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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff


Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is a science fiction story about determination. The main character, Kady Grant, is a high school girl living on the planet of Kerenza, where her parents work for a highly illegal mining company. A rival corporation, Bei-Tech, finds out about this illegal mining city, and instead of reporting them, decides to bomb them with biological weapons- they want these resources for themselves. Many of the civilians make it off-planet in launch ships and send mayday signals, and a governmental ship, the Alexander, shows up. The ensuing battle between the Bei-tech ships and the Alexander leaves the Alexander extremely damaged- its AI is haywire and dangerous, and it cannot open a wormhole gate to leave the area. Against all odds, Kady has to help the insane AI defend the civilians.

I thought that Illuminae was an interesting, well written novel. Instead of being written through third person, it is an amalgamation of text message logs, commentary on security camera clips, and audio files that is initially strange, but unique and still easily understandable. I think that people who enjoy science fiction novels would very much enjoy this novel- it has space travel, engineered diseases, and a crazy artificial intelligence. This novel was very tense and suspenseful, which I think made it hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book.


Reviewed by NK, Grade 10
Montrose Library
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Melissa said…
Kady's biggest problem was breaking up with her boyfriend, Ezra. It was, at least, until an attack on their home planet leaves her stranded in space with no one coming to the rescue. Kady must survive an outbreak of a deadly virus alongside a killer AI as the super corporation, BeiTech, hunts down their escape vessels. The only way Kady can succeed in surviving is with the help of Ezra, who she swore she'd never speak to again. The chances of survival grow slimmer every passing second, and the odds are stacked against Kady and Ezra as what's left of their home crumbles around them.

Illuminae is one of my favorite books of all time. It's told in epistolary format, which is uncommon and additionally adds to the immersion and story of the series. Kady is a very robust, relatable protagonist, and I appreciated that romance was not the center point nor the "secret weapon" of the novel. Kady and Ezra's relationship feels well developed, and their struggles are both scary and real. I would recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction, as well as those who maybe aren't into the genre. Illuminae does not make its story murky with fictional technology, but prioritizes creating an immersive world that will keep you on your toes instead.

Reviewed by William L., Grade 12
Glendale Central Libray
May 5, 2022 at 4:27 PM
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