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Unexpected: An Otherworldly Tale of Reluctant Change
Over the course of a single day, Katie McKinney's world was transformed — literally — into something unrecognizable, a place full of wonder, and pain, and an insistent demand for change. Her location had altered, but this was something more; the aliens who had taken her into this new environment that they called the Enclave, insisted that she herself would change — and that she had no choice in the matter. She would face “The Process.” The biggest question on Katie’s mind was why. Was there a purpose she could understand, and a future she could reach for, or was she destined to live her entire life driven by the whims of others, with no say in decisions about where she was going and how she would get there? Who would she be when the process was complete?
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2026
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April 12, 2026
A RICH STORY THAT HAD ME LAUGHING OUT LOUD AND SOBBING IN THE SAME CHAPTER!
I've never read a fiction book like this before. It was layered with such richness and texture, I felt like my heart was beating right along with Katie's. It was an experience that went deeper than my mind reading a story I enjoyed. I kept reading it and being like, "Man, I feel like my soul is experiencing this story, not just my mind." IT WAS SO GOOD!
First of all, the author does such an amazing job with her prose. Every sentence is so beautiful, and yet so natural. It didn't feel forced at all. And GUYSSSS, please listen to me when I tell you that the similes in this book were IMMACULATE! I feel like books these days all you the same five ways to describe a feeling or object or idea, and was pleasantly surprised that this book not only avoided that trope, but actually had similes that made me do a double take because they were so unique and specific to the character - which is the next thing I need to talk about!
THIS CHARACTER! Katie is so so relatable, I felt like I could see myself in her. She was so textured and unique, and had such depth, I felt as though I could feel her breath coming out of the pages. I'm sorry, but fiction these days is overrun with the same cookie-cutter characters that I am SO sick of. Katie broke the mold. She has a depth that makes her entirely human.
The other characters in this book were incredible as well. I was blown away by the fact that every side character felt as if they, too, could be the main character, while Katie herself feeling quite right in the place of a Main Character (instead of being a dull nobody as so many MCs are). There were characters I hated, I adored, and most importantly, there was Greg and Scott. You'll know when you read it.
The plot was fascinating and often kept me eagerly turning the page (or hitting play, as I listened to this on Audio) to find out what would happen text. The story has a unique structure that plays with the traditional structure in a way that gave it character and subverted expectations. The main plot did take a couple chapters to really get going, this is no thriller, but I enjoyed the unique and unexpected ;) beginning so much, I barely noticed.
The world building for the sci-fi stuff was incredible. It felt so unique and different than all the space ships we see. I adore how unique this story and world was, it was very refreshing. The Enclave is a fascinating world of unique inventions and original ideas.
The last thing I have to mention is how natural the faith element of this book is. THIS IS NOT A CHEESY CHRISTIAN NOVEL! Let me tell you, it is so hard to find Christian books that don't make me cringe, but every mention of God in this story was so natural and easy. It wasn't over-stated or over-focused on, but it was a very normal part of this story.
I am SO happy I found this book. It's not something I would normally pick up, but I'm so glad I did because it was such a delicious read. It subverts all your expectations in a way that is so delightful and exciting. I can't wait to see more from this author. Her debut has set me up to be an addict of her work.
I've never read a fiction book like this before. It was layered with such richness and texture, I felt like my heart was beating right along with Katie's. It was an experience that went deeper than my mind reading a story I enjoyed. I kept reading it and being like, "Man, I feel like my soul is experiencing this story, not just my mind." IT WAS SO GOOD!
First of all, the author does such an amazing job with her prose. Every sentence is so beautiful, and yet so natural. It didn't feel forced at all. And GUYSSSS, please listen to me when I tell you that the similes in this book were IMMACULATE! I feel like books these days all you the same five ways to describe a feeling or object or idea, and was pleasantly surprised that this book not only avoided that trope, but actually had similes that made me do a double take because they were so unique and specific to the character - which is the next thing I need to talk about!
THIS CHARACTER! Katie is so so relatable, I felt like I could see myself in her. She was so textured and unique, and had such depth, I felt as though I could feel her breath coming out of the pages. I'm sorry, but fiction these days is overrun with the same cookie-cutter characters that I am SO sick of. Katie broke the mold. She has a depth that makes her entirely human.
The other characters in this book were incredible as well. I was blown away by the fact that every side character felt as if they, too, could be the main character, while Katie herself feeling quite right in the place of a Main Character (instead of being a dull nobody as so many MCs are). There were characters I hated, I adored, and most importantly, there was Greg and Scott. You'll know when you read it.
The plot was fascinating and often kept me eagerly turning the page (or hitting play, as I listened to this on Audio) to find out what would happen text. The story has a unique structure that plays with the traditional structure in a way that gave it character and subverted expectations. The main plot did take a couple chapters to really get going, this is no thriller, but I enjoyed the unique and unexpected ;) beginning so much, I barely noticed.
The world building for the sci-fi stuff was incredible. It felt so unique and different than all the space ships we see. I adore how unique this story and world was, it was very refreshing. The Enclave is a fascinating world of unique inventions and original ideas.
The last thing I have to mention is how natural the faith element of this book is. THIS IS NOT A CHEESY CHRISTIAN NOVEL! Let me tell you, it is so hard to find Christian books that don't make me cringe, but every mention of God in this story was so natural and easy. It wasn't over-stated or over-focused on, but it was a very normal part of this story.
I am SO happy I found this book. It's not something I would normally pick up, but I'm so glad I did because it was such a delicious read. It subverts all your expectations in a way that is so delightful and exciting. I can't wait to see more from this author. Her debut has set me up to be an addict of her work.
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