My rating of Contagion (Contagion #1): ★★★★★

My rating of Immunity (Contagion #2):
★★★★☆

I was so excited to finally read the second of Erin Bowman’s Contagion duology, Immunity! Contagion was amazing (as you can tell from my rating of it) and began such a unique YA story, both in the way it was written and the plot. My favorite parts of it were definitely the way the sci-fi horror was done and the shifting perspectives of the whole crew. That cliffhanger ending got me even more hyped for Immunity and the continuation of this thrilling space adventure.

Surprisingly, Immunity actually picks up right where Contagion left off, and I mean right where it left off. I’m glad, particularly with the way the first book ended, that Bowman didn’t decide to leave a gap or put in a bunch of beginning filler when going into this second book. And once again it’s a thrilling ride from beginning to end just like the first. This being said, the way in which the two books probably differ the most is the motivations behind the pacing.

In Contagion the pace was really driven by the constant action of the characters and the terror of their thoughts as they were forced into survival mode. With Immunity however, there is little immediate action now that our returning characters are off Aclys. This is not to say that I found any parts dull though. Actually, in general I found the pacing to be quite similar to the first book, the momentum was just propelled by subtler means. Instead of running, fighting, terror, and suspicion like the first book; Immunity focuses instead on the aftermath of dealing with traumatic events, loss and grief in general, finding ways to cope, finding hope in the dark places, finding the strength to overcome adversity, and the formation of new bonds. It’s the same story, next chapter.

I can’t say I don’t miss the science fiction horror aspects though. There is certainly still some of that in this book as well, but it’s also certainly no longer the focus. We do still get the shifting perspectives of various characters like in Contagion, but this time there are less perspectives, as again it really hones in on the individual experiences of overcoming, recovering, and rebuilding.

I feel that this change in focus and perspectives are probably the main contributors as to why I didn’t enjoy this installment quite as much as the first, though I did still really enjoy it and truly appreciate the new themes.

I don’t really want to say too much about the plot of Immunity because one of the best parts of this series is not knowing what will happen. To keep it brief: Thea, Coen, and Nova thought escaping Aclys would be the end of what they saw there— however, they couldn’t be further from the truth, as Aclys was only the beginning. Now they must both continue fighting against and find a way to use their experiences on Aclys and how it has changed them to save not just themselves but the entire galaxy.

Thea, Coen, and Nova are joined by a new group member: Amber. Each of these characters gets a POV like in Contagion and each one still feels like such a unique and intriguing character. We go into each person’s backstory bit by bit, learning more about their past as we continue in their present time. I love these characters so much! They are each so strong willed, brave, and caring while still being such different people from one another.

Now I know this is supposed to be a duology, but once again I really feel like we were left on a huge cliffhanger. While it’s entirely possible that the author just chose to leave this story in such a way on purpose to suggest a sort of cyclical nature, I can’t help but to think that this isn’t it for this story. I for one, wouldn’t be mad about seeing it continue either.

On a final note I just want to revel a little longer on the fact that this was a YA science fiction horror novel. Can we have more of those PLEASE. Also, I did something new and put together a different playlist of songs that remind me of this book. I have seen a few people do this before and I have always loved how music has the ability to attach itself to things and when you hear that song that brings back a memory it can be such a visceral experience. The only note I want to make in particular for my choices is that the last song is specifically meant for the last scene of the book ;).

Immunity Playlist:
“Bracelet” by Lauv
“Paralyzed” by Mystery Skulls
“Invincible” by MNQN
“Break Myself” by Something Corporate
“My Blood” by Twenty One Pilots
“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” by I Blame CoCo
“Unstoppable” by Lianne La Havas
“Starlight” by Starset
“Home” by Vince Staples
“Sun of a Gun” by Oh Land

My rating of Contagion (Contagion #1): ★★★★★

My rating of Immunity (Contagion #2):
★★★★☆

( )

3,5 stars

You know what my main gripe with this book was? This didn't make me feel anything at all. And considering how high the stakes were, that's pretty sad.

By no means did I hate this book. I thought the author definitely made the effort to not make this just another Illuminae wannabe (in that she really tried not to make the romance the driving force) but she still fell into the trap of "it's YA, every main needs to have a love story". I can also appreciate what she was trying to do with Thea's mom's storyline, but in the end it was just too cliche and melodramatic.

I honestly wanted to like this more, because I was so pleasantly surprised by Contagion, but in the end this just didn't hold up. ( )

Gory, violent, action-fueled. This is definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart, but it's one heck of a page turner. I was halfway through another book when I opened this. I never put it down until the final page. That's a very good book IMHO. ( )

This was the second book in a duology. It continues right where Contagion left off; with Coen and Thea and Nova on a ship they thought would be their salvation, but isn’t. If you hadn’t read Contagion, this book would not be a good read since all of what you need to know is introduced in Contagion.
I was very satisfied with how this book concluded.everything that happened made sense and fit. ( )

I really enjoyed the first book, loved the tension, the mystery the action, it worked with the characters and their world fit very well. This one didn't. The main characters seemed to have reverted in age and common sense. The story became ridiculous. It was filled with fantastical moments all just when needed, the eye rolling almost gave me a headache. I wished I'd left it at book 1, it was ending enough. ( )