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The Fallen Children
One cover. 360 different colours. Which one will you get?
Young people on the Midwich Estate don't have much hope for their futures. Keisha has lived there her whole life, and has been working hard to escape it; others have just accepted their lot.
But change is coming...
One night everyone inside Midwich Tower falls mysteriously unconscious in one inexplicable 'Nightout'. No one can explain what happened during those lost hours, but soon afterwards Keisha and three other girls find they're pregnant - and the babies are growing at an alarming rate.
As the news spreads around the tower its residents turn against them and the situation spirals toward violence. Keisha's life unravels as she realises that the pregnancy may not have just ruined her hopes for the future: she might be mother to the end of the world.
The Fallen Children is a story of violation, of judgment and of young people who must fight to defy what is expected of them.
Young people on the Midwich Estate don't have much hope for their futures. Keisha has lived there her whole life, and has been working hard to escape it; others have just accepted their lot.
But change is coming...
One night everyone inside Midwich Tower falls mysteriously unconscious in one inexplicable 'Nightout'. No one can explain what happened during those lost hours, but soon afterwards Keisha and three other girls find they're pregnant - and the babies are growing at an alarming rate.
As the news spreads around the tower its residents turn against them and the situation spirals toward violence. Keisha's life unravels as she realises that the pregnancy may not have just ruined her hopes for the future: she might be mother to the end of the world.
The Fallen Children is a story of violation, of judgment and of young people who must fight to defy what is expected of them.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2017
12 people are currently reading
1054 people want to read
About the author
David Owen
9 books217 followersDavid resents the fact that he was not raised by wolves and was therefore robbed of a good story to tell at parties. He turned to fiction to compensate for his unremarkable existence.
He achieved 1st class honours in BA Creative Writing and MA Writing for Children at The University of Winchester, where he went on to teach on the BA Creative Writing course for three years. He hopes that one day all of his students will surpass his own achievements.
David’s debut YA novel, Panther, will be published by Constable & Robinson on their Corsair imprint in May 2015. Panther is a funny, touching, and occasionally unsettling coming-of-age story, which deals candidly with the stigmas and misunderstandings surrounding depression.
David has also worked as an award-shortlisted freelance games journalist and has been published as a poet.
He achieved 1st class honours in BA Creative Writing and MA Writing for Children at The University of Winchester, where he went on to teach on the BA Creative Writing course for three years. He hopes that one day all of his students will surpass his own achievements.
David’s debut YA novel, Panther, will be published by Constable & Robinson on their Corsair imprint in May 2015. Panther is a funny, touching, and occasionally unsettling coming-of-age story, which deals candidly with the stigmas and misunderstandings surrounding depression.
David has also worked as an award-shortlisted freelance games journalist and has been published as a poet.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 72 reviews
February 13, 2017
Despite The Fallen Children's supernatural themes, what I loved about this book was how extremely realistic it was. The book explores guilt, shame, and forcing kids into roles and lives that they never wanted, all through a set of deeply realistic characters who each have their own strengths and flaws and lovable qualities (Siobhan and Morris were my personal faves). At its surface, The Fallen Children is a pacy, gripping, intriguing superhero origin story, but beneath that, it's a poignant examination of the extent to which modern society spits on its young adults.
November 18, 2018
I have a feeling this was meant to be the first in a series or duo logy, but I've heard nothing of a second book, and I'm kind of gutted this story ended where it did. I really loved Part One is was creepy, unsettling, and downright weird, but I couldn't put it down all the same. Even though the whole impregnated by aliens this is horrific to think about, it was unlike anything I'd read before so I needed to know what happened next.
May 30, 2017
The Fallen Children tells the story of teenagers who were raped by aliens ( or unknown being) and have to deal with accelerated pregnancy, hostility and abuse from the community and half alien superpowerful babies.
The novel was very easy to follow, the writing was quite good. I didn't know that The Fallen Children is a retelling of sorts of John Wyndham 'The Midwich Cuckoos'. After a quick Google search, I can say that The Fallen Children have a more optimistic ending, but how depressing the story is still...
First, things I did like. I like the diverse cast of characters. Three out of four main characters are poc. Maida is 15 year Arabic Muslim girl, Morris is 18-ish year old Black boy, Keisha is 17-ish Black girl. The fourth character is Siobhan and she's a fat white girl.
The characters were complex and realistic, but on darker side of things. I can't say I feel attachment or care to any of them. I didn't like their attitude or the choices they made. The actual character development was rushed and only in the very end. Siobhan's pov was literally dropped from the story in the middle of the book. And Maida's starts there. Like Maida wasn't interesting enough before the Child and Siobhan lost any interest to the author after getting rid of the child. Moreover, I feel like the author follows a lot of stereotypes for the marginalized groups.
However, the ignorance, prejudice and violence by the community, who viewed the teens and later their Children as outsiders and thus a threat, was spot on. People are awful, move on.
I came to care about the Children in last 40 pages, when they grew up enough to be self-aware. I did like Zero. If only we could see more of him.
That's it for the good.
The bad. Oh boy, where do I even start.
I guess the story wasn't for me. I'm deeply troubled by the raped-by-aliens-and-pregnant-with-half-alien-baby concept. Rape is the key element of the story. We follow three teenage girls who were drugged and raped and it all presented in offhandedly.
The only character who actively tried to get her agency back, to get her body back, was later punished by other characters and the author because he dropped her pov. As soon as Siobhan succeeded in getting an abortion, she became unimportant. Like only these alien babies were important.
Other main characters ridiculed, mocked and cursed her for MAKING A CHOICE CONCERNING HER BODY AND GETTING AN ABORTION.
Quotes:
Even though it was inside her body, I don't think she had the right. Maida thinks about Siobhan
Your body will never be yours again. Not after everything that's happened. Keisha says to Siobhan.
This attitude to abortion wasn't ever challenge in the story. As a result, Siobhan is miserable and alone. Great writing, sure.
On top of that, body shaming is not okay. Keisha and Maida's povs were full of their disgust to Siobhan's body. They didn't actually say anything to the girl to her face, but as readers we were getting the story from the 1st person pov so it's all here. And again, not once was this attitude addressed or challenged. Me, a 22 year old girl, knows it's bullshit, but if I were younger, this book would've crushed me.
Later the rape isn't particularly addressed.
Maida is excited to have a baby and get from her overbearing father. She is both naive and cruel. The thing she wished on other people are awful. It was oh so disturbing.
Keisha lost her dreams and aspirations to go to college because of the whole thing. Plus, sexual assault by the teacher happened in the middle of the book, this subplot had no weight to the story. It was just nasty.
Morris, an ex-boyfriend of Keisha, was really excited about his newly formed family. He treated Keisha's son like his own. I respect that. However, he was scatterbrained and horrifyingly eager about the whole mess, just like Maida.
The relationship the core four characters had was unhealthy. No communication and lots of resentment and hidden aggression towards each other.
In the Foreford, the author encourages to give young people a chance, to believe in them. The Fallen Children shows us the exact opposite. What happens when everything is against you. (Even the author)
The Fallen Children is not the book for me. My favorite author praised it and I went to the story blindly. I highly doubt I would've picked this type of story by myself.
The Fallen Children feels like a gloomy contemporary with paranormal flavor. Unlikable characters and a hostile atmosphere made it difficult to enjoy reading the book. But the deal breaker for me was the treatment of rape, abortion and getting your agency back. In my opinion, it is done poorly and the book sends the wrong messages to younger readers.
P. S. At least the book has pretty edition and it looks good on my shelf.
The novel was very easy to follow, the writing was quite good. I didn't know that The Fallen Children is a retelling of sorts of John Wyndham 'The Midwich Cuckoos'. After a quick Google search, I can say that The Fallen Children have a more optimistic ending, but how depressing the story is still...
First, things I did like. I like the diverse cast of characters. Three out of four main characters are poc. Maida is 15 year Arabic Muslim girl, Morris is 18-ish year old Black boy, Keisha is 17-ish Black girl. The fourth character is Siobhan and she's a fat white girl.
The characters were complex and realistic, but on darker side of things. I can't say I feel attachment or care to any of them. I didn't like their attitude or the choices they made. The actual character development was rushed and only in the very end. Siobhan's pov was literally dropped from the story in the middle of the book. And Maida's starts there. Like Maida wasn't interesting enough before the Child and Siobhan lost any interest to the author after getting rid of the child. Moreover, I feel like the author follows a lot of stereotypes for the marginalized groups.
However, the ignorance, prejudice and violence by the community, who viewed the teens and later their Children as outsiders and thus a threat, was spot on. People are awful, move on.
I came to care about the Children in last 40 pages, when they grew up enough to be self-aware. I did like Zero. If only we could see more of him.
That's it for the good.
The bad. Oh boy, where do I even start.
I guess the story wasn't for me. I'm deeply troubled by the raped-by-aliens-and-pregnant-with-half-alien-baby concept. Rape is the key element of the story. We follow three teenage girls who were drugged and raped and it all presented in offhandedly.
The only character who actively tried to get her agency back, to get her body back, was later punished by other characters and the author because he dropped her pov. As soon as Siobhan succeeded in getting an abortion, she became unimportant. Like only these alien babies were important.
Other main characters ridiculed, mocked and cursed her for MAKING A CHOICE CONCERNING HER BODY AND GETTING AN ABORTION.
Quotes:
Even though it was inside her body, I don't think she had the right. Maida thinks about Siobhan
Your body will never be yours again. Not after everything that's happened. Keisha says to Siobhan.
This attitude to abortion wasn't ever challenge in the story. As a result, Siobhan is miserable and alone. Great writing, sure.
On top of that, body shaming is not okay. Keisha and Maida's povs were full of their disgust to Siobhan's body. They didn't actually say anything to the girl to her face, but as readers we were getting the story from the 1st person pov so it's all here. And again, not once was this attitude addressed or challenged. Me, a 22 year old girl, knows it's bullshit, but if I were younger, this book would've crushed me.
Later the rape isn't particularly addressed.
Maida is excited to have a baby and get from her overbearing father. She is both naive and cruel. The thing she wished on other people are awful. It was oh so disturbing.
Keisha lost her dreams and aspirations to go to college because of the whole thing. Plus, sexual assault by the teacher happened in the middle of the book, this subplot had no weight to the story. It was just nasty.
Morris, an ex-boyfriend of Keisha, was really excited about his newly formed family. He treated Keisha's son like his own. I respect that. However, he was scatterbrained and horrifyingly eager about the whole mess, just like Maida.
The relationship the core four characters had was unhealthy. No communication and lots of resentment and hidden aggression towards each other.
In the Foreford, the author encourages to give young people a chance, to believe in them. The Fallen Children shows us the exact opposite. What happens when everything is against you. (Even the author)
The Fallen Children is not the book for me. My favorite author praised it and I went to the story blindly. I highly doubt I would've picked this type of story by myself.
