The Definition of a PERFECT, Jaw-Dropping Sequel // REVIEW: Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

Title: Nyxia Unleashed (Nyxia Triad #2)
Author: Scott Reintgen
Publication Date: July 17th 2018
Publisher: Crown Books (US) // Michael Joseph (UK)
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 2 on 3 of the Nyxia Triad
I Got A Copy Through: Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Getting to Eden brought Emmett and his crewmates one step closer to their promised fortune. But surviving Eden may be the biggest reward of all. Discover book two in the trilogy Marie Lu called, “a high-octance thriller.”
Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.
Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.
But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late? 

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE, NYXIA 

“We’re weapons. They made us this way.And we’re coming for them.”

I READ Nyxia Unleashed IN ONE SITTING. I started this book just yesterday, got invested again on page 2, and LOOKED UP FOUR HOURS LATER, on page 400, HAVING TURNED THE LAST PAGE, DONE WITH THIS MARVEL AND DESPERATELY WANTING MORE.

THIS BOOK WAS THE DEFINITION OF A PERFECT SEQUEL, WITH HIGH STAKES, A BRILLIANT, EVER-EVOLVING PLOT AND STELLAR WRITING. I am BLOWN AWAY by how Scott Reintgen’s ability to write and to keep changing the game and always keep me at the edge of my seat. Nyxia Unleashed was everything I hoped it would be and more, and I NEED the next book in my life.

ALL THE THINGS I LOVED:

1.       The World-Building: This was SUCH a crucial element to me, because Nyxia, book one, ended with the winners of Babel’s ‘competition’ hurtling down towards a new planet. I LOVED the descriptions of the Adamites (or the Imago), the planet Eden itself, the Sevenset, the creatures (especially the Century) within and even the people and their customs. There was this particular scene in a restaurant in the Sixth Ring, with such vivid descriptions to the cuisine that I absolutely loved! It was all these small details that made me feel like I was learning about an alien planet like I was actually there and it was brilliant.

2.       The Genesis: We learn later in the book that Imago call the humans the Genesis. I feel like I didn’t know enough about the crew on Genesis 12 during the last book, and I struggled to remember the names of the ten kids IN the original Genesis 11 before Genesis 12, but I loved how Scott Reintgen wrote them all as complex characters, each with a different storyline and I TRULY enjoyed getting to know each of them. I absolutely ADORE Anton, Parvin, Omar, Katsu, Longwei (strangely enough) and, of course, Morning and Emmett right now.

3.       Morning, the Genius Leader and Plotter: I have some SERIOUS respect for Morning. I couldn’t like her because she was (sort of) the enemy in the previous book, but I TRULY TRULY grew to love her in Nyxia Unleashed. I loved her fierce loyalty, her cunning mind and her skill.

4.       ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS: I couldn’t attempt to predict this book and this series, even if I tried my level best. The game kept evolving, the stakes kept rising, there was so many bonds being made and broken, and so many truth coming to light that I found it IMPOSSIBLE to tear myself away from it all. It was truly a riveting read.

At the end of my review of Nyxia, I distinctly remember calling Scott Reintgen an ‘evil genius.’ After finishing Nyxia Unleashed, I’ll amend that statement and just call him a genius because THIS BOOK AND THIS SERIES AND THESE CHARACTERS AND ALL THEY GO THROUGH, FIGHTING BETWEEN TWO POWERFUL FORCES, AND THE STAKES AND THE PLANS AND THE PLOT TWISTS ARE JUST SO PERFECT, AND MIND BOGGLING THAT I’M IN AWE.

Basically, I’m obsessed. I will now return to by bookworm shell until book three is in my hands. Goodbye. 

Scott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. 

To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.

Have you read either of Scott Reintgen's books?! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEM?

What are some of your favourite space/ sci-fi books?

What books in this genre do I NEED to read?

 

Well Developed Characters, But A Lacking Plot // REVIEW: The Fates' Divide by Veronica Roth

Title: The Fates' Divide
Author: Veronica Roth
Publication Date: April 10th 2018
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 2/2 of the Carve the Mark Duology
I Got A Copy Through: HarperCollins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: In the second book of the Carve the Mark duology, globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth reveals how Cyra and Akos fulfil their fates.
The Fates Divide is a richly imagined tale of hope and resilience told in four stunning perspectives.
The lives of Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are ruled by their fates, spoken by the oracles at their births. The fates, once determined, are inescapable.
Akos is in love with Cyra, in spite of his fate: he will die in service to Cyra’s family. And when Cyra’s father, Lazmet Noavek – a soulless tyrant, thought to be dead – reclaims the Shotet throne, Akos believes his end is closer than ever.
As Lazmet ignites a barbaric war, Cyra and Akos are desperate to stop him at any cost. For Cyra, that could mean taking the life of the man who may – or may not – be her father.
For Akos, it could mean giving his own. In a stunning twist, the two will discover how fate defines their lives in ways most unexpected.

