Unearthed by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner

Published By: Disney - Hyperion

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

This was such a fun read! I'm not normally a fan of books set in space (aside from Illuminae), but when I discovered that this story was written along the lines of Indiana Jones in space exploring temples, solving puzzles, running from villains, attempting to save the world, I knew I had to give it a try. I'm already a fan of Amie Kaufman and I very much enjoyed Meagan Spooner's Hunted, so I was pretty sure I was going to like this one.

Two teens find a way onto the planet Gaia where an extinct alien race called the Undying left behind secrets and tech in their vast temples surrounded by puzzles and traps. Jules is a scholar and wants only to learn more about the Undying, uncover their secrets and discover exactly what was left behind. Mia is intent on scavenging whatever tech the Undying left behind to sell in hopes of raising enough money to buy her sister's freedom.

The unlikely pair agrees to a tentative partnership when they realize they need each other to find their way through the temple traps. The story alternates POVs so we always know what each character's intentions are and their reasons for being distrustful of each other. The characters were great. Jules is lovable and brainy while Mia is street smart and resourceful. They each have very different goals, but have to find a way to work together to reach them. Even the villains were interesting characters.

This unfortunately is a duology.  I say "unfortunately" because I was not expecting that ending. Such a cliffhanger! Thanks a lot ladies. You knew exactly what torture you would be putting us through. A quote from the acknowledgements reads, "Sorry about that. (Well, not really. We're pretty unapologetic.)" You are both evil geniuses and I hope you're pleased with yourselves. January 2019 is far too long of a wait for book 2!

Goodreads

Fun Read!