isabellarobinson7's review against another edition
4.0
First, don't be dismayed by the 4 star rating. It was literally as close to 5 stars as 4 stars can get. In short: IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I needed a good sci-fi book series to get immersed in, and this was just perfect. I had got [Illuminae (the first in the trilogy) from the library, but as soon as I started it, I instantly issued the next two out because I knew I was not going to be able to wait until my next visit to the library to read them. And boy was l right!! I have just finished Illuminae and am already into Gemina, the next book in the trilogy.
The only reason I can't give Illuminae 5 stars is because I found some parts hard to follow. It is told through surveillance footage summaries and messages between characters which is so cool, but sometimes I was unable to piece together all the information, which made me confused as to what was actually happening. This is probably just a problem for me, and others will not experience such confusion.
irareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
inwonderland49's review against another edition
5.0
My Thoughts
Holy shit was this book good! No, scratch that, it was great! I was immersed within this story and the layout was so beautiful. I listened to the majority of it with the audiobook, which is fantastic and I definitely recommend giving the audiobook a try! But even after listening to it, I went back to the physical book and went through it to look at the gorgeous layout and images that were within it. And seriously, this is one of my all-time favorite books! And I am so unbelievably happy that I stood in the 2.5 hour line for an ARC of Gemina at BEA this past May, because I will definitely be diving into Gemina this August for ARC August!
At first, I was a little worried that I wouldn't get to love the characters since it was written as looking through a file. But even though you were reading a file, I still loved the characters! I was so happy that I loved the characters and you were still able to get the characterization and the plot while reading in this type of format. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff really made the epistolaric novel so unique and I think it breathed new life into the epistolary format, because, I personally love reading epistolary novels. I think they are wonderful!
This book keeps you on your toes! I felt like I was right there with Kady and Ezra and the feelings that this book takes you through, holy shit! Like, there was a time within this book that I had tears in my eyes (if you've read it, I'm sure you know exactly what part I'm talking about!). There were times within this book that I was laughing uncontrollably. And then there were the times were I was just so mindfucked. This is truly a spectacular book! If you have not read this yet, you need to get on this bandwagon! Because with all honesty, this book was BEYOND BRILLIANT!!!!
laceydbell's review against another edition
5.0
laceydbell's review against another edition
5.0
ORIGINAL REVIEW [August 2017]:
5 Stars - What a crazy and wild ride, but I'm here for it and can't wait to read the next book! Hard to put down, but requires frequent breaks because it is a lot to process! I can't read this without my blood pressure going up.
kiirocat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
sri_savita's review against another edition
4.0
Energy never stops, remember. It just changes forms.
BRIEFING NOTE: THIS (AUDIO)BOOK SLAPS.
The audiobook version is fantastic. It's like listening to a radio play with sound effects and a great cast of narrators including one of my favorites, Olivia Taylor Dudley, who plays Alice on "The Magicians" TV series.
Slow to build but then it was twist after twist after twist!
We don't get a lot about Kady and Ezra separately, but I think what we do get about their quippy romance is cute - sometimes.
I love Aidan's quirky unintentional humor.
Spoiler
What a compelling AI character! I felt for him.It's weird that I appreciate the humor of the story but we don't get a ton about the characters to invest in them beyond their witty one-liners. Still I found the plot interesting enough to listen to that this didn't bother me too much.
Will definitely be continuing with the trilogy, and I can't wait to re-read the series in physical copies to get the full effect of the unique visuals in this epistolary format. I have it in e-book form as well currently.
As with all sci-fi I read, I'm reminded of how much it helps me heal to realize our the strength of our humanity. Also, as with all sci-fi I read, it's remarkably on the mark for our current times. Having to wear masks in the face of a mutating deadly contagious virus? Yeah. Covid-19 appropriate reading.
thereistime's review against another edition
3.0
I do feel like this story wouldn't have been half as interesting if the book hadn't been formatted in an epistolary style though.
sara_evaney's review against another edition
5.0
I didn’t looove the characters but I didn’t have any problems with them either and I was sad, when they died.
The plot was great, I didn’t see the ending coming at all!
hmurphy11's review against another edition
5.0