Illuminae & Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Spoiler-Free) Book Review

March 13, 2017

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Hi all!

This year, I’ve decided to read and review books that I am absolutely loving. They will be predominately YA (Young Adult) as this is my favourite genre to read from. My very first review will be on two books (part of the same series) that I was blown away by in February. It will also be spoiler-free, so you can get a taste of what the books are about, without being exposed to all of the big twists and turns. I’m also proud to write that these books were co-authored by two incredibly imaginative, witty and intelligent writers from Melbourne, Australia. Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman are a formidable team that came together in 2015 to create The Illuminae Files. This series is a trilogy, with the third and final book being released in 2018. Needless to say, I cannot wait for it!

ILLUMINAE – BOOK 1

It’s pretty rare that I will read a book twice but when it came to Illuminae, I couldn’t help myself. I strongly recommend all readers follow suit. When I say you should read it twice, I encourage you to pick up a physical copy of the book and also listen to it on audio. The audio book is an experience in itself. With a cast of over twenty narrators and interstellar sound effects, you literally feel like you’re flying through space on an incredible journey with the characters. The physical book however, is also unique in the way it is presented. Despite being nearly 600 pages long, you could easily read it in a day. Even my husband flew through it! The entire story is told in a series of dossiers, interviews, transcripts, images and more. See examples here:

THE PLOT

The year is 2575. Teenagers, Kady Grant and Ezra Mason have just broken up at school, when their planet Kerenza, is invaded by an evil corporation named BeiTech Industries. Amidst the chaos of escape, Kady winds up on the Hypatia, a research vessel and Ezra, on the Alexander, a fighter ship that responded to Kerenza’s distress call. Kady’s mother (a doctor) ends up on the Copernicus, a heavy engineering vessel. All three ships flee Kerenza, with BeiTech’s dreadnought, the Lincoln, pursuing them. Their only means of salvation is to reach the jump-station, Heimdall, which is 6 months away and the Lincoln is close to interception. Kady is a gifted systems hacker and Ezra, a conscripted fighter pilot. Kady’s mother, Helena, attends to the sick aboard the Copernicus, who are ill with an airborne virus named Phobos. Through unobserved channels, Kady and Ezra begin communicating to discern what is going on. Their captains are incredibly secretive and the Alexander’s AI, AIDAN, is suspected of corruption. Whose side is AIDAN on and will the civilians reach Heimdall before the Lincoln or the Phobos virus kills them first?

THE WRITING STYLE

This book is incredibly intense. There were so many moments I had to put it down, take some calming breaths and continue. Having said that, it is also extremely funny. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s witty, sarcastic tones come through in the characters back and forth interactions. Even AIDAN, an AI devoid of human emotion, is humorous in its observations and assessments. You will find yourself loving and hating characters simultaneously. You will mourn those that fall and you will root for the heroes. The story is endearing, captivating and stressful all at the same time. Prepare for lots of emotion and blindsiding twists.

THE CHARACTERS

Kady Grant: 17. Pink Hair. Sarcastic. Awkward. Hacker. Ezra Mason’s ex-girlfriend aboard the Hypatia.

Ezra Mason: 18. Tall. Gee-Ball Player. Hopeless Romantic. Kady Grant’s ex-boyfriend aboard the Alexander.

Byron Zhang: Chubby. Late-20’s. Asian. Hacker. Research Officer aboard the Hypatia.

Captain David Torrence: Commander of the Alexander. Brusque. Angry.

Captain Ann Chau: Commander of the Hypatia. Direct. Loyal.

Helena Grant: Kady’s mother. Doctor. Kind. Loving. Attending to the injured aboard the Copernicus.

AIDAN: The Alexander’s AI. Intelligent. Cunning. Contemplative. Merciful.

Sergeant James McNulty: Funny. Loyal. Ezra Mason’s best friend and fellow conscript aboard the Alexander.

STAR RATING

5/5!

GEMINA – BOOK 2

So the question is, which book did I love more? Illuminae or Gemina? I’m going to have to say Gemina, but only slightly because they were both so mind-blowingly good. I have not yet listened to the audio book for Gemina, but I plan to very soon so I can have the same double experience I had with Illuminae. Gemina is designed in the same way as Illuminae with dossiers, briefing notes, interviews and surveillance footage. This book however has a lot more illustrations. See examples here: