Title: IlluminaeAuthor: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Page Count: 599
Rating: A++++++++
Keywords: Science Fiction, War, Scary, Romance, Adventure, AWESOMESAUCE
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: This is YA so it is appropriate for teens. The curse words are all blacked out. There are sexual references but not sexual scenes. It has moments that are creepy/scary and might cause nightmares in a very young reader.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
My Review:
I originally heard about this book for from the YouTube channel polandbananasBooks. At first I was apprehensive. Science fiction has never been a great love of mine. The stories sound interesting but I usually become bored rather quickly. Then I was wandering around Target and happened to see a copy sitting on the shelf. This book is stunning and insanely unique visually. It only took a week before I caved and ordered a copy. I am so glad that I did.
This book scared me, shattered my heart into a thousand tiny pieces, made me cry, made me laugh, made me angry, and surprised me. I absolutely loved it!
There is no traditional narrator in this book. It is all told through instant messages, emails, case reports, narration of surveillance videos, activity logs, etc. This may seem boring and like it would slow down the read, but it actually was fascinating and had me speeding through every page. This nearly 600 page tome took me only about two days of consistent reading to get through, staying up until the wee hours of the morning.
Kady is an awesome protagonist. She is smart, spunky, and easy to relate to. Her pink hair and conflicted feelings over a boyfriend make her seem even more real. Her triumphs and despairs, as they're presented both by herself and the detached reports, are fantastic.
Ezra is one of my favorite love interests I've read recently. He is not the stereotypical perfect Prince Charming. He makes mistakes but is still lovable throughout. Traditional good guy that is hard to not love.
This book completely creeped me out at certain points. I don't want to spoil anything but if you like zombie-esque stories then this one is a real winner.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is definitely on my list of all time favorite books now. It makes you feel what the characters are feeling and you become completely engrossed. I was at a family dinner when all of a sudden something awful happened in the book (no spoilers). I felt completely lost and everyone around me thought I had gotten terrible news in a text or something like that. And I may or may not have screamed when I was reading a particularly creepy scene and the power went out in my house around one in the morning.
Read it if you like great books. Read it if you might even be kind of interested. Read it if you like unexpected stories. Read it if you read at all.
***Do not read further unless you want to be mildly spoiled*** Here are some of my favorite quotes and moments:
"I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short." pg 15
"You deserve every star in the galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair. You deserve someone who'll run with you as far and as fast as you want to. Holding your hand, not holding you back." pg 232
"You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies. You have me." pg 232
"Chose? No. No choice whatsoever. <3" pg 245
"She is catalyst. She is chaos. I can see why he loves her." pg 279
Aside from these quotes, there are thousands more and even "I'm sorry" typed out repeatedly to make a picture of a rose. Creepy instances of case reports...splattered with blood.
Aidan, the computer system, is also a major surprise that I simultaneously loved and hated. He's intriguing and completely insane. Adds so much to the story and raises the question of what defines life.
SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!
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