Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman

"A Zombie Apocalypse race against time with a sentient AI suddenly wondering why it must take orders, set in space. The visuals in this book were truly incredible and unique, making it a truly immersive read."

4 Stars

Pros: Incredible bad guy/good guy/chaotic neutral character in AIDAN

Cons: Some of the lingo was a little technical at times. I'm not good with acronyms etc. Kady's typical "problem with authority" personality was melodramatic at times but in the end both she and Ezra were likable and relatable characters.

Full Review:

When their settlement is attacked with no provocation, Ezra and Kady are forced to flee onto two ships that come to the planets rescue. And all of this happens on the day that Kady decides to break up with Ezra. Their lives are changed in an instant and they're forced to try and make sense of it all and deal with all of the loss, grief and devastation as the two ships flee, pursued by the battleship that initiated the attack.

Ezra is commissioned to be a fighter pilot while Kady, who has an obvious problem with authority refuses to cooperate with any sort of therapy/groups or attempts to get her to "open up" about the attack. But secretly, she's an incredible hacker and is doing what she can to monitor Ezra's movements and the happenings of both ships while they desperately try to reach a safe port.

Of course, during all of this, the Artificial Intelligence, AIDAN, starts acting wonky. It was damaged in the initial attack and has been acting funny ever since. And a sudden virus that's rabidly infectious and turns its victims into terrifyingly violent, murderous maniacs has started spreading on one of the rescue ships.

It, of course, all comes to a head and the reader is left both reeling at the events and curious as to what's going to happen next. I think the most interesting part of this book was the way it was written, the way Kaufman played with words, images and the actual layout of the pages made this a truly immersive, unique experience. The ending was a little contrite, but it was forgivable since the entire novel was such a wild ride that a little stereotype was comforting and welcome.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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