Review: Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
Title: Illuminae
Authors: Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
Pages: 599
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: October 20, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Synopsis: 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.
If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I finally decided to read Illuminae after flipping through it one day. Just by flipping through the pages and seeing the alternative format, I was interested and needed to read it. Yes, I mentioned that I had no interest in it before on my blog (look under Zubat) but that was before I knew what it was about, okay?
First off, as I mentioned in the title, this book has literally everything. It is set in space, and mostly takes place on a space ship. I love books that are out of this world. Illuminae deals with war (in space), a nail-biting chase, a crazy bioweapon that creates dangerous "people," a psychotic genius computer named AIDAN, and basically a company called BeiTech that thinks it can do whatever it wants. Sounds really cool, right? Okay, it's complicated but once you become invested in the story, it's not too complicated.
This book hooked me from page one when Kady and Ezra were fighting for their lives when their planet is attacked after an intense breakup. You sort of find out some backstory behind the breakup but not all was revealed. I ship Kady and Ezra 100%. I think they are adorable together, and they went through so much in this book like geez.
Illuminae may look intimidating (it is 599 pages after all) but it's an extremely quick read. It took me two days to finish it and I was reading nonstop. Quick note, the book is fairly heavy so you might not want to rest it on your stomach.
This book is crazy. There is a lot of death and destruction so I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart. Illuminae tugged at my heart strings for all 599 pages. This is a book you will cry while reading, and you will audibly gasp out loud. I certainly did. It is crazy, and sometimes unexpected. Kristoff and Kaufman always kept you guessing until the very end.
I loved the writing style of Illuminae. It was sarcastic and witty but it was extremely heartfelt. You grew attached to the characters and felt what they were feeling. This was a nerve-wracking read. I did not know who would make it out alive. (And their journey's not over yet!)
This book is one of the best I've ever read. If I would have read it last year, it would've been the best book of 2016. It is amazing, awesome, action-packed and shocking and I HIGHLY recommend it. This is not a book I will ever stop gushing about. It's probably really close to being my favorite (sorry Obsidian). Illuminae was a fantastic read with crazy good elements. I cannot wait to see what Gemina brings!
About Amie Kaufman
Amie Kaufman is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae (with Jay Kristoff) and These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, and Their Fractured Light (with Meagan Spooner.) She writes science fiction and fantasy for teens, and her favourite procrastination techniques involve chocolate, baking, sailing, excellent books and TV, plotting and executing overseas travel, and napping.
She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, their rescue dog, and her considerable library. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.
About Jay Kristoff
Jay Kristoff is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of THE LOTUS WAR, THE ILLUMINAE FILES and THE NEVERNIGHT CHRONICLE. He is the winner of two Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, nominee for the David Gemmell Morningstar and Legend awards, named multiple times in the Kirkus and Amazon Best Teen Books list and published in over twenty-five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 13030 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.
He does not believe in happy endings.
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