I received this Finished Copy from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Published by Random House Children's Books on October 20th 2015
Pages: 608
Amazon-Indiebound
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 Thoughts:
I’ve been sitting on writing this review because I don’t even know how to explain my love for this book. It was just such a unique and compelling read.
I actually listened to it on audio and read the book at the same time. I’d listen to parts of it in my car and then flip through the book and re-read them when I was home. So I basically read it twice… at once. I’ve never done that before and I can’t imagine doing it with any other book. The dossier format made me want to see the documents but the amazing narration had me captivated. Seriously. There are three main narrators and seventeen others. It’s incredible. (Read more about the audiobook and listen to an excerpt here.)
As for the story itself…. wow. Just, wow. I always like emails/journal entries/articles/etc… added into stories. However, I wasn’t sure how I would like an entire book made up totally of documents like this. Turns out I like it muy much! I was worried about there being a disconnect between me and the characters. The opposite was true. I was immediately invested and I just cared so darn much. It’s clear that there are a lot of secrets, from the characters and the reader. I needed to figure these out. Like, a visceral need. I would sit in my car after I arrived to my destination to listen longer. I carried the beast of a book with me everywhere. Every free moment was spent consuming this story. I have no regrets (except that it’s over!)
Basically, I need you to read (or listen to!) this book. Fair warning, you won’t be able to stop thinking about it! I need book two like air.
(Check out the awesome website for Illuminae here!)
Sara
There’s going to be a second Illuminae book?!