The Chemist - Stephenie Meyer

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. 

Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. 

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it's her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous. 

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of. 

In this tautly plotted novel, Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she's one of the world's bestselling authors."

This started off on a strong enough note...The Chemist has been on the run since her former bosses tried to kill her, but now they've offered to call off their dogs if she comes in for one last job. She takes the bait, only to find herself interrogating an obviously innocent man. Just as she's realizing her former employers have played her somehow, the interrogation is interrupted--by her mark's twin brother, back from the dead.

Gaaaaaasp! Things are about to get interesting!

It turns out she was sent to flush out the ex-CIA twin brother of the guy they sent her after, who had faked his own death to escape being taken out by a corrupt CIA official. Or something. Now the trio (for the adventure would not be complete without the innocent former schoolteacher brother The Chemist tortured for information he didn't have) has joined forces in order to take our their oppressors and free themselves from the terror of living in constant fear for their lives.

It's all so exciting, in theory. But then you get into some pretty hard to believe things shoved into the story for convenience, mainly the schoolteacher brother who is a-ok with being tortured, falls in love with the main character immediately, and is somehow almost completely unfazed by all the insane violence and murder going on around him. Like, sorry, but no matter how attracted I find myself to someone upon seeing them on the DC metro, as soon as they cause me immense physical pain in order to force information out of me, I'm out. I'm for sure not going to be down to travel around with my torturer and a brother I know nothing about while they hatch some crazy plan to flush out the people chasing them and kill them. It was a little much to believe, and it only got worse as he and the Chemist's weird relationship developed. I was alright with the book until they got together, but after that there was a clear shift in the focus of the plot, and the insane romantic storyline became the focus, with the whole "let's get rid of these guys and free ourselves to live our lives" thing taking a backseat. Bleh. No thanks. 

Ultimately...it was ok. There are better books out there, but if you're looking for something, say, to get you through a six-hour plane ride, this will do the trick. 

Illuminae - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover: 

"This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.


BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes."

This book is a fucking roller coaster ride. The audiobook is amazing, the book is unique and fascinating, and I highly recommend both versions. I don't want to get into any details of the story because how do I talk about it without giving stuff away? I don't think I can! But seriously, seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this book. Fans of Firefly, it's got a similar vibe. Fans of good books, this book is incredible. Anyone considering picking it up who is put off by the size--it's a tome--don't be! The book is so large because it's laid out like a real dossier, with case files, images, all kinds of incredible formatting. It seems huge, but it goes by surprisingly quickly. The audiobook does as well. It's read by a full cast, and it's more like listening to a movie than an audiobook. I loved both versions so much that I listened to the audiobook, immediately read the book version, read the book version again, and then re-listened to the audiobook. Four reads back to back, no lie. Truly, this is more than a book...it's a work of art. For the love of god, do yourself a favor...read it!