[BOOK REVIEW] Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title:  Illuminae

Authors:  Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre:  Science Fiction

Year Published: 2015

Number of Pages: 599 pages 

Date Read: 7/23/2019 

Series: The Illuminae Files #1 

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Some Gory Violence and Deaths)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

Oh, my goodness! How could I wait so long to finally tackle this book?  I have been hearing nothing but awesome things about this book! And yet, because there were so many other books that I wanted to read, I did not have the time to read this book (until now)!  “Illuminae” which was written by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff was certainly an absolute blast to read!

Kady Grant thought that breaking up with her ex-boyfriend Ezra Mason was the worst thing to happen to her.  Then, her planet ends up getting invaded by a mega corporation called BeiTech and she and Ezra are forced to flee from their planet and go on the spaceship Hypatia to escape from the enemy spaceship Lincoln.  But things start to get worse for the crew of Hypatia when it turns out that there is a deadly virus that is spreading across the ship that is turning the people into hideous monsters.  Not to mention, the fleet’s AI AIDAN has gone berserk and has started killing people on board in order to protect them from Lincoln’s forces.  Now, it is up to Kady and Ezra to save the ship Hypatia from the virus, AIDAN and Lincoln itself.

Wow!  I never would have expected to enjoy this book as much as I did!  Both Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff did a fantastic job at writing this book!  The narrative was highly creative as the story is mostly told through various documents that the commanders of the Hypatia have collected and also through diagrams of the ship and email messages from each of the characters.  I have never read a book where the narrative was mostly comprised of documents and diagrams and it made this book so intriguing to read! I also loved the way that both Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff put in so much intensity into the story as I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat when almost everyone was getting affected by the virus and when AIDAN started going berserk.  It seemed like almost everyone was going to die in this book due to all the deaths that occurred and that just made this book so exciting to read.  I also really loved all of the characters in this book, especially Kady and Ezra as they were extremely well-written.  I loved the fact that Kady Grant was such a strong female protagonist who was able to use her hacking skills to do everything in her power to save the people of Hypatia.  Ezra Mason was another character that I really liked as his sarcastic personality was hilarious to read and I really loved his relationship with Kady as they seem to have a love / hate relationship with each other, but still care about each other deep down.  I especially loved the way that Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff wrote the dialogues in this book, as most of the characters have snarky personalities.  And yet, they all sounded so relatable to me, especially when they are trying to figure out how they will survive this all-out war that they are forcefully thrown into.

For anyone who does not like strong violence and death, there is quite a bit of violent moments in this book, especially during the scenes where the virus breaks out and the infected started attacking people in increasingly brutal ways.  There is also a lot of deaths in this book due to said virus that might upset some people.

Overall, “Illuminae” is easily one of the most creative and exciting books that I have ever read and if you love science fiction books with a bit of romance thrown in, then I would definitely recommend this book!  Now, I am off to read the second book in the series, “Gemina!”

* 2015 Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) for Older Children (ages 8-14)

* 2015 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel

* 2015 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

* 2016 Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance

* 2016 The Inky Awards Nominee for Gold Inky

* 2016 The Inky Awards Shortlist for Gold Inky

* 2016 Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga

* 2017 Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee

* 2018 Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee

* 2019 Lincoln Award Nominee

You might also like: 

• The Martian by Andy Weir

• Red Rising by Pierce Brown

• Golden Son by Pierce Brown

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[BOOK REVIEW] Saga Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan

Title:  Saga Volume 7

Author:  Brian K. Vaughan

Artist:  Fiona Staples

Genre:  Adventure / Family / Fantasy / Science Fiction

Year Published:  2017

Year Read: 6/30/2018

Series:  Saga #7

Publisher:  Image Comics

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Gory Violence, Strong Language and Nudity)

Trigger Warning: Near Rape Scene

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Introduction:

Oh, my goodness!  How long has it been since I last read “Saga?”  Too long, I say!  TOO LONG!!!  Anyway, I finally got around to reading the seventh volume in Brian K. Vaughan’s and Fiona Staples’ AWESOME and BRILLIANT “Saga” series and oh man, do I DARE say that this volume has gotten me into TEARS in the worst way possible?

What is this story about?

