Illuminae is the first book in the young adult series, The Illuminae Files #1 by author duo Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. I think I am one of the last people in the world to finally jump on board and read Illuminae. Now that the paperback version of the book is coming out, and book 3 in the series is coming out later this year, I knew it was finally time to read book one. I have heard nothing but amazing things about the book, and I have heard the series being called different enough times, that I had to see for myself. And now I can confidently say…I am a huge Illuminae fan! This book is so awesome.

I know it has been said a lot, but the format of this series is like nothing else I have ever read. I absolutely loved it. It has to be super difficult to write and put together because I could tell how complicated and detailed the world is. I mean the scope of this series is just huge. The Illuminae files are the story of our two main characters Ezra and Kady. At the start of the book, the two of them had just broken up, and then their planet gets destroyed and they are caught up in a whirlwind escape, and then the adventure is just starting for them.

Illuminae took me a little bit of time to catch my bearings. It is very sci-fi so there are all kinds of foreign terms. Take that and add it to the fact that the book is not told in a traditional format. We are basically Erza and Kady, searching through things and reading redacted files, notes, clues and all kinds of things. It is so immersive and quite frankly, awesome. It is part novel, part be your own detective story. I completely love it. I became really, really absorbed in Illuminae. I was totally immersed in the world Jay and Amie created, and I was right along side the characters, overwhelmed, and confused at points and totally fascinated with the whole thing. Plus, the twists and turns are crazy! Crazy people!

Bottom line: The Illuminae Files is a book that you really have to experience for yourself. Gosh, this book was an incredible experience. I don’t remember anything like it. It really earns the title of unique and different. Not to mention, I am also loving the romance. More on this after I read the next book. I loved this book. It is always going to be a favorite of mine because I will never forget this book. Read Illuminae. Or re-read it to get ready for book 3. But if you are new to the series, like I was, now is the perfect time to grab a copy and start reading.