A review by bookwormjimmy
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

When the Kerenza colony is attacked by BeiTech and nearly wipes out the entire population there, a small fleet of ships headed for the closest space port is the only way to survive. But when one remaining enemy ship follows them, humanity must do all they can to survive. But it's kinda hard to do that when there's a rogue AI and a disease that turns people into space zombies also making it hard to survive.

As grand as this plot sounds, the main story really focuses on Kady and Ezra, their relationship, and the lengths they will go through to help each other survive. Will they make it? Will they uncover some dark secrets? Gotta read to find out. By the time I was finished with the book, I was on board with them and wanting to know more about the wider universe.

I'll admit this book is not for everyone. The narrative is unique in that it's told through interviews, letters, video analysis, AI explanations, and even abstract visuals. I can only imagine how difficult this must have been for the publishers, and it's definitely not the easiest to read if odd text on a page is difficult. There were even some pages in the book that were really hard for me to read! But if you can get past that and ingrain yourself in the plot, then you might find you enjoy it.