Book Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Rating 10/10
Hello Everyone, please make sure your seat belts are buckled before out space shuttle takes off. All those not strapped in will be ejected out of the craft. Please have a pleasant journey.
Today I want to talk about the brilliant piece of storytelling called Illuminae. This piece of genius came out of the brain of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, two individuals who seem to have a rather cruel disrespect for their reader’s feelings. I want to be them when I grow up. Illuminae is a SciFi story told in an unusual format, I highly, really highly, recommend the audiobook version. It is amazing. Usually, when listening to an audiobook I do other things at the same time, like cooking, or folding laundry, or some such, but when I had this book on all I did was sit and listen with my physical copy open but disregarded in my lap.
I’m not entirely sure how to summarize this book for you guys, so much happens in the story and I don’t know where to start. Okay, here we go. Once upon a time, there was a planet, and it’s existence offended a big corporation. So to let out their feelings they bombed said planet. The refugees had some feelings about that. They were not nice feelings. We quickly find out that two of our main characters were already not having a good day as they had decided to break up. We take off from there and if you want to find out more go listen to the audiobook. Seriously, guys, it’s so good.
Now I will do what I really want to do and go into Spoiler Land. Spoiler Land is dangerous, you won’t like it. They don’t have cookies there.
First of all, let me say how grateful I am that Kady says she’s short and she actually is! She’s 157 cm, which is my height! That’s 5’2 for you American savages. Ahem. I can’t tell you guys how sick I am of characters who are above 5’4 claiming they are short. No, you’re not, you’re average. Accept it, move on. Let those of us who are actually short have this much at least. We don’t get much so let us have this! As Kady says “I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short.”, and I felt that. Once you get patted on the head by a random Irishman you know you’re doomed.
Okay onto the actual important stuff, we open the book with a planet bombed and our two main characters on separate space ships being debriefed. I fell in love with both pretty much immediately. This is a fantastic example of showing and not telling and perfectly demonstrates why dialogue is so important to the story. Kady is a gem of a character, she’s brilliant, determined, loyal, brave, and all kinds of other complimentary adjectives. She’s also secretive, closed off to other people, and reckless. The fact that she has both flaws and strengths that shape her actions and steer the course of the book makes for a very strong character I rooted for. Then there’s Ezra and I loved him too. He’s tough, loyal, intelligent, and a hopeless romantic. And on the opposite side of the coin, he’s too cautious in many situations, too trusting, and has a hot temper. Of course, he gets over those things when pushed far enough. I want to be friends with them both. Through the book I was rooting for them, I didn’t get frustrated with them, I didn’t want to shout at them. They were created so well that I understood them and couldn’t get angry even when they were being reckless, or stupid. This almost never happens, usually, I yell at the characters at least once.
We quickly find out that the ship chasing the refugees down with the intention of blowing them up is not the only problem. There is also a mysterious epidemic. Now I read this book before COVID- 19 exploded all over the world so I was just the regular level of horrified when reading about it, and now thinking back on it, while on week three of quarantine, I’m sweating internally (externally I’m freezing per usual). There is a modified virus on the loose, and the humans don’t know what is happening for the longest time, by the time they find out it’s a little too late. In addition, we have a damaged AI taking over and running thing’s the way it sees proper. AIDAN and it’s decisions are terrible, but I couldn’t hate him/it simply because we as the readers were granted open access to the thought process behind every action and decision. I was horrified over and over again and I wanted to make it stop, but I didn’t feel hatred. Very well done Evil Authors.
So much happens in this book, and yet my favorite thing is still the relationship between Kady and Ezra. They are not together at any point, as they are on separate space ships, but my god the chemistry between those two (I’m fanning myself weakly with a fan, like a victorian lady). They truly loved each other, and I felt that love. Yes, they had their issues but that didn’t stop the love. I laughed so hard at Ezra’s drunk email. It was so painfully true to life. Then he later denied it. I loved how protective and secretive he was about Kady to his new friends and how he showed her off in the end. Before things went to hell that is. When Kady found the dead body of James McNulty I started crying like a baby, and listening to his will… Jesus. But he left his medals to Ezra so they could be melted down for a ring Astro Princess, proving anyone could tell these two will be together forever. I’m getting all teary-eyed again. Kady goes to a ship full of plague and crazy people to get Ezra, and she doesn’t care how dangerous it is. They’d do anything for each other, and I want that kind of relationship.
AIDAN is another thing I need to talk about. I don’t think I’d ever felt so scared as I did when AIDAN said “Am I not merciful” because I knew he meant it, and that it was a definition of mercy no human could understand. Then that scene where AIDAN puts on classical music as people get slaughtered… I can’t. Guys, I can’t. I was not functional for a week after this book, I went into a reading slump, and I blame AIDAN and the things he did to follow his programming in its own twisted way. Also, I don’t know what to call AIDAN, him or it. Both would be accurate. The award for the most complicated character goes to the AI!
In case it’s not clear I think this book is a piece of art and you should all read it. I don’t even know what to say… it’s one of those you have to experience in order to fully appreciate. I also suggest going in with as little information as possible, so if you read this review and have not read the book is already not an option. All the characters are so real, the plot is so complex, the storytelling is very different and effective. I just can’t recommend this highly enough.
I will stop here and spare you. Thank you for joining and see you next time.
Anna
