Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Illuminae (Illuminae Files, #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

For fans of Marie Lu comes the first book in an epic series that bends the sci-fi genre into a new dimension.
 
 “A truly beautiful novel that redefines the form."Victoria Aveyard, bestselling author of Red Queen

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 a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
     But their problems are just getting started. A 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 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.
 
“Prepare yourselves for Illuminae.” EW.com
 
[Y]ou’re not in for an ordinary novel experience. . . .  Bustle.com
 
“A truly interactive experience. . . . A fantastically fun ride.” —MTV.com
 
“[O]ut-of-this-world awesome.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred
 
★ “…stylistically mesmerizing.” —Publishers Weekly, starred
 
★ “[A]n arresting visual experience.”—Booklist, starred
  
★ “[A] game-changer.” —Shelf Awareness, starred

“Brace yourself. You're about to be immersed in a mindscape that you'll never want to leave.”  —Marie Lu, bestselling author of the Legend trilogy
 
"Genre: Undefinable. Novel: Unforgettable." —Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures & author of Unbreakable
 
An exuberant mix of space opera, romance, zombies, hackers, and political thrills.”  —Scott Westerfeld, bestselling author of  Zeroes and Uglies
 
Stunningly creative. Smart, funny, and romantic.”  —Veronica Rossi, bestselling author of Under the Never Sky
 
“This is one of those rare books that will truly keep your heart pounding.” Beth Revis, bestselling author of Across the Universe
 
This book is xxxxing awesome.”
Laini Taylor, bestselling author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Reviewed by readingwithwrin on

5 of 5 stars

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“Are you afraid?"
"Yes."
"Energy never stops, remember. It just changes forms."
"I am still afraid.”




In the year 2575 Kady and Ezra live on something that shouldn't exist, and that no one knows about. Or at least that's what everyone thought. Until suddenly one day they are attacked and their whole world falls apart, add a breakup between Kady and Ezra, missing parents, and countless friends/family dead. They are both pretty shaken up and now separated onto two different space ships trying to get away from the company that attacked them.
Ezra ends up becoming a pilot in order to help the new ship he is a part of, and Kady refuses to use her amazing computer skills for the new ships they work on.
On the new ships things start going very wrong, very fast. Which ends up bringing the two characters back together, or is it really even Ezra and Kady? That's the confusing part, and I'm still not exactly sure which one was the villain talking at times and which one was our main character.

“I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short.”

Kady ends up finding out things that are happening that have been kept from everyone and then, decides to do something incredibly stupid, in order to save the last person she thinks she has. This is when I couldn't put the book, down and I had to find out if she was going to be okay, or not. (yes I know there's two other books, but they could have been following another character.) Also all of the other characters I grew attached to as well and when things would happen to them it was sad. Heck, I even liked all the witty banter of the villain for a change.

“They are beyond me.
These humans.
With their brief lives and their tiny dreams and their hopes that seem as fragile as glass.
Until you see them by starlight, that is.”


Overall I absolutely loved this book. I did find the format of it a little confusing at first, but once I had gotten the audiobook to go along with it. It got so much better. If you can I highly recommend getting the physical book and the audiobook at the same time. Not only does the audiobook have different voices for every character, but sound effects as well for when things are happening like the computer booting up, etc.
This book is surprisingly worth all of the hype surrounding it, which I was rather shocked to find out considering how much this had been advertised and talked about. I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens next!

“What you do when stuff like this happens is you LIVE, you survive it, that's how you honour the ones you lost.”

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 July, 2017: Finished reading
  • 6 July, 2017: Reviewed