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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Indiana Jones + Lara Croft + space = sign me the F up
Review to come.
Review to come.
This was the best that this author pairing have written so far and I’m a fan of their previous series. UNEARTHED provided immediate connection with a story that left me clueless, breathless, full of adrenaline and utterly drawn in.
Neither Jules nor Mia should find themselves on the planet of the Undying at the age they are, but both are there illegally on missions of their own importance, passion-filled and wanting to change the direction of their own lives and earth’s. What ensues is a twisty, unexpected tale of a civilisation long-gone that seemed to have intentions for earth to save it from something. This is a story with bandits, criminals, firsts, genius and survival. I felt absolutely on the edge of my seat from start to finish, which is kind of uncomfortable but completely worth it.
Mia was the making of Jules and Jules became the making of Mia, where integrity grew and selfishness diminished. Their friendship and bond might have been over a short period of time together but they experienced so much, I believed their tether. Often side characters are important to me in books, but with UNEARTHED I felt the opposite, Mia and Jules were the focus and all surrounding were supplementary; it worked.
I’m pretty impatient at where I’ve been left, but like the best of books, I can hang on for the kind of quality of writing that isn’t everyday, or every read. Spooner and Kaufman wrote seamlessly together and I am bitten by these worlds they have created. I still don’t know who the goodies and baddies really are!
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
Neither Jules nor Mia should find themselves on the planet of the Undying at the age they are, but both are there illegally on missions of their own importance, passion-filled and wanting to change the direction of their own lives and earth’s. What ensues is a twisty, unexpected tale of a civilisation long-gone that seemed to have intentions for earth to save it from something. This is a story with bandits, criminals, firsts, genius and survival. I felt absolutely on the edge of my seat from start to finish, which is kind of uncomfortable but completely worth it.
Mia was the making of Jules and Jules became the making of Mia, where integrity grew and selfishness diminished. Their friendship and bond might have been over a short period of time together but they experienced so much, I believed their tether. Often side characters are important to me in books, but with UNEARTHED I felt the opposite, Mia and Jules were the focus and all surrounding were supplementary; it worked.
I’m pretty impatient at where I’ve been left, but like the best of books, I can hang on for the kind of quality of writing that isn’t everyday, or every read. Spooner and Kaufman wrote seamlessly together and I am bitten by these worlds they have created. I still don’t know who the goodies and baddies really are!
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
First I want to thank my sister for buying this book for me for Christmas, and apologise for not reading it right away because I loved it!
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a really fun read with twists and drama and puzzles to solve (I love a good puzzle!) and I really enjoyed it.
I get the feeling this book would make a good console game or interactive theme park ride - which is very unique I think! It reminds me of a mash up of Artemis by Andy Weir and Tomb Raider.
First things first though, the little niggles that made it a 4 star rather than 5 star read for me. Better get these out of the way because they really weren’t that bad at all.
In the beginning of the book there were lots of ‘Oh crap I like her. Hormones going crazy!’ and ‘My teenage boy hormones were going wild looking at her’ moments (not direct quotes). It kind of points out the attraction a bit too much for me. I’d prefer being shown it rather than my characters telling me outright ‘I like him.’
Maybe if they’d caught their breath at the sight of each other, or stumbled over some words when they were too close all of a sudden, it might have felt a little less obvious and more organic. That said, the relationship was pretty realistic, moving from them pretty much annoyed at each other but recognising that they were attractive, to genuinely liking them and understanding their motives.
There’s also a bit early on in the book where Jules wants to prove how smart he is, so he reels off this sentence about nutrition:
“High in protein,” Jules muses, actually looking at the nutrition info printed along the label. “Not a bad idea, if a little bland. Five grams of protein per hundred, and the recommended daily intake is a little under a gram per kilo of body weight, so that’s…” He pauses, frowning in calculation.
“About ten percent of my needs,” I say, without thinking. “Less efficient for you.”
He blinks, no doubt surprised I can count, much less anything beyond that - the look on his face needles me. “Yes,” he agrees after a pause. “Ten percent. And in terms of regulation of blood sugar, and the vitamin complexes you find in them, they…” He trails off because I’m staring at him.