The Fallen Children feels like a gloomy contemporary with paranormal flavor. Unlikable characters and a hostile atmosphere made it difficult to enjoy reading the book. But the deal breaker for me was the treatment of rape, abortion and getting your agency back. In my opinion, it is done poorly and the book sends the wrong messages to younger readers.
P. S. At least the book has pretty edition and it looks good on my shelf.
July 11, 2017
5 Words: Expectations, fear, pressure, violated, understanding.
Review to come.
Review to come.
February 3, 2018
David Owen's The Fallen Children is a YA retelling of John Wyndham's 1950s sci-fi story, The Midwich Cuckoos (also made into a film called The Village of the Damned). Like the original story, a mysterious blackout occurs and everyone in the Midwich Estate collapses, almost as if they've fallen asleep. In David Owen's story, four teenagers become pregnant after the unexpected 'Nightout'. But why? And how? And what will the babies become?
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
June 19, 2017
Review up on my blog: https://thishobbitreads.wordpress.com...
December 15, 2022
This book has to be one of my favourite books of the year! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ !!!!!!! Absolutely amazing! I finished it within a day! My only question is, will there be a sequel? I sure hope so! I love the fact that this book has so many different coloured covers!
May 23, 2017
I have to admit that I've never read The Midwich Cuckoos, but I have seen The Village of the Damned, so I do have a clue about the main story elements tying into this book. And I was very interested in checking it out.
The Midwich Tower houses a lot of people. The kinds of people society sometimes forgets. The kinds of people who constantly face economic struggles. The kids are judged even more harshly than the adults, because no one expects them to have an actual future.
Yet, the night when everyone inside the tower falls asleep at the same time, something weird happens. Most have no idea what happened but soon after, three teenagers and one woman find out they're pregnant. Someone--or something--violated the four and they suddenly find themselves facing the consequences, as well as the judgemental residents who know something weird has happened and fear the girls. After the babies are born and grow unnaturally fast, the fear soon turns to anger. If these four are going to survive they'll have to stick together, which isn't as easy as it sounds when they face so many internal and external obstacles...
Yikes. This book hooked me in from the very beginning. As soon as the story starts, the ominous feeling creeps in and doesn't stop until the very last word.
The story is told in the alternating POV of Keisha, Siobhan, Maida and Morris. Each teen gives the story its own perspective and delves deep into how this is affecting each one individually and as a group.
Keisha has tried so hard to be a good student, by distancing herself from her friends, to hopefully escape a dead-end future. Morris can't catch a break, has borrowed money from dangerous people and desperately wants to get back with Keisha. Siobhan doesn't trust that Keisha won't bail out on their friendship again and hates the predicament she's now in. Maida has very strict and religious parents she wants to defy and escape, and maybe this is her chance.
While I enjoyed all the POVs because they help round out the story so well, my favourite was Keisha. She tried so hard to become more than everyone expects and is doing so well, but the universe has other plans for her. Plans she never expected or wanted, but link her to the others deeper than she ever imagined.
I loved how the realness of everyone's living standards, and the daily pressures they put up with, is balanced out by the bizarre events that change all of their lives. The children are super creepy but I also felt sorry for them. None of what happened is their fault, or their mothers' fault, but circumstance forces them to play their part to survive.
The Fallen Children is a fast-paced, often violent, yet always intoxicating story. I struggled to put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. The air of mystery throughout kept me turning the pages because I couldn't get enough. It's part contemporary, part SciFi, part supernatural, and totally awesome.
Oh, and the design I received was 131/360, which is the blue cover.
I can't help but wonder if there's going to be a sequel...
The Midwich Tower houses a lot of people. The kinds of people society sometimes forgets. The kinds of people who constantly face economic struggles. The kids are judged even more harshly than the adults, because no one expects them to have an actual future.
Yet, the night when everyone inside the tower falls asleep at the same time, something weird happens. Most have no idea what happened but soon after, three teenagers and one woman find out they're pregnant. Someone--or something--violated the four and they suddenly find themselves facing the consequences, as well as the judgemental residents who know something weird has happened and fear the girls. After the babies are born and grow unnaturally fast, the fear soon turns to anger. If these four are going to survive they'll have to stick together, which isn't as easy as it sounds when they face so many internal and external obstacles...
Yikes. This book hooked me in from the very beginning. As soon as the story starts, the ominous feeling creeps in and doesn't stop until the very last word.
The story is told in the alternating POV of Keisha, Siobhan, Maida and Morris. Each teen gives the story its own perspective and delves deep into how this is affecting each one individually and as a group.
Keisha has tried so hard to be a good student, by distancing herself from her friends, to hopefully escape a dead-end future. Morris can't catch a break, has borrowed money from dangerous people and desperately wants to get back with Keisha. Siobhan doesn't trust that Keisha won't bail out on their friendship again and hates the predicament she's now in. Maida has very strict and religious parents she wants to defy and escape, and maybe this is her chance.
While I enjoyed all the POVs because they help round out the story so well, my favourite was Keisha. She tried so hard to become more than everyone expects and is doing so well, but the universe has other plans for her. Plans she never expected or wanted, but link her to the others deeper than she ever imagined.
I loved how the realness of everyone's living standards, and the daily pressures they put up with, is balanced out by the bizarre events that change all of their lives. The children are super creepy but I also felt sorry for them. None of what happened is their fault, or their mothers' fault, but circumstance forces them to play their part to survive.
The Fallen Children is a fast-paced, often violent, yet always intoxicating story. I struggled to put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. The air of mystery throughout kept me turning the pages because I couldn't get enough. It's part contemporary, part SciFi, part supernatural, and totally awesome.
Oh, and the design I received was 131/360, which is the blue cover.
I can't help but wonder if there's going to be a sequel...
May 20, 2017
I loved every second of this. From the supernatural, scary quick pregnancies and the complicated families: all of it was just exceptional.
August 16, 2017
See my full review CLICK HERE!!
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Big thank you to Atom Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full and honest review.
This book was such a pleasant surprise for me. The book is based on The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. I've not read TMC but this YA retelling of it was so creepy and utterly captivating. Also there are 360 different covers of this novel, all in different colours and colour combinations which I think is such a cool idea!
After being in a little bit of a reading slump for a while, I was looking for a book that would completely suck me in and make me want to read again. This was the perfect book.
The novel focuses around Keisha, Maida, Olivia and Siobhan who, following a mysterious night where all residents of their apartment block fall unconscious for a few hours, discover they have become pregnant. As the girls begin to realise that this is no ordinary pregnancy and search for answers, the more sinister and creepy the novel becomes.
The characters in this novel were absolutely amazing. They were written so well and came as being so realistic. Keisha was a definite favourite of the novel. She had spent a long time trying to work hard to prove she was not another "apartment block" girl who just fell into trouble and had no future. She was such a strong, independent and persistent character that it was hard not to sympathise with her as she struggled to escape others expectations. Her relationship with Morris, who I completely and utterly loved, was also really nice and heart warming to read about. I loved reading from his point of view also.
Maida was also an interesting character. Growing up in a very strict household where your future has been set out for you and you have no say in it what so ever, it was easy to sympathies with her seeing this pregnancy as something she had control over and that age her a future she cold choose. A really interesting character.
The writing style was so flawless and captivating. The novel had such a realistic tone and setting so even when things were getting a little spooky and creepy it still came off with such a realistic edge. This novel had me scared but not wanting to stop reading. The children freaked me out so much, so creepy!
The novel deals with unrealistic plot themes but what makes the novel so stand out is its realistic aspects. The characters in the novel are all so realistic that you can find yourself relating to them or knowing someone who is just like them. The novel also deals with themes that are very relevant such as expectations of other, being looked down upon because of where you are from, guilt and shame, young people being looked down upon and flawed characters.
Honestly the novel was just amazing. I found it so creepy and haunting but in the best possible way. Such an addicting read and I hope so much that there will be a sequel, but if not an overall incredibly enjoyable and mesmerizing novel. I will definitely be re-reading this in the future. Highly recommend.
------
Big thank you to Atom Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full and honest review.
This book was such a pleasant surprise for me. The book is based on The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. I've not read TMC but this YA retelling of it was so creepy and utterly captivating. Also there are 360 different covers of this novel, all in different colours and colour combinations which I think is such a cool idea!
After being in a little bit of a reading slump for a while, I was looking for a book that would completely suck me in and make me want to read again. This was the perfect book.
The novel focuses around Keisha, Maida, Olivia and Siobhan who, following a mysterious night where all residents of their apartment block fall unconscious for a few hours, discover they have become pregnant. As the girls begin to realise that this is no ordinary pregnancy and search for answers, the more sinister and creepy the novel becomes.
The characters in this novel were absolutely amazing. They were written so well and came as being so realistic. Keisha was a definite favourite of the novel. She had spent a long time trying to work hard to prove she was not another "apartment block" girl who just fell into trouble and had no future. She was such a strong, independent and persistent character that it was hard not to sympathise with her as she struggled to escape others expectations. Her relationship with Morris, who I completely and utterly loved, was also really nice and heart warming to read about. I loved reading from his point of view also.
Maida was also an interesting character. Growing up in a very strict household where your future has been set out for you and you have no say in it what so ever, it was easy to sympathies with her seeing this pregnancy as something she had control over and that age her a future she cold choose. A really interesting character.
The writing style was so flawless and captivating. The novel had such a realistic tone and setting so even when things were getting a little spooky and creepy it still came off with such a realistic edge. This novel had me scared but not wanting to stop reading. The children freaked me out so much, so creepy!
The novel deals with unrealistic plot themes but what makes the novel so stand out is its realistic aspects. The characters in the novel are all so realistic that you can find yourself relating to them or knowing someone who is just like them. The novel also deals with themes that are very relevant such as expectations of other, being looked down upon because of where you are from, guilt and shame, young people being looked down upon and flawed characters.
Honestly the novel was just amazing. I found it so creepy and haunting but in the best possible way. Such an addicting read and I hope so much that there will be a sequel, but if not an overall incredibly enjoyable and mesmerizing novel. I will definitely be re-reading this in the future. Highly recommend.
August 25, 2017
I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I did get immediately drawn to this book above and beyond all the other books that were on the table. It was bold and very distinctive, and then when I read and found out there were 360 different colours on the cover I thought "oh god, but now I want ALL 360!". I have 103 which I would call an indigoy violety dark bluey purple type colour. I'm pretty sure it has a specific name but I have no idea what it is. I delved through the very few that were remaining on the table at YALC and chose this one and as stupid as it may sound to a non-book geek person, it made it even more of an exciting purchase!
Ok, so enough about the cover!
The book itself is inspired by the midwhich cuckoos. I personally have not read this book all the way through, however I used to run the crime and sci-fi section at waterstones bham so when it was quiet I would pretend to be "shelving" whilst actually just reading random passages from books, a favourite of which was the John Wyndham novel.
