Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Release Date: October 20, 2015
The description provided by the publisher:
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.
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.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Okay I’m…OMG SO GOOD…no really now I’m done.
I just really had to get this out. Illuminae was amazing. I guess I should stop fangirling over the book and tell you why I feel this way.
To begin with the cover of this book is amazingly awesome. I have never seen anything like it. When I first received the book at Bookcon I did not realize it was an Advance Reader’s Copy because it is such a cool hardcover and all the others I received were paperback. Even when you removed the dustjacket you are rewarded with a pretty cool white cover covered with redacted documents.
Image From: http://www.readingaftermidnight.com/essential_grid/waiting-for-illuminae
I won’t ruin the experience for you by posting some of the amazing (I need a new word) MARVELOUS pages contained between the awesome cover. But trust me there are pages that I just had to stop and admire. I really hope if you have read it or plan to that you experience similar feels. The entire book is written as a collection of classified hacked documents and surveillance.
The initial concept of Sci-fi Romance was a little offputting when I heard about it, but I loved the love story that played out through the hacked documents. I love Kady’s hardcore pursuit for the truth. She’s intelligence and sometimes a little infuriating at some of her priorities in certain situations. But I never stopped rooting for her. Kady is hit over and over with bad luck and tragedy and keeps going because others are counting on her.
Kady isn’t perfect or overly equipped with talents and skills. She’s a rising prodigy at with computers and socially withdrawn/awkward. She’s a 17 year old girl trying to find out what those in charge are hiding from her while trying to figure out her feelings, while trying not to die.
I really don’t know what I was expecting when I started, but it was definitely wasn’t starting it and reading the entire book in one sitting. There was a moment when I hit page 400 that I was certain that if I did not finish before I went to bed I would be unable to sleep. There was never a moment that I wish to put the book down.
I never got bored of a character. I loved being privy to the conversations and decisions of those with power that we do not usual get to see. There was a great global prospective without losing sight of who the story was primarily focused on or where it was going. All the characters had similar goals and very different ways of going about to try to meet them.
The addition of the plague (not a spoiler it is mentioned in the publisher’s description) added another interesting twist with all of the other issues going on among the characters and their space adventure.
Even though Illuminae is the first in a trilogy one could almost read it as a standalone and feel pretty content. But I don’t want any doubt rather or not the sequel will be on my shelf when it comes out. !!Spoiler Alert!! IT WILL BE!
Kaufman and Kristoff provide an amazing incredible experience from the moment I picked up the book. From the dustjacket, to the cover to the way they structured their writing. They did everything to get me in the correct mindset to experience their story.
Illuminae is a 5 out of 5 stars for me. Action, romance, sci-fi and an unconventional storytelling style set this book apart and should be at the on your To Buy and Devour List once it comes out in October!
Series: The Illuminae Files
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 20, 2015)
Book Review: Illuminae was originally published on FroggyChemist Blog
