I'll admit I was late to the game with this one and on the one hand I want to lament my folly but on the other hand, considering that the second book recently came out and I can now dive into it IMMEDIATELY makes it seem like a wise decision. After absolutely DEVOURING The Illuminae Files, I committed to reading any and everything that Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff blessed us with, so here I am. Aurora Rising is smart, gripping, fun, fast paced, and original. I LOVE the world that is being built here, the vast history involved, the connections, the tension, the emotions, the relationships, the action, EVERYTHING! I am floored by how unique and real and fully fleshed out all of these characters are and am in awe of how the writing duo is able to create such a diverse cast of characters in such a way that I am attached to every single one of them. Each voice is nuanced and vital and valuable and I just can't wait for more. 5 out of 5 wine glasses.

This book rocked my world. The world building and in-depth detail on this book is insane. Any Jay Kristoff book has the most crazy details that tie into the ending of the books. I need MORE!

i looove this book, the second read helped me understand a lot more better and piece together what i didn’t catch from the first read, i can’t wait to read aurora burning, ugh it’s gonna be so good!

I absolutely adored this fresh take on a rag-tag group of space teens! This kept me hooked since page one and found all the characters wildly engaging and unique. Jay and Amie always impress when they collaborate and this is no exception.

This book was everything I expected and much more, from the writer duo behind the New York Times bestseller, the Illuminae Files. The books by Jay and Amie work on every level.
Usually I prefer if a book has only one or two different POV but in this book I was able to keep up and even enjoy the perspectives of the different squad members.
Without spoiling any of the fun, the plot centers around the members of squad 312, a girl who unintentionally “travelled” to the future and of course some enemies bent on taking over not just one world but the whole Universe.
Each of the six members has a specific role in the squad. Whilst all of them have very different personalities, they compliment each other and end up working towards the same goal as a team.
As always I Loved the humor and the unexpected funny scenes. It was impossible not to like multiple characters and put down the book halfway through.
This was my kind of sci-fi book, that felt like the love child of the 5th element and Elfen Lied (in the best way possible).
Looking forward to the next chapter in the life of Squad 312.

Another fantastic collab between Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff!

Look, my review is hella late to the game, so Imma keep this brief. This book? Fantastic.
Yeah at times it hit my sci-fi limit, but the fantasy and amazing characters keep me tugging along. I was concerned about where the romance was going to, but now I think I know and I'm hoping I'm right.

The story??? I'm at the edge of my seat. I'm so excited for the sequel to come out. I have no idea how everything will go done and I'm so worried for the characters, but I believe in them!! That ending though UGH I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS!!!
Another series with amazing characters and a gripping plot to keep me wanting more.

OH. MY. GOSH. So my heart has officially been torn out of my chest and left for dead. This book was a rollercoaster ride of emotions that I am struggling to explain right now. If you are a person who loves to admire squad goals, wants to go on an epic space adventure, or just loves sass - welcome aboard. This story was so well crafted that I can't even begin to explain how much I liked it. And I liked it a lot. I am dying to read Aurora Burning right now so forgive me if I decide to hole myself up and refuse to leave until it has been released.

So yeah, 5/5 stars for me. I was a huge fan of the story and the characters. While my heart might be destroyed, I know it can be repaired once I know what happens in book 2. Right?

AAAHHHHHH Loved this new book from Kaufman and Kristoff!! While not as good as Illuminae I enjoyed these crazy cast of misfits and had trouble putting this book down once I picked it up. It was fun and fast paced and I really can't wait to see where it is all going!

Not my favorite from these two.

For some reason, I had a really difficult time really getting into this one. I finally finished it just the other day but it took me most of the year to read it. I'm sure that had a negative effect on my rating and enjoyment of it but I just couldn't read more than a few chapters at a time and had no strong pull to pick it back up again. I'm so sad about that because I loved their Illuminae Files series.

I think some of it was because I had a really hard time getting a strong handle on any of the characters. I don't remember this being a problem in previous books and maybe I just wasn't focused enough but I couldn't keep the characters, their positions in the group, or their nicknames or who liked/hated who. There were so many characters but several of them sounded the same, it was hard to remember whose POV I was reading from at the time. And that made it hard for me to care about any of them.

Also, I had a difficult time figuring out the overall goal of the group at any point in the story. I know it's pretty standard from these two for readers to not know everything that's going on and to be figuring it out on the way but it seemed like much of the story was just led by Auri's visions and no other purpose was offered and no goals and endpoints really seemed to be present until the very end. And without a clear purpose or a real villian or enemy and just a girl who isn't supposed to be there with weird abilities wasn't really enough for me.

Again, I know it could have been how disjointed my reading of this was. I'm certain if I had read it straight through, my thoughts on it would be different. But that's just how it goes sometimes. My son, on the other hand, read this in a weekend and loved it. So it definitely could just be me. I didn't love this one but I'll read the next one.

Also [spoiler} I really hate the Pull thing they pulled between Kal and Auri. I'm tired of imprinting or mating or destiny or whatever it's called. I'd much prefer instalove by both parties, even though I hate that, too. Just don't do that. They handled it about as well as they could with Auri saying she wanted some time to see how she could feel about him but still. I hate it. (hide spoiler)]

Tyler is ready to command a flight crew for the Aurora Academy, but in the early morning on draft day, he decides to go out for a flight and ends up finding the last survivor on a flight that never reached its destination. Aurora went into cryo-freeze over 200 years ago and needs rescuing, so Tyler brings her back to the academy. He ends up taking the last crew members of the draft for his crew, along with his sister Scarlett and friend Cat. Little do they know they'll be sent on the biggest and most dangerous mission ever in order to save the universe from an ancient threat that has resurfaced and that is after Aurora...

There's only a certain type of sci-fi I like to read, and this book definitely fits in the "I loved it so much!" category. I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened. The action was almost non-stop, there was strategically placed humor, and the writing was so realistic and nail biting. I didn't like the profanity and didn't agree with some of the views and lifestyles presented, but other than that, I enjoyed and loved this book so much. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book and highly recommend this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and also purchased a hardcover from Amazon. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I'm not typically drawn to science fiction, but Kaufman and Kristoff's Illuminae series is one of my obsessions. So, how was I supposed to pass up another series from them with a band of misfits fighting corruption?! This is written like a traditional book, unlike their other series, and I definitely missed that creativity here. Seven characters have their own point of views, and my biggest frustration with the book was how everyone sounded the same to me. The plot felt pretty predictable, and the hints of romance didn't feel earned. It was somehow both rushed and boring, and I'm just So Okay With It.

Loved this book can’t wait for book 2

Jay and Amie are fantastic writing together and I’m so excited for more sci-fi!

From the characters to the plot it had me on the edge of my seat throughout!

SQUAD GOALS!! I loved this band of misfits so much! I adored every single one of the characters, and they each had their own distinct personalities. Switching POVs doesn’t usually work for me, but it did in this book! You get to see seven different points of view, which sounds intimidating but it really works here. It gives you a feel for each of the characters and how their minds work! Snarky Finian, steadfast Kal, witty Scarlet, pragmatic Tyler, stoic Zila, tenacious Kat. And of course, our girl out of time, Auri. They all seemed so real in my mind, so distinctive. (I am DYING to make custom funkos of them all!)

This squad of rejects gave me some serious feels! I love that they’re all thrown together against their will, starting out with disdain (if not outright hatred) and distrust and slowly evolving into a real team. A family. The moments where they voiced that sense of family gave me ALL THE FEELS!

Even the dedication gave me all the feels:
-"If your squad was hard to find, or you’re still looking, then this one is for you."

Shoutout to Jay and Amie for not going the traditional route with the romance and putting the main dude and the main chick together. I love that you think she’s going to end up with Tyler and she ends up with Kal! And by the way, I freaking LOVED their relationship. It’s got a glorious slow burn despite the fact that Kal basically soulmate imprints on Auri (“The Pull,” a life bond between mates). He fights the Pull, and acts like a total douche to her (which sucks, but seeing from his perspective you realize he’s trying to protect her the whole time) so it’s not hatred but somewhere close for pretty much half of the book. But I loved the dynamic between them! It was SO BEAUTIFUL! (After he quit being a cold jackass, that is lol) I love Kal SO MUCH and I ship them so hard!!

“Do moons choose the planets they orbit? Do planets choose their stars? Who am I to deny gravity, Aurora? When you shine brighter than any constellation in the sky?”
BE STILL MY HEART.

Um, THAT ENDING?! I need to know what happens!!

(spoilers removed)

Side note: I feel like Magellan actually had legitimate advice to offer and probably could have helped immensely but nobody would listen lmao!

Every time I read science fiction I'm reminded about how much I love it. Aurora Rising was SUCH a great book. It had a mystery element that left me with my jaw on the floor at the end. I could not put this book down and I am dying for the sequel. In the mean time I will likely go back to the series that put this amazing writing duo on my radar, The Illuminae Files. There are so many comps I could give to this book, but I feel that would be ruining some of the surprises. Just know that if you enjoy either of these authors or sci-fi in general, you'll like this one too.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I not read a lot from this author I read the first book in the never night series. After finishing this it sort of just felt bland. The characters were all pretty average. From what i can remember not a lot happens either. A girl is woken from a 200 year sleep and this crew is trying to save her from a group that wants to earse here. I not sure i ever got why they wanted to erase her. I not sure if it was the multiple points of view but i got lost somewhere along the way. I probably need to reread this to be able to continue the story when book two comes out.
D

Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an e-ARC of Aurora Rising in exchange for an honest review.


I don't know what it was with Aurora Rising, but I just couldn't get into the story line. I thought Aurora's storyline was unique, and I loved the cast of characters. But it was just over all underwhelming.

Not that I am surprised in any way but this was very very good, delightfully so? I HAVE FEELINGS on that ending, mainly WHY, and I am intrigued by this whole Soulmates in Space setup (though would like a bit less Nice and Neat Hetero Matching). In summary: a bit more Star Trek and less Firefly than Illuminae, if that's more your thing.

That being said this book did have a few flaws, which if corrected in the next installment, could make this an awesome scifi read! First of all, the high number of povs (7!) made it a bit confusing and difficult to really connect with the characters on an emotional level. I had a tough time keeping them straight as to whose mind I was in. The characters were decently well-defined, but the book was so fast-paced it was difficult to change gears to quickly. Secondly, the romances didn't ring quite true to me. All of them, felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. This could possibly be due to the pov issue, but the emotions didn't come across as genuine. Lastly, the humor was wonderful but a bit over-the-top at times. I would have prefered, at times, more serious conversation to get to know the characters and less humorous banter. Humor is awesome in a book (especially great snarky stuff to offset the tension) but it has to be sprinkled. If it is heavy handed it seems to lose its appeal. Even with all of these "flaws" I found this book to be extremely compelling and enjoyable and I look forward to the sequel.

This book was another great work from this incredible duo of authors. There is a diverse group of characters that are well-developed along with a swift moving plot set in space. What more could I ask for, aside from the sequel?

I adored this book so much! I could not put it down, not that I am not surprised. I can't wait to read more about Squad 312!