Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Posted by Anonymous
Reviewed by: Andrew Zollman
What I Read: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Find It @YCLD: Here!
What It's About: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. To cut one more person from her life in the middle of nowhere. She finds out exactly how wrong she is when that same afternoon, her planet is invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra, who aren’t on speaking terms, are forced to evacuate their home with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. With damage to their flagship Alexander, they are only barely able to put distance between themselves and the last remaining enemy dreadnaught. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI AIDAN may actually be another enemy to deal with; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
*Parts of this description were used from the original synopsis of the story.
What I Thought: I like to pick up new books from authors I have read in the past. I tend to avoid the synopsis and any information surrounding the story so I can be pleasantly surprised while I am reading. Illuminae, just from the title, sounds like a religious mystery or noir story about secrets and uncovering mysteries. Various definitions of the word mean to ‘shed light upon’ or ‘to generate light’ to see what is around you.
I definitely was not expecting a story as daring and crazy as Illuminae turned out to be. I was intrigued to see how far the writers would go as the story progressed from an innocent nonchalant story of boyfriend and girlfriend angst to desperate flight across space with a pursuing enemy ship, haunted by the death of loved ones, and death lurking at every corner.
The book moves fast. There are very few breaks in what is going on and just enough background and insight is provided to keep you moving without telling you what will happen next in the story. Kady’s character evolved the most and plays the biggest role in the story, and to great effect. She is pliable and forceful in the new and often horrific situations she faces while trying to save the people she loves.
I recommend this story for everyone, especially anyone interested in sci-fi thrillers involving complex character creation and plot development involving new technologies and concepts.
Readalikes: Legend (Book 1 of the Legend Series) by Marie Lu
Or look this book up on NoveList!
0 comments: