorry at all 😉 It’s pretty much impossible not to be enthusiastic about a book like this. Kristoff and Kaufman took their winning style and stepped up their game. As I suspected before going in, if you already love the way these authors work together, then you’re pretty much guaranteed to have an amazing time with this. And if you haven’t checked them out yet- what are you waiting for?
Rating: 5/5 bananas
So have you read this? Or the author’s previous books? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

Aurora Rising is the next hit YA sci-fi series. If you enjoyed Illuminae, get ready for your next obsession. This could be described as Six of Crows in space or Lord of the Rings in space and it is outstanding! Fast-paced and filled with action, romance, humour, adventure, this is a book that has everything! It is one of those "I seriously can't put down even to go do normal human things like eat and shower" books. The diversity is also worth noting. Highly recommended to readers who are looking for the next big hit series a la Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.

I got an ARC of this from netgalley.com, and have been sniggering about being a professional reader ever since - I buy and sell books, rather than being paid to read them (if only....).

Anyway! I am going to try to be as spoiler free as possible, as the book isn't out until May.

I loved it to pieces. It's sort of if Firefly had a kid with The Breakfast Club, a d sent the kid to space military school then this would be the weird and wonderful result.

A must, I think, for anyone who likes soft sci-fi, found families, female friendships, romance, witty banter, and space Elves. You can't forget the space Elves.

It's loads of fun, made me laugh, get a wee bit misty eyed in places, and I can't wait to read it all over again when I actually buy a copy when it comes out.