Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Knopf Books
Pub Date: October 20, 2015
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 608
Source: Purchased
Genre(s): YA, Science Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads || Buy on Amazon

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

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 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—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, 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.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

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My review:

“Miracles are statistical improbabilities. And fate is an illusion humanity uses to comfort itself in the dark. There are no absolutes in life, save death.”

Illuminae is something different. It’s not just a book. It’s an experience. I don’t know how else to explain it.

I suppose that in some ways this is still a typical YA/Sci-Fi book, but it’s executed in a completely new and refreshing way. Sure, sometimes you’ll have to turn the book upside down or around to read what’s on the page, but it keeps things interesting. It’s engaging!

The story was a bit slow for me at first, but that was mostly due to me not paying attention to all of the “files”. It really is like an interactive experience. About halfway through the book, I could not get enough. It was intense.

My absolute favourite part of this book was reading the chat logs between Ezra and Kady. Oh, and definitely the chats between Ezra and McNulty.

Final thoughts: My heart still hurts. The ending was just right. I can’t wait for Gemina.