Like… that felt so arbitrary to me. I get it’s supposed to establish that they’re both smart while also making Jules realise that he may have underestimated Mia, but it didn’t sound like things even really smart people say when they’re trying to show off. I might give them a pass however, because they’re supposed to be sixteen in this and I remember how ‘adult’ you feel at that age while really being nowhere near.
And finally, very occasionally the descriptions of the surroundings or location is a bit confusing so I’m not sure what’s going on, but this doesn’t last very long.
And now on to the good stuff!
The puzzles were really good, and that’s coming from someone who loves puzzles and logic problems on her holidays. Even with everything in a particular room described, I still couldn’t figure out how to solve it without the characters pointing out something or another. I appreciated that they were genuinely difficult to solve so it made me even more impressed with the characters and the author.
Also, I love how both main characters like Maths! Maths was my subject at school and it’s so rare that you read about characters loving it or even liking it. Usually book characters are artsy in some way, partly because that’s easier to describe, and partly because they’re in some way a reflection of the author (and writers are more likely to be into creative subjects like writing - shocked?? Me too!)
It really endeared me to the story because I could understand their motives more and could relate to Mia and Jules.
Another thing that impressed me was definitely the twists at the end. I’m not going to give anything away, but I didn’t see them coming one bit and I love when that happens in a book.
Overall this was a great read, really interesting and complex. Completely deserving of a four star rating!
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a really fun read with twists and drama and puzzles to solve (I love a good puzzle!) and I really enjoyed it.
I get the feeling this book would make a good console game or interactive theme park ride - which is very unique I think! It reminds me of a mash up of Artemis by Andy Weir and Tomb Raider.
First things first though, the little niggles that made it a 4 star rather than 5 star read for me. Better get these out of the way because they really weren’t that bad at all.
In the beginning of the book there were lots of ‘Oh crap I like her. Hormones going crazy!’ and ‘My teenage boy hormones were going wild looking at her’ moments (not direct quotes). It kind of points out the attraction a bit too much for me. I’d prefer being shown it rather than my characters telling me outright ‘I like him.’
Maybe if they’d caught their breath at the sight of each other, or stumbled over some words when they were too close all of a sudden, it might have felt a little less obvious and more organic. That said, the relationship was pretty realistic, moving from them pretty much annoyed at each other but recognising that they were attractive, to genuinely liking them and understanding their motives.
There’s also a bit early on in the book where Jules wants to prove how smart he is, so he reels off this sentence about nutrition:
“High in protein,” Jules muses, actually looking at the nutrition info printed along the label. “Not a bad idea, if a little bland. Five grams of protein per hundred, and the recommended daily intake is a little under a gram per kilo of body weight, so that’s…” He pauses, frowning in calculation.
“About ten percent of my needs,” I say, without thinking. “Less efficient for you.”
He blinks, no doubt surprised I can count, much less anything beyond that - the look on his face needles me. “Yes,” he agrees after a pause. “Ten percent. And in terms of regulation of blood sugar, and the vitamin complexes you find in them, they…” He trails off because I’m staring at him.
Like… that felt so arbitrary to me. I get it’s supposed to establish that they’re both smart while also making Jules realise that he may have underestimated Mia, but it didn’t sound like things even really smart people say when they’re trying to show off. I might give them a pass however, because they’re supposed to be sixteen in this and I remember how ‘adult’ you feel at that age while really being nowhere near.
And finally, very occasionally the descriptions of the surroundings or location is a bit confusing so I’m not sure what’s going on, but this doesn’t last very long.
And now on to the good stuff!
The puzzles were really good, and that’s coming from someone who loves puzzles and logic problems on her holidays. Even with everything in a particular room described, I still couldn’t figure out how to solve it without the characters pointing out something or another. I appreciated that they were genuinely difficult to solve so it made me even more impressed with the characters and the author.
Also, I love how both main characters like Maths! Maths was my subject at school and it’s so rare that you read about characters loving it or even liking it. Usually book characters are artsy in some way, partly because that’s easier to describe, and partly because they’re in some way a reflection of the author (and writers are more likely to be into creative subjects like writing - shocked?? Me too!)
It really endeared me to the story because I could understand their motives more and could relate to Mia and Jules.
Another thing that impressed me was definitely the twists at the end. I’m not going to give anything away, but I didn’t see them coming one bit and I love when that happens in a book.
Overall this was a great read, really interesting and complex. Completely deserving of a four star rating!
adventurous
mysterious
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so amazing and I loved every minute of reading it! I can’t wait for the next one. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!
Indiana Jones meets Arrival in this action-packed start to a series in a dystopian world where water is limited and thieves “raiders” go to scavenge for valuables on a different planet.
Unearthed features two strong protagonists that start off hating each other and eventually learn that they’re better off with the other’s help.
There’s tons of action, puzzles, mysteries, and intrigue. There really aren’t a lot of books in the YA category that compare to this book and I found it to be interesting and fun to read, while it also made me scared of how our world could end up.
Unearthed features two strong protagonists that start off hating each other and eventually learn that they’re better off with the other’s help.
There’s tons of action, puzzles, mysteries, and intrigue. There really aren’t a lot of books in the YA category that compare to this book and I found it to be interesting and fun to read, while it also made me scared of how our world could end up.
3.5 stars
This one is exceptionally hard to rate and review. So first off, I'm not sure about the intended audience. It's mostly clean of swears, the plot and language aren't overly complicated, the romance is pretty tame... but there are a couple of fairly serious deaths. I guess I wish it had just leaned one way or the other, but really, it could/should have been more on the mature side.
Also, there wasn't a whole lot of forward momentum. The chapters alternate POVs between Jules and Amelia, and they both seem to be preoccupied with teen angst. You know, when they're not thinking about staying alive. The first three quarters of the book are turned inward, getting to know the two lead characters. There are, in fact, very few secondary characters of any real depth, so it's a good thing I liked these two. They seem like the type of people who would make a sweet couple, both kind-hearted and genuine. Definitely easy to root for.
The LAST quarter of the book had me flipping pages. I was taking a leisurely stroll but suddenly my legs were cartwheeling. The authors have the reader doubting everything they've read, jumping to come up with new conclusions, new theories. And now? I'm really excited for the sequel! I need to see where this is going!
This one is exceptionally hard to rate and review. So first off, I'm not sure about the intended audience. It's mostly clean of swears, the plot and language aren't overly complicated, the romance is pretty tame... but there are a couple of fairly serious deaths. I guess I wish it had just leaned one way or the other, but really, it could/should have been more on the mature side.
Also, there wasn't a whole lot of forward momentum. The chapters alternate POVs between Jules and Amelia, and they both seem to be preoccupied with teen angst. You know, when they're not thinking about staying alive. The first three quarters of the book are turned inward, getting to know the two lead characters. There are, in fact, very few secondary characters of any real depth, so it's a good thing I liked these two. They seem like the type of people who would make a sweet couple, both kind-hearted and genuine. Definitely easy to root for.
The LAST quarter of the book had me flipping pages. I was taking a leisurely stroll but suddenly my legs were cartwheeling. The authors have the reader doubting everything they've read, jumping to come up with new conclusions, new theories. And now? I'm really excited for the sequel! I need to see where this is going!
I enjoyed this well enough. Though it did seem to drag quite a bit... even though it's a very short book. This book was definitely not as good as the authors previous series (These Broken Stars), but it was fun. I am interested to what finale has in store for this story... like who the Undying really are.
I'm not sure if I am a big fan of the romance. Maybe I'll like Jules & Mia together more in the next book... hopefully.
I'm not sure if I am a big fan of the romance. Maybe I'll like Jules & Mia together more in the next book... hopefully.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
I listened to this as an audiobook, with Alex McKenna for the female lead of Amelia/Mia and Steve West for the male lead of Jules. I enjoyed Alex McKenna, but I thought Steve West was a bit mature for Jules. I will say that, while popular, I am neutral at best to Steve West. His narration would often lull me into non-focus.
I did enjoy the story though, which had a combination of action and quieter moments. I also enjoyed the building relationship between Mia and Jules. Not just the romantic aspect (which I will always be a sucker for) but just the relationship in general with all its hills and valleys. I will be continuing.
I did enjoy the story though, which had a combination of action and quieter moments. I also enjoyed the building relationship between Mia and Jules. Not just the romantic aspect (which I will always be a sucker for) but just the relationship in general with all its hills and valleys. I will be continuing.