Illuminae: The Illuminae Files, Book 1

Book review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Illuminae: The Illuminae Files, Book 1 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Pulse-quickening space thriller is fantastic but intense.

Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff Science Fiction 2015
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 16 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Illuminae is a sci-fi space epistolary thriller that takes place in the distant future. The story unfolds via a mysterious file that includes transcripts of recovered interviews, emails, surveillance footage, chats, and an advanced AI system's memory. Strong language is redacted from the documents, but readers can still tell or guess what the words were, despite the blacked-out letters. The violence is occasionally graphic, as the infected people kill others via mutilation, dismemberment, decapitation, and blunt-force trauma -- basically any means necessary. Wide-scale violence includes the destruction of entire spaceships and most (if not all) aboard, as well as the initial attack on a mining colony. Some of the transcripts include personal memories of the central romance as well as a few jokes and references about sex (but only a couple of kisses are described).

Community Reviews

Toastafter10
Toastafter10 Adult
May 26, 2020
age 14+

Loved it, but does contain some mature themes

I read this book after my daughter (almost 12) read it in record time and immediately asked for book two. It’s a fast paced and thought provoking sci-fi told from a collection of documents, email conversations, security footage reports and the mad ramblings of an AI system who controls one of the space ships. If I had known exactly what was in the book I probably would have waited a couple more years before buying it for my daughter (she picked it herself off the shelf at Kmart). So for other parents of younger readers it contains the following: - lots of sexual innuendos and lewd comments in the form of email chats (which may well go over the heads of younger readers) - extreme violence, although it’s not particularly descriptive or graphic - nuclear warfare, including thousands of innocent people being blown up - the use of a bio weapon (a man made virus) which turns people into murdering psychopaths That said, I enjoyed reading it myself and agreed to buy book two for my daughter because she really loved it. The lead characters are strong and likeable and the story poses some interesting questions about what life might be like with the development of AI
1 person found this helpful.
Three alive
Three alive Adult
August 12, 2018
age 12+

The best book ever

i read this book a year ago and it is still by far the best book i've ever read. if you're thinking of reading it, read it. I think if you don't read this book once in your life there is no point living. Kady and Ezra have great stories and it all makes sense in the end.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
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What's the Story?

ILLUMINAE is a file of documents making up the story of what happened to two teens after a catastrophic attack on the tiny mining space colony where they lived. On an otherwise unremarkable day in the year 2575, Kady Grant thinks the worst thing in her life is sitting in class with her newly minted ex, Ezra Mason. But after a warship attacks, she runs to her car and gives Ezra a ride that saves his life. On the run, they dodge death and injury multiple times and are ultimately separated -- he's on the huge military battlecarrier the Alexander, while she's on the smaller research ship the Hypatia. Eventually, as it becomes clear that a mega-corporation wants to exterminate all witnesses to the attack, the ships grapple with an unexpected supervirus that starts to spread fatally on the third ship in their surviving fleet. The infected are only sick at first but eventually turn into homicidal zombie-like creatures. As Ezra becomes conscripted as a fighter pilot, Kady uses her hacking skills to connect with another computer genius aboard the Hypatia, with hopes of uncovering the truth about what's happening. Meanwhile, the fleet's commanding AI, AIDAN, could just be insane.

Is It Any Good?

Mix some Battlestar Galactica with a sprinkling of The Walking Dead and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and you'd get this very flavorful if incredibly intense space thriller. Cowritten by Australian best-selling authors and friends Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, it features wonderful protagonists Kady and Ezra, who are believably adolescent, driven to survive, and attached to each other under unthinkably horrific circumstances. Ezra, a former star "gee-ball" player (think basketball), is imposing and quick-witted but much more trusting in authority, unless Kady is involved. Kady, on the other hand, might be physically tiny, but she's by far the fiercer of the two, willing to question what she's told and literally hack the system to uncover ugly truths about the attack, the virus, and AIDAN, the unreliable AI that will remind adult readers of 2001's HAL.

Although some readers may be tempted to skip over the various illustrations and schematic documents, don't. There's detailed information on every page, and it's worth reading (and rereading once you're done). Expect to be a bit confused at times, but don't worry -- Kaufman and Kristoff sort everything out, and your mind just might be proverbially blown in the process. The first in a projected trilogy, Illuminae is difficult to put down but occasionally difficult to read -- especially when the infected let loose and go on a bloody rampage. The authors are fairly merciless about sacrificing characters for the good of the story, but that's the only heads up you'll get. Ideal for fans of catastrophe stories and intense journeys, Illuminae is sure to appeal equally to reluctant readers and voracious ones who want the next big series.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of space-disaster thrillers. What makes this idea so interesting?

  • Fans of sci-fi books: What do you think of the world-building? Which other sci-fi space books does this remind you of?

  • What are the advantages of reading an epistolary book? What are the limitations?

  • The romance in Illuminae is unique in that the couple is almost never physically together, and they're broken up when the book starts. Do you like the way the authors handled the romance? Why are opposites-attract stories so compelling?

Book Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love science fiction and thrillers

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