Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Review

 Title: Aurora Rising 

Author(s): Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Science Fiction 

Series: The Aurora Cycle, book one 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I was given this book as a gift from someone in a book group I’m a part of on Facebook—thank you so much! 

I’ve had this book in my home library for a while now, and I have so many books within it that I’ve decided, for the time being, to leave the library alone. (I miss it being open so much!) As soon as I was finished with The Ravens, I decided to dive in. It took me almost a week to finish this novel, but I absolutely loved it. I’m obsessed. I love space operas, but this is definitely one of my favorites, ever! I just finished this book last night, and I’m still absolutely stunned. Kaufman and Kristoff sends the reader to the year 2380 with all the speed of a spaceship. Told from multiple points of view, I loved Aurora Rising so much; it might be one of my favorite books of all time.  

From a new earth, called Terra, star pupil Tyler Jones gets stuck with a squad that no one else would dare touch: An arrogant diplomat with a lethal fondness for sarcasm, a sociopathic, trigger-happy scientist who often gets in trouble for shooting her squadmates, a smart ass techie with a huge chip on his shoulder, an alien warrior with major anger management issues, and a tomboy pilot who he’s fighting feelings for. As if this weren’t disheartening enough, their plans are sent into a tailspin when Tyler saves Aurora Jae-Lin O’Malley from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is out of time and way out of her depth. But she could be a catalyst that ignites a war thousands of years in the making, and she and Tyler’s squad may be the last hope for the galaxy... But nobody panic! 

What can I say about this book? I adored it. The pacing was snappy and brisk, and I was immediately thrown into a strange new world during the year 2380. It took a little while for me to keep up with the pacing and properly imagine things, but once I did, I was absolutely hooked. I loved the way that this book was told from multiple characters’ points of view: It really added a lot of depth that you don’t tend to see in science fiction novels. I also adored the squad; I was laughing, crying, screaming, through the whole book, especially in the second half! Talk about a nail biter! To be honest, this book felt like science fiction, but it also felt like so much more than that. I love books about found families, and this squad will stick with me. I loved this book so much, and I can’t wait to see what my favorite ragtag team of misfits will do next! I cannot wait for Aurora Burning! The bottom line: Hilarious, scary, and fast-paced, I loved Aurora Rising! Easily one of my favorite books of all time!