Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristof

Pages: 599 pages

Rating: 5/5 stars

Good Reads 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.

BRIEFING NOTE: 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.

Non-Spoilery Review:

There has been a constant buzz about this book in the book community since it came out, and rightfully so! I absolutely loved this book. Okay, so page 1, and I instantly felt like there was too much information being given and irked me a little. I think the first page was sort of a struggle to read, but holy moly, once you get through it! What a ride. I’m pretty sure everyone is aware by now about the format of the book, and its truly a unique experience. I was unsure about how I would feel about it, honestly, but I’m happy to say that I found myself liking it. You really get to know the characters and root for them. The plot is incredibly fast-paced and it really keeps you on your toes. The book is a long read, but you really fly through it! This is one of those books that keep you up at night! I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading it, there were parts that literally made me laugh out loud and then there were part where I actually cried. I would highly, highly recommend this is to everyone. Also, this book has really piqued my interest in the science-fiction genre and I will be ordering some more sci-fi books and see how I like them. Although I heard that the audio-book is good, with different narrators for each character, I would suggest reading the actual book. An audio book would not be able to provide the same visuals and would take away the full experience. I can’t wait till I get my hands on the next book, Gemina, which follows different main leads but takes place in the same world and setting.

Spoilery Review: 

Okay, oh my God, THE ENDING THO??!! You guys, I thought Ezra was dead and I cried my eyes out. Holy shit. Like, when AIDAN told Kady that it was him the whole time, I didn’t believe him and I was sure that Ezra would be back. But as I read that and the pages started to lessen, the waterworks started. Now that I have that off my chest, let’s move the funny parts. Like that interview in the beginning cracked me up! And also the “I’m sorry” flower Ezra sent to Kady and his chats with Jimmy! Poor, Jimmy! I really liked him and Zhang. Ezra and Kady are like my most recent OTP obsession, and I really missed this. Me fan-girling about my OTPs and just bursting with feels! And damn, this book gave me the feels, al right.

I would love to know what you thought about it? Favorite parts?

Happy reading!

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