Calypso

by Nat Cuddington

Iva is a teenage Calypsian, an alien living on one of Saturn’s moons. She enjoys her sheltered life and feels safe knowing her home’s atmosphere is designed to protect them from enemies. But when Calypso is suddenly invaded by humans, she finds herself face to face with Justin, a 17 year old boy from Earth. Stuck in the middle of a war zone, Justin and Iva have no choice but to put trust in each other in order to put a stop to what's going on, and save their own worlds.



-- But there was just that thing tugging inside of me that made me want to puke. That thing that told me Justin was an alien, and his people brought weapons with them to our home. That thing told me that Justin could be making me think he was nice so he could lure me into a trap. But then my stomach flip flopped around, and made me ache for him to step in closer to me. That new thing in my stomach was telling me that he was being nice because he was actually a nice person. But it kept going back and forth. I wanted to trust him, but I felt like I shouldn't. I wanted to be his friend, but I was still afraid of him. So I made the decision to keep playing it safe until I got to know him better. Don't trust him so easily, I thought. Let him prove that he deserves it. --

289 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2014

About the author

Hey, it's Nat. I work in a Brewery so that means I'm cool ;)
When I'm not dealing with chronic pain, I like to workout and go jogging or rollerblading.
If I'm not escaping into a book that I'm reading or writing, you can probably find me wandering around Hyrule on my Nintendo Switch.

Reviews

[Francyne Marie fleurette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story line flowed incredibly easily. From the slow and quiet start through the continual action packed middle towards the final resolution, I could not put down the book. If I did, I was thinking about it and anything else I did was with a distracted mind. I had to remember though that this was written in first person, and where events happened that were not explained left me a bit frustrated, I had to remind myself that the heroine was not aware of all developments herself. The characters' development was obvious as both main characters grew during the short period of time they were together, and discovered things about themselves they were not aware of before they met each other. I would recommend this book, even if YA is not your typical go-to literature. Surprisingly entertaining. My rating is based on my experience reading YA which is limited, and comparing it to my usual fare of research based non-fiction. I truly hope Natalie write another book, I will read it without a doubt.|

[Laura Kulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the idea behind this story was really interesting, and I liked hearing it from Iva's perspective. I also like that it didn't end how I expected - at all. It was nice to read a story that didn't follow the typical teen love story formula.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm probably bias considering that fact that Nat is my friend, but in all honesty, this book was fabulous. I loved all of the characters, the plot, everything. I also loved how it was written. Sometimes I read books where the author seems like they're forcing what they're trying to say, but this book seemed honest. (that doesn't really make sense does it?).

Iva, the main character, annoyed me in the beginning which is understandable because I feel like sometimes a main character should annoy you in order for them to grow as a character. Iva really did grow and become a strong character. I loved her for that. I also developed a hardcore crush on Justin. Awww, Justin. He was an amazing character. I also developed a mad crush on Brett. OH MY GOD I LOVED HIM.

The ending of this was so real and I still need a moment to cope with what I read. Everything in the book felt real. There was a moment where I felt like I was in pain. I was fidgeting and cringing and all that good stuff.

Overall, everyone needs to buy Nat's book because not only is her book fabulous,but she is too!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The action is just endless, I was honestly surprised when certain things happened because I'd think, "but a huge thing JUST happened and here's another?!!!". It was great to be constantly surprised, and at times, shocked! I am absolutely biased, because the author is my friend and I luuurve her, but it IS also a great story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! Suspense, Mystery and little romance... it has it all! Fell in love with the characters, couldn't put it down until it was finished!

[Echo is a babe · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing for a new author! i loved the style, it was all around a really well written book.

[Patrick Weems · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting and fun!

I enjoyed this book more than I had expected. It was a bit like War of the Worlds in reverse, as the humans are the invaders, mixed with a touch of Romeo and Juliet. It's very well done. I happened upon it while searching for the David Sedaris book of the same name. I saw the beautiful cover of this book and read the description. I was hooked, and upon finishing it I can say I was not disappointed! It's definitely worth a read!

[Kathleen Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy David Sedaris. This novel was a little more personal. He talks on painful subjects but always ends up making you smile.

[Em Rabey · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.7 stars)
I loved it so much! Iva is such a sweet yet tough character!
I did find the solution a bit quick but other wise all was amazing!