Truly one of those books that breaks ground, Illuminae is a story told in a format that is as immersive as it is memorable.
First, to set expectations correctly, you have to understand that I love all things space. Space battles, space tech, space rescues—you name it, I am so there. The more dramatic, the better. And on top of that, if you sprinkle in some mysteries (medical or otherwise) and an AI gone rogue, well, let's just say I'm pretty much putty in your hands. In fact, since we're being honest, I'll confess that Power Rangers was my favorite show growing up. So before I even started on this, it was already a foregone conclusion that I was going to love it.
Gosh, how to describe what a crazy, joy-filled ride this turned out to be? I love high-octane, plot-driven stories, and that's exactly what this is. The action starts right off the bat and doesn't let up. But it isn't action for action's sake. Rather, each part is necessary and sets the scene for the next, building up until we get to the explosive and heart-stopping finale.
A large part of why this story is so thrilling is its format. It's composed like a dossier, filled entirely with transcripts of interviews, memos, video and audio material, and illustrations. It reminds me a lot of the experience of watching a movie, though on paper. It's tremendously creative, and I can't help but marvel at the ingenious design, which pulled me into the story and kept me rivetted.
This is a YA book, so do set your expectations accordingly. There is a romance in here that at times induces quite a bit of eye-rolling, and the dialogue can be both snarky (yay) and cringey (nay) in the way of teenagers. But hey, at least it feels authentic to the age of the main characters. Overall though, it wasn't too bad and I was able to look past it to the awesome space-story within, and that's saying something coming from an old fogey like me.
One thing to note is that this book came out in 2015, and while it has aged well for the most part, there is one exception. A member of the supporting cast has certain characterizations that left me feeling a bit icky, and I imagine, given the chance to do so again, the authors probably wouldn't have written him in this way. While it's just a few words here and there, it is rather unfortunate, so just be aware if you're going into it now that it may be a bit offensive to today's sentiments.
As a whole, I have to say this book left me pretty speechless. The incredibly innovative format of the story made for a truly special and immersive reading experience, one unlike any I've come across before.
If you're a space aficionado like me, I can't recommend this enough. Just be sure to pick up the physical book instead of the e- or audio versions for maximum enjoyment.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
0 comments:
Post a Comment