Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 470
Source: Indigo Canada
Buy: Amazon | Indigo Canada | Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
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 ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch… A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger management issues A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.-Goodreads
Sci-Fi is one of my least favourite genres. I don't often seek out books that take place in space. However, Aurora Rising, with its Instagramable cover and rave recommendations on Bookstagram, made me make an exception.
Squad 312 is a group of loveable characters. They are all unique and have their own set of problems. But, at the end of the day, they all want to fit into a group. It was neat to see their developments throughout Aurora Rising. By the end of the first book, I could pinpoint how each character had grown throughout 470 pages of action and adventure. The book is told from all the squad members POV.
I enjoyed reading about Kal's and Aurora's relationship. I am hoping a budding romance will continue to form between the two of them as the series progresses. My favourite character was Kal and Aurora. However, I most related to Finian. Finian just wants to be loved but, he is too afraid to ask for help. He hates being alone, but his fears cause him to alienate from others. I am happy he has found Squad 312.
Kaufman's and Kristoff's unique talent is making characters that are unique and relatable. They do this so well that you cannot help but become invested in these characters' lives. It is like reading about friends far away and undergoing all the emotions that the characters experience in the novel.
The writing is well done in Aurora Rising. I cannot tell that Aurora Rising is written by two authors. I felt the same way when I read Illuminae, written by Kaufman and Kristoff, back in 2015. The writing in Aurora Rising flows cohesively throughout the novel. The dialogue is unique to the character's personality. There were a few times when I found myself laughing at something, Scarlett, Finian or Magellan said in the book.
The storyline is filled with non-stop action and adventure. The ending left me wanting more and wondering what will happen next for Squad 312. The authors answered some of my questions for The Aurora Cycle however, I have a few more that I would like answered. I did not find the storyline to be predictable. I was not able to predict most of what happened in the last half of the book. I think, so far, the storyline is unfolding in a neat way. I am excited to see how the series will play out.
World-building was pretty good. I won't lie, my knowledge of space and sci-fi terms are not that expansive. I did find myself googling some terms. However, my lack of expertise did not hider me from enjoying and understanding the new world Aurora woke up to in Aurora Rising.
Overall, I really enjoyed Aurora Rising. It was a fast paced novel with loveable characters. I have already bought the sequel via Indigo Canada. I'm looking forward to digging into Aurora Burning whenever it arrives at my house.
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