Published By: Andersen Press
Pages: 288
Released On: 01/01/2026
Reading Age: 9-12
Nathan never understood what was ‘fun’ about secrets, probably because he’s always had to keep a very big one.
Although he appears to be a typical twelve-year-old (with parents, homework and a best friend, Victor), Nathan learned at an early age that his family is from another planet. Now, their time on Earth may be coming to an end.
Nathan, his parents and nine other families are part of an experiment that suddenly seems to be going wrong. Some of the experimenters, including Nathan’s first crush, Izzy, are disappearing without a word. After his family is called back to the mothership, Nathan begins to question everything he’s been taught to believe about who he is and why he’s on Earth.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Andersen Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I’d read quite a few serious hard-hitting books recently, novels and non-fiction, and whilst I do enjoy them, sometimes I just want a fun, exciting kids book to lose myself in and this sounded exactly like that.
It has very short chapters which I liked, some only one or two pages. They really help speed up the reading and the fast pace will make it more exciting for younger readers.
I know I’m 3x the reading age and I can only give my review as a 32 year old, but I try to get into the mindset of a child reading it. I think kids will love it. It’s got adventure and friendship and peril. As an adult, it didn’t really have enough on the bones for me. Not a negative as such because I know I am not the target audience, but I have read some great kids books that work for adults, this just seemed a bit too…not quite deep enough for me.
Yes there is fun and danger and excitement, but it’s also about friendship and community and belief and love.
I didn’t think much of Nathan. I just didn’t think he was developed enough for me to truly invest in. Maybe I’m thinking too “adult” about it, but I just didn’t have that connection with him.
I also found the ending very rushed. It was going on and on and then suddenly it was over. Things aren’t explained and I’m none the wiser really about so much of it.
It’s just a bit all over the place, with additions that really added nothing to the story. There’s random POV changes, background information – it just flitted all over the shop. It was like Rebecca had had all these ideas but couldn’t’ figure out how to use them. It had a great premise that just didn’t live up to it.
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