Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Pages: 599

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Science Fiction / Thriller

Notes for Parents: Contains lots of violence that may be too much for sensitive readers.

The Back Cover

<ERROR>

AND WITH NO FURTHER OPTION THEY HAVE TURNED TO ME.

The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s a little more than an ice-covered speck. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, exes Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to escape on the evacuating fleet.

PLUCKED ME BACK FROM THE BLACK THEY LEFT ME IN. THINKING I WILL SAVE THEM.

But their problems are just beginning. The fleet’s AI has gone crazy, a deadly plague has broken out on one of the ships, and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on.

AND I WILL. OF COURSE I WILL.

As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

AM I NOT MERCIFUL?

<ERROR>

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The novel is written in epistolary format, meaning it’s made up of transcripts, diary entries, memos, reports, illustrations, webpages, terminal read-outs, emails, instant messages and more. This is the first book in the Illuminae Files trilogy.

What’s good?

Kady is a sassy, brave, and emotional lead character. Her determination to not only save Ezra, but save the ships and all the people aboard them is the epicenter of this fast-paced thriller. Heart-stopping moments are mixed with heart-break, danger, lies, fear, grief, and desperation. Actions create doubts about morality – is it okay to do bad things for the greater good? – and AIDAN’s twisted logic brings into question what constitutes humanity. The visual format of the story lends itself well to the tension, giving fragments of information forcing the reader to piece things together, just like the characters.

Best Part: I like how the swear words in the reports are blacked out.

What isn’t good?

Some pages fly by and others have such minute details that it slows the pace. There’s lots of information to pay attention to, and lots of tech talk, short forms, and slang that force the reader to work hard to understand what’s happening. There’s no shortage of violence and painful deaths—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but readers should be aware.

Worst part:  Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (4/5)

This was unexpectedly riveting. However, I’m not sure I want to make a habit of reading this format because I was exhausted by the end. It was a great story with strong characters and plenty of suspense, but it was also a challenging read that requires attention to detail. It was a unique experience that I definitely recommend trying at least once.

Kaufman, Amie and Jay Kristoff. Illuminae. New York: Ember, 2015.