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Voyagers
With the imaginative soul and propulsive storytelling of Station Eleven and The Ministry of Time, Voyagers is a profoundly human, thrillingly original and brilliantly ambitious literary debut about friendship at the end of the world.
If the world was about to end, who would you want by your side?
When the Signal – a mysterious transmission pulsing from the edge of the solar system – arrives, the world changes overnight. Planes are grounded, satellites fail, humanity holds its breath.
And Alex realises there’s no one he’d rather be with at the potential apocalypse than Ana.
Because when they were six years old, Ana and Alex were abducted by aliens. Or at least, that’s what they told the rescuers who found them after their 36 hours missing in Palm Springs, and the story they stuck to as they became minor child stars.
Now, as the Signal grows louder and the world devolves into chaos, the two race to meet each other for one final reckoning.
VOYAGERS is a novel about friendship and family, celebrity and conspiracy, memory and mystery. It explores what it means to live by one story before, at last, having the courage to tell a different one.
If the world was about to end, who would you want by your side?
When the Signal – a mysterious transmission pulsing from the edge of the solar system – arrives, the world changes overnight. Planes are grounded, satellites fail, humanity holds its breath.
And Alex realises there’s no one he’d rather be with at the potential apocalypse than Ana.
Because when they were six years old, Ana and Alex were abducted by aliens. Or at least, that’s what they told the rescuers who found them after their 36 hours missing in Palm Springs, and the story they stuck to as they became minor child stars.
Now, as the Signal grows louder and the world devolves into chaos, the two race to meet each other for one final reckoning.
VOYAGERS is a novel about friendship and family, celebrity and conspiracy, memory and mystery. It explores what it means to live by one story before, at last, having the courage to tell a different one.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2026
About the author
Meg Charlton
1 book40 followersMeg was born and raised in New York City. Her work has appeared in The Yale Review, Slate, Lux, Atlas Obscura and Vice, and the anthology Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us. She holds an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College and teach at Sackett Street Writers. She is the co-author of the Substack Self-Helpings, in which she and a friend review self-help books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
July 2, 2026
An intriguing premise: two children go missing and claim to have been abducted by aliens, but at least one (the narrator) can’t properly remember what happened; decades later, a mysterious ‘Signal’ starts disrupting life on earth and it seems real alien contact may be imminent. I had a really good time with this, even if I strongly suspect I will remember little of it six months from now (which sounds more backhanded than I mean it to). Voyagers is exactly the sort of book I tend to inhale over a few days: high-concept, pacy, full of mysteries within mysteries, constantly keeping the reader guessing about whether it’s an actual sci-fi story or just a sci-fi-fakeout one.
Alex’s voice is great, and the book is at its strongest when it focuses on his friendship with fellow ‘abductee’ Ana and their weird childhood fame. We get a strong sense of how a possibly-entirely-invented experience has shaped the course of both their lives beyond recognition – there’s something so compelling about characters who have spent years trapped inside a story about themselves. I also liked that the novel remains interested in memory and self-mythologising even while the scope expands towards potential first contact and takes on a more dystopian cast. Charlton is maybe a bit too fond of relative neologisms such as describing someone as ‘unserious’ or saying something is x or y ‘-coded’, phrases that feel especially jarring when they pop up in parts of the story set in the 1990s. But that’s about all I have to say in the way of criticism. This is a confident and extremely readable debut with a solid ending.
I received an advance review copy of Voyagers from the publisher through NetGalley.
Alex’s voice is great, and the book is at its strongest when it focuses on his friendship with fellow ‘abductee’ Ana and their weird childhood fame. We get a strong sense of how a possibly-entirely-invented experience has shaped the course of both their lives beyond recognition – there’s something so compelling about characters who have spent years trapped inside a story about themselves. I also liked that the novel remains interested in memory and self-mythologising even while the scope expands towards potential first contact and takes on a more dystopian cast. Charlton is maybe a bit too fond of relative neologisms such as describing someone as ‘unserious’ or saying something is x or y ‘-coded’, phrases that feel especially jarring when they pop up in parts of the story set in the 1990s. But that’s about all I have to say in the way of criticism. This is a confident and extremely readable debut with a solid ending.
