Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Number of Pages: 599
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Adventure, Thriller
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Publisher: Knopf books for young readers
Publication Date: 20th October, 2015
The Plot:
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she'd have to do.
This afternoon, her planet was destroyed.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorportations are at war over a planet that's little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody though 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 goth their way onto a evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutation, 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 Thoughts:
I have never, never read a book that is like this. It was so un-bloody-believable! I was blown away with the whole style of the book.
The book follows the typical plot line: girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl loses planet, everything goes to hell. Okay, maybe not a typical plot line but the girl loses boy is something that happens in several books. But I can make one promise, it is nothing like any of you have ever read.
Firstly it is written in a way I've never seen before. It was made up of transcripts of conversations and emails. That's something I've never seen before! I created this completely unique sci-fi feel; kind of reminding me of classic sci-fi films like Alien, Star Wars and Star Trek.
Now I don't usually enjoy books that constantly switch the narrative. It gets confusing and is hardly ever executed well. However, it worked here because it was written in the 3rd person. Personally, I feel it added to the book.
Now onto the content. I was afraid that this unique plot would be poorly executed. But i was wrong. Although the chapters were short, there were addictive and intense so in places it really worked. And that twist! Blooming hell that twist! I didn't see it coming. But the even bigger twist (in a way) was the one that happened like two pages before the ending. How the hell am I supposed to deal with these emotions? I was at the hospital waiting to get an x-ray when I read the first one (plot twist I mean) and I will admit that I was a tiny bit vocal. By this I mean that I exclaimed 'what!', forgetting that I was in a public place, and then went bright red whilst I tried to understand what I'd just read.
Not many books can do that to me so I think that shows how bloody amazing Illuminae actually was.
Rating:
I have a feeling that it may be the best thing I've read all year!
*****
-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2015 - 65
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