In this volume, Marko, Alana and their daughter Hazel are finally reunited with each other after spending the previous volumes being apart from each other.  When the ship they are using runs out of fuel, Marko, Alana and their new friend Petrichor and Prince Robot have to go to a planet called Phang to get the fuel they need for their ship.  But, Phang is a planet that is ravaged by the war between Wreath and Landfall and they ended up meeting a family of refugees who ended up staying with Alana, Marko and their crew for a while.  Unfortunately, it turns out that the planet Phang is actually about to be destroyed and Alana, Marko, Hazel and their friends have to figure out a way to escape the planet before it is too late!

What I loved about this story:

Brian K. Vaughan’s writing:  Oh, my goodness!  I just can never get enough of this series!!! Brian K. Vaughan has once again done a brilliant job at writing this volume as this volume was full of humor, drama, and tear jerking moments that will make you cry for days!  I loved the way that Brian K. Vaughn wrote the characters as I found myself really caring for the characters’ situations, especially with Alana being pregnant again and trying to keep her baby safe while surviving on a war-torn planet.  I am always amazed at how Alana and Marko managed to survive their dangerous journey in going to a peaceful planet while also having a family at the same time as it shows how strong their family is and I always loved the fact that whenever a new person comes on board their ship, they are automatically considered family.  I really liked the way that Hazel is growing up in each volume as she slowly tries to understand about the world around her, while still being the most innocent character in this series and she is always bringing in some lightheartedness to the story.  I also liked the way that Brian K. Vaughan approached the subject about what refugees have to go through whenever they are stuck in a war-torn city as I found myself sympathizing with the refugees that Alana and Marko took in and how they lost everything due to a war going on in their homeland.  I liked the fact that Brian K. Vaughan pulled no punches in this volume as there were many character deaths and intense situations that had left me shaken and it seems like with each volume, things get even more dangerous and intense for Marko and Alana and I just hope that they along with Hazel survive the dangerous journey.

Fiona Staples’ artwork:  Fiona Staples’ artwork is as usual gorgeous to look at!  I just loved the way that Fiona Staples did the explosions and lasers in certain scene as they are breathtaking to look at and just jump out at you.  I also loved the way that Fiona Staples drew the different creatures that inhabited this universe as they look bizarre yet creative at the same time!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like strong language, there are some usages of the “f” and “s” words that are littered throughout this volume.  Also, there is some nudity in this volume (although not as much as previous volumes, which is saying something). So, if you do not like seeing (pardon my speech) penises or nipples, then you might want to skip over these scenes.  There are some gory scenes in this volume also, such as images of people’s heads getting blown up.  So that might unsettle some people who do not like gory violence in graphic novels.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Saga Volume Seven” is a truly FANTASTIC and TRAGIC volume that everyone who is a fan of Brian K. Vaughan’s famous “Saga” series should definitely check it out!  Now, I am off to check out the eighth volume in this series!

* 2017 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Graphic Novels and Comics

* 2017 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan), Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team (for Fiona Staples) and Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers) (Fiona Staples)

You might also like: 

• Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan

• Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan

• Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

[BOOK REVIEW] This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Title:  This Savage Song

Author:  Victoria Schwab

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Year Published: 2016

Number of Pages:  427 pages

Date Read: 6/27/2018

Series: Monsters of Verity #1

Publisher:  Greenwillow Books

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

“Monsters, monsters, big and small,
"They're gonna come and eat you all.
Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,
Shadow and bone will eat you raw.
Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly,
Smile and bite and drink you dry.
Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,
Sing you a song and steal your soul.
Monsters, monsters, big and small,
They're gonna come and eat you all!” 

Now, I have been hearing so many good things about Victoria Schwab’s popular “Monsters of Verity” series and I just had to pick this series up as soon as possible!  So, the first book in the series is “This Savage Song” and it was so beautifully written by Victoria Schwab that I just immediately fell in love with this book!

The city of Verity is in the middle of a war between the monsters and the humans, as monsters such as the Corsai, Malchai and the Sunai, are plaguing the city with violence and death.  The humans, on the other hand, are trying to protect themselves against the monsters and are living every day in fear.  Overseeing the city of Verity is a man named Callum Harker, who is the most powerful man in the city and he promises to protect the humans against the monsters if they pay him for his help in taking down the monsters.  On the other side of the city, a man named Henry Flynn rules the part of the city that Harker has no control over and he also tries to protect the people of Verity from the monsters plaguing the city.  But, he is up against Harker and the two are at war with each other to see who will take over the city of Verity.  Kate Harker had just recently been kicked out of her most recent school for trying to set the building on fire and she returns to Verity to prove to her estranged father, Callum Harker, that she can be just as ruthless and merciless as him and has decided to attend Colton Academy to be closer to her father.

