Most Anticipated 2018 Reads (Part 1)

   Hey everyone!

   As always, to no one surprise really, I'm totally late to the game and posting this about a month late but, hey, at least I am posting it so that should have to count for something. Anyway, today I want to talk about all the releases of the first half of 2018 that I am looking forward to. In typical me fashion most of them are either YA contemporaries or sci-fi, which just goes to show once again how those two might be my favorite genres currently.

   Among all these books there is of course one that I am looking forward the most, for totally none obvious reasons *loud coughing*, which is a YA Thriller that you should totally consider checking out and maybe even pre-order.

   Anyhow, lets jump right into my list:

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Published: January 9th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Number of Pages: 336 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Sci-Fi

   I really, really enjoyed These Broken Stars from this amazing duo so I can't wait so see what they've come up with this time. I mean anything YA sci-fi from this duo is basically a must buy tbh. 

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By a Charm and a Curse by Jaime Questell

Expected Publication: February 6th 2018 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 300 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Fantasy (?)

   I've been meaning to read some kind of circus related or centric book for ages and this seems like a good one to start off with. Curses/charms and traveling across Texas, figuring how to break said curses etc, sign me up! It definitely sounds like a fun read.

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The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

Expected Publication: March 6th 2018 by Delacorte Press

Number of Pages: 352 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

   This one sounds absolutely fantastic and that color is amazing, so colorful and pretty. A story containing music as its central piece and some kind of tragedy sticking and almost tearing a group of friends apart? Now that's guaranteed to be an emotional read and, honestly, I'm all about that.

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The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

Expected Publication: March 8th 2018 by Electric Monkey

Number of Pages: 352 Pages (Paperback)

YA Contemporary

  This one sounds amazing, exciting and just like a truly intriguing read I certainly want to get my hands on. Also that cover is, again, gorgeous and I am simply weak for books with pretty covers (than again, isn't everyone?).

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Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Expected Publication: March 13th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 608 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Sci-Fi

   It's absolutely no secret that I LOVE The Illuminae Files trilogy so I cannot wait to have Obsidio in my hands, have it on my shelf next to Illuminae and Gemina, and to read it, obviously. I'm always a bit weary of trilogy finales since there is a lot of room for left down expectations, accidentally left unanswered questions or not sufficiently or convincingly, but I have A LOT of faith into Amie and Jay that this will be just as brilliant as the previous two books, easy.

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The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Expected Publication: March 20th 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 480 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Magical Realism

   A story set in Taiwan containing magical realism, angst, and feels, sign me up. Usually I'm not big on magical realism but this one sounds absolutely amazing, and reading books set in countries I've never been to, getting to know different cultures and lives, if that doesn't sound great, I don't know what does. I'm definitely very intrigued.

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Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Expected Publication: April 10th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Number of Pages: 368 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

   This sounds absolutely amazing and I simply need it. Family secrets that get uncovered and friendships that might potentially be more than that, hi, yes, I'm in need! And that cover, yes!

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Ship It by Britta Lundin

Expected Publication: May 1st 2018 by Freeform

Number of Pages: 384 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

   Now THIS one just speaks straight to my fangirl heart and grabbed my attention immediately. It just sounds like such a fun story that's inspired by probably every fangirls dream--meeting the cast of whatever you are a fangirl of--but also nightmare--things turning out to be different than your shipper heart thought. I'm definitely curious how the show will handle the discussion of fannon vs cannon, and generally the whole issue of fans having certain expectations and how the show runners deal with the moments when expectations aren't met or things just go downhill for whatever reason. I need this like yesterday, tbh!

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All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor

Expected Publication: May 15th 2018 by HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 432 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

   A story about a group of teens being fans of a certain author and somehow ending up in said author's next book with horrible consequences, and all that told through interviews, diary entries and more? Yes please! I love books that use alternative narrative methods, and honestly this one just sounds fantastic!

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LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Expected Publication: May 29th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 416 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Sci-Fi

   While I'm not into the cover, the book itself sounds so interesting and intriguing, and also pretty damn epic. Besides I have a lot of faith in Jay Kristoff and his writing after loving The Illuminae Files (even if those were co-authored).

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The Body Paradox by Natasha Neagle
Expected Publication: June 4th 2018 by Entangled Teen
Number of Pages: TBA
YA Sci-Fi

   This sounds pretty damn amazing if you ask me, and also I certainly am bias towards the enemies to lovers trope (obviously) so that only adds more to this. Also the idea of sharing a body with another person, hi, I'm intrigued, so I need this like today.

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Echoes by Alice Reeds

Expected Publication: June 5th 2018 by Entangled Teen

Number of Pages: 400 (Paperback)

YA Thriller

   ECHOES is the story of two high school enemies finding themselves stranded on a mysterious and deadly island where nothing is quite as it seems, not even reality. I am very much bias, since this is my own book, but this is definitely the book I'm looking forward to most and I seriously cannot wait for you guys to pick it up and read it. This story has been my brain child of years and I just truly hope you'll love it just as much as I do.

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A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews

Expected Publication: June 7th 2018 by Orchard Books

Number of Pages: 300 Pages (Paperback)

YA Contemporary

   As someone who loves PaperFury's blog (and twitter) I am really curious for her book. I have really high hopes for it and can't wait to read it! Also it contains music and has a pretty cover, that's already two very convincing arguments for me, plus it surely also has all the feels and is an emotional read, so basically all my favorite things in one place (which sounds awful, doesn't it?).

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A Flicker in the Clarity by Amy McNamara

Expected Publication: June 12th 2018 by HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 432 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

   I loved Lovely, Dark and Deep, and Amy is basically a auto-buy author for me because of it, so like me being excited for this one is basically a given. I need it in my life asap even though I'm sure it'll be just as much of an emotional read as her debut.

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   And that's it! If I actually manage to read even half of these in 2018 I'll be very proud of myself tbh. Which books are you looking forward to the most? Let me know down below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds).

Review: Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Published: October 18th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 659 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #2 in the Illuminae Files Trilogy

   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 saga that began with Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of BeiTech’s 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 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 may 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. (goodreads.com)

"It may comfort you to know that your death, 

while astonishingly violent, 

will likely be mercifully swift."

   Ever since I finished reading Illuminae (find my review here) last year, I waited with anticipation and great expectations for Gemina. As with all sequels, the second book fear was real, but Gemina exceeded all my hopes and expectations in amazing ways with brilliant and unexpected twists and turns.

   Just like Illuminae, Gemina is told through files, instant messages, video transcripts and alike, which is still the coolest book format I've ever encountered. We also meet another crucial character from Illuminae again who turns out to be an even worse person than we've so far thought. The hate is real and only turns realer. That part is told through a court room transcript which in itself was really interesting.

   In Gemina we follow Hanna and Nik. Hanna is the daughter of the Heimdall's captain, rich, spoiled but still a total badass with a black belt and loads of tactical knowledge which most definitely comes in handy through the story. I really liked her, even though she seemed a bit naive and very spoiled throughout the first few pages, but my opinion of her quick changed. She was a really interesting character and I couldn't wait to see what her role in the story would end up being. I didn't quite expect her to be that much of a badass, but I loved every second of it.

   On the other hand we have Nik who belongs to the House of Knives, a Russian criminal cartel on board of the Heimdall station, as well as New Petersburg. Since characters like him belong to my favorites, I knew I'd like him the moment we first meet him. Throughout the story I only fell more in love with him and found myself rooting for him. When a very emotional moment came up, that I won't spoil, I was on the verge of tears, not going to lie. He was a great and really interesting character, especially thanks to all the details about the cartel and the tattoos he and the others had.

   Another thing that blew my mind in Gemina was the whole aspect of the wormhole within the Heimdall station which was later on explained in a more scientific way, along with other hardcore science, which honestly was one of my favorite parts of the story. I love sci-fi books that have a solid dose of science in them, even if most of it is way too complicated for me to understand. Gemina definitely did that part right and in a marvelously interesting way.

