Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Aurora Rising

by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published: Knopf, 2019
Pages: 473
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Amazon, Goodreads

I was born with the taste of blood in my mouth. I was born with my hands in my fist. I was born for war.

About the book

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.

Review

I was hoping Aurora Rising would be like the Illuminae Files, creative, thrilling and hard to turn away from; however, it didn’t quite make it.

What’s it about? 

At Aurora Academy, star pupil Tyler Jones is stuck with a ragtag crew and a girl woken up after being cryogenically frozen for 200 some years. He soon learns that the very girl he saved may be the catalyst that starts a war.

I’ll focus on the positive first. The characters were very distinctive and interesting. I really liked the storyline. Aurora Rising WAS similar to the Illuminae Files as they are both science fiction novels set way in the future and aboard spaceships. I also have to admit that the ending was exciting.

As for the negative, Auri really bothered me at the beginning. I mean, this girl wakes up after 200 years to discover her family is all dead and all she focuses on is how hot she thinks Tyler is. Auri seemed shallow, insubstantial and just really freaking annoying. 

Switching between multiple perspectives from first person was confusing for me.  Though the characters had striking personalities, they didn’t have distinctive voices. This could have been avoided by writing in third person.

Overall, Aurora Rising was enjoyable even though I had a few issues with it. I feel it’s worth a read for those who like YA science fiction.

RATING (out of five puppies)

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

Long Bright River

by Liz Moore
Published: Penguin Group, 2020
Pages: 496
Genre: Mystery
Amazon, Goodreads

All of them children, all of them gone. People with promise, people dependent and depended upon, people loving and beloved, one after another, in line, in a river, no fount and no outlet, a long bright river of departed souls.

About the book

In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don't speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling.

Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey's district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit — and her sister — before it's too late.

Review

Long Bright River is a raw, unforgiving story of the strained relationship between two sisters and the ultimate cost of opioid addiction.

Addiction is a monster that doesn't discriminate. From the disadvantaged poor to the privileged rich, opioid addiction is sweeping across the United States. It's even become a problem where I live in rural Illinois.

Novels like Long Bright River show readers who may not have been touched by addiction how this disease ruins families.

The story is told from the perspective of Mickey, a 33-year-old cop in Philadelphia whose sister is a drug addict. Though their relationship is at best strained, Mickey's sister is missing and while searching for her, Mickey reflects on her difficult childhood and struggle to raise her son. There's a string of murders occurring in the area, and Micky races to find her sister and the killer before the unthinkable happens.

Author Liz Moore has a unique voice perfect for this type of storytelling. It's very much a slow-burning suspense focused on character development, rather than a whodunnit mystery.

The writing is beautiful and the characters haunting in a way that sticks with you long after finishing the novel.

I highly recommend Long Bright River.

RATING (out of five puppies)

November 2019 Wrap Up

Hi all! I can't believe it's already December and one month away from 2020! I read a lot of good books in November.

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule - A non-fiction detailing the fascinating story of Ted Bundy and how author Ann Rule discovered she was close friends with a monster, The Stranger Beside Me was shocking. My rating: ★★★★

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - Slated as a quirky, fun read, I wasn't a fan of this one. I've heard you need to be in the right mood for so maybe I wasn't. My rating: ★★

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys - I devoured this book in an entire day! It was so good! I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy historical romances. Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★★★

Feed by Mira Grant - Feed is a zombie novel surrounding a team of blogger journalists who uncover a political scandal. I really liked this one! Click here to read my full review! My rating: ★★★★

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - This is one of my favorite - if not one of my favorite - books of the year! It was dark, enthralling and impossible to pull away from. Click here for my full review! My rating: ★★★★★

The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell - A decent mystery for those looking for a rainy day read! My rating: ★★★★★

The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood - I loved this unconventional love story! Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★★★

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - A really liked this book, though I gave it a slightly lower rating because there wasn't much character development and the love triangle was annoying. My rating: ★★★

#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil - #Murdertrending is a thrilling horror novel about a young woman who gets sentenced in the murder of her step-sister and sent to battle live in isolation with other convicted felons. The plot is unique and interesting. Trigger warning: Violent. My rating: ★★★★★

Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard - A solid mystery full of twists and turns. My rating: ★★★★★

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh - I was disappointed by this one. I loved the setting but was ultimately let down by the lack of character development. Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★

Imaginary Friends by Stephen Chbosky - Imaginary Friends is a good book but the storyline was dragged out. I left the novel feeling frustrated. Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★

What did you read this month?