I received an advance review copy of Voyagers from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 23, 2026
I'm conflicted between 3 and 4 stars. This is very well written and, for a debut novel, it's excellent. The characterizations and dialogue are superb. The framing is great. The challenging part is that it's hard to want to focus on the more mundane aspects of character and life when there's spooky alien stuff going on. If this book was only about a traumatic experience and how it affects these people throughout their life I'd be totally sold on what we got. But, when you add something mysterious going on with aliens I'd obviously rather be focusing on that. I found myself getting kinda restless when every chapter is like "ok something crazy is coming, but before that, let's read about a birthday party for 40 pages". Now that I finally know the conclusion and my curiosity is sated, now I can focus on these interesting characters. I'd hate to say this, because I love the alien stuff, but the excitement of that overshadowed the majority of the story and it suffers for that. I loved the story and the characters but I was impatient to just know what was going to happen. I rounded up because this really is an excellent book, I would have just reworked the pacing.
June 24, 2026
Meg Charlton builds her plot around an alien named Allen, invented by two six-year-olds after a desert disappearance turned them into tabloid royalty.
Decades later the cosmos seems to confirm their bedtime mythology by sending an actual interdimensional Signal, and grown-up Alex gets pulled back toward Ana, the childhood best friend at his side when Allen first took shape.
Charlton splits her chapters between Alex, our skeptical lawyer hero, and Allen, now a put-upon hatchery drone assigned an interstellar mission against his preference.
Alex spends his New York legal career defending an agrochemical client, a detail Charlton plants early and harvests later. Bureaucracy thrives on every planet, it turns out.
Allen gets needled by his coworkers, has his reproductive obligations scheduled like a dental appointment, and receives instructions from a superior named Bob. The novel finds real comedy in cosmic plumbing, in extraction rooms and translator pads and an alien named Morgan asking for beach coral as a souvenir.
Charlton plays cleverly with memory's unreliability, particularly through Alex's insistence on facts over feeling, his hunger for verifiable data even as his six-year-old recollections dissolve into sensation and static.
Ana takes the opposite position, embracing myth and uncertainty. Cyndie, Ana's mother turned memoirist, supplies a third register entirely, equal parts grief and showmanship, a woman building a livelihood from a disappearance she barely understood herself.
The wider Signal panic, with its bank runs and gun license freezes and toilet paper violence, sits a little close to pandemic memory, and Charlton plays that echo for dread over nostalgia. People hoard, people pray, people drive into the desert seeking proof of something. The retreat scenes, full of ex-pilots and conspiracists and one bewildered ordinary couple along for the ride, supply a comic ensemble that stays warm, gentle even toward its oddest member.
The middle third loses some altitude. Alex's professional anxieties and his texting courtship with Ana revisit each other a beat too long before the desert plot regains its thrust. A few emotional beats announce themselves before they touch ground, want and ache spelled out plainly where a glance might have done the same work with more grace.
Still, the dual perspective keeps paying dividends, especially once Allen's storyline begins folding toward Alex's own, pulling the book's separate paths into a single trajectory.
The ending offers its tenderness without overplaying its hand, closing on a line of greeting that recasts everything before it, a small kindness from a creature alien in body but startlingly familiar in temperament.
The book moves briskly, packed with one-liners thrown with affection, and the puns, when they appear, feel stitched naturally into character, much like Allen, an outsider carrying an oddly ordinary heart on the page.
A book about first contact becomes, chiefly, a book about contact of the ordinary kind, the kind two old friends attempt across a gulf of years and grief and quiet, hoping the line still gets through.
❤️ 🇮🇱
Decades later the cosmos seems to confirm their bedtime mythology by sending an actual interdimensional Signal, and grown-up Alex gets pulled back toward Ana, the childhood best friend at his side when Allen first took shape.
Charlton splits her chapters between Alex, our skeptical lawyer hero, and Allen, now a put-upon hatchery drone assigned an interstellar mission against his preference.
Alex spends his New York legal career defending an agrochemical client, a detail Charlton plants early and harvests later. Bureaucracy thrives on every planet, it turns out.