READ MY REVIEW OF BOOK 1, Carve The Mark, here

It took me a week to read this book, which, for me, is quite a long time.

In all honestly, it’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. It was dark and delved deeper into war, fate, love, family and blood that I ever imagined it would, and definitely better ‘Carve the Mark’ in many aspects. It was a good book, basically, but for the three problems I had with it:

1)      THERE WAS SO MUCH FILLER. Travelling to new planets and getting SO caught up in the life there, that their mission, whatever it was, seemed forgotten. Basically, filler, and a lot of places I didn’t care about.

2)      I JUST WASN’T INVESTED? I cared about Cisi, Akos, Cyra, Isae and the rest, but I didn’t care ENOUGH to sit at the edge of my seat and wonder if they would survive.

3)      WHERE WAS THE PLOT, REALLY? I struggled with this concept so much, because there was SO MUCH description about medicine making and Ogran lifeforms (a planet in the galaxy) but the actual WAR SCENES and the CONCLUSION were so rushed that I was left… stranded? Wondering WHAT HAPPENED because The Fates’ Divide totally glossed over the most important parts of all. *SIGHS EXASPERATEDLY*

There were a lot of things I LIKED about the book as well, including:

1)      THE DIFFERENTIATING VIEWPOINTS: I absolutely loved that this book was told from five different viewpoints – Cyra and Akos, from book one and also Isae Benesit, Cisi and Eijeh Kereseth. It really showed you what was happening from different corners of the galaxy and I loved, especially, the three new POVs.

2)      EIJEH KERESETH: I LOVED HOW Veronica Roth wrote this boy (no spoilers, don’t worry), especially after everything he endured at the hands of the Noavek family in book one, and I really looked forward to his viewpoints.

3)      ISAE BENESIT: We knew (or I remember) almost nothing of Isae Benesit from Carve the Mark, but I loved her story, as we saw her navigating political alliances and the Assembly of the nine planets. I loved learning about her through both her and Cisi’s points of view.

And that’s it, I guess. I thought The Fates’ Divide was better than Carve the Mark, but I’m not the BIGGEST fan of the series as a whole. (Even though I rated the book higher - I'm just a tougher critic from a year and a half ago)

I definitely felt it could’ve been better in terms of plot, especially at the important parts and that there was LESS FILLER.

3 stars. *waves goodbye* 

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carve the Mark and the Divergent Series (Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and Four: A Divergent Collection). Her short stories and essays have appeared in Summer Days and Summer Nights, Shards and Ashes, and the upcoming Three Sides of a Heart. The Divergent Series was developed into three major motion pictures.

Veronica grew up outside of Chicago and graduated from Northwestern University. She now lives in Chicago proper with her husband and dog and writes full-time.

Sign up for Veronica's newsletter to hear news, writing thoughts, book recommendations, etc.

Have you read either of Veronica Roth's series'? Which one do you like better?

Have you read the Carve the Mark duology? What do you think of it?

I'd absolutely love to hear from you!

 

Space Battles + Badass Characters + AIDAN = Best Finale Ever // REVIEW: Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Obsidio (The Illuminae Files _03)
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Publication Date: March 13th 2018
Publisher: Rock The Boat
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 3/3 of the Illuminae_Files
I Got A Copy Through: Rock The Boat (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo ||

Blurb Description: Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? 
Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 
With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

The review below is SPOILER FREE, so feel free to read on! 

 

It is VERY hard to describe what I feel for this book, these authors and the Illuminae series because I AM A BROKEN SHELL that sympathises with a mass murdering artificial intelligence system (#WhatAreMorals?) and at the same time, I NEED 756320496 more stories from this world and no less because I’m a hungry bookdragon and I MUST BE FED.

In non-rambling, simple terms, I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS

SERIES. I hold Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman in the highest regard as professional tormenters of hearts authors and I will read ANYTHING they write.

Let me (attempt) explaining my thoughts to you:

1.       When Illuminae (Book 1) initially came out, I wasn’t sure WHAT to think. There was so much hype, and it left me jaded until the day I saw this AMAZING deal on Amazon and hit the buy button. I picked it up *months* later, after I got sent a Gemina ARC and HOLY CRAP I WAS HOOKED TO THIS SERIES. It was intense, insane and nothing like ANY book I’d ever read before. Fifty pages into Illuminae, I knew I would need the then unnamed book three ASAP.

     2.       Obsidio was… heartbreakingly beautiful, filled with action, death, badassery, my favourite characters of all time and an artificial intelligence who, really, is one of my favourite parts of this series. There are so many elements and factors that come into play, with our eight favourite characters fighting for their lives and HOLY CRAP, Amir Kaufman and Jay Kristoff somehow managed to pull it off.

    3.       ALSO, AND I WILL REPEAT THIS UNTIL THE END OF TIME – I WAS KILLED OFF IN THIS BOOK. My name appears in the middle of page 100 (I was a Kerenza Resident) and I NEVER THOUGHT I’D BE SO HAPPY TO BE FICTIONALLY KILLED OFF.

4.       I woke up, bright and fresh, last Sunday morning and read the last 223 pages in one shot. I had to stop so many times to BREATHE and PROCESS and CRY and shout in happiness and it took me two hours to properly read it, but I was crying at the end because I was happy, broken, relieved, shocked and most of all, AMAZED at everything these two geniuses have created.

5.       I can’t say much more without spoiling the series, but I was SO HAPPY to re-meet Kady, Ezra, Hanna, Nik, Ella, AIDAN and the rest of the crew. There was mutiny, murder, rebellion, love, family, death, space, sarcasm and mass murdering artificial intelligences and HAVE YOU EVER REALLY ASKED FOR ANYTHING MORE?

I can shout this for FOREVER – GO READ THE ILLUMINAE FILES.

They’re nothing like anything you’ve EVER read before, and you will find yourself lost in the craziness of this world before you know it.

ALL THE GLOWING STARS IN THE WORLD FOR THIS MIND-BLOWING SERIES.

Can I have more books now, Amie and Jay?

Amie Kaufman is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae (with Jay Kristoff) and These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, and Their Fractured Light (with Meagan Spooner.) She writes science fiction and fantasy for teens, and her favourite procrastination techniques involve chocolate, baking, sailing, excellent books and TV, plotting and executing overseas travel, and napping. 

She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, their rescue dog, and her considerable library. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

Jay Kristoff is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of THE NEVERNIGHT CHRONICLE, THE ILLUMINAE FILES and THE LOTUS WAR. He is the winner of four Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, nominee for the David Gemmell Morningstar and Legend awards, named multiple times in the Kirkus and Amazon Best Teen Books list and published in over thirty countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 13030 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.

He does not believe in happy endings.

HAVE YOU READ THE ILLUMINAE FILES? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEM?
Who is your favourite character/ ship?
I'd LOVE to fangirl with you over in the comments section!

A Whirlwind Start to a Space Saga // REVIEW: Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

Title: Zenith (The Androma Saga #1)
Author: Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings
Publication Date: January 12th 2018
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/2 of the Androma Saga
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted

If you don’t know it already, I LOVE BOOKS SET IN SPACE. I love spaceships, the inventions, the villains – EVERYTHING. Which is why, the minute I heard about Zenith, I knew it was a book I would be diving into.

Within less than a week of having it on my TBR, I reached for this book, unable to keep myself from the adventure in space it no doubt held for me. Before I dive into my thoughts on Zenith, I’d like to thank the lovely folks over at Harper Collins India for sending me an ARC of this book.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       An all-girl criminal space crew called the Mauraders trapped in a dangerous mission where all the things they’ve been running from come out to play? THIS SYNOPSIS EXCITED ME SO MUCH. I was so eager to meet Androma Racella and the rest of her crew.

2.       Unlike the resistance I feel with most Sci-Fi and fantasy books, I managed to slip right into Zenith’s world, and all of the Mirabel Galaxy. I did find a little hard to picture where each solar system was in the galaxy without a map in my ARC but I got used to it quite quickly.

3.       I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT THIS BOOK WAS TOLD FROM SO MANY VIEWPOINTS. I definitely would have enjoyed it less if it had been told just from Androma’s viewpoint because this book had so many different and interesting characters like Dex, Lira, Nor and Valen and reading through their points of view really let me get to know them.

 

4.       While the book started off REALLY well, it sort of lagged in the middle. I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that the story was dragging and that there were a lot of scenes that could have been cut away from this book. I wish it had been MORE action filled like Nyxia or The Illuminae Files.

5.       THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK, AND A CERTAIN TWIST THAT WAS REVEALED WAS MIND BLOWING. I don’t think I’ve fully processed what it all meant and what the very last scene means for the Galaxy as a whole but I LOVED THE ENDING. It was what I expected the whole book to be paced like.

6.       While I liked all the characters, I didn’t connect with any one of them SPECIFICALLY. They were all nice and I liked the unravelling of their past, there was nobody that I felt that certain kinship with, and I hope that changes with book two.

A WONDERFUL start to a saga set in space, and I can’t wait to see where this series takes me next. 4 stars.

Lindsay Cummings is the #1 NYT Bestselling co-author of ZENITH, along with her duology, THE MURDER COMPLEX from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, and the MG trilogy THE BALANCE KEEPERS, from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins. She is represented by Pete Knapp at Park Literary in NYC.

Lindsay deals with chronic fatigue, writes full time from her home in the deep woods in North Texas, and loves to chat with fellow book nerds. Lindsay created the #booknerdigans hashtag.

She's still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts--it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @authorlindsayc or on instagram @authorlindsaycummings

Sasha Alsberg is the #1 NYT Bestselling Co-Author of ZENITH: The Androma Saga.

When Sasha is not writing or obsessing over Scotland she is making YouTube videos on her channel Abookutopia. She lives in Northern Texas with her dog, Fraser.

​

For her writing, she is represented by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary and is represented on YouTube by Brian Lieberman at Studio71. 

Have you read Zenith? What did you think of it?

What are some of your favourite books set in space? Are you a fan of the genre?

I would love to hear from you!

 

Absolute, Jaw Dropping Perfection // ARC Review: Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Title: Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad #1)
Author: Scott Reintgen
Publication Date: September 12th 2017
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Part of a Series?: Yes, book 1/3 of The Nyxia Triad
I Got A Copy Through: PRH India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.
Forever.
Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.
But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human. 

Let’s make it official: Books set in space are the ABSOLUTE BEST! They’re always futuristic, which makes the world something you know as well as don’t and the plot twists that most of them house are absolutely INSANE. They almost always have morally ambiguous characters that you love and THEY’RE THE BEST, OKAY?

I’ve had Scott Reintgen’s debut novel on my bookish radar for a while before I got the chance to read it and now that I’m done, I HAVE to say that Nyxia is ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOWING and the Reintgen is an EVIL GENIUS and I needed the next instalment in my life YESTERDAY.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       The very first thing I felt as I flipped open this book was confusion. THERE WERE 10+ CHARACTERS INTRODUCED AND DESCRIBED ALL AT ONE TIME AND IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP. And then the MC used the phrase ‘A politically correct suicide squad’ to describe them and I knew we were going to be okay.

2.       It took a while for me to get past my initial confusion and remember all the characters but as I grew more accustomed to the world Nyxia was set in, the more I loved it. And obsessed about it. And needed answers and happy endings for my darling muffin characters. (P.s: If you can’t tell, I fell in love with the book)

3.       Nyxia revolves around a group of 10 misfit, broken teenagers being taken into space and to another planet (Eden) that hosts sentient life forms (Adamites) and mine a substance worth billions of dollars (Nyxia) and over the course of their yearlong travel, they have to compete against each other in daily tests for only eight out of the ten will get send down and the other two, back to Earth. It was INTENSE, complicated, filled with adrenaline and twists and I was SAD AND HORRIFIED when I reached the end because I NEED BOOK TWO NOW.

4.       I fell in love with Emmett. FAST. He was the PERFECT morally ambiguous character who questioned the boundaries of good and bad as well as right and wrong. I loved his determination and grit and NEED TO BE THE BEST. He was calculating and loyal and ruthless at times and I LOVED IT.

5.       Nyxia was FILLED WITH 800,000 PLOT TWISTS THAT LEFT MY MOUTH HANGING AND MY HEAD CURSING SCOTT REINTGEN FOR PUTTING MY POOR HEART THROUGH IT ALL. I was blindsided, and all my #feels were thrown on a rollercoaster and it was one of the BEST EXPERIENCES EVER.

6.       I loved the competitive atmosphere this book created. Nyxia contained an arena and tests worthy of The Hunger Games but set in SPACE and with VOLUNTARY TRIBUTES which just made it better. I loved the competition and the need to win in all the secondary characters especially Kaya.

7.       REALLY, THIS BOOK WAS PERFECTION AND YOU NEED IT IN YOUR LIVES.

Nyxia was EVERYTHING I thought it would be and more. A jaw dropping, PERFECT debut novel that is perfect for fans of The Hunger Game and Illuminae. 

