Illuminae | Book Review

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by fictionnochaser

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By: Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman

The Illuminae Files #1 | 599 Pages | Pub. 2015

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Illuminae at a Glance

  • Overall Rating: ★★★★
  • Heroine: She is probably in my computer now
  • Dude: Lucky bastard
  • Originality: 10/10 would recommend
  • Brutality: If you don’t like the purge then don’t read this

Pairs Well With

Freeze dried Margarita

Review

I love everything Jay Kristoff writes. It’s insane the fun stuff that comes out of that brain. I haven’t read anything else by Amie Kaufman, but I think I will now! I am super late to #teamilluminae, but I’m so happy that I decided to read them. The physical copy is so pretty and I can’t wait to listen to the audio because… sound effects duh.

If you didn’t know, this whole thing is written as transmittals and instant messages. A log that was found in the aftermath of I don’t know what yet, but they are in space. That alone is exciting, but the pacing is fantastic, always keeping you engaged. Just as end of the world fiction should.

Our heroine Kady is a BADASS. She saves herself and others, including her idiot ex boyfriend Ezra from total destruction. Then she hacks through tons of systems and is a certifiable genius with computers. Kady saves people over and over again, and not in an annoying special snowflake way. She is super smart and funny, but knows when to crack down and just Get. Shit. Done.

She is catalyst.

She is chaos.

I can see why he loves her.

Ezra is your stereotypical obnoxious football player that decided to date the computer nerd, who happens to be gorgeous. But he does get better. By the end, I was also in love with him because boy is HILARIOUS.

Interviewer: So. Tell me about your mother.

Ezra: You’re taping this, right?

Interviewer: Audio only. Camera is faulty.

Ezra: Okay, well for the benefit of the sight-impaired, I am now raising my… oh, dear… yes, it’s my MIDDLE finger at Mr. Postgrad here.

Interviewer: Mr. Mason…

Ezra: Now I’m wiggling it.

Interviewer: Terminating interview at 13:58 on 03/19/75.

Ezra: Look at it wiggl-

-audio ends-

Of course Ezra is also kind of a hero. Turns out the athletic boy made an awesome soldier and he saves people too. I honestly can’t even remember why he and Kady broke up, but by the end I just wanted them back together because they NEEDED each other.

I actually almost threw the damn book at the end because WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!!!!

I can’t do this review without having a brief discussion about Aiden. HOLY HELL. He is 100% evil and 100% caring at the same time. I have never felt so angry and sad for a character that isn’t even alive. He is a computer program and I wanted to cuddle him at times. Kaufman and Kristoff messed with my brain and my emotions and I think I love it. Yep. I love it.

 

Have you read Illuminae? Let us know what you thought in the comments!

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fictionnochaser

We review fantasy, paranormal/urban, supernatural, young adult, new adult, and romance books. But beware our reviews are snarky and full of spoilers!

23 thoughts on “Illuminae | Book Review”

  5. I just started Illuminae, on Page 73 right now. It seems nice and promising rn but I just find the format a little unappealing as we don’t really get a proper normal story, it’s kinda bits and pieces of info that have been collected but I hope I get it by the end and love it!!

    Liked by 1 person

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