Coupled with this I have seen the (awful) film Village of the Damned so I had a fair understanding of the "original" plot.
What I instantly loved about David Owen's book was that it was so accessible; it didn't make me feel as if I should have read the Midwhich Cuckoo's and I didn't feel like I had missed out on anything by not having fully read it - if anything, it has just made me add it to my TBR list.
The setting used in this book was very clever as to me the building itself felt like a character because without it the book would not have been as good as it is... The combination of the very differing personalities of the main narrators, coupled with the claustrophobic setting they ended up being stuck in added a palpable sense of tension which built up through each and every passage until the inevitable fallout and subsequent action. (I'm being deliberately vague because honestly I don't even want to give away one possible spoiler as I just want everyone to pick up a copy, sit down and read it all in one go as I did because I become wholly immersed in their story.
Ok, so enough about the cover!
The book itself is inspired by the midwhich cuckoos. I personally have not read this book all the way through, however I used to run the crime and sci-fi section at waterstones bham so when it was quiet I would pretend to be "shelving" whilst actually just reading random passages from books, a favourite of which was the John Wyndham novel.
Coupled with this I have seen the (awful) film Village of the Damned so I had a fair understanding of the "original" plot.
What I instantly loved about David Owen's book was that it was so accessible; it didn't make me feel as if I should have read the Midwhich Cuckoo's and I didn't feel like I had missed out on anything by not having fully read it - if anything, it has just made me add it to my TBR list.
The setting used in this book was very clever as to me the building itself felt like a character because without it the book would not have been as good as it is... The combination of the very differing personalities of the main narrators, coupled with the claustrophobic setting they ended up being stuck in added a palpable sense of tension which built up through each and every passage until the inevitable fallout and subsequent action. (I'm being deliberately vague because honestly I don't even want to give away one possible spoiler as I just want everyone to pick up a copy, sit down and read it all in one go as I did because I become wholly immersed in their story.
January 14, 2018
2.5 Stars
A bit too juvenile with the same ideas repeated ad nauseam.
Read my discussion below...could be thought of as mildly spoilery, but if you are familiar with the Midwich Cuckoos (or the village of the damned), it's not really spoilery.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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I didn't think the bullying was realistic as it was just too mean and too much...School mates and teachers would have noticed their rapid change in shape, at the very least. Once the Children were born, the author just repeated the same point over and over again (is a monster born or shaped, or is it a catch-22). The end was vague and unsatisfying as well. I also had a hard time with the different narratives...I found myself flipping back to see which view point I was reading from. Lastly, Maida in the last third of the book was a complete psychopath, and it just wasn't believable. Can we talk about her living in an abandoned flat instead of moving in with Olivia, like any sane person would do?!
Anyway, I'm disappointed with where the Fallen Children went...The author could have done so many cool things with the premise! Instead he tried to write a social 'heavy hitter' that ended up being mediocre.
A bit too juvenile with the same ideas repeated ad nauseam.
Read my discussion below...could be thought of as mildly spoilery, but if you are familiar with the Midwich Cuckoos (or the village of the damned), it's not really spoilery.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I didn't think the bullying was realistic as it was just too mean and too much...School mates and teachers would have noticed their rapid change in shape, at the very least. Once the Children were born, the author just repeated the same point over and over again (is a monster born or shaped, or is it a catch-22). The end was vague and unsatisfying as well. I also had a hard time with the different narratives...I found myself flipping back to see which view point I was reading from. Lastly, Maida in the last third of the book was a complete psychopath, and it just wasn't believable. Can we talk about her living in an abandoned flat instead of moving in with Olivia, like any sane person would do?!
Anyway, I'm disappointed with where the Fallen Children went...The author could have done so many cool things with the premise! Instead he tried to write a social 'heavy hitter' that ended up being mediocre.
July 14, 2018
One night there is a blackout where everyone drops as if they were asleep. Four women find themselves unexpectedly pregnant and have to face the judgment of others and come to terms with the fact that their pregnancies are moving at a rapid rate. The children are born and they are clearly not fully human with golden eyes and strange powers again the girls have to deal with the negative treatment of those around them.
At first, the book moves quite slowly and I found it difficult to get into however the pacing does pick up. The book is told from the POV of three of the characters in fairly short sections before moving onto the next POV. Whilst I don't have an issue with books with multiple POVs I did find it difficult to connect with the characters in this book.
I did feel as if the author portrayed the different feelings of the girls in a realistic way. They all had very different responses to the situation and I think that the emotions felt by them are experienced by most people when they find out they are pregnant.
I think that there are a lot of really important messages highlighted in this book. I am interested to read more from the author in the future.
At first, the book moves quite slowly and I found it difficult to get into however the pacing does pick up. The book is told from the POV of three of the characters in fairly short sections before moving onto the next POV. Whilst I don't have an issue with books with multiple POVs I did find it difficult to connect with the characters in this book.
I did feel as if the author portrayed the different feelings of the girls in a realistic way. They all had very different responses to the situation and I think that the emotions felt by them are experienced by most people when they find out they are pregnant.
I think that there are a lot of really important messages highlighted in this book. I am interested to read more from the author in the future.
February 6, 2021
So this one really wasn't for me I'm afraid.
I disliked all of the character's they read alot younger to me than what they was aswell, just from the things they said.
I wasn't hooked with the plot and didn't particularly care about what was going on.
I didn't like every so often it was thrown in there out of nowhere that the characters were black/Muslim I'm all for black representation I wish there was more of it but it was just there to remind us that they were infact POC.
Nothing happened until the last 100 pages and even then it was resolved in about 30/40 pages.
By no means did I think the book was horrendous I finished it. It just really wasn't for me I know someone who loved it and that's the only reason I read it.
I disliked all of the character's they read alot younger to me than what they was aswell, just from the things they said.
I wasn't hooked with the plot and didn't particularly care about what was going on.
I didn't like every so often it was thrown in there out of nowhere that the characters were black/Muslim I'm all for black representation I wish there was more of it but it was just there to remind us that they were infact POC.
Nothing happened until the last 100 pages and even then it was resolved in about 30/40 pages.
By no means did I think the book was horrendous I finished it. It just really wasn't for me I know someone who loved it and that's the only reason I read it.
June 25, 2017
Couldn't put it down, once I started reading ,not normally my kind of read ,but it was in many ways so realistic of how our youth of today are portrayed.would recommend and cannot wait for David's next novel.
August 19, 2019
3.5 stars
September 6, 2017
This book is a modern take on the novel by John Wyndham the Midwitch Cuckoos. I must admit that I have not read the original novel but I will be reading it as soon as I can get a copy of it. The story was fast paced and well written and i enjoyed it a great deal
July 6, 2018
The Fallen Children is a science fiction YA novel centered around the mystical pregnancy trope.
One night, everyone inside Midwich tower block falls unconscious at the same time. In the days that follow this ‘nightout’, one young woman and three teenagers find themselves pregnant. The pregnancies progress incredibly quickly, and the girls soon find themselves giving birth to rapidly growing children.
There are very few things I actually enjoyed about this book, and all of them come with a ‘but’. The writing was okay, but there are times when the pacing is off, and I thought the ending was rushed. The book actually acknowledges the mystical pregnancy as rape, and explores the physical and mental stress they cause, but this is soon dropped, and the pregnancies are frequently hailed as a ‘miracle’ by two of the characters. Normally I would be happy about diversity in books, but given that this one has a black teenager and a Muslim teenager having their bodies violated, I really don’t think it’s great on that point.
One of my main problems with it is the character of Siobhan, one of the teenagers who gets impregnated. She induces a miscarriage through drinking, and is punished by it by both the other characters, who shun her, and by the narrative, which drops her perspective. There’s no compassion for her, no sympathy, no focus on her recovery. Instead, she’s repeatedly called a killer for wanting autonomy over her body, and at one point another character actively roots for her death, saying that she ‘deserves it’.
There are other issues, such as the fatshaming, the flat characters, the sexual assault from a teacher which is never dealt with, the too-frequent switches in point of view, and that the bullying from the other tower residents became, in my opinion, highly unrealistic at the end, but the treatment of Siobhan is by far the biggest.
I can kind of see what the author was trying to go for in places, as there’s discussions of being an outsider and struggling to imagine a future for yourself as a teenager, but I think those themes could have been explored better without the sci-fi elements. And when you’re writing a book about rape, there’s a level of sensitivity you need in order to do it well, and that sensitivity was completely lacking here.
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One night, everyone inside Midwich tower block falls unconscious at the same time. In the days that follow this ‘nightout’, one young woman and three teenagers find themselves pregnant. The pregnancies progress incredibly quickly, and the girls soon find themselves giving birth to rapidly growing children.
There are very few things I actually enjoyed about this book, and all of them come with a ‘but’. The writing was okay, but there are times when the pacing is off, and I thought the ending was rushed. The book actually acknowledges the mystical pregnancy as rape, and explores the physical and mental stress they cause, but this is soon dropped, and the pregnancies are frequently hailed as a ‘miracle’ by two of the characters. Normally I would be happy about diversity in books, but given that this one has a black teenager and a Muslim teenager having their bodies violated, I really don’t think it’s great on that point.
One of my main problems with it is the character of Siobhan, one of the teenagers who gets impregnated. She induces a miscarriage through drinking, and is punished by it by both the other characters, who shun her, and by the narrative, which drops her perspective. There’s no compassion for her, no sympathy, no focus on her recovery. Instead, she’s repeatedly called a killer for wanting autonomy over her body, and at one point another character actively roots for her death, saying that she ‘deserves it’.
There are other issues, such as the fatshaming, the flat characters, the sexual assault from a teacher which is never dealt with, the too-frequent switches in point of view, and that the bullying from the other tower residents became, in my opinion, highly unrealistic at the end, but the treatment of Siobhan is by far the biggest.
I can kind of see what the author was trying to go for in places, as there’s discussions of being an outsider and struggling to imagine a future for yourself as a teenager, but I think those themes could have been explored better without the sci-fi elements. And when you’re writing a book about rape, there’s a level of sensitivity you need in order to do it well, and that sensitivity was completely lacking here.
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June 19, 2017
Originally Posted at http://mythoughtsaboutbooks.blogspot....
The Fallen Children is an updated retelling of John Wyndham's The Midwitch Cuckoos, a book I read about 7 years ago and absolutely adored. I definitely think this leans more towards John Carpenter's enjoyably bonkers Village of the Damned than Midwich Cuckoos though, inspiration wise- only a selection of women are found to be inexplicably pregnant rather than all, and there is a great plot emphasis on the missing child- aborted in TFC, dead at birth in VotD which I do not recall even featuring in Wyndham's original (though there is a gender imbalance of 30 girls and 31 boys). It's a really successful transplantation of the story into the 21st century and focuses thematically on the idea of the mob mentality and their angry, auto-hostile judgement, the fear of the 'different' and the difficulties faced by young people in defying expectations, clawing at the slippery scraps of social mobility and the crippling lack of options to those born into poverty.
One evening, the residents and everyone in the immediate vicinity of Midwich Tower black out. It's at night, so many people miss the odd event entirely. However, in the days that follow, our narrators realise that they are all inexplicably pregnant, and that their babies are developing at a supernaturally fast rate. The four young women become the targets of hate crime and violence as they try to discover what happened that night, how come they can read each other's thoughts and feel the others' emotions and how the hell are they going to be able to look after babies. The book was really effective at creating an atmosphere of menace and hostility as it becomes more apparent that the characters are pretty much under siege by their neighbours. It showed how quickly people can turn on those they perceive to be different or dangerous.
Interestingly, The Fallen Children focuses on the lives, emotions and reactions of the young women that find themselves pregnant, something that until now nobody has explored in any great detail. Here, they are 17 (ish) year old Keisha, a former bad girl that's turned her life around, studies hard and has set her sights on university as a route out of the poverty of the Midwich Towerblock. She is furious and disgusted at the violation of her body and mortified that after all her efforts to make something of herself, she is just another estate girl with a baby. Her former friend Siobhan, directionless and damaged also finds herself in a similar situation. She is furious about the hijacking of her body and is most vocal about doing something about it (note: I felt I was supposed to be disgusted by Siobhan being overweight as it was referenced frequently and commented on by more than one character- that just didn't really feel right to me...I think that made me like her more because people were being so horrible to her). Third victim is timid 14yo Maida, a Muslim girl trapped into a future she doesn't want who sees this baby as an opportunity to change her course, and a nurse in her 20s, Olivia, who had previously known herself to be barren and so is overjoyed at the idea of being a mother by any means necessary. I don't recall any sections from Olivia's POV...The last narrator is Morris, ex-boyfriend of Keisha, in trouble with the local thugs, under financial pressure from his family and debtors and, incidentally, not pregnant.
Written in alternating perspectives, I honestly quite struggled to distinguish the voices of the narrators as the POV switched between them- perhaps it's because dialogue continued through some conversations despite the POV switch? I've never really had this problem before with multiple narrators. It would've flowed better for me if the characters' Voices were a little more distinct, if they exhibited more of their personality through the way they spoke and thought- they were just a little bit too similar to keep them all separate and distinct in my head.
I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and felt it kept up a good pace, kept that oppressive atmosphere of fear and hostility, kept that ticking tome bomb of the imminent baby and the race to find out the truth about the Night Out...however, I did feel that after the babies arrived, it lost its momentum somewhat and became a bit more confused with its messages. I really did not like the attitudes of Keisha and Maida regarding Siobhan's successful attempt to end her pregnancy. Like, even if it's a mysterious alien baby that you've no idea where it came from, hearing characters direct hatred, judgement and pain at a person for terminating a pregnancy (ever a supernatural one) leaves a bit of a nasty taste. I get that the super-powerful-babies were physically preventing their carriers from directly inflicting harm on them (that was really well done throughout the narrative- it really feels like the girls are absolutely at the mercy of the fetus inside them) like when Siobhan tried and fails to step off the roof, and when the fetus erase the word "abortion" from their mothers' minds- that read like an unnatural manual override from a parasite within...but to hear some of the post baby bile directed at Siobhan by her former friends just didn't sit right and just didn't feel like it was part of the same book. Like, the baby is out of you now, act like a human. Once the babies are born, we drop Siobhan as a narrator and pick up Maida instead, who suddenly comes across as Children Evangelical and is all for unleashing them on the world.
I really liked how the latter part of the book the shifts the focus onto the idea of belonging, it rescues the third act. Zero, the sole male Child, feels adrift and angry because his twin did not survive- there's an interesting question about nature and nurture lurking under that storyline that asks to what extent we are in control of our own behaviour and destiny. Similarly excluded and lost, Maida feels like she has created something extraordinary but cannot truly be a part of it- Marvel and Helena, the Female Children, share a bond that she cannot ever hope to experience. During this period, the characters are were beginning to make sense of the similarities and joining the dots between the Midwich occurrence and a similar one in Cornwall, a nice little nod to the (possibly Cornish) fictional village of the source story. There is a lot of delicious mystery left unsolved because sometimes things cannot be explained.
So all in all, it's mostly really good and is definitely an interesting and engaging modernisation- I would definitely recommend The Fallen Children as a fast paced kind-of-mystery about teens placed in impossible situations and having to battle against their whole neighbourhood just to live their lives- I loved the setting and the updating of classic sci-fi, thought the themes of prejudice, difference and that lack of autonomy, either socially or bodily were explored well. I liked the evolution of the story into a story of belonging and being in control of your own direction, but I felt that it fell down by its characters a little. I just couldn't fathom their behaviour- towards Siobhan after the births, Maida's super-villain story arc, how Morris just seemed constantly in denial and hopelessly useless. Maybe that's just totally acceptable teen logic, I dunno.
