The Illuminae Files
Juvenile Fiction
Knopf Books for Young Readers
October 20, 2015
Audiobook/Hardcover
608
For fans of Marie Lu and James Dashner comes the first book in an epic new series. “Never have I read a book so wholly unique and utterly captivating.” —Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy 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 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 one of the 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 sheswore 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.
WrensReads Review:
Let me put the pieces of this puzzle together for you:
Someone makes a virus that makes literally anyone that breathes lose their ever-livin’ mind. They coin the phrase “stop looking at me/don’t look at me” and they kill anyone they see. I’m talking dragging hearts around on the floor, doodling on the walls and cackling like the mad-bloody-hatter.
So obviously if creep isn’t your thing, move on.
Oh and there’s a computer that starts to try to take over the world.
Oh and there’s a whole company trying to kill everyone to cover their tracks because they did a bad thing.
and more importantly,
There was a ship-wreck on my heart that needs to sail again called Kady and Ezra.
THIS ALL HAPPENS IN SPACE. Like I am not a space fan usually (excluding Doctor Who, Whovians unit), I am usually more of a fantasy or supernatural kind of girl. But this, was extraordinary.
One of the best things about it is how it is formatted. This doesn’t have a “written in first/second/third person” in the strictest sense. It is told through emails, schematics, military files, instant messengers, medical reports, interviews and surveillance footage summaries. Like it was absolutely amazing. I never knew a story could be told like that and it blew my mind. I highly recommend getting the audio book and the physical book and reading along to it. It just makes the experience that much better.
Kady and Ezra are absolutely phenomenal.
I fell in love with these two characters so quickly, especially Ezra with his charm and wit. Kady for her passion and dedication. I actually didn’t really like her to the last third, but it was a redeeming last third to say the least.
I can’t believe I waited this long to read this story and I am told the second one is just as good, if not better. But I am going to space this out because I know the third doesn’t come out till March of 2018.
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