Review: Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Unearthed #1)

Unearthed (Unearthed #1)
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Published: Jan. 9, 2018 (Disney-Hyperion)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Beth

Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars

Mia Radcliffe is a scavenger—a literal treasure hunter—looting areas for any money she might get. Jules Addison is a rich kid from a well-known family, and a scientist like his father. When a signal is received from another planet believed to be from an extinct race called the Undying, both have their reasons for racing to the area in whatever way they can. But when everything each of them has planned goes awry, they are thrown together, something neither of them is very thrilled about. As they continue on their search for the origin of the signal together, they will learn the hard way that the secrets they hold might get them both killed.

The setting is the planet Gaia, where the temperature extremes can kill, where there is too much nitrogen in the air for humans, and where the solar flares prevent human habitation. During the course of the book, we travel from the desert, inside a ruin (one that reminds me greatly of something Indiana Jones would have explored), to the frozen tundra. The ruins were probably one of my favorite spots in the story. As I mentioned, very Indiana Jones-ish, with a bit of Stargate thrown in.

The characterization within the story was pretty good, particularly Mia and Jules. However, when we get to the secondary characters, they don’t feel like they had quite as much (pun intended) fleshing out. They felt shallower than they should have. However, as this is the first book—with more to come—I’m hoping that some of that will be worked out in the coming books.

The story itself was just a fun read. It definitely feels YA, and there is a very light romance involved—thankfully, it did not feel gratuitous in the least. Jules and Mia together are quite the combination, and the story does well to emphasize both the positives and negatives of the duo. But overall, it’s a great story to read when you are traveling; something not massively heavy emotionally, with some action and a dash of romance, and an intriguing plotline that… ends abruptly.

And here we come to my biggest peeve of the book–the cliffhanger ending. And when I say “cliffhanger?” I mean it. There really is no resolution to be had before the book just stops in its tracks. Frankly, I detest that sort of thing. I get where some suspense is a good thing to help keep readers wanting more, but frankly if the story is good enough on its own merits, then readers will want to come back anyway.

Overall, minus the clinging-to-a-cliff-with-one-finger-and-a-toenail ending, the story is definitely worth the read. I will be interested in reading the second book, though if it ends the same way, I will not be responsible for my actions at that point!

Sexual content: none