Calling all fans of science fiction—if you haven't read The Illuminae Files, what the heck are you waiting for?
Here we have reached the final book in this trilogy, and what a stunning culmination and conclusion it is. You know what this reminds me of? It reminds me of being a kid and reading for the pure joy of it. There are no themes to dissect, no greater takeaways to suss out. It's just a rip-roaring good time you can sink your teeth into, and the experience is so immersive, the line between the real and the fictional starts to blur.
The first time I read this series, I was fairly new to science fiction. So of course I made the mental mistake you always make when it's your first of anything. You assume what you got was fairly common and there's plenty more like it out there, so you use that to set the bar for average. Well, imagine my consternation when, after years and years of reading sci-fi, I realized that I actually read one of the best in the genre right off the bat, and I'm never really going to find another one quite like it.
I think you guys know my love for science fiction by now. But on the off chance you don't, please allow me to wax poetic for a moment here. Science fiction will always rank high on my list of favorite genres, if not at the very top spot. And that's because of how bold and imaginative it is. When done well, it takes you to places you've never been before in ways you've never encountered. And that's exactly what this series does.
There is something so audacious about every aspect of this story. The characters are about as brave and badass as you can hope for, putting their lives on the line again and again to save those around them. But they don't just brute force it. No, they use their brains to outwit their enemies, and you guys know I can't resist that. The dialogue in here is so snarky, whip-smart, and funny, to call it banter seems like such an understatement. And the plot surprises at every turn. Just when you think you've got a grasp on what's going on, well you didn't see that coming, did you?
Its format is as interesting as it is groundbreaking. The dossier-like style matches up perfectly with the action-driven plot, and together they seamlessly weave a story that is hard to look away from. You know that feeling of having your heart in your throat? That's exactly every moment of this book and this series in a nutshell.
But it isn't just action scene after action scene. The very best science fiction is profoundly moving, asking us to think deeply about what it means to be human and what price we would be willing to pay to protect that humanity. And so this series does too, reaching deep into our conscience to ask those searing questions.
The only minor drawback to this series is that it's young adult. The heroes and heroines in here are unabashedly teenagers, with their attitudes, romances, and cheesiness all rolled into one. And while there's nothing wrong with that per se, it is several decades in the past for me now. But over the course of three books, their courage and bright-eyed idealism won me over, and so did their hip lingo. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't let the YA part dissuade you, even if you're an old fogey like me. If you can look past it, there is as good of a sci-fi story here as any adult ones I've come across, and it just might get you in touch with your younger self.
This whole series has felt so bold and fearless, taking the reader on a sublimely imaginative ride. And this third and final book does the series justice, bringing an epic conclusion to that breathtaking journey. Along the way, it left me in awe and gave me all the feels.
I guess my only remaining question is: when are they going to turn this into a movie? Someone needs to get J.J. Abrams on the line stat because the only thing that could make this even better is copious amounts of lens flare.
Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!
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