Monday, September 14, 2015

Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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. 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Although I’m not a big sci-fi fan, I put Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s Illuminae on my wishlist after hearing about it because I love Kaufman’s Starbound series. Having now read Illuminae, I can say that Kaufman and Kristoff didn’t disappoint!

Since Illuminae doesn’t come out until October, I figured I’d provide five reasons to convince you to get a copy of your own:
  1. The writing style: Something that makes Illuminae stand out is that it’s told entirely through hacked documents such as interviews, emails, chat logs, and diary excerpts!
  2. The pacing: The way Illuminae is written makes it really easy to breeze through the book. It also helps that the novel is so action-packed and full of tension.
  3. The themes explored: I really liked some of the philosophical questions that Illuminae raises, my favourite of which is whether saving the lives of many is worth risking the lives of a few.
  4. The characters: Even though the writing style made it slightly hard to connect with the characters, I liked Kady and Ezra. My favourite character, however, would definitely have to be AIDAN.
  5. The plot twists: While I predicted some of the twists, others – like the one at the end – were a total surprise!
Illuminae will be released by Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 20, 2015.

Comments About the Cover: It's quite eye-catching. 

A big thanks to Christina at Christina Reads YA for sending me her copy of Illuminae!

7 comments:

  1. I'm not big on sci-fi either, so the fact that you liked this one makes me think I might too! I do think the format sounds really cool.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I picked the ARC for this at ALA and I had no idea what it was about but people kept raving about it. I'm glad you liked it. It makes me even more interested in picking it up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I feel like I need to meet this Aidan Z! I can definitely see how the format (I flipped though this one at BEA) would make it tricky to really connect to the characters, but I'm glad to see you enjoyed it despite that!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can see how the format might make it a bit harder to connect with the characters, but I have no doubt that these two authors did an excellent job overall. Unlike you, I'm a huge sci-fi fan which makes this a must read for me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan either so it's great to know that you were still able to enjoy this! The writing style is definitely interesting and unique.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh boy, I think I would hate the way this story is told. I tried to read a book once that was told in emails, texts, and such, and I couldn't get into it. I am also not a fan of sci-fi in books (movies and tv, I can't get enough). While I am a bit curious about this one, I think I may skip it.

    Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I know I'm going to love this one too! I'm just so interested in trying something completely new when it comes to that writing style.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments and will reply back via either email or stopping by your blog. Please note that this is an award-free zone.