An archaeology adventure on another planet? I am in!

This was a fun, fast paced, puzzle-solving story, full of difficult decisions, secrets kept and revealed, betrayals, new alliances and more! I enjoyed the characters and the setting, though a few things seemed too convenient, that was probably also on purpose to make you think hmmm... something funny is going on here! I'm interested to see what happens next!

Kaufman and Spooner’s book features strong characters, especially scholarly Jules and Mia, who’s scrappy and also a wiz at mathematics. The two have different reasons for wanting to investigate the planet Gaia and find artifacts and answers to a message from a race of people who supposedly died ages ago. The two end up working together and their skills complement each other. There are puzzles and traps to figure out as they attempt to reach the core of Gaia’s temple. As the tests get more dangerous and difficult, there’s a fear they may not succeed.

Despite likable characters and a good premise, the book lags in the middle and the complexity of the alien plot takes away from the total success of the book. On the plus side, there’s the brilliant way they solve the tests by combining their expertise and relying on their hypotheses. It’s an enjoyable story that highlights cooperative solving of complex puzzles with some romance on the side.
3.5*

The first thing that caught my eye with this book, besides the fun cover, was one of the authors! I love Meagan Spooner's Hunted!! That is book I often recommend to my students. This book had everything I would want in a YA Sci-Fi: action, adventure, romance and intrigue. I loved the characters and the locations. I am excited for the next installment!

Mia is a scavenger, stealing artifacts and tech items from a distant world, Gaia, far from Earth. She is trying desperately to buy freedom for her little sister. Jules is the son of a disgraced scientist....the man who released information and a dire warning about Gaia to everyone on Earth. The two meet on the surface of the planet, teaming up out of necessity. They both want to discover what is at the heart of a temple, left by an alien race known as the Undying. They will have to solve puzzles and avoid traps to survive. But what about the warnings of danger and destruction received in a transmission from this alien race?

I loved this story! Lots of action and sci-fi thrills.....an alien planet, strange writing and technology, danger and deception! The story has lots of surprises and twists. This book definitely kept my attention from beginning to end! It does end with a cliffhanger, but book 2 in the series, The Undying, is coming out in 2018. The chapters alternate perspective between Mia and Jules. I usually don't like constant perspective flip-flopping....but this time, it worked. The switching not only helped develop both of the main characters, but it also heightened the suspense. Mia and Jules have completely opposite reasons for being on Gaia, but they have to work together to survive. I think the authors did a great job of portraying the development of their relationship, and building the plot and action around their dependence on each other while facing dangers on an alien world.

The cover is gorgeous!

Great book! I can't wait for book two!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

*e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*

I went into this book bracing myself for impact. After all, I loved this duo's prior trilogy (especially book one!) and I was afraid I was coming into this with my expectations too high. Well, I had no need to worry - this one blew me away. As usual, Kaufman and Spooner bring action, tension, and incredible world building, especially as they lay the foundation for a new series. While there were a few times in the middle when the plot's pace was a bit slow for my taste, it picked up and the end left me shocked and excited for book two. Buying this one for the high school library where I work was a no-brainer!

This was a fun book that was held back by a time-sucking insta-love between the two main characters. Please focus more on the space archaeology and less on the romance between two people who have known each other a couple days. Also, not a fan of the cliffhanger ending. Despite this I really loved the story and finding out about the world and will definitely be picking up the next book.

Filled with heart-pounding action & adventure and two engaging characters, Unearthed felt like a wonderful sci-fi version of a mash-up of Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider and Drake’s Uncharted video games in written form. If you’re not a gamer and don’t understand the reference, think of a race to save humanity paired with extraterrestrial landscape that is covered with deadly puzzles to solve and an entire cast of shifty characters. And what I adored most was that slow-to-build connection and attraction that was mired with secrets, distrust, and personal agendas between Jules and Amelia as they embarked on this adventure together.