Allen gets needled by his coworkers, has his reproductive obligations scheduled like a dental appointment, and receives instructions from a superior named Bob. The novel finds real comedy in cosmic plumbing, in extraction rooms and translator pads and an alien named Morgan asking for beach coral as a souvenir.
Charlton plays cleverly with memory's unreliability, particularly through Alex's insistence on facts over feeling, his hunger for verifiable data even as his six-year-old recollections dissolve into sensation and static.
Ana takes the opposite position, embracing myth and uncertainty. Cyndie, Ana's mother turned memoirist, supplies a third register entirely, equal parts grief and showmanship, a woman building a livelihood from a disappearance she barely understood herself.
The wider Signal panic, with its bank runs and gun license freezes and toilet paper violence, sits a little close to pandemic memory, and Charlton plays that echo for dread over nostalgia. People hoard, people pray, people drive into the desert seeking proof of something. The retreat scenes, full of ex-pilots and conspiracists and one bewildered ordinary couple along for the ride, supply a comic ensemble that stays warm, gentle even toward its oddest member.
The middle third loses some altitude. Alex's professional anxieties and his texting courtship with Ana revisit each other a beat too long before the desert plot regains its thrust. A few emotional beats announce themselves before they touch ground, want and ache spelled out plainly where a glance might have done the same work with more grace.
Still, the dual perspective keeps paying dividends, especially once Allen's storyline begins folding toward Alex's own, pulling the book's separate paths into a single trajectory.
The ending offers its tenderness without overplaying its hand, closing on a line of greeting that recasts everything before it, a small kindness from a creature alien in body but startlingly familiar in temperament.
The book moves briskly, packed with one-liners thrown with affection, and the puns, when they appear, feel stitched naturally into character, much like Allen, an outsider carrying an oddly ordinary heart on the page.
A book about first contact becomes, chiefly, a book about contact of the ordinary kind, the kind two old friends attempt across a gulf of years and grief and quiet, hoping the line still gets through.
❤️ 🇮🇱
June 25, 2026
Wow!😭 Unpredictable and so tautly written. I wanted to start over from the beginning as soon as it finished.
Did Not Finish
August 14, 2026This was too slow=paced and overly verbose to keep my attention.
July 11, 2026
This was quite good actually. The characters and their friendship were well developed, the story was interesting and original and I really liked the unexpected ending!
Thank you to The Borough Press and Netgalley UK for the ARC.
Thank you to The Borough Press and Netgalley UK for the ARC.
June 20, 2026
this could have been edited downnnn (the house down boots). all the tangents/flashbacks/internal dialogue feel really repetitive, not to mention the lackluster conclusion (or lack thereof)
June 16, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars, rounded up. TL;DR: this is less science fiction and more reflective character-driven novel about growing up, memory, and human nature. The narrator was flawed in a real and lovable way, and the story was well structured.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The first half did not engage me as much as I'd hoped, because it was a bit slow, and the general story - with the present day 'signal' vs the past 'abduction' - was a bit jumpy. It took me a second to get invested in Alex's story. For the first 1/4 of the book I kept forgetting Alex's name. And the Allen side story was a bit weird .... Until it suddenly wasn't and I was fully invested in it haha.
But the story breadcrumbs details in a perfectly structured way so they build and you can't stop thinking about them. Alex himself is clearly unreliable as a narrator right from the get-go, so the breadcrumbing was made even stronger by the fact that we're not sure, as readers, if our conclusions are decent ones. The relationships - friendships and sibling dynamics, and to an extend, parent/child dynamics - were the shining reflection in this. I felt like the author was so intentional and masterful with how she structured these relationships and their impact on the plot.
Overall, this is a really good book for thinking, reflection, and character development. The plot and mystery of the aliens was a lesser point, but still had a huge impact on the story - just not in the traditional science fiction way. I think it's safe to say I'll remember it and be thinking about it for quite some time after reading, as the story itself was one of those with so many facets it just sticks in your head.
4.5 stars, rounded up. TL;DR: this is less science fiction and more reflective character-driven novel about growing up, memory, and human nature. The narrator was flawed in a real and lovable way, and the story was well structured.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The first half did not engage me as much as I'd hoped, because it was a bit slow, and the general story - with the present day 'signal' vs the past 'abduction' - was a bit jumpy. It took me a second to get invested in Alex's story. For the first 1/4 of the book I kept forgetting Alex's name. And the Allen side story was a bit weird .... Until it suddenly wasn't and I was fully invested in it haha.
But the story breadcrumbs details in a perfectly structured way so they build and you can't stop thinking about them. Alex himself is clearly unreliable as a narrator right from the get-go, so the breadcrumbing was made even stronger by the fact that we're not sure, as readers, if our conclusions are decent ones. The relationships - friendships and sibling dynamics, and to an extend, parent/child dynamics - were the shining reflection in this. I felt like the author was so intentional and masterful with how she structured these relationships and their impact on the plot.
Overall, this is a really good book for thinking, reflection, and character development. The plot and mystery of the aliens was a lesser point, but still had a huge impact on the story - just not in the traditional science fiction way. I think it's safe to say I'll remember it and be thinking about it for quite some time after reading, as the story itself was one of those with so many facets it just sticks in your head.
August 2, 2026
Actual Rating: 4.5/5 stars
More thoughts to come.
More thoughts to come.
July 13, 2026
essential reading for Disclosure Day summer!!!!!!!
June 22, 2026
An introspective novel about the long-reaching effects of surviving a possibly traumatic childhood event.
When Ana and Alex were six years old, they disappeared from their Palm Springs vacation homes for 36 hours over New Year's Eve. Alien abduction? Kidnapping? Something else? No one, not even the kids have a clear idea of what happened.
Ana, raised by a single mom in southern California, is more independent than Alex. Her mother, Cindy, is particularly interested in taking advantage of any possible financial gain or rise to fame from the incident. She arranges for the kids to appear on talk shows, act in a sit-com, and make commercials--all based on the alien abduction hypothesis.
Alex is the much younger youngest child of a well-off family from Manhattan. His mother, proper and aware of her social standing, is skeptical of all the fame, but generally makes sure Alex shows up for whatever event Cindy has arranged. Alex's family isn't buying into aliens and are secretly assuming kidnapping or worse.
Alex and Ana are BFFs all through their childhood, despite living a continent apart, but at seventeen, the two have a friendship-splitting falling out. Now twenty-something years later, Alex is drawn back to Ana. The world is shutting down thanks to some kind of outer-space signal that is interrupting communication systems and anything that relies on the internet or satellites. Alex is now a New York lawyer hoping for partnership; Ana is now involved in organizing retreats for fellow UFOists.
The book is told from Alex's point of view and alternates between the present (dealing with the signal) and the past (still trying to figure out the truth of his disappearance). Despite Ana's confidence, Alex has never been sure he remembers the missing 36 hours. A few images remain vivid, but for the most part, he relies on Ana's stories. Now, as life on Earth seems doomed, Alex is more determined than ever to find answers.
Among other things, the novel explores memory: how it changes; what is remembered; its personal nature. It also looks at the ways people deal with uncertainty and with how a significant event can follow us into adulthood.
I was invested in Alex's story and hoped he might find some peace. I wanted to know the source of the signal and was curious how a reunion with Ana might play out. The book gave me a few things to think about, and I was caught up in the story.
The audiobook was performed by Michael Crouch, who always does a good job with character-driven novels. He infuses his delivery with enough emotion to enhance the listen, but nicely shies away from too much drama.
Thanks to Harper Audio for the review copy.
When Ana and Alex were six years old, they disappeared from their Palm Springs vacation homes for 36 hours over New Year's Eve. Alien abduction? Kidnapping? Something else? No one, not even the kids have a clear idea of what happened.
Ana, raised by a single mom in southern California, is more independent than Alex. Her mother, Cindy, is particularly interested in taking advantage of any possible financial gain or rise to fame from the incident. She arranges for the kids to appear on talk shows, act in a sit-com, and make commercials--all based on the alien abduction hypothesis.
Alex is the much younger youngest child of a well-off family from Manhattan. His mother, proper and aware of her social standing, is skeptical of all the fame, but generally makes sure Alex shows up for whatever event Cindy has arranged. Alex's family isn't buying into aliens and are secretly assuming kidnapping or worse.
Alex and Ana are BFFs all through their childhood, despite living a continent apart, but at seventeen, the two have a friendship-splitting falling out. Now twenty-something years later, Alex is drawn back to Ana. The world is shutting down thanks to some kind of outer-space signal that is interrupting communication systems and anything that relies on the internet or satellites. Alex is now a New York lawyer hoping for partnership; Ana is now involved in organizing retreats for fellow UFOists.
The book is told from Alex's point of view and alternates between the present (dealing with the signal) and the past (still trying to figure out the truth of his disappearance). Despite Ana's confidence, Alex has never been sure he remembers the missing 36 hours. A few images remain vivid, but for the most part, he relies on Ana's stories. Now, as life on Earth seems doomed, Alex is more determined than ever to find answers.
Among other things, the novel explores memory: how it changes; what is remembered; its personal nature. It also looks at the ways people deal with uncertainty and with how a significant event can follow us into adulthood.
I was invested in Alex's story and hoped he might find some peace. I wanted to know the source of the signal and was curious how a reunion with Ana might play out. The book gave me a few things to think about, and I was caught up in the story.
The audiobook was performed by Michael Crouch, who always does a good job with character-driven novels. He infuses his delivery with enough emotion to enhance the listen, but nicely shies away from too much drama.
Thanks to Harper Audio for the review copy.
July 5, 2026
Seeing that there was new Michael Crouch narration, I immediately requested the audiobook second to the fact that the blurb was genuinely something I'd enjoy reading and I did! There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a book come back full circle.
July 21, 2026
Highly entertaining. Great premise. Weird ending.
July 5, 2026
I like the premise of this a lot and I actually liked the ending quite a bit, but man is it slow. It takes over a third of the book just to get to the present(ish) timeline and I think that could have been cut down or at least intercut with the present timeline. As it is, Alex is giving you this lengthy backstory and even acknowledges in his own narration like "I don't know why this is important/relevant" a few times. Most of that backstory is necessary, but considering the present timeline is also really slow-paced it definitely does not help the reader's experience to have the whole past dumped on them before they've been given reason to care. It's also kind of overwritten at points, especially in the beginning, which left me with the impression that Alex was pretty pretentious. I'm not against that on principle but we don't really return to that idea in the narrative and again it really doesn't help you get invested in his character. It almost feels out of place to have such formal language/rhythm in a first-person inner monologue which is really why I noticed it.
I don't necessarily "get" the ending, but I kind of liked it anyway and I do think the author went into this with some great ideas, it just needed more work.
I don't necessarily "get" the ending, but I kind of liked it anyway and I do think the author went into this with some great ideas, it just needed more work.
July 31, 2026
Meg Charlton's 'Voyagers' is a thought-provoking and genre-defying novel that seamlessly blends science fiction with contemporary themes. This unexpected favorite captivates readers with its heartfelt voice and quirky narrative, exploring alien stories and friendship themes that challenge our perceptions of human connection and extraterrestrial life. With rich characters like Ana and Alex, the book delves into deep themes while balancing moments of lightness and profundity. An unforgettable read that leaves a lasting impression, 'Voyagers' is destined to be a 2026 favorite for those who appreciate a memorable, emotionally resonant story about unlikely bonds and the power of human (and extraterrestrial) connection.
August 23, 2026
God I love books about first contact.
August 19, 2026
This book had me hooked from the start it was genuinely really deep for a book about aliens. Alex and Ana’s relationship was so beautifully complex, Charlton really has a beautiful way with words often making me feel like I was in the room and the tension was palpable. AND I’m impressed by the ending as all too often do books with interesting premises fall flat at the end however this was the perfect ending to an amazing read. Allen wishes I could read this one again for the first time 😫
July 18, 2026
4.5 stars. I picked this up in desperation in the middle of a reading slump, looking for anything that would keep my attention. This was definitely compulsively readable. I really loved following Alex and Ana's story. They were very realistically complex. While this wasn't the type of hard sci-fi/space opera that I usually gravitate towards, I really loved it and am impressed it was a debut.
July 31, 2026
A beautifully-written bend of reality and challenge to perception for both the characters and reader.
July 25, 2026
Speechless. Against what others say I found the alien bit to keep my attention after the more emotional portion of the story started to dwindle.
Read
March 11, 2026this was just okay
July 4, 2026
3.5 stars
It's less about aliens and more about complicated family dynamics and connections that anchor us in uncertain times.
As children, Alex and Ana mysteriously vanish for 36 hours in the desert near Palm Springs.
Their return sparks a media frenzy and alien abduction theories that shape their lives.
Years later, as adults, a strange cosmic "Signal" from the edge of the solar system throws the world into chaos and brings back old wounds and theories about their disappearance so many years ago
If you are into introspective character driven novels with just a hint of speculative science fiction then this could be a good fit.
I also loved Allen’s story sprinkled throughout – he was one of my favourites
It's less about aliens and more about complicated family dynamics and connections that anchor us in uncertain times.
As children, Alex and Ana mysteriously vanish for 36 hours in the desert near Palm Springs.
Their return sparks a media frenzy and alien abduction theories that shape their lives.
Years later, as adults, a strange cosmic "Signal" from the edge of the solar system throws the world into chaos and brings back old wounds and theories about their disappearance so many years ago
If you are into introspective character driven novels with just a hint of speculative science fiction then this could be a good fit.
I also loved Allen’s story sprinkled throughout – he was one of my favourites
July 13, 2026
(I’m rounding this up to 4.5 stars)
I bought this book the afternoon we watched Disclosure Day in theaters - the cover caught my eye and I was in an alien-mood. This is incredibly well-written; absolutely superb dialogue, especially for a debut novel. Alex’s voice is great; Allen’s is just “out of this world”. The themes of childhood trauma wrapped up in a celebrity obsessed world is great. And I really enjoyed the ufologists and experiencers. This is an excellent read. (Dare I say a solid choice for a book club!)
I bought this book the afternoon we watched Disclosure Day in theaters - the cover caught my eye and I was in an alien-mood. This is incredibly well-written; absolutely superb dialogue, especially for a debut novel. Alex’s voice is great; Allen’s is just “out of this world”. The themes of childhood trauma wrapped up in a celebrity obsessed world is great. And I really enjoyed the ufologists and experiencers. This is an excellent read. (Dare I say a solid choice for a book club!)
August 1, 2026
This is more than an alien-contact story. It’s a thoughtful debut that explores friendship, grief, identity, and memory, with sci-fi serving as the backdrop rather than the focus. The heart of the story is the relationship between Alex and Ana.
The writing is thoughtful, the characters are compelling, and the mystery unfolds at a satisfying pace.
I don’t usually listen to sci-fi, but I love supporting debut authors, and this one didn’t disappoint. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of mystery and speculative fiction, then you’ll enjoy this
The writing is thoughtful, the characters are compelling, and the mystery unfolds at a satisfying pace.
I don’t usually listen to sci-fi, but I love supporting debut authors, and this one didn’t disappoint. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of mystery and speculative fiction, then you’ll enjoy this
August 9, 2026
Officially calling it a 4.5. Loved the descriptive writing, loved that I felt like I knew exactly what the scene was and who each character was even the ones that were briefly mentioned including weird ass Wendy and her cult of experiencers. I loved reading about Allen. I loved the ending. I really wanted to know what happened and even though there were some extra details and some holes missing in the story I thought it was a really good book.
June 19, 2026
Fluid timelines, which is slightly annoying but serves the story rather than feeling like padding. A really unique take on first contact, alien abductions (or not), and people who never asked to be famous. Really enjoyed this.
August 12, 2026
Okay, I loved this. I love the exploration of friendship, memories, stories, personal mythologies and how those all shape our lives.
I think if you know going into this book that it’s more focused on those things, than like a thrilling story about aliens, you’ll probably have a better time, because I can see the description of this book being a little misleading.
I think if you know going into this book that it’s more focused on those things, than like a thrilling story about aliens, you’ll probably have a better time, because I can see the description of this book being a little misleading.
August 5, 2026
I wanted more of both the friendship and the alien story, but I do appreciate the journey it took us on what long term friendships mean and reflecting that in my own childhood friends.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews