A review by claudiamacpherson
Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman

adventurous emotional funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m not usually a big fan of sci-fi, but I kept seeing this recommended on booktok so I decided to give it a try. It took me a while to get into—the writing style is very YA—but around the halfway mark I was interested. I love a good found family trope, and this book is starting to have it...though there’s definitely room for more bonding in the next books. In terms of the romantic subplots,
I liked Aurora and Kal and want to see their relationship progress, but I just could not bring myself to care about Tyler and Kat. It’s not that it’s friends-to-lovers (which I’ve seen criticized on booktok), because I’ve never minded that trope...I just didn’t feel their chemistry. Maybe in the next book(s)?
I wasn’t hooked enough by the book to immediately put the sequel on hold at my library, but a few months after finishing I’m still curious about what’s going to happen, so I may pick it up again.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending): Cliffhanger! Fortunately the next one is already out, so you won’t have to wait for what happens next.

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