Back Pages: Illuminae – Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Posted July 6, 2020 by Andi in Back Pages, Books, Review / 0 Comments

In November I had a small idea for a blog tour called Back Pages. I wanted readers to go back and read those books they has been planning to and never got around to. I had every intention of hosting a legit blog tour for it. Well COVID happened and plans ended up changing while everyone got used to a new sort of normal. So while Back Pages isn’t going to happen has planned, I’m kicking off my new version of the plan with the review of my selected book.

 

Back Pages: Illuminae – Jay Kristoff and Amie KaufmanIlluminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published: October 20, 2015
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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 a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

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

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



Illuminae was an unexpected reading experience for me. I’m not lying when I say it has been sitting of my shelf since 2015 (and on my Kindle since 2017). I heard all the amazing words people used to describe. I heard people tell me to try the audio, the make sure I read a physical copy, to do both at the same time. I heard it all and yet it just sat there waiting; waiting because I was scared of it. Books that take place in space are not my thing. I have tried a couple and I walk away hating them. I knew how much people loved the book and the trilogy and I was extra terrified to read it, especially with the way it is formatted. But in 2019 I decided I want to try and read some older books and that Illuminae was going to be one of them. In the end, I was blown away by how much I actually really loved the book.

The main reason I loved the book was Kady and Ezra. They were the perfect pair that wasn’t really a pair but were working like a pair and were obviously insane for each other. Their interactions gave the story so much heart and humor I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. They made a story, that could have scared me off, something so amazing and memorable. They were the heart of the story and I loved every minute of them. Endearing is the word I would have to use to describe them. They were simply endearing. And I loved that Kady was the one that was doing everything she could save them all. It was refreshing to see a strong woman without supernatural powers.

Honestly there isn’t much I can say about Illuminae that hasn’t been said. The book has over 100k ratings on Goodreads. If it can be said about the book it has been said. What I can I can share is how against the norm this book was for me and how much Jay and Amie pulled me right into their nontraditional storytelling style. When I was done with it I got what everyone has been talking about since they first read it. I understood the hype and the love and shockingly, I understood the desire to read more books. Have I decided to read the other two? I’m not sure. But I haven’t ruled it out and that is something major for me. I’m sure almost all of you have read this one, but if you haven’t move it up on the TBR and be surprised.

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