However, while at the academy, Kate encounters a shy and awkward boy named August Flynn, who is actually undercover by orders of Henry Flynn, to spy on Kate and see if they need to use her for leverage against Harker.  Also, August harbors a secret that Kate does not know about:  he is actually a Sunai, a monster that can suck out the souls of the people who have sinned and he uses his violin as a way to bring out the people’s souls so he can devour them.  In order to fit in the school, August must keep his true identity a secret from the other students, including Kate, who he slowly starts to develop a bond with.  In a city that is wrecked by war, August and Kate must find a way to survive in this war-torn town while trying to understand each other better.

Wow!  Double, DOUBLE wow!  I never would have thought that I would love this book so much when I read it for the first time!  Victoria Schwab’s writing was so beautiful and intense that I found myself being enthralled by the haunting yet amazing world that the story takes place in!  I loved the way that Victoria Schwab created the world of Verity as it is a truly frightening place, especially with the monsters constantly running amok the city and killing many innocent people without warning.  I liked the fact that this book can be really scary at times, especially during the scenes where August is having trouble controlling his powers and you cannot help but feel a sense of unease as you wonder if he will hurt Kate if his powers get out of control.  I liked the way that Victoria Schwab wrote all the characters in this book as each character is holding a dark secret that the reader does not know about until the very end of the book and Victoria Schwab does a great job at building up the mysteries surrounding each character.  Out of all the characters in this book that I enjoyed the most, they were, of course Kate and August themselves!   I liked the fact that Kate was an anti-hero in this story and that she was acting a bit ruthless throughout the story because it is rare to see the protagonist of the story be so ruthless, even when we found out that it is because she just wanted her father to notice her.  I also loved August as he is the opposite of Kate as he is actually polite and shy, in contrast to Kate’s more aggressive personality and the fact that he is struggling with controlling his monster side makes him into such an interesting character!  I especially loved the relationship between Kate and August as they are more like friends in this book than lovers as it is rare for me to read a book where the main protagonists are just friends and I enjoyed the bonding that Kate and August have once they get to know each other better.

For anyone who does not like strong language, there are a couple of words like the “f” word and the “s” word being thrown around in this book that might offend some readers.  Also, there is some gory violence in this book as characters are stabbed or cut up in a graphic manner that might be disturbing to some readers.

Overall, “This Savage Song” is a truly brilliant book about true friendship, music and horror that fans of these type of books will definitely enjoy!  Now, without a further ado, I am off to read the second book in the series “Our Dark Duet!”

You might also like:

• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• Shadow Game by Christine Feehan
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

[BOOK REVIEW] Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Title:  Golden Son

Author:  Pierce Brown

Genre: Science Fiction

Year Published: 2015

Number of Pages: 691 pages

Date Read: 8/4/2017

Publisher:   Gale Cengage Learning (Large Print)

Series: Red Rising #2

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language and Gory Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

“Home isn't where you're from, it's where you find light when all grows dark.” 

It has been awhile since I had last read “Red Rising” by Pierce Brown and when I found out about the rest of the books in Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising” trilogy, I just has to pick up the next book “Golden Son” as soon as possible and man, was I in for one intense and shocking ride!

 Darrow used to be a Red, but when his beloved wife Eo ends up dying in the last book due to defying the high and mighty Golds, Darrow then decides to disguise himself as a Gold in order to infiltrate the Gold Empire and fulfill Eo’s dying dream to live a life of freedom.  While in the Gold Empire, Darrow starts making friends at the Gold Academy and after he wins the deadly competition in the last book, he becomes Augustus’ most cherished warrior.  However, Darrow soon realizes that the Sons of Ares are starting a rebellion against the Gold Empire and Darrow realizes that the only way he can take down the Gold Empire is if he causes a war between the Golds themselves.  As Darrow becomes Augustus’ champion and puts his plan to action, he will soon learn about the importance of true friendship while discovering several betrayals within his army that might eventually break him.

Wow! Just wow…. After I had read the first book in the “Red Rising” series, I never would have thought that the second book “Golden Son” can beat the brutal, intense and shocking nature of “Red Rising.”  But lo and behold, “Golden Son” managed to beat out “Red Rising” in terms of having the most brutal and shocking twists to ever happen in this series!  Pierce Brown has done a fantastic job at writing this story as it is much more intense and shocking than the first book and I was quite surprised by the number of betrayals that happens to Darrow throughout this book as the characters that I expected to betray Darrow were not the characters that I was expecting.  But probably the best part about this book is the characters themselves and how much they had developed from the first book, whether it is a positive or negative progression for them. Pierce Brown has done a great job at developing all of these characters from the first book, especially Darrow himself as he went from being a weak protagonist who was not sure about his goals in life and whether or not he can succeed in infiltrating the Gold Empire to being a strong protagonist who eventually went up the ranks of the Gold Empire and even had the courage to lead an army to take down his enemies.  I also loved the progression that both Sevro and Mustang take in this book as they go through the most amazing development among Darrow’s other allies and I like the fact that Darrow and Mustang’s relationship actually progresses further in this book and I cannot wait to see more of Darrow and Mustang in the next book!  I also loved the friendship shared between Sevro and Darrow as they have one of the most unique friendships I have ever read in any science fiction novel!

 Anyone who does not like strong language and gory violence should be warned that there is some strong language in this book, such as the usage of the “s” and “f” word and it would probably be best to skim over these words if you are offended easily.  Also, the violence is pretty strong in this book as it features massive slaughter of many people and the gory fights between the characters are told in great detail.

Overall, “Golden Son” is a truly intense and shocking second book in the “Red Rising” series that fans of dystopian fiction should definitely check out and now, I am going to read the third and final book in the series, “Morning Star"  because the ending of this book is seriously killing me and I got to know what is going to happen to Darrow in the third book!

* 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction

* 2016 Prometheus Award Nominee for Best Novel

You might also like: 

• Red Rising by Pierce Brown

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

[BOOK REVIEW] True Paranoid Facts! by Calvin Zeit and Henrik Drescher

Title:  True Paranoid Facts!



Author:  Calvin Zeit



Artist:  Henrik Drescher

Genre:  Nonfiction / Humor / War / Politics

Year Published:  1983

Year Read: 3/11/2017

Publisher: William Morrow and Company, Inc.



Source:  Purchased



Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Violence,  Sexual Situations and Nudity)



Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

I must admit that I was on a shopping spree on Amazon for books that were obscure and out of print and I happened to stumble upon this really obscure book called “True Paranoid Facts!”  “True Paranoid Facts!” is a factual book that was written by Calvin Zeit along with artwork by Henrik Drescher and the only reason I bought this book in the first place was because of Henrik Drescher’s artwork and I actually found this book to be quite an interesting read!

Basically, this book is filled with facts that deal with wars, historical figures and nuclear weapons that were relevant during the 1980s and these facts include:

“You can run, but you can’t hide.”

“Most wars in history have been fought over RELIGION!”

“Valley of the Dolls is the best-selling novel in the history of the world!”

“YOU are your own worst enemy!”

“Love is never having to say you’re sorry.”

Calvin Zeit has done a great job at detailing various facts that were relevant during the 1980s and compiling them into this graphic novel that is more aimed towards adults than anything, especially if you have knowledge about the Cold War paranoia going on during the 1980s.  I like the fact that Calvin Zeit provided some source notes at the end of the book that details where he researched the facts in this book as I wanted to know where these facts had stemmed from and how authentic they were during the 1980s.  There were also some facts that I found surprising as I did not know about some of these facts until I read this book such as “Valley of the Dolls” being the best-selling novel in the history of the world or that Nancy Reagan is more popular than Mother Teresa.  Henrik Drescher’s artwork is as usual humorous and bizarre to look at as the artwork is mostly rendered in black and white colorings and the characters shown in this book are exaggerated beyond comprehension.  One of my most favorite images in this book is the image of the food coming after a man as the facts state about how some foods contain dangerous and poisonous chemicals that could kill a human being and the image of the food coming alive really reinforces that fact.

The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because I felt that the information in this book were a bit outdated.  Of course, since this was written during the 1980s, this cannot be helped, although it still bothered me a bit when I look at information like “Valley of the Dolls” is the best-selling novel in the world and you look at the current best-selling books and that fact has changed dramatically over the years.  Also, just because the cover of this book looks extremely humorous, does not mean that this book is for younger readers.  This book contains lots of violence and nudity and that might make some readers uncomfortable if they do not like such elements in a story.

Overall, “True Paranoid Facts!” is an interesting book if you are looking to see what kind of facts about war, nuclear weapons and historical figures were relevant during the 1980s.  I would recommend this book to fans of books that deal with the society of the 1980s!

You might also like:

• Turbulence: A Log Book by Henrik Drescher

• Tales from the Crib by Henrik Drescher

• Gruesome Guide to World Monsters by Judy Sierra