With two main characters after entirely different objectives but pushed into working together due to outside circumstances, their dynamic fueled the pace of the story; their trajectories, so dissimilar but mockingly on the same path, led to a lovely push-pull between them that not only amplified their attraction and differing paths, but also the obstacles affecting their journey. They were each humanly-flawed people, but likable from the instant they came onto the page; both unlikely characters to get along–let alone race together across a strange planet fighting the planet itself and other scavengers–the fun was in watching them battle that growing tension. Amelia’s hardened personality blossomed as the journey grew on, and complemented the naivete of bookish Jules so well. With everything pushing them together and then instantly pulling them apart along with the ever-expanding mystery of the planet and its secrets, it became an un-put-down-able story very quickly. Amie and Meagan found a brilliant way to weave romance in a complex tale, keeping the relationship’s path just as tumultuous as the answer to the final puzzle.

Yet it wasn’t just a story about Amelia and Jules’ wants and needs nor that of the other scavvers, but rather the subtly and carefully placed reference to the real-life issue of our footprint on Earth and the consequences of misuse–a thought-provoking and clever plot point for a story. The writing was seamless, the story full of surprises, and I am left with a bevy of unanswered questions and guesses for the direction of the story that I am absolutely excited to have answered with the second, and final, installment of the series. Boldly inspiring and wonderfully plotted, Unearthed was a crazy thrill ride from start to finish.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner launches a new series from the dynamic duo set in outer space. I went into this expecting a few similarities to the These Broken Stars series but ended up pretty surprised. However, I’ll also put in the caveat that it’s been a long time since I last read a book from that series. Actually, I should probably get around to finishing the last book. Anyways, Unearthed is a thrilling read featuring dual narrators and the adventure of a lifetime.

So, this book follows Amelia and Jules as they are dropped on this planet called Gaia. Amelia is a scavenger. Jules is an academic. Despite these different aims, the two team up. Together, they will solve different puzzles to unlock the secrets left behind by an extinct race called the Undying. The hope is that the technology of the Undying is what will save Earth which is struggling due to climate change and lack of fresh water (hmmm if that’s not the most familiar thing!). Anyways, the comparisons to Indiana Jones are pretty merited in this case.

Amelia has lived a rougher life than Jules. She’s small but streetwise. Initially, Jules kind of underestimates her. However, Amelia proves her intelligence and that she’s actually really smart in spite of her circumstances. She believes she was picked to go to Gaia as a scavenger because she passed all these tests. Amelia cannot come back empty handed. She needs the technology and the money resulting from it in order to save her sister, Evie. Amelia is the sort of character who will do whatever it takes to save her sister, who is priority number one. She’s consistently helping herself and Jules get out of scrapes. I am hoping that as the series continues the phrase fortune favors the bold will eventually hold true for Amelia.

In contrast to Amelia is Jules. He was raised in Oxford in England. Jules is posh and polished. He also has a special connection with Gaia. His father decoded the transmission sent to the Undying which helped lead mankind to Gaia. Unfortunately, his father also realizes later on that the transmission contains a warning of danger and apocalypse. Jules makes it his mission to vindicate his father while on Gaia and prove that this planet will only lead to the downfall of mankind. At first, it is like he has no street smarts and is pretty dependent on Amelia to help him. By the end though, we see how their strengths really complement each other. I just enjoyed how Jules’ understandings of linguistics actually had practical application in this book.

Honestly, I think that Unearthed is much faster paced than These Broken Stars. As Gaia is new to both the main characters, the exploration feels natural. I like that everything was undiscovered for both those characters in the book and those of us reading the book. There’s also a reference to La Roux which is neat. That’s the only reference though and you do not need to read the other series to know what is going on in this book. I also liked that there was a lot of attraction between Jules and Amelia, but ultimately it is a slow feeling build between them. It is exactly how I like to read romances developing. My time with this book was enjoyable, especially this giant twist that happens. I am ready for book two!

Unearthed was sooooooo good! I went into it knowing next to nothing, only that I was in a sci-fi mood and I needed something action packed. This book delivered so hard. It's set on another planet, and the two main characters basically have to go into an temple and try to find the secrets within. It sounds cliché, but it's brilliant. The Uncharted/Tomb Raider vibes were real.

I really liked both of the main characters, which hardly ever happens. Mia was a badass, and Jules was an adorable nerd. I loved that they were both on this planet to help their families. When it comes to books with dual points of view, I tend to gravitate towards the female but in this book I loved both of them and I really enjoyed reading from both of their perspectives. Occasionally, the points of view sounded and felt very similar, but I rarely got confused about whose POV I was reading from.
As for the romance, I didn't actually mind it! Either this means I'm growing as a person (yeah, right), or that it was written quite well. I don't think there needed to be any kissing this early on in the series (it's a duology) and I would have preferred a longer build up because I think that leads to the best tension, but it didn't put me off the book or disgust me like it often does.

Unearthed ends on the BEST cliffhanger I've read in ages. Like, I can't remember the last time I read a cliffhanger this good. The ending was incredibly well done and I'm dying to read the second (and last) book in the series. I need to get my hands on it NOW. Somehow. With a time machine. I was left with so many theories that I need it right now to see if I'm right!

I'd highly recommend Unearthed, even if you didn't like the authors' previous work. It's much stronger than These Broken Stars and the sequels, both in terms of writing and in pacing. Plus, there's no instalove. Woo!

If I had to describe this book in 5 words, it would be: Teenage Indiana Jones in Space.

That's pretty much what it felt like reading the book. The entire process of solving puzzles and getting through temples really reminded me of watching Indiana Jones, and it was awesome!

Wait- maybe I should say: Indiana Jones Meets Legends of the Hidden Temple. I mean, that's 8 words, but it definitely still applies!

I did not want this book to end. And then it ended on a cliffhanger! So I will clearly need the other one asap. That was NOT an ending I was expecting.

This book was surprising, interesting, and perfectly paced. I highly recommend it!

There was only one issue I had with the book, which I describe below.

**Spoiler Below**
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My only issue with the book is:
If the IA hired Liz, and the IA also hired Jules to to solve the puzzle and lead them to the right place... Why would Liz try to kill Jules? That part didn't really make sense to me. Did Liz go rogue? It doesn't seem like her employers would want her to try and kill the other kid they employed to solve the puzzles... So if she did go rogue, how would that benefit her? I guess I didn't really understand Liz's role (other than to create conflict, and to bring the additional characters into the book), or her motivation to hunt down Jules (and Mia, although Mia was just an added bonus that Liz wasn't expecting, so I guess I understand her wanting to eliminate Mia).

Another 2018 anticipated read and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Granted, there were some moments where things seemed to be repetitive, but more on that in a second.

Mia is a scavver on Gaia, a former home planet. She is trying to find a temple and collect treasure so she can set her sister free back home. Jules, however, is wanting to find the temple simply for his father’s dream and to learn more about this planet and its former inhabitants. When these two meet up and eventually go on the journey together, lies are uncovered as well as hidden truths.

Details

The book starts off quick with Mia’s POV and then switch to Jules’ POV. We get more of Mia, I believe. Anyway, the details are really pertaining to the physical descriptions of what is found inside the temple, what the planet looks like, etc. The emotional aspect is there, but not as much as it needs to be. Sure, there are plenty of lies to uncover. However, I think this book is more suited with physical details rather than how many times someone cries or how their heart breaks or something. This is about adventure and truth and it’s definitely there in Unearthed. However, some details and thoughts from the characters (regarding each other) were very repetitive. It felt like I was reading some of the stuff multiple times and I just wanted to be like “okay, I get it”. It got unsettling after a while.

Jules

Jules is a smart guy. He is going to Oxford and is hiding the fact that the reason people are even going to find this temple is because of his father. It’s not really a good start since he hides it from Mia. Well, it’s not hidden for too long. He does have that lack of intelligence that most men have, which means they aren’t that great at hiding everything from women. He definitely has a physical attraction to Mia, so I wouldn’t call his thing with her insta-love, even though it got dangerously close to being one. Thank God for that. He is intently focused on uncovering the secrets in the temple and preserving the history. I can understand why it’d be fascinating, but sometimes this simple attribute gets in the way of what really matters in the moment.

Mia

She is one tough girl who can get her way out of anything...almost. She has a unique and colorful look to her, inside and out. She is doing all of this so she can buy back her little sister that is obviously working somewhere that is...saucy. To say the least. She has a heart and that’s hard to keep when almost your whole family is gone. She’s not some ruined character or badly damaged. She is simply driven. Though, I do think that Jules himself kind of blinds her sometimes. Yeah, he has an accent and he isn’t too bad to look at. Girl, stay focused. I mean, I guess it worked out as it did, but still. I did enjoy how she connected with Jules, though, when they would uncover secrets inside the temple. She was learning new things about what she thought she already knew. Oh yeah, she also wears the pants in the end. Can we keep having her as the boss for book two?

The Bottom Line

This book was really interesting and exciting to read, regardless of the minor negatives I mentioned. The characters had depth and kept my interest and the plot was at a good pace. It sets up for what is sure to be an interesting book two with Jules and Mia. Only the authors (and time) will tell how all of this will come together.

This book is an interesting read. I like the mystery in it and the adventure. I think I know where it’s going with that cliffhanger but I guess I’ll have to wait for book 2 to confirm. Not a huge fan of the romance, I really think Mia and Jules would have been so much better as antagonistic friends versus a romantic couple, to me the romance just felt forced and awkward and detracted from everything else going on. I enjoyed their dynamic otherwise.

Young Indiana Jones in space is the perfect pitch for this book. And I say Young Indy because grown ass Indy wouldn't make some of these mistakes.

So basically this book takes place in the future where Earth is running out of resources and humanity is facing the end of their home planet. An alien planet promises salvation for Earth, but the help may be not what they expect. When a scavenger and a scholar cross paths. they team up to help each other find the treasure the planet promises. There's booby traps and tests, there's rival scavengers and thievery. And there's secrets. Many, many secrets.

I adore Amie Kaufman and will read anything she puts out. Her series with Jay Kristoff is one of my all time favorites so I was interested in reading something with her and Meagan Spooner - whom I" have never read. And the writing was good. It was very fluid and you can't tell that it's written by two authors. They both seem to feed well off of each other and I liked that.

My main issue was that the plot took a lot of set up and so the beginning of the book dragged just a bit and I couldn't get a feel for the book. It wasn't until about 2/3 of the way in where I started to get really invested. Another thing is that I never felt the chemistry between the characters. I really liked Jules by himself - my little naive snowflake. Mia was a little bit tougher to warm up to but once I did, I could understand her motives. Separately, they worked. Together, just lost on me.

The book ended on a bit of a cliff hanger that has me wanting to read the sequel. I'm hoping that now that most of the set up is out of the way, we can really dive into the heavy issues with the next installment.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Book One of the Unearthed series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...

What I Liked:

I'm going to be completely honest - I had a really hard time reading this book. I struggled to get through it, which is something I usually don't have a problem with. It took me nearly a week to finish the book, which is seven times longer than it would usually take me to finish the book. I recognize and acknowledge how well the story was put together, but the first half of the book was extremely dull, and it almost seemed like the authors were trying to include too many mysteries and puzzles and half-truths here and there. In the end, I want to read the next book, but I won't forget how much I struggled with this first book.