Scott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.

What are some of the BEST BOOKS you've read that are set in Space? 

Are you a fan of Space Books? What are some of your favourite sub-genres in books?

HAVE YOU READ NYXIA? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

 

Meet The Authors: Lauren James, Author of The Loneliest Girl In The Universe - Interview

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Author Five on Seven of October's Meet The Authors and I hope all of you have been absolutely loving 'meeting' all these wonderful authors and entering the giveaways they've been hosting.

I got the chance to read a lovely ARC of today's authors latest book a few months ago and I FELL IN LOVE. I love everything to do with Space and Romance and twists you won't see coming. This book released in the UK in September but releases in the US in May 2018 so keep a look out for it because this is one book you SHOULD NOT MISS.

So, without further ado, please welcome the LOVELY Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl In The Universe who I had the honour of interviewing.

P.S: She's talking about a possible sequel to this book and I CANNOT WAIT FOR IT ALREADY.

 We'd Love To Get To Know More About You: 

If you had the opportunity to visit space, would you accept? Would you prefer to go on a long journey like Romy Silvers' or a relatively shorter one? 

I’m not sure. I think I’m probably not as brave as Romy. I might go after tourism space travel has been running for a few decades and it has been proven its safe, but definitely not yet! If I could go anywhere safely, I would want to go and visit an alien civilisation!

2 What has been the best part of the publications journey so far with all of your wonderful books? 

Getting to sign battered books for readers who’ve read my books over and over again. That’s always my favourite!

If you could take five personal items to space with you, what would they be? 

Kindle, my dog, Skype, my fountain pen, diary.

And now, moving onto your masterpiece: 

4. For those readers who have't heard of/ read The Loneliest Girl In The Universe yet, do let them know what it's about:

A girl alone on a spaceship find a connection with another ship, just at the time she needs that the most.

5. Who would you see cast in the movie for your BRILLIANT book? 

Top row from left to right:

Commander Romy Silvers – Alia Shawkat

Romy’s Dad – Ricky Whittle

Jayden Ness - Alfie Enoch

Bottom row:

Dr Talia Silvers - Lesley Sharp

? - Chris Pine

Lyra Loch - Georgia King

Dr Molly Simmons – Hattie Morahan

More details here!

6. What was the cover design process like? What did you first think when you saw the final cover? (I love the way both the ARC and the finished copy look)

It was actually a really simple design process, as far as I’m aware. The designers, Iree Pugh and Maria Soler, settled on the concept straight away and we didn’t even consider any other ideas. I think it’s such an easy hook that they knew immediately what they had to go for!

The American cover, though….. just you wait. It’s going to blow your mind.

7. Is there a sequel to The Loneliest Girl In The Universe in planning? What are we going to see from you next? 

My next book (out with Walker in 2018) will involve mudlarking, time capsules, romance and - of course - more science. It’s kind of a sci-fi detective story about the extinction of humanity.  I do want to write a sequel about Romy, though – maybe in 2019. Keep an eye out!

 Lauren James was born in 1992 and is the British Young Adult author of The Next Together series and The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. She graduated in 2014 from the University of Nottingham, UK, where she studied Chemistry and Physics.

The Next Together has been translated into five languages worldwide. It was described by The Bookseller as ‘funny, romantic and compulsively readable’ and Kirkus as ‘An ambitious, promising premise . . . James is one to watch’. It was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award, a prize given to recognise an outstanding novel by a first time writer.

Her other novels include The Last Beginning, the epic conclusion to The Next Together which was named one of the best LGBT-inclusive works for kids and young adults by the Independent, who called it ‘ideal for teenagers. The Last Beginning is on the ball’. A short story set in the world of The Next Together series, Another Together, is also available.
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was inspired by a Physics calculation she was assigned at university. Lauren is a passionate advocate of STEM further education, and all of her books feature scientists in prominent roles.

She lives in the West Midlands and is an Arts Council grant recipient.

Twitter at @Lauren_E_James, Tumblr at @laurenjames or her website http://www.laurenejames.co.uk, where you can subscribe to her newsletter to be kept up to date with her new releases and receive bonus content.

Title: The Loneliest Girl In The Universe
Author: Lauren James
Publication Date: September 7th 2017
Publisher: Walker Books
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
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Blurb Description: Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?
Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.
Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.
But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . . . 

 What are some of your favourite books and movies set in Space? I'm always looking for more recommendations. 

If you ever got the opportunity to visit another planet that humans begin to colonize, would you you take it? Or would you stay on Earth? 

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