The Fallen Children is an updated retelling of John Wyndham's The Midwitch Cuckoos, a book I read about 7 years ago and absolutely adored. I definitely think this leans more towards John Carpenter's enjoyably bonkers Village of the Damned than Midwich Cuckoos though, inspiration wise- only a selection of women are found to be inexplicably pregnant rather than all, and there is a great plot emphasis on the missing child- aborted in TFC, dead at birth in VotD which I do not recall even featuring in Wyndham's original (though there is a gender imbalance of 30 girls and 31 boys). It's a really successful transplantation of the story into the 21st century and focuses thematically on the idea of the mob mentality and their angry, auto-hostile judgement, the fear of the 'different' and the difficulties faced by young people in defying expectations, clawing at the slippery scraps of social mobility and the crippling lack of options to those born into poverty.
One evening, the residents and everyone in the immediate vicinity of Midwich Tower black out. It's at night, so many people miss the odd event entirely. However, in the days that follow, our narrators realise that they are all inexplicably pregnant, and that their babies are developing at a supernaturally fast rate. The four young women become the targets of hate crime and violence as they try to discover what happened that night, how come they can read each other's thoughts and feel the others' emotions and how the hell are they going to be able to look after babies. The book was really effective at creating an atmosphere of menace and hostility as it becomes more apparent that the characters are pretty much under siege by their neighbours. It showed how quickly people can turn on those they perceive to be different or dangerous.
Interestingly, The Fallen Children focuses on the lives, emotions and reactions of the young women that find themselves pregnant, something that until now nobody has explored in any great detail. Here, they are 17 (ish) year old Keisha, a former bad girl that's turned her life around, studies hard and has set her sights on university as a route out of the poverty of the Midwich Towerblock. She is furious and disgusted at the violation of her body and mortified that after all her efforts to make something of herself, she is just another estate girl with a baby. Her former friend Siobhan, directionless and damaged also finds herself in a similar situation. She is furious about the hijacking of her body and is most vocal about doing something about it (note: I felt I was supposed to be disgusted by Siobhan being overweight as it was referenced frequently and commented on by more than one character- that just didn't really feel right to me...I think that made me like her more because people were being so horrible to her). Third victim is timid 14yo Maida, a Muslim girl trapped into a future she doesn't want who sees this baby as an opportunity to change her course, and a nurse in her 20s, Olivia, who had previously known herself to be barren and so is overjoyed at the idea of being a mother by any means necessary. I don't recall any sections from Olivia's POV...The last narrator is Morris, ex-boyfriend of Keisha, in trouble with the local thugs, under financial pressure from his family and debtors and, incidentally, not pregnant.
Written in alternating perspectives, I honestly quite struggled to distinguish the voices of the narrators as the POV switched between them- perhaps it's because dialogue continued through some conversations despite the POV switch? I've never really had this problem before with multiple narrators. It would've flowed better for me if the characters' Voices were a little more distinct, if they exhibited more of their personality through the way they spoke and thought- they were just a little bit too similar to keep them all separate and distinct in my head.
I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and felt it kept up a good pace, kept that oppressive atmosphere of fear and hostility, kept that ticking tome bomb of the imminent baby and the race to find out the truth about the Night Out...however, I did feel that after the babies arrived, it lost its momentum somewhat and became a bit more confused with its messages. I really did not like the attitudes of Keisha and Maida regarding Siobhan's successful attempt to end her pregnancy. Like, even if it's a mysterious alien baby that you've no idea where it came from, hearing characters direct hatred, judgement and pain at a person for terminating a pregnancy (ever a supernatural one) leaves a bit of a nasty taste. I get that the super-powerful-babies were physically preventing their carriers from directly inflicting harm on them (that was really well done throughout the narrative- it really feels like the girls are absolutely at the mercy of the fetus inside them) like when Siobhan tried and fails to step off the roof, and when the fetus erase the word "abortion" from their mothers' minds- that read like an unnatural manual override from a parasite within...but to hear some of the post baby bile directed at Siobhan by her former friends just didn't sit right and just didn't feel like it was part of the same book. Like, the baby is out of you now, act like a human. Once the babies are born, we drop Siobhan as a narrator and pick up Maida instead, who suddenly comes across as Children Evangelical and is all for unleashing them on the world.
I really liked how the latter part of the book the shifts the focus onto the idea of belonging, it rescues the third act. Zero, the sole male Child, feels adrift and angry because his twin did not survive- there's an interesting question about nature and nurture lurking under that storyline that asks to what extent we are in control of our own behaviour and destiny. Similarly excluded and lost, Maida feels like she has created something extraordinary but cannot truly be a part of it- Marvel and Helena, the Female Children, share a bond that she cannot ever hope to experience. During this period, the characters are were beginning to make sense of the similarities and joining the dots between the Midwich occurrence and a similar one in Cornwall, a nice little nod to the (possibly Cornish) fictional village of the source story. There is a lot of delicious mystery left unsolved because sometimes things cannot be explained.
So all in all, it's mostly really good and is definitely an interesting and engaging modernisation- I would definitely recommend The Fallen Children as a fast paced kind-of-mystery about teens placed in impossible situations and having to battle against their whole neighbourhood just to live their lives- I loved the setting and the updating of classic sci-fi, thought the themes of prejudice, difference and that lack of autonomy, either socially or bodily were explored well. I liked the evolution of the story into a story of belonging and being in control of your own direction, but I felt that it fell down by its characters a little. I just couldn't fathom their behaviour- towards Siobhan after the births, Maida's super-villain story arc, how Morris just seemed constantly in denial and hopelessly useless. Maybe that's just totally acceptable teen logic, I dunno.
December 19, 2017
Were it not for the fact that my life got in the way, I would have read this book in one sitting- I certainly wanted to!
I haven't read the novel this was based on- the Midwich Cuckoos- but I really liked the concept, and think it translates really well into a modