Tag: aliens

cover of The Experiment
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Experiment

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The Experiment (Feiwel and Friends, 2025) by Rebecca Stead is such an unusual and intriguing story.

Sixth-grader Nathan’s world is ending–or at least his time on earth. He’s always had to keep the secret that his family is from another planet. They are part of ten families in the experiment. But then some of his friends in the group have been disappearing without a word. Today, locked in his room, he’s waiting for the people who are coming to pick him up!

I love that Nathan is a Calvin and Hobbes comic fan.

See the author’s other books here and learn about Rebecca herself here.

Posted in So Many Good Books, YA Novels

The Lying Planet

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

LyingPlanetThe Lying Planet (Entangled Publishing, 2016) by Carol Riggs got buried in my TBR pile, which really was a shame as I enjoyed this sci-fi novel very much.
Jay Lawton can’t wait to move out of Sanctuary, one of the colonies in a safe zone, when he graduates on his birthday. He’s sure he and his girlfriend, Aubrie, will test well and both go to Promise City. He’s hoping he might earn a cloudskimmer. Then the two can be free of parental supervision and explore the planet. The genomide poisoned body of the banished Mick Garinger is just a reminder to keep doing well with studies, community service, and work in this post-war life on the planet Liberty.
But one night Jay forgets his evening pill and stumbles on a heart-stopping truth–the adults are not who they say they are! Aubrie won’t believe him, but other friends do. Now instead of wanting to get the highest score out of the Testing Machine, Jay and the others need to do what they can for a low score and get banished. Plus they need to convince the other seventeen-year-olds, especially Aubie, of their impending danger.
You can read chapter one here and find out more about Carol’s other books here.
I’m not sure I could handle this story in movie form…

Posted in So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Sanctuary

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

SanctuarySanctuary (Simon Pulse, 2018) by Caryn Lix is one of those stories that if they make into a movie, I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch on the big screen. And *Shudder* I don’t want to reveal why.
Kenzie and her family live in Sanctuary, a prison space station for teen super-criminals. In fact, Kenzie is a part-time junior guard in training and her mother is the commander of the facility. Kenzie feels she has to prove herself to the other guards–favoritism and all that–but she’s a bit more concerned about the news her parents just dropped on her. So she’s a little tense when a drill hits that seems over-the-top, even for an AI like Sanctuary.
With Dad gone, the others off station, it’s just Mom and Kenzie. They should be able to handle anything. But when Kenzie is taken hostage by the prisoners on level 5, she discovers her mother’s loyalty is to the corporation Ominstellar over her own daughter’s life. And Kenzie understands. Mostly.
The situation worsens from there.
Let’s just say creatures in outer space.
I reached a point where I couldn’t stop reading.
This is the author’s debut novel that came out in July. Read about Caryn here.