Since I just finished reading" Harry Potter" a couple of weeks ago, I've devoured several other books along the way. No matter what I picked up, it just didn't have the same magical spark that Rowling's story does, so I struggled to get back into the realm of reading. However, it did not take long. One trip to my local library, and a stack now sits on my bedroom floor just waiting to be voraciously consumed.
The book in question and I actually have a lot, a lot of history. See, some people have certain notions and objects that nag at them until they explore them further or actually purchase the item themselves. For me, that is books. People always tell you to never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it, that is one of the most commonly broken rules on the planet.
Raise your hand if you've ever done it. If you haven't, you're lying.
And anytime I see a book with a cover like this one, I just cannot resist.
Well, this particular book caught my eye the first time I saw it, and then it haunted my mind for weeks, even months afterward. Unfortunately, the first time I saw it, I was a little low on funds, and I wasn't super hooked by the synopsis on the cover flap the first go around.
Fast forward a few months, and I am casually strolling through my local library when I see this book again. There it is, in all its majestic glory, just sitting there, calling to me.
I knew it was destiny. I had seen this book so many times. I had been taunted by this book for far too long. Finally, I picked it up from the shelf and this time, this time, I would read it.
And read I did. I did in roughly five hours, and OMG, I did not even want to put it down to eat lunch. Unfortunately, my parents made me, but as soon I finished wolfing down my meal, my nose was glued right back to the book.
You are probably tired of guessing what book I'm referring to, so here it is: "Illuminae" by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Not only is the cover beautifully intriguing, but the storyline is one that you wish is as real as "Harry Potter".
This book has everything. And then it has more. Let's start with the basics. The year is 2575. Location: Kerenza Planet.
Meet Kady. She just broke up with her boyfriend Ezra this morning. Only her planet was attacked that afternoon, and she had to make a difficult decision: help him live through the carnage or leave him to suffer with the thousands who were dying on the surface of Kerenza. She chooses to save him, but that's only the beginning.
Throughout the rest of the story, these ex-lovers follow separate paths, but it turns out that destiny is calling for them to reunite against greater evils, including space battles, battleships, zombies, politics and the difficult trek through young love.
Also, did I mention the sadistically optimistic (not to mention poetic) artificial intelligence that wants to kill every single person on one of the star ships?
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat. In fact, I nearly fell off mine several times while reading this one. It's similar to "Dracula", as it is told through a host of documents, messages, memos, emails, security reports, dossiers, transcripts, interviews and a whole lot of classified information. The authors of this work deserve 2575 pats on the back, and I certainly cannot wait for the next installment in this epic story line.