   In the second half of the story we also meet our beloved characters from Illuminae again. Their role in the story isn't necessarily the biggest one in terms of page count, but it's still very much crucial and done in an amazing way. I was curious how Jay and Amie would tie them into the story and I am more than happy with the way they've done it.

   Also we need to take a moment and truly appreciate Marie Lu's (author of the Legend trilogy as well as The Young Elites trilogy) illustrations for Gemina. She isn't only a incredible author, no, she's also amazing at drawing. I was really curious to see all of it after I first heard about it, and boy did I love it!

   Just like Illuminae, Gemina has a lot of aces up its sleeve in form of amazing plot twists that you most definitely won't see coming and aliens that creeped the hell out of me, especially the way they were "created". Now that was awful in more ways than one. But their role in the story was fascinating, even though, as I mentioned before, they were really creepy. But, at the end of the day, the Phobos virus people in Illuminae were still scarier than the aliens, but that was to be expected, I mean that virus was off the charts.

   Gemina is am amazing action packed sequel with unexpected twists and turns, smart moves and tactical planning, and even some crazy science. I didn't think it could one up Illuminae, but somehow it managed to do it anyways. I cannot wait until we'll finally get the finale next year, especially after that ending. I am excited!

I give Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman 5 out of 5 stars!

Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published: October 20th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Number of Pages: 608 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: Yes, #1 of The Illuminae Files

   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.
   Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for proving an eARC in exchange for an honest review *

   Where do I start with this book? I have no idea because, even ten days after finishing it, I still don't know how to put my thoughts regarding this book into a coherent stream of words that would make sense to everyone and not just me.
   Illuminae is a book unique in so many ways, not only due to the extraordinary way through which the story is told, but also thanks to the brilliant writing of Amie and Jay who created characters that felt like they are actually real, documents that made me feel like I'm some agent reading through actual secret files and a AI that made you both hate it, fear it and pity it. Illuminae blows fresh wind into the genre of sci-fi which one should definitely not miss out on.
   When I first heard about this book months ago, I wasn't sure if it would be my thing but once I heard more details and saw early reviews of it on BookTube I was already in love with it and knew I had to get my hands on it. Of course, situations like that oftentimes come with the annoying factor of high expectations which can ruin a book for you, but not this one. If I was expecting a 8 out of 10 when I opened the book, I finished it knowing it deserves at least 20 out of 10, no joke.

   The story itself might seem simple: It's the story of two teens who live in 2575, who broke up the day their planet gets invaded. Luckily, both manage to get onto one of the rescue ships (different ones) and flee, but war is coming. As simple and classical as this might seem for a sci-fi novel, it is about WAY more than that. The story has so much depth, relatable and hatable characters, tough decisions, a beautiful love story and AIDEN, on whom I will not elaborate to not spoil anything.

"Am I not merciful?"

(That quote probably will seem weird until you'll read the book, so go and read it)

   The two main characters, Kady and Ezra are captivating. Kady is a huge nerd but she also kicks total butt in the best way possible while Ezra is swoon worthy and just the perfect counterpart to Kady. Reading their conversations and rooting for them is amazing, though most of the time it's anything but rainbows and puppies. Don't forget there is war and war has the not very friendly side effect of people dying or at least getting hurt. Seeing them deal with the situations they have to face is amazing.

   But the best thing about this book is the plot which was created by two masterminds who exactly know how to create a scene which will make you hold your breath while the scenes unfold in front of you. There are so many plot twists in this book that I didn't see coming, that were impossible to even imagine as reader and the ending blew my mind because THAT I really did not see coming. Where did Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff take their brains from?! Please masters, teach me the art of awesome!
   Anyway, I could go on and on about how brilliant this book is but that would require spoilers which I definitely want to avoid because you guys simply have to go and get it the second it comes out, seriously, it's totally worth every dollar!

   All in all, Illuminae is mind blowing, extraordinary, feels causing and just nothing you've ever read before. I cannot wait to get my hands on a finished hardcover copy (which mind me I rarely buy those so when I do, you know the book is special, or only out as hardcover but pshhh no one has to know).

I give Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 5 out of 5 stars.