Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Summary
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 tech whiz 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.
NOBODY PANIC.
Book Details
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Available on May 7th 2019 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Young Adult Fiction / Science Fiction
Hardcover, 480 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher / NetGalley
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Review
AURORA RISING is brimming with action, adventure and plenty of feels as this intergalactic Sci-Fi epic—featuring a ragtag cast of characters, launches readers into space with this new series and sets them on a quest to literally save-the-girl, save-the-galaxy.
THEY’RE NOT THE HEROES WE WANTED. THEY’RE JUST THE ONES WE COULD FIND.
This was such a fun read and with a cast of seven YA main characters—4 girls and 3 guys—all with quirks and three-dimensional personalities, you can’t help but ending-up adoring them.
What I loved reading about in this new series opener is how different each crew member is — different species with unique abilities and talents are featured.
Told from alternating points of view, with a focus on Tyler’s and Aurora’s perspective, this is definitely a series to pick up if you enjoy lots of banter and a diverse cast—space is bigger and badder than you can hope for. Kaufman and Kristoff don’t disappoint and Squad #312 brings it.
Danger and adventure take on an exciting edge in space where Kaufman and Kristoff’s imagination sore.
Alien civilizations, galactic space-station, and the folding of space make for an exciting read. It was like watching an episode of the original Star Trek where space is an open door to what might be out there.
“The FoldGate flare, brighter than the sun. And without a sound, I plunge into an endless, colorless sky. A billion stars are waiting to greet me.”
There are dangerous heists, a masked-ball, space-walks from a dying ship and plenty of monsters to keep your attention and turn the pages.
The story does a great job of balancing the adventure while allowing us to get to know each of the crew members. It ends with an adrenaline-infused bang leaving readers satisfied but definitely leaving room for more as the crew realizes the quest is not over but only the beginning of an epic adventure.
In the End
AURORA RISING is a must-read for fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s writing and readers of YA science fiction. Space travel, conspiracies, ancient civilizations, and new alien species—plus tons of banter and camaraderie between our crew members make for an exciting new series.
