Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Science fiction, Young adult
Dates read: 15th July – 22nd September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: What’s it like to be a hero?

The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations – 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 are forced to escape on the evacuating fleet.

But their troubles are just beginning. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI 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.

This is one of the most unique, intense and fun books I’ve read in a long time. Actually, it’s the only book like this that I’ve ever read. Rather than being a traditional prose, it is full of snippets and dossiers, information that you have to put together yourself as the story unfolds in front of you. When I first opened the pages of this, I wasn’t really sure that I’d like this style of writing. After all, it is completely different to what I normally read. But I found that I actually loved it. The difference in flavour and taste of the story was a great departure from what I usually read.

Most stories I read with a little romance start with a couple meeting each other. Illuminae on the other hand starts with the main couple breaking up with each other. Arguing and yelling at one another as they air their differences. It was kind of fun to have a different start to what is considered a bit of a romance. The fact that Ezra and Kady are obviously going to realise that they still care about each other. That they are actually meant to be together. The arguing and questioning each other is exactly what a healthy relationship means to me… so it was nice to see a couple that constantly pushed at each other and challenged their preconceptions.

I’m not a huge conspiracy buff. Not someone who tends to get drawn into some of these discussions like many of my friends do. But this story, the way it was written and the structure of the tale made me completely believe that some of them may even be plausible. After all, this is a tale about a rival company literally destroying an entire world and killing everyone they possibly can just to wipe out the competition. It was written in a completely plausible manner, one that made me feel a little uncomfortable and concerned about what their modern day counterparts would do.

Illuminae is an amazing adventure. It makes you feel emotional, drives home the fact that life is fleeting and is also full of fun and sass. Kady is driven, intelligent and completely loyal. She’s the kind of heroine I love, and she has enough gumption and independence to leave me laughing out loud. Multiple times. Ah. The innocence of youth.

Image source: Amazon