Jules Addison has landed on Gaia to explore an unknown temple that could contain a wealth of information that could change the future of Earth. There is technology that the Undying left behind on Gaia, and Jules is determined to find it. Mia has also just landed on Gaia, having been smuggled in, in order to find artifacts to bring back to Earth to sell. She is a scavenger in desperate need of money; he is a scholar with a thirst for knowledge. Their paths collide, and they have no choice but to work together to find a way off the planet. But the farther they go into the hidden temple, the more they learn about the Undying... there is more to the temple than advanced technology, and the discovery could change the future of Earth forever.

I struggled with the first half of the book, and the second half of the book was still a bit of a struggle, but definitely more interesting. I think I really only started to try and get invested when Jules and Mia were deep in the temple, and they realized that they were not alone. From that point on, I started to at least care more. But everything before that - Jules and Mia meeting, their bargain with each other, actually finding the temple, starting to explore the temple - meh. Once Jules and Mia started to feel more pressure and danger, AND started to realize that there was more to the temple than old rocks and symbols, I started to care more.

I did like the Indiana Jones feel that I got as the story went on. There were so many puzzles and traps and decoding that needed to be done, which was really cool. Jules's education and quick-working brain came in handy, as did Mia's fast instincts and math skills. They were a well-matched pair for the temple, given how complex and different each obstacle was. The Undying really made things complicated for those trying to seek out their technology.

I liked Jules from the get-go, with his proper, well-mannered ways. He is very intelligent and inquisitive, and cares so much about finding the tech so he can study it. He is a scholar with a true scholar's mind, and he is a good person with little malicious intent. He has good instincts and he has a good heart. I liked his strengths - his quick mind, his cleverness, his selflessness.

Mia is more savvy and sly, a scavenger out of necessity but a very skilled person to have around. She gets herself and Jules out of some sticky situations. She has murky motives at times, but she really cares about her little sister back on Earth. Everything she does is for her sister. For the most part, I liked Mia, and I understood her.

Jules and Mia are a great pair together, especially in terms of how well they worked together to find a way out of the temple. They are both very smart in different ways, and they use their strengths to help each other. They didn't always have the best relationship, with the amount of lies between them at first, but they begin to trust each other after they save each other's lives several times.

You can guess that there is romance in this book. It is very subtle and barely there, but Jules and Mia start to catch feelings for each other towards the end of the book, which was cute. No love triangle or anything like that, just subtle romance that takes its time to build. Which is fine!

I won't say too much more in terms of the plot but I will say that the ending is not necessarily surprising, but it is very cliffhanger-y and can be seen as shocking if you weren't looking at all of the clues that the authors left. It's a good hook for setting the book up to have a sequel, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel (whenever that will be). I definitely want to know more!

What I Did Not Like:

The only reason why I'm not giving this book four stars is because I struggled so much with it. I tried three times to read this book, and I feel asleep or put the book aside each time. The four time (Sunday night), I told myself that I was finishing it once and for all. The first half of the book is incredibly boring. There are so many passages of info-dumping, and even with all of the info-dumping, I was often left confused about the world-building, the history, who the Undying were, if the Undying were the people that left in a ship from Earth... there are a lot of questions that I have and I think I should not have those questions because they are fundamental groundwork questions. What exactly is the Undying? How do humans on Earth know of their existence if the Undying lived a zillion years ago? What is up with the ship that disappeared from Earth without a trace? There were a lot of "historic" things that just didn't add up to me. I think the authors also tried to have to many half-truths out there, too many seeds to pick up, too many half-written histories that would be explained letter. For all the info-dumping that happened, I was still really confused. And really bored.

In any case, the first half of the book did not interest me. The second half of the book was... better? But still kind of dry and stuffed with long passages of info-dumping. There was more dialogue in the second half, and more heart-twisting events, but I still didn't get invested in the story. I never felt like I truly got into the story.

Would I Recommend It:

I do recommend this book, despite my struggles with it. It could have just been me! (Though, based on reviews by blogger friends, I don't think this is the case.) I love YA science fiction and thought this book would have been my jam, but that wasn't necessarily the case. It was okay though! I think the story was well-written and creative. I just had a hard time getting into it.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. I will still definitely check out the sequel, as I have certain hopes and expectations for the book. But I'm not really as enthusiastic about the series as I was before I read this book. It was a little disappointing, to have struggled so hard with a book that I'd been looking forward to reading for a year or more. But I'm hoping the next book will be better for me!

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner was one of my most anticipated reads for 2018. I was really looking forward to it, I couldn’t wait to get started. But there are a lot of problems with this book that I couldn’t get over. And when I say problems, please remember it’s my opinion. Some readers may enjoy what I found wrong with the book.

Unearthed follows two main characters and alternates POV between them as the story unfolds. One character is a scavenger, uneducated yet street smart and quick thinking, and on Gaia to make fast cash to save an illegal sister. The other is a scholar, an academic who breaks the law to uncover the truth and dangers awaiting the society on the newly discovered planet Gaia. In theory this all sounds intriguing, yet it didn’t play out that way. The two characters were so stereotyped that it’s laughable. I don’t even have to say names or differentiate between them because all you need to know is in their stereotypes. It’s kind of sad.

Jules, the scholar, and Mia, the scavenger, meet up by chance on Gaia’s surface and their relationship is built on a mutual need for survival and lies. Yet somehow these two fall in love? Sorry, I’m not buying it. Jules flat out lies to Mia about his identity and why he wants to travel to a smaller temple. Mia lies about….well just about everything. It’s her job. The romance felt forced and fell flat on the pages. I didn’t buy any romantic chemistry between them, but when they were antagonizing each other that was believable.

And then there’s the plot. For about the first three quarters of the book, the plot moved at a snail’s pace. There was a lot of repetition that wasn’t needed, and mostly it was Mia and Jules exploring this temple of the Undying on Gaia. Now I’ll admit I was really curious and intrigued by the Undying and how humans discovered and traveled to their dead planet. But all of that is skipped over in favor of solving some grand puzzle the Undying left for only those that were “worthy.” Again that was intriguing, yet like the romance it fell flat on the pages. I found myself skimming most of the book and just wanting to reach the end.

However the last quarter of the book picks up with a rather intriguing and horrifying revelation. I couldn’t read this last section fast enough and honestly it is the book’s saving grace. I don’t want to say too much about it because SPOILERS but I will say that if you have started the book and are feeling how I felt the majority of the book to stick with it because it pays off in the end.

Overall, Unearthed was just an okay read for me. I could have lived without reading it, but the ending redeemed the slow pace and has me itching to get my hands on the second book. I think one of the things that intrigued me most about the book is the dystopian element hinted on by Mia and Jules. It doesn’t play out in this book, but I’d like to learn more about Earth during their time and what humans have done to make society collapse. If you enjoy sci-fi and puzzles, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Just be sure to read to the end.

This book was highly enjoyable. Amie Kaufman and Meghan Spooner write a fantastic, fast paced Sci-Fi that will keep you on the edge of your seat! I loved Jules and Amelia's relationship in the book. From the beginning, there was a connection between the two that made you need more chapters full of their developing romantic relationship. I can honestly say that i am looking forward to a second to this series.

I thought Unearthed felt like Raiders of the Lost Ark set in space. It's an adventure featuring a banter-y opposites attract romance, a temple to be plundered, traps to avoid, and competitors to thwart. As in Raiders, there’s a character who’s the child of a noted scholar. No snakes 🙂

But as I read, I just kept getting that like-a-movie feel, as if I were reading a summary of a screenplay. There was a lot of puzzle solving and a lot of sparks-fly-as-they-bicker dialogue. The set-up between the two main characters — Jules is a cautious, somewhat sheltered academic, Amelia is a scrappy street-smart girl with colored streaks in her hair — was fun, but these same character traits were emphasized a lot. Same with their character motivations. She needs to plunder the treasure for money, he’s emphatic that the temple needs to be studied. Every character needs motivation, but these were mentioned and thought about a little too often for me.

For that reason, I always felt like I was “watching” the book rather than immersed in it, and never quite connected with the characters as much as I wanted to. Which was a bit of a problem because these two were really the only characters in the book. There were a couple of other vaguely described people who played peripheral roles, but Jules and Amelia in the temple decoding things and bantering and escaping danger and then thinking about their motivations and each other’s motivations was pretty much the entire story.

In spite of all this, the writing style was lively and reading the book definitely had its fun moments. I read it in one sitting and didn’t see all the twists coming.

I’m unsure if I’ll continue in the series –I get that book one in a series can be a “set-up” book but I thought this book needed a little more depth and world building to get me really hooked.

*Thanks to Netgalley & Disney-Hyperion for an ARC in exchange for a fair review*

Publisher's summary:

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race.
___________

I enjoyed pretty much every moment of this book from the exciting opening--Amelia caught without her backpack by another set of scavvers and then 'rescued' by Jules, then their alliance to find a forgotten temple, some amazing puzzles and hijinx that would have made Indiana Jones proud, a developing friendship/bond, trust and something more.

These characters have superb presence and dialogue. They are as spunky as they are complex. I found the story adventurous and exciting--a real treat that I had trouble putting down.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I previously read some of Amie Kaufman's work so I was eager to read this novel. I loved the premise and I was really excited to see where it would take the reader.

Amelia and Jules make an interesting pair, and the plot really moved along. It was just very hard for me, as a reader, to make an emotional investment in their journey. The plot twist and the cliffhanger ending were awkward and unsatisfying.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

This review was originally posted on my blog <a href="http://readysetandread.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-unearthed-by-amie-kaufman.html"> here</a>!

I was ecstatic when I was approved for Unearthed; I loved Kaufman and Spooner's other collaborations, and the Illuminae Files (that Kaufman cowrites with Jay Kristoff) is one of my favorite series. I'm sad to say though, that I was disappointed by Unearthed. While the book was okay, it was not as compelling as prior works. I had high expectations going into Unearthed, but I whole-heartedly believed that they would meet them.

Having more time to look back, I would say that my initial thoughts still hold true.While the plot was intriguing, the pace was it's downfall. I felt as if nothing was really happening until the third act. Yes, there are action sequences here and there, but I was never thrilled until the last 50 or so pages.

The saving grace for this book were the characters and the ending.

Mia and Jules are on opposite ends of the spectrum for why the travel to Gaia, a planet with hidden technology that can help save the Earth from environmental turmoil. Mia is a scavenger; she comes to Gaia in order to scavenge the planet and make some money. Jules, however, is a scholar that wants to study the ancient race that used to live on Gaia before they became extinct. I loved that Mia and Jules didn't change their morals for the other person. They have conflict with each other, and I appreciated that the two didn't just swoon at the sight of each other. As two separate entities, I really liked Mia and Jules. As a couple, however, I did not like them.

There just wasn't anything about the couple that was compelling. I felt like it was inevitable, and didn't frankly care too much if they got together or not. Also, I just wasn't convinced. I wasn't enthralled with the romance. I'm a reader who loves romance, and it was disappointing that the pairing didn't work for me.

On the flip side, the ending of Unearthed was fabulous! To be honest, the ending almost made up for everything. All of a sudden the potential for the book was actually met. I was struck dumbfounded, and I wanted more. So while the book as a whole was a 3 to 3.5 star read, the ending was a five star.
the first line of Unearthed!

While Unearthed was a solid read, the romance and the pace of the novel were it's downfall for me. Mia and Jules as individuals, however, were compelling and the ending left me needing the second book, despite it's faults.

With that, I give this book
3.5 out of 5 Stars!