A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Hey everyone! I'm not going to be doing my regular post today because I'm going book shopping. So instead, here's a review for an exceptional book that I think you'll enjoy -- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness

Genre: YA contemporary/magical realism

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description: 

Ever since his mother became ill, Conor has had the same nightmare. But tonight, it's different. Tonight, a monster appears outside Conor's window.
It wants to tell him three stories... and after the stories are over, it wants to hear the most terrible thing of all -- the truth.

A Monster Calls is a Carnegie-winning story of love, loss, and hope.

Overall Thoughts

If you want a book to make you cry, look no further than A Monster Calls. This book is devastatingly sad and hopeful and beautiful all at the same time. I'm finding it incredibly hard to look at each piece of the story as a piece of the story, because everything was so beautifully interwoven. But I'm going to try anyway. Because I'm stubborn.

The Characters

The characters felt real. Looking back, I realize I don't know a lot about most of them, but Ness chose the details he shared perfectly to let us get to know them. They felt like people, and I think that this is the crowning achievement every author should be striving for. Conor, the main character, was sympathetic, and his point of view was interesting and complex. We know, almost from the first page, that Conor is hiding something from us... but we don't know what that is until much later. I enjoyed how complex his inner struggles were, and his grief and anger and guilt felt so realistic. 

Plot/Pacing

The plot itself is simplistic, I suppose: Conor is visited by a monster who promises to tell him three stories, and then asks him to share his own -- Conor's story. Between the monster's visits are scenes of Conor's day to day life, at school and at home, as he deals with his mother's illness. It's a very quiet story, when I think about it -- quiet, but at the same time hard to put down. It was as though the plot conveyed the normalcy of the rest of the world, while Conor's world is slowly falling apart, and it was breathtaking.

Writing

The setting was not a huge piece of the book -- only a few details about each new place were given, but it really fit the simple, spare writing style Ness used in the novel. The writing was haunting: it's simple, but it says so much. No sentence goes to waste.

In terms of theme, well -- it's what made the book for me. It was beautifully handled, explored in complex ways, and I appreciated that.

In short, I understand why this book has twice won the Carnegie Medal -- it deserves it.

Content

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

I don't recall any swearing, but there may have been one or two minor swear words. 

Conor's parents are divorced, and Conor's father is remarried to another woman. 

There are a few violent scenes, but none are graphically described, sparing many details that would be disturbing to some readers. 

Death is a major theme in this book, so be aware going in that this book deals with a terminal illness (cancer, presumably) and does not gloss over the emotions felt by the characters affected by it. These themes are what would make me hesitant to recommend this book to younger or less mature readers.

Gemina [The Illuminae Files, #2] by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This review contains spoilers for Illuminae. To read my full review of Illuminae, follow the link here.

Gemina [The Illuminae Files, #2]
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Hanna Donnelly would rather be anywhere but Jump Station Heimdall. It's in the middle of nowhere, light years away from any real action... and any hope of a social life.
Niklas Malikov is a drug dealer and convicted criminal. After recently being released from juvenile detention, a job with his uncle on Heimdall doesn't seem like a bad idea. Turns out it's a horrible idea.
When Heimdall is invaded by a BeiTech strike team, Nik and Hanna must ally themselves with each other to save both Heimdall and the research vessel, Hypatia, from destruction by BeiTech.
But mercenaries may not be the only thing crawling through the guts of the station -- and with the Heimdall wormhole starting to malfunction, Hanna and Nik are running out of time...

Overall Thoughts

Gemina was probably my favorite book in the Illuminae Files trilogy. It was also the longest (over 600 pages!) As with Illuminae, I absolutely loved the way the story was told. I feel like I was way less unsure about the plot and characters going into Gemina, because after reading Illuminae I knew how well the style worked. 

In this book, one of the main characters, Hanna, journals, and some of her drawings are included, which I really liked as well.

The Characters

In terms of characterization, I liked both Hanna and Nik by the end of the book. In the beginning, Hanna is spoiled, kind of a typical rich girl, but she quickly has to focus on survival and she grows and matures by the end of the book, which I liked. Nik was... possibly stereotypical? I read another review of the book on The Story Sanctuary that compares him to the "bad boy with a heart of gold" character trope, and I'd have to agree... but I still liked him a lot (as did the author of the review). As a main character, I liked him a lot better than Ezra Mason. I also really liked his relationship with his cousin, Ella. And speaking of Ella, she was fantastic as well. She's the team hacker, and she's amazing at it, while at the same time not being so overpowered in that respect as to be annoying.

Plot/Pacing

I think one of the strongest points of the series is the plot and pacing. Despite Gemina's mildly terrifying length, it literally flew by. These books also succeed so much on a tension level. The stakes are constantly escalating, and by the end of the book, as with Illuminae, I couldn't stop turning pages. There were a lot of different factors working together -- mercenaries, killer alien parasites, a malfunctioning wormhole threatening to rip the universe in half... And of course there's a countdown, which is one of the plot devices used throughout the series that I think really helps with the tension and pacing aspects.
Also, the plot twists in this series are phenomenal. They caught me by surprise, anyway.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Violence, including descriptions of gunshot wounds and blood. There's a high body count throughout the series. Parasitic alien life forms attack and kill several people. Descriptions of the parasites and the way they are grown is also disturbing. 

Sexual content is limited to innuendo, a few references to a character being in bed with another character (not detailed). A character is forced to strip down to her underwear in one scene, not sexual. 

Swearing is frequent, but most of it is blacked out. A few words are not, and it's pretty easy to tell what the characters are saying even when the words are censored. 

Nik's family manufactures and sells a drug. Hanna buys this same drug, and references to having used it before. The drug itself is used in several other ways throughout the course of the story. Nik smokes.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star
by Nicola Yoon

Genre: YA contemporary romance

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Natasha is a believer in facts. Logic. Things concrete and tangible. Once, she was a dreamer. But now, with her family twelve hours from being deported to Jamaica, she has no room in her life for dreams. And especially not for love.
Daniel is the obedient son. He doesn't want to become a doctor, but that's what his parents want, and so he keeps his dreams of being a poet out of the picture. But when he meets Natasha, everything changes.
Will twelve hours change the course of both their lives forever?

Overall Thoughts

The Sun is Also a Star was a wild ride for me. In the beginning of the book, it was a four star. Near the middle, I got irritated and decided that I should give it a three point five. And now, it's listed on my Goodreads that I rated it five stars (though in complete honesty, I gave it 4.5). But yeah. It was an interesting book, and I'm ultimately glad I read it.
Thematically, this book is stunning. It's showing how people's lives intersect, how one small action can change everything, and I loved that theme. The theme of destiny/fate was not as well done, in my opinion -- the first theme definitely overshadowed it.

The Characters

The characters were interesting. I instantly liked Natasha, and I found her point of view the most interesting to read. It took me a long time (like 75% of the book) to warm up to Daniel... some of his motivations were random, and I couldn't really sympathize with his stereotypical "teenage boy-ness"... if that makes any sense. I did grow to like him during the last act of the story (the end pretty much decided my eventual rating), and I also liked that he was a poet. I also liked how random side characters in the story -- people Natasha and Daniel walk past on the street, or talk to in an office, or hear over a loudspeaker -- get their own backstories from the point of view of an omniscient narrator known as the Universe. I really enjoyed seeing how all of these different people's stories linked together.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was well paced and engaging. The entire story takes place over the course of twelve hours, which I feel could become boring or awkwardly paced if written badly. But Yoon pulled it off very well, skipping over the boring bits and not including so much that it seems unrealistic to take place within a single day. 

I did have a bit of a problem with the romance in the beginning. It is insta-love, after all... and some of the scenes near the beginning of the romance plot seemed a little forced, mostly on the part of Daniel, whose motivations in these scenes were hard to understand. But again, by the last 40% or so of the book, I really liked it. 

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up. 

Kissing. Daniel thinks about going further with Natasha physically (which annoyed me, as they've only known each other for half a day at this point.) Sexual jokes/innuendo. 

Language is strong, including at least seven counts of the f-bomb, as well as other possibly offensive language. 

Mention of suicide. Discussion of racism, and includes racist characters. The actions and words of these characters are shown to be wrong.

My Favorite Banned or Challenged Books

Tomorrow will be the beginning of Banned Books Week 2019! So, in celebration, I thought I would make a list of my favorite banned or challenged books.
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom we have to read by bringing awareness to titles that have been challenged or banned. For more information about Banned Books Week, check out their About page: https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/.

And now, onto my own list! (Note that I've included reasons the books have been challenged or banned. You can find more reasons and information on the ALA information website on the topic.)

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Banned for: use of racial slurs, violence, discussion of rape, offensive language, racism.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird last year as part of my high school literature program, and I thought it was a beautiful, thought-provoking story. However, it has been the subject of controversy since its publication in 1960.

2. The Giver by Lois Lowry

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Banned for: Unsuited to age group, euthanasia, violence, sexuality, discussion of suicide

This was the first true dystopian novel I read (in my recollection), and to be completely honest, it terrified me. However, it is an important book, and while the world it depicts is disturbing and twisted, I believe that it deserves to be read -- perhaps with a little more caution depending on the age and maturity of the reader.

3. Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Banned for: offensive language, occult/magic, violence

When I found out Bridge to Terebithia was a banned book, I was shocked. This book definitely deserved the John Newberry medal it received. It's been a while since I've read this book, to be honest, but I've loved it each and every time I've read it.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Challenged for: Violence, unsuited for age group, offensive language. 

I wasn't surprised to find out that The Hunger Games had been challenged. It is a violent story -- but that's the whole point. I believe Suzanne Collins was trying to show the horror of the storyworld she'd created, and so I don't believe the violence was without a point in her story.

5. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Challenged for: Offensive language, violence

Another violent book, but again, I believe Ender's Game had a purpose for including the amount of violence it did. Perhaps the violence was further compounded by the age of the characters -- most are under the age of fourteen throughout the story, and some are as young as six. However, the novel is extremely well written with excellent plot lines and interesting themes. 

6. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Challenged for: Occult/magic

This one was another shock for me. The fact that Tolkien's novels have been challenged as being occult -- when Tolkien himself was a devout Christian -- is strange to me. But it's true. There was even a book burning of Tolkien's works in 2001 in Almagordo, New Mexico. 

7. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Banned for: Violence, occult/magic, religious viewpoint

Okay. So. Since its publication, Harry Potter has probably become one of the most famous controversial books of all time. It's been claimed that it is Satanic, even though, with the publication of The Deathly Hallows, some are looking back over the series and seeing the Christian parallels the series makes.

For myself, Harry Potter has always been a part of my life, and I love the series. I really don't think there's anything Satanic in these books, and that banning them will do more harm than good.

8. The Holy Bible

© 2019 by Rambles from My Library

Challenged for: Religious viewpoint

I couldn't end this list without mentioning the Bible. As a Christian, I definitely don't believe that the Bible should be banned, both for intellectual and religious reasons. It would go against basic human freedoms and rights to ban it, in my opinion. 

And that's about it! What banned books have you read and loved? Have you read any of the books on this list? Let me know in the comments!

Mitosis [The Reckoners, #1.5] by Brandon Sanderson

Mitosis [The Reckoners, #1.5]
by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: YA dystopian

My Rating: ★★

Description:

In this short story set just before the events of Firefight, David and the Reckoners battle the Epic Mitosis.

Overall Thoughts

I don't really see the point of Mitosis. When I saw it listed as part of The Reckoners series, I assumed that it was going to add more to my understanding of the characters, the universe, the plot of the series, something. But it didn't.

Mitosis was, first of all, extremely short. It's not really a novella as much as it is a short story. Because it was so short, not much characterization happened in the story, and as a result, even the characters who were well-developed in the series fell flat in this book.

For anyone who's read Firefight, you'll know that Mitosis was mentioned as one of the Epics that the Reckoners fought before Sourcefield. The plot basically revolves around fighting Mitosis and beating him. And that's it. So, frankly, I was disappointed. Maybe some of my disappointment stems from high expectations. After all, this was written by Brandon Sanderson, the author of such incredible stories as The Final Empire and Skyward. But this story just... didn't do it for me.

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Violence, on par with the violence found in the rest of the series. There may have been one or two swear words, but I can't recall. No sexual content that I can remember, unless you count a cheesy love song as content. 

Splintered [Splintered, #1] by A. G. Howard

Splintered [Splintered, #1]
by A.G. Howard

Genre: YA fantasy retelling

My Rating: ★★

Description: 

Alyssa Gardner is not crazy. At least, that's what she keeps telling herself. All her life, she's been able to understand the language of plants and insects, a secret she's kept hidden from everyone, including her father. Because as the descendant of Alice Liddell -- Lewis Carroll's real life inspiration for Alice in Wonderland -- crazy just seems to run in the family. Alyssa knows it only takes one wrong move to end up like her mom -- in an asylum.
But a series of strange events soon forced Alyssa to confront a terrifying truth: Wonderland is real... and in reality, it's deadly...

Overall Thoughts

What I was expecting when I opened Splintered: dark Alice in Wonderland retelling, creepy, pulse-pounding, quest-style adventure. What I actually got from reading Splintered: a rambly plotline and an increasingly annoying love triangle. 

I'm kind of sad that I didn't enjoy Splintered, because I feel it had a lot of potential. But it just didn't live up to my expectations.
I can't really tell you what the theme was... and maybe this is because it's been a while since I read it. But I don't recall any particularly stand-out themes, except maybe one tossed in at the end about not having to conform to your destiny? But it wasn't handled as well as it could have been.

Setting/Worldbuilding

I'm going to start with what I did like about the novel, because there were things I liked. I loved the creepy, Gothic aesthetic, particularly in the beginning chapters -- these chapters were probably my favorite parts in the whole story. The setting choice in these early parts of the story were so cool... it almost makes me wish the author had chosen to set her whole Wonderland story in this location. (I understand that the plot makes this hard to work around, but I feel like it could have been done.) So I would say that the setting of the novel was it's strongest point. However, once in Wonderland, the setting became more random, and the world felt less cohesive and defined. It became confusing -- maybe the author's point, but one that definitely lessened my enjoyment of the work as a whole.

The Characters

In terms of characterization... I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Or, that is to say, I did, but then the stupid decisions they made later undermined any likeability they originally possessed.
Alyssa was definitely the most developed character, but I had a hard time following her motivations for following Morpheus once the quest began.
Morpheus is a typical "bad boy with a heart of gold", and while I've seen this type of character done well (I.E. Nik from Gemina) Morpheus never made me feel any kind of sympathy for him.
I liked Jeb in the first chapters (again, before Wonderland). But he quickly lost all the elements of his character that made me like him to begin with, and I ended up being very disappointed by him. (For more in-depth discussion about this, see my Goodreads review.)
Taelor was a stereotypical "mean girl", and she never really got much development apart from that, which is a shame. This stereotype is way too overused, and it shows.

Plot/Pacing

The plot... My feelings about the plot are a little complicated. I loved the premise -- Alyssa is Alice Liddell's descendant, and has to try to break her family's "curse". But the way it was carried out... that was what bothered me.
It's mostly because Alyssa, to be frank, knows nothing. The author holds back key elements of the plot to reveal later, and so for a good portion of the book, Alyssa's actions seem random. Her goal wasn't very well defined, and I think this caused the book to lag for me -- what Alyssa wanted to achieve kept changing from one chapter to the next, and that bothered me.
There was a good plot twist towards the end -- one that I actually really liked. And it explained a lot of why her quest was set up the way it was and everything. But it still felt too random to me, and I wish more had been explained earlier.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Typical YA novel content. Some swearing, no f-bombs that I can recall, but some more "intense" language than something you would find in, say, The Lunar Chronicles. 

Several scenes of passionate kissing. A couple sleeps together in a boat (nothing else happens.) One thing I had an issue with in this novel is how saving yourself for marriage was treated almost... negatively. There were a few times where Alyssa referred to her virginity as a "problem", which made me kind of upset. No one should be shamed for saving themselves for marriage! I'm not sure if this was the author's intention, but that's the way it came off to me. 

Violence was moderate, nothing gory as I can recall. Near the end there were a few more intense fight scenes. 

A lot of disturbing imagery, reminiscent of a Tim Burton movie.

YA Books with Male Heroes

One thing that YA is famous for -- its incredible amount of female protagonists. Even just giving my bookshelf a quick skim, I've noticed that most of my favorite books (and also most popular books) have female main characters.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with female main characters, far from it! But there does seem to be a significant lack of male protagonists, especially in teen fiction. Hence this post.
I tend to be passionate about this issue because in my writing, I tend to focus on male characters (perhaps it's the product of my growing up with so many brothers!)
So, here are a few librarian (me!) approved books that feature male leads.

1. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

There are so many reasons why I love this book, and I know I seem to include this on 90% of my book lists so far, but it's just that good. I like that it also revolves around a lesser known historical event, at least outside of England -- the Gunpowder Plot. 

2. The Giver by Lois Lowry 

A banned book and a classic. This was, I believe, the first dystopian novel I ever read. And it freaked me out at the time. But this book is honestly a work of genius, and I really enjoyed it. The movie is also really good, in my opinion, and I liked it as much as the book (or maybe even a bit better.)

3. The Safe Lands Trilogy by Jill Williamson 

This is Christian fiction, just a heads-up for anyone who'd rather not read in that genre. Jill Williamson's books are some of the few Christian books I, as a Christian, actually enjoy reading. This is not a book for kids, however. The entire plot revolves around teen pregnancy and STDs, as well as drug abuse. It is never graphic, but I know some readers would rather avoid reading about these situations period. I, however, believe it is a solid book, and I'm glad that it is an honest one, while still not being graphic.
Replication, by the same author, is also very good, as is the first book in the Blood of Kings trilogy: By Darkness Hid. All feature male protagonists.

4. The Reckoners Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Is Steelheart Brandon Sanderson's best work? No. But it is a very solid and well-thought-out book, with some epic plot twists and great characters. I wouldn't read this as an introduction to Sanderson's work, however -- maybe instead, try The Rithmatist (below). 

5. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Imagine a world where the United States is an archipelago, chalk drawing possess magical power (and can also eat you alive). That is the setting for Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist, a brilliantly crafted steampunk/alternate history/fantasy novel. This book was my first introduction to Sanderson's work, and I adored it. 

6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Okay, okay, you caught me. This isn't exactly a teen novel. But it does have a lot of teen appeal, and it features a male lead. So, why not? This book is superb. It's easy to see, reading it, why it has won awards. The plot and characterization are excellent, and the world is fully realized and frightening. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi.

7. The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Neilsen

Technically, this is middle grade. However, Goodreads classifies as YA, too, and I mean, who's going to argue? This book is really good, regardless of the target audience.
I loved the main character, Sage's, voice. He has a really strong personality, and that, I think, is the thing that carries the book (and the series as a whole.)

8. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Like a book list would be complete without Harry Potter somewhere on it, right? I have no other words other than -- if you've read it: virtual high five! If you haven't: you are missing out. Go read it!

9. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

If you want a powerful, profound, and intensely haunting book that also features a male lead, look no further than A Monster Calls. It's a super quick read, and by the end of it, I was tearing up (and I don't cry over books easily.) If you haven't read it, well... you should go read it.

***

And finally, here's a quick list of books that feature male protagonists or POV characters that I haven't gotten around to reading yet, but want to!

- Legend by Mary Lu
- This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (I'm actually currently reading this!)
- The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
- The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
- Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Note that I haven't included The Maze Runner on this list. While it appears on many teen book lists geared towards boys, I personally didn't enjoy it, so I chose not to include it here. Only books I personally enjoyed made it onto this list.

So, that about wraps it up! What books featuring male protagonists have you read and enjoyed? Have you read any of the books I talked about here? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments! 

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

So much for getting this posted on Wednesday. :P Really sorry, everyone. 

Romanov
by Nadine Brandes

Genre: YA historical fantasy

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Nastya was once known as the Grand Duchess Anastasia, daughter of the Tsar of Russia. Now, her family is being forced into exile, and she has been entrusted with a single task - smuggle a powerful spell to the House of Special Purpose. It might be the only thing that can save her family.

But with the leader of the Bolshevik army hunting them, Nastya is soon faced with a choice - release the spell... or enlist the help of Zash, a confusing soldier who Nastya believes she can trust.
That is, until he's on one side of a firing squad... and she's on the other.

Overall Thoughts

I adored this book. I was about to hit the publish button and just leave the whole review at that, but I'm pretty sure that isn't the greatest idea. :P
But yes. I came to Romanov with high expectations, because after reading Fawkes, I knew that Romanov had a lot to live up to. While it wasn't quite as good as Fawkes (it's very hard to be as good as Fawkes), Romanov did not disappoint.

The Characters

First -- the characters. I loved Nastya, and I thought she made an excellent main character. Anastasia being the POV character for a book about the Romanovs may be cliche, but it certainly worked in this case. I really liked how much she cared about her family -- this was really admirable. I also appreciated her strength through a lot of difficult situations, but how she also felt human. She made mistakes and got angry and frustrated and found it hard to forgive her captors.
I also loved her relationships with her family members -- particularly Alexei. Their interactions felt really genuine. I wasn't sure how I felt about Alexei himself at first -- mostly because his personality is nothing like mine, so I had a hard time understanding how matter-of-fact he was about some things. But he's still a good character.
Zash was amazing. I really liked his character development, and I like how the author took time to develop his character arc and not rush to the conclusion.
The only major character that lacked a lot of development was the main villain, the Commandant. I wish he had been written with some more motivation and backstory, because sometimes he seemed to be evil for the sake of being evil. He does have a motive, but I wish more work had been done to deepen it, if that makes sense.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was solid -- not the strongest point of the book, in my opinion, but solid. It actually almost feels like two separate stories: you have the "before" story about the Romanovs living in the House of Special Purpose (which feels overall more historical) and then you have the "after" story, which occurs just after... well, you'll know when you get there. :P
I've read several Anastasia stories before this one, and so the "before" felt very familiar to me. I feel that if it had gone on much longer, I would have started to get bored. I feel that most readers probably won't have the same problem, since being obsessed with a single period of history isn't very common. The "after" definitely had a faster pace, but neither the "before" nor the "after" messed up, pacing-wise. I was never bored.

I also really liked how Brandes didn't shy away from tough topics. There were some very emotional, bloody, and hard scenes in this book -- namely the ones at the beginning of the "after" segment of the book, and the ones at the very end. This is technically Christian fiction, but I appreciated that Brandes showed the horribleness of what happened to the Romanovs, and also the emotional consequences for the survivors.

Were there things I didn't like about Romanov? Yes. Finding a perfect book is near impossible, which is why I so rarely give a five star rating to any books -- even ones I love. There was one paragraph near the end of the book where the theme of the novel is pretty much summarized... and I wish the author had avoided doing this. I never see the purpose of laying out a message for the reader to see, and I feel Brandes did a good enough job weaving her message into the narrative that having the paragraph didn't really add much to the story.

Content (Possible Spoilers)

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

TRIGGER WARNING: A character attempts suicide, but does not succeed. The actions this character took are not glorified by any means.
No swearing as far as I can remember. Kissing.
There are several brutal scenes in the book with a lot of blood, not gory, but maybe enough to upset very sensitive readers.

Illuminae [The Illuminae Files, #1] by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I've put off reviewing these books for far too long, which is strange, since I enjoyed them a lot. Hey, I'm fixing it now, aren't I?

Illuminae [The Illuminae Files, #1]
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

That morning, Kady Grant broke up with her boyfriend, Ezra Mason. That afternoon, her planet was invaded.
With two mega-corporations fighting over the ice-covered mining planet Kady calls home, both she and Ezra are forced onto an evacuating fleet with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But that isn't the worst of it. A deadly plague is mutating on board the ships, the onboard AI may not be as benevolent as it was designed to be, and command is keeping secrets -- secrets Kady is about to become tangled in.
As she hacks further into the data and starts to realize what is happening, she has to turn to the one person she swore she'd never speak to again -- her ex-boyfriend.

Overall Thoughts

Illuminae honestly blew me away. I came to the book with fairly average expectations... and maybe a bit of trepidation, as I'd heard that it was, ahem, not exactly a "clean" book. 

But w o w. I actually loved it. 

When I started reading, I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to understand the plot. Or get connected to the characters. Or anything, really. The writing style is just so unusual. Everything is told through a series of electronic messages, transcribed video footage, hacked emails and data, and even the occasional "web page." The beginning of the book is the transcription of interviews conducted on the two main characters. 

I was amazed at how well the format actually told the story. And honestly, I cannot imagine the story being told in any other way.
There were also some really deep and beautiful lines in this book, which I won't spoil. You'll know them when you find them.

The Characters

I really liked Kady as a main character. She definitely wasn't perfect -- okay, maybe a bit of an understatement -- but she's fierce. That's the best word I can think of to describe her. She genuinely loves both of her parents, and I really appreciated that. She's brilliant and brave, but she also makes some mistakes -- a lot of them, actually. But she doesn't ever give up.
I'm still not sure how I feel about Ezra.  He was an interesting character, but definitely not my favorite. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any other character filling his role, so I think he works for this story.
I also liked some of the minor characters -- namely Syra Boll (who really shines in the second book, Gemina). She's just a good character. She's forced to make some tough decisions, especially later in the book, and while I can't say I always agreed with her actions, she was still a very well developed personality.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was, in a word, pulse-pounding, especially entering the last quarter of the story, where the action was moving so fast it was like I was glued to the book. It's so hard to talk about the plot without getting into spoilers -- but wow. There was so much suspense! They're in a spaceship... being controlled by an AI with its own motives... being followed by another spaceship... with zombies. It's insane, seriously. The pacing was spot on and I was never bored.
I was not expecting any really good plot twists, but man, was I proved wrong. There were some mind-blowing twists near the end, which I did not see coming even when the foreshadowing was figuratively jumping off the page at me. Maybe it's just me, as I'm very, very bad at predicting plot twists with any measure of accuracy. :P

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

There is a lot of violence, as well as some disturbing descriptions. Descriptions of blood and the effects of the plague, as well as descriptions of what some of the Afflicted do to the other passengers. Some of these descriptions bordered on being gory, and were near the upper limits of what I can handle in a book.
There was a lot of language, but most of it was blacked out. Like this: I see you've discovered my secret.  But it's pretty easy to tell what the characters meant to say, despite that. 
There were also some crude/sexual comments and jokes, as well as references to sexual acts. One of these, in particular, was a bit uncomfortable for me to read. 
As far as I remember, there was little to no substance abuse, but I could have forgotten some details.