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Helium
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 03:32:57
6 copies available
U.S. only
Will wonders never cease?
Joan has a gravity problem—and she’s desperate to keep it hidden. Haunted by a loss too heavy to bear, she drifts to Palomar Gardens, a tiny Southern California commune where hope hovers and teases. Here she encounters George, a charismatic mystic whose lofty visions will soon captivate the world.
Drawn into George’s orbit, Joan finds her footing. But the line between wonder and deception is thin, and her hold on reality slips. Improbable machines appear in the sky, only to vanish without explanation. Beautiful lies masquerade as truth. Her secret unmoors with consequences she cannot foresee.
Helium is a story of faith, folly, and the fragile human longing to touch the stars—of searching for a place in the cosmos where the possible and the impossible carry equal weight.
Joan has a gravity problem—and she’s desperate to keep it hidden. Haunted by a loss too heavy to bear, she drifts to Palomar Gardens, a tiny Southern California commune where hope hovers and teases. Here she encounters George, a charismatic mystic whose lofty visions will soon captivate the world.
Drawn into George’s orbit, Joan finds her footing. But the line between wonder and deception is thin, and her hold on reality slips. Improbable machines appear in the sky, only to vanish without explanation. Beautiful lies masquerade as truth. Her secret unmoors with consequences she cannot foresee.
Helium is a story of faith, folly, and the fragile human longing to touch the stars—of searching for a place in the cosmos where the possible and the impossible carry equal weight.
ebook
First published September 14, 2026
About the author
Dave Kenney
19 books22 followersDave Kenney is a novelist, freelance writer, and two-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Helium follows Joan, a guarded young woman who arrives near Palomar Mountain in the late 1940s and slips almost by accident into the orbit of Palomar Gardens, a café, roadside refuge, and gathering place for people entranced by flying saucers, cosmic messages, and the possibility of rescue from ordinary life. At the center is George, a fry cook, would-be mystic, and self-styled guide to extraterrestrial truth; circling him are loyal women, skeptics, misfits, believers, and opportunists. Joan brings her own private mystery with her, an uneasy relationship with gravity, memory, faith, and grief, and the novel watches her decide what kind of wonder can save a person, and what kind merely sells tickets.
Author Dave Kenney doesn't rush toward spectacle, even though the subject matter practically begs for blinking lights and pulp theatrics. Instead, he lets the uncanny seep in through diner counters, cigarette smoke, cheap cabins, desert gatherings, and the odd tenderness of people who need the sky to answer back. Joan is a sharp, damaged, often funny narrator to follow, not because she explains herself neatly, but because she resists being reduced to a case study. Her skepticism and longing live in the same room, and that friction gives the novel its charge.
The book is also quietly ruthless about charisma. George isn't flattened into a villain, which makes him more interesting and more dangerous. I found myself pulled between sympathy and suspicion, exactly where the novel wants me. Its historical texture feels lived-in rather than lacquered: the Big Eye, Palomar Observatory, postwar restlessness, roadside California, the saucer faithful gathering in shabby hotel rooms and desert outposts. At times, the density of the milieu slows the pace, but even that slowness has a purpose. The novel feels like a long exposure photograph: what first looks dim eventually gathers shape, then shadow.
I think this would be great for readers of historical fiction, literary fiction, UFO fiction, midcentury Americana, and character-driven novels about belief. Fans of Emma Cline’s The Girls may recognize the unsettling magnetism of a community built around longing, while readers of Michael Chabon will appreciate the blend of American history, oddball obsession, and melancholy wonder. Helium is a novel about looking up without losing sight of the ground. A strange, sorrowful, and luminous book about the lies that lift us, and the truths that bring us back down
Author Dave Kenney doesn't rush toward spectacle, even though the subject matter practically begs for blinking lights and pulp theatrics. Instead, he lets the uncanny seep in through diner counters, cigarette smoke, cheap cabins, desert gatherings, and the odd tenderness of people who need the sky to answer back. Joan is a sharp, damaged, often funny narrator to follow, not because she explains herself neatly, but because she resists being reduced to a case study. Her skepticism and longing live in the same room, and that friction gives the novel its charge.
The book is also quietly ruthless about charisma. George isn't flattened into a villain, which makes him more interesting and more dangerous. I found myself pulled between sympathy and suspicion, exactly where the novel wants me. Its historical texture feels lived-in rather than lacquered: the Big Eye, Palomar Observatory, postwar restlessness, roadside California, the saucer faithful gathering in shabby hotel rooms and desert outposts. At times, the density of the milieu slows the pace, but even that slowness has a purpose. The novel feels like a long exposure photograph: what first looks dim eventually gathers shape, then shadow.
I think this would be great for readers of historical fiction, literary fiction, UFO fiction, midcentury Americana, and character-driven novels about belief. Fans of Emma Cline’s The Girls may recognize the unsettling magnetism of a community built around longing, while readers of Michael Chabon will appreciate the blend of American history, oddball obsession, and melancholy wonder. Helium is a novel about looking up without losing sight of the ground. A strange, sorrowful, and luminous book about the lies that lift us, and the truths that bring us back down
Review of advance copy received from Author
When thinking about the flying saucer craze that surfaced in the United States during the mid-twentieth century, I've always found it easy to dismiss the true believers as incredulous boobs, ripe to be ripped off. After reading Helium by Dave Kenney, I'll never think that way again. This story restores nuance to the subject of flying saucers and visitors from space, and to how this meme embeds itself into our collective psyche.
Dave describes himself as an agnostic on these matters who's fascinated by this slice of American history. This stance is reasonable. After all, it's logically possible that intelligent beings with high technology do exist elsewhere in the universe. They could pay us a visit anytime, right?
Helium is a story about how people go beyond logic and evidence to credulity.
One reason, of course, is the perennial desire for fame and profit. Dave's book includes unflinching portraits of greedy scammers who saw dollar signs in the early headlines about UFOs and unexplained extraterrestrial phenomena.
But many people bought into the flying saucer craze for other reasons — the desire for self-transcendence, awe, mystery, and meaning.
Joan, Helium's main character, lives with trauma and has an unexplained gift for levitation, which she describes as a "gravity problem." Fleeing from her past and seeking a fresh start, she falls in with a small group of people — members of a spiritual commune — who run a restaurant near the Palomar Observatory outside of San Diego.
George, their leader, writes a book explaining that human salvation involves multiple lifetimes and reincarnation on other planets. In the UFO craze he sees memes that he can seize upon to convey larger truths.
This is the perfect setup for a series of betrayals in which all the players get hurt. But in the end I still rooted for Joan. I liked her. I wanted her to find a community where she could freely share her pain, find acceptance, and forge a new life free of facades.
As Joan says, “It’s about getting to a place where you know there’s no such thing as impossible." When you're someone like Joan, this brand of hope becomes a lifeline.
Dave describes himself as an agnostic on these matters who's fascinated by this slice of American history. This stance is reasonable. After all, it's logically possible that intelligent beings with high technology do exist elsewhere in the universe. They could pay us a visit anytime, right?
Helium is a story about how people go beyond logic and evidence to credulity.
One reason, of course, is the perennial desire for fame and profit. Dave's book includes unflinching portraits of greedy scammers who saw dollar signs in the early headlines about UFOs and unexplained extraterrestrial phenomena.
But many people bought into the flying saucer craze for other reasons — the desire for self-transcendence, awe, mystery, and meaning.
Joan, Helium's main character, lives with trauma and has an unexplained gift for levitation, which she describes as a "gravity problem." Fleeing from her past and seeking a fresh start, she falls in with a small group of people — members of a spiritual commune — who run a restaurant near the Palomar Observatory outside of San Diego.
George, their leader, writes a book explaining that human salvation involves multiple lifetimes and reincarnation on other planets. In the UFO craze he sees memes that he can seize upon to convey larger truths.
This is the perfect setup for a series of betrayals in which all the players get hurt. But in the end I still rooted for Joan. I liked her. I wanted her to find a community where she could freely share her pain, find acceptance, and forge a new life free of facades.
As Joan says, “It’s about getting to a place where you know there’s no such thing as impossible." When you're someone like Joan, this brand of hope becomes a lifeline.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Helium is one of the most frustrating books I've read this year—not because it's badly written, but because I couldn't shake the feeling that there were two genuinely compelling novels fighting each other for space.
Set in 1940s and '50s California during the rise of UFO sightings, the novel follows Joan, a lonely woman who becomes drawn into the orbit of George, a former guru whose claims of extraterrestrial encounters gradually make him famous. The historical backdrop is fascinating, and Dave Kenney clearly knows this period inside out.
My frustration came from the novel's biggest hook: Joan can literally float.
It's right there in the premise and on the cover, yet this remarkable ability spends most of the novel as a minor subplot while the focus shifts to George's ambitions, beliefs and growing influence. Every time Joan became the most interesting person in the room, the narrative seemed to turn back towards him.
I also felt the marketing set up different expectations. Although promoted as women's fiction, the emotional centre of the novel is George. The women around him spend much of the story supporting, questioning or revolving around his mission, leaving Joan feeling surprisingly secondary in her own novel.
None of this makes Helium a bad book. The characters are well written, the exploration of early UFO culture is absorbing, and there are plenty of thoughtful ideas throughout.
I just couldn't shake the feeling that the novel I'd desperately wanted to read—the story of Joan, the woman who couldn't stay on the ground—was forever waiting just out of reach.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Set in 1940s and '50s California during the rise of UFO sightings, the novel follows Joan, a lonely woman who becomes drawn into the orbit of George, a former guru whose claims of extraterrestrial encounters gradually make him famous. The historical backdrop is fascinating, and Dave Kenney clearly knows this period inside out.
My frustration came from the novel's biggest hook: Joan can literally float.
It's right there in the premise and on the cover, yet this remarkable ability spends most of the novel as a minor subplot while the focus shifts to George's ambitions, beliefs and growing influence. Every time Joan became the most interesting person in the room, the narrative seemed to turn back towards him.
I also felt the marketing set up different expectations. Although promoted as women's fiction, the emotional centre of the novel is George. The women around him spend much of the story supporting, questioning or revolving around his mission, leaving Joan feeling surprisingly secondary in her own novel.
None of this makes Helium a bad book. The characters are well written, the exploration of early UFO culture is absorbing, and there are plenty of thoughtful ideas throughout.
I just couldn't shake the feeling that the novel I'd desperately wanted to read—the story of Joan, the woman who couldn't stay on the ground—was forever waiting just out of reach.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
This book was sent to me by LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
There are some book that I love. That I can't put down, and that—once I do—I miss it. Where the characters haunt my waking and sleeping life. This is not one of those books. There are also books that make me want to burn them. That tell no story, have no likable characters, and are written so poorly it makes me violent. This is also not one of those books. It falls somewhere in the middle. I didn't want to burn it, but I also didn't really want to keep reading it. But I did.
Helium is mostly about Joan, though we don't learn much about her for some reason. In the beginning of the book it's presented as if she's a wanderer; about to aimlessly travel the country. This traveling lasts for about two hours until she finds a random diner, gets a job there, and settles down for the next seven or so years. We're kind of led to believe that she's a strong, independent person, but that quickly goes away when she falls under the spell of a con artist because he's nice to her.
The next bunch of years pass. Dude writes books and becomes somewhat famous in the UFO community. His one-dimensional women followers toil about the property—doing almost all the work, including his writing. There isn't much insight into the workings of any of these people. Even when Joan gets shocking news, the tone doesn't change. It's like the whole story was told on Lexipro or something.
I made it through this book though, and I guess that says something. There were times where I wanted to put it down (and if I didn't feel responsible for writing a review, I might have) and there were also times where I skimmed. Overall it was better than some books, but I'm glad my experience is over. I think the coolest part was that I got a free balloon with the book.
There are some book that I love. That I can't put down, and that—once I do—I miss it. Where the characters haunt my waking and sleeping life. This is not one of those books. There are also books that make me want to burn them. That tell no story, have no likable characters, and are written so poorly it makes me violent. This is also not one of those books. It falls somewhere in the middle. I didn't want to burn it, but I also didn't really want to keep reading it. But I did.
Helium is mostly about Joan, though we don't learn much about her for some reason. In the beginning of the book it's presented as if she's a wanderer; about to aimlessly travel the country. This traveling lasts for about two hours until she finds a random diner, gets a job there, and settles down for the next seven or so years. We're kind of led to believe that she's a strong, independent person, but that quickly goes away when she falls under the spell of a con artist because he's nice to her.
The next bunch of years pass. Dude writes books and becomes somewhat famous in the UFO community. His one-dimensional women followers toil about the property—doing almost all the work, including his writing. There isn't much insight into the workings of any of these people. Even when Joan gets shocking news, the tone doesn't change. It's like the whole story was told on Lexipro or something.
I made it through this book though, and I guess that says something. There were times where I wanted to put it down (and if I didn't feel responsible for writing a review, I might have) and there were also times where I skimmed. Overall it was better than some books, but I'm glad my experience is over. I think the coolest part was that I got a free balloon with the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
i received an ARC from the publisher and netgalley. thank you!
i have. so many questions. why did we set this book in the 40s/50s instead of the 60s/70s, where california was a hotbed for weird cults and conspiracy theorists??? i was so excited to see the precursors, but the period didn’t seem to matter at all. i kept forgetting it was set in the time period it was until it was mentioned offhand.
i’m also unsure about the gravity plot point. it doesn’t come up a whole lot. i really liked the idea, but it’s just not implemented very much? the lore dump at the end was also very sudden to me, like we were running out of time.
i also was drawn in by the ideas of these characters, but they ultimately fell flat for me. i don’t mind a more vibes-based story, but the vibes Must be there.
overall, i liked the concept, but i think a bit more research into historical atmosphere and more fleshed out characters would’ve really helped the story out.
i have. so many questions. why did we set this book in the 40s/50s instead of the 60s/70s, where california was a hotbed for weird cults and conspiracy theorists??? i was so excited to see the precursors, but the period didn’t seem to matter at all. i kept forgetting it was set in the time period it was until it was mentioned offhand.
i’m also unsure about the gravity plot point. it doesn’t come up a whole lot. i really liked the idea, but it’s just not implemented very much? the lore dump at the end was also very sudden to me, like we were running out of time.
i also was drawn in by the ideas of these characters, but they ultimately fell flat for me. i don’t mind a more vibes-based story, but the vibes Must be there.
overall, i liked the concept, but i think a bit more research into historical atmosphere and more fleshed out characters would’ve really helped the story out.
Read
June 8, 2026Helium is a captivating historical fiction novel by Dave Kenny. Set in post-World War II California, it follows a young woman searching for answers to questions that have haunted her for years. Along the way, the story explores themes that still resonate today, including humanity's capacity for self-destruction, and the dangers of fanaticism that can lead to cult-like behavior. The characters are engaging and well-developed, and the story flows effortlessly from beginning to end. If you enjoy historical fiction with compelling characters and thought-provoking themes, Helium deserves a spot on your reading list.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5. Helium is set during America's flying saucer craze of the 1940s and 50s, and if you are a fan of the Twilight Zone, you will gravitate (ha) toward this historical fiction. Is it sci-fi? Is it a mystery? Maybe a little of both, and it will keep you guessing til the end (which I will not spoil). This is the first novel by Dave Kenney, a brilliant writer whose previous body of work includes nonfiction about the Carl Pohlad family and Minnesota's role in WWII.
August 20, 2026
How can we know the truth? Which is more compelling, scientific proof or stories that confirm our priors? In Helium, Dave Kenney's characters lead us uncertainly through the labyrinth.
In 2026 what Americans believe to be true is determined more by our zip code than by objective facts (whatever those may be) and our media and entertainment sources are happy to provide whichever flavor we prefer. Don't like what you hear? Keep swiping.
Set in a bygone, simpler America curious about the possibility of alien life forms and visitors from outer space, Helium's protagonist, the plucky and lovely Joan, has been through something that has left her disoriented but also open to new evidence about life's mysteries. Who should she believe? Who can she trust?
In the charismatic and complex short order cook/professor/guru George, Joan finds a kindred (if unreliable) spirit who's on his own journey of discovery. These two searchers are the charged particles that form the central dialectic of the novel.
I'm not sure all the side characters in Helium served an important narrative purpose and I was disappointed when a possible romantic storyline abruptly vanished. I also found the dialog at times kludgy but the vibrant main characters and the plot kept me turning the pages.
The universe is truly miraculous. Things that we cannot explain, and may not even believe, happen every day. Kenney, a former journalist, may have his opinion but you won't find it in his story. He's just reporting the facts, as his characters experience them. The reader can decide.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In 2026 what Americans believe to be true is determined more by our zip code than by objective facts (whatever those may be) and our media and entertainment sources are happy to provide whichever flavor we prefer. Don't like what you hear? Keep swiping.
Set in a bygone, simpler America curious about the possibility of alien life forms and visitors from outer space, Helium's protagonist, the plucky and lovely Joan, has been through something that has left her disoriented but also open to new evidence about life's mysteries. Who should she believe? Who can she trust?
In the charismatic and complex short order cook/professor/guru George, Joan finds a kindred (if unreliable) spirit who's on his own journey of discovery. These two searchers are the charged particles that form the central dialectic of the novel.
I'm not sure all the side characters in Helium served an important narrative purpose and I was disappointed when a possible romantic storyline abruptly vanished. I also found the dialog at times kludgy but the vibrant main characters and the plot kept me turning the pages.
The universe is truly miraculous. Things that we cannot explain, and may not even believe, happen every day. Kenney, a former journalist, may have his opinion but you won't find it in his story. He's just reporting the facts, as his characters experience them. The reader can decide.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews