I am trying very hard to write a well-balanced and objective review about this book. But just a fair warning: I don’t think I will be able to do so. Not because I might be biased or anything like that - but because I am utterly and unbelievably in love with it. Illuminate is simply amazing. I was so excited to get a copy of this and almost couldn’t finish what I had already started to read before I got to this one. To be honest with you, whenever something like that happens, the book usually turns out to be a bit of a disappointment to me. Not because it is bad, but simply because my expectations were way too high. Definitely not with this one though. I loved it, I adored it and I had the best time reading it. It was so incredible that I stayed up way too late because I couldn’t stop reading. Needless to say, that there is probably nothing better that can be said about any book ever.The story of Haven, who got adopted by the amazing Joan after she was found almost dead on the streets and doesn’t have any memory before that point, is an amazing one. She is a clever girl who invests a lot of time and effort in her education. And even though she only just turns 16 at the beginning of the book, it becomes very clear that she doesn’t regret that decision at all. She has her life, Joan, her best friend Dante and the work at a hospital. And she has her goals - of studying and getting into medicine. Of course sometimes she wishes for more, for a love interest above all, but what I loved about Haven’s character is that she is thankful for what she has and she is strong-minded and very aware about her values.But of course, as in every great story, Haven has to go through some struggles. She becomes an intern at the best hotel in Chicago, the Lexington, alongside her best friend and Lance, a boy she knows from school. And even though all of them work hard and try to get into business and make contacts during all that, it becomes clear very soon that something in this hotel isn’t going right. In fact, it’s going the opposite of right. That leads to the question of the book, and the question Haven and her friends have to find an answer to is: What is right - what is good - and what is bad and wrong? And what is their role in the game that is obviously being played? They are definitely just spectators, but why were they chosen for the internship and what is it that makes them different from everyone else, but still of interest for Aurelia, the flawless-looking manager of the hotel?After looking at the cover of the book, I don’t think I say too much when I point out that this is not a contemporary young adult book, but has a lot of fantastic elements in it. I have never really read books with angels as main characters, I always thought that that is something I’d not be interested to hear a story about. But I have to say that this book changed my view on that genre completely and I can’t wait to get my hand on another one, preferably the sequel to Illuminate of course.I love how the story is set in modern times and still has a flair of the 1920s. The way Aimee Agresti writes and her choice of words make it very clear that there is an immense difference between the world that is known to Haven on the one hand and the world of the Lexington on the other one. The whole atmosphere changes whenever she enters or leaves the hotel. That however underlines the danger and the excitement of the story a whole lot and therefore it’s unbelievably hard to put the book down once you’ve started reading. The different characters add to the tension a lot. I especially love Haven as a main character. She is very strong, but still has a vulnerability to her like any 16-year-old would. In her search for the right thing to do, she struggles and gets drawn into the world of the Lexington a lot, but still fights for the things she sees as right and for the people she loves. I especially enjoyed the friendship between her and Dante - and the love story that she gets to experience throughout the course of the book. But I have to say that I loved that the obvious “problems” Haven has to deal with are the main focus of the story, and the love comes second (but couldn’t be sweeter at that).To sum it up, I can’t say anything else than that Illuminate has been the most amazing read I’ve had in quite some time. And I am very impatient to get my hands on the sequel. I think....3.5. I liked this book. But it was a little different than what I was expecting. It was a lot darker, creepier, and scarier then what I thought it would be, for example. I did like that the story was different and that the characters didn't act exactly the way that I thought they would. They, and the plot, were full of surprises, and ones that I didn't see coming. I also thought that the reference to The Picture of Dorian Gray was interesting and unique as I've never seen that in another book before. All in all, I'd say that I never met a a book that was quite like this one, and I'm glad that I read it, although I'm not all together sure why it's called Illuminate. That being said, I am very intrigued by the world created in this story, and I'd certainly like to know more.
What do You think about Illuminate (2012)?
I loved this book and I car wait for the next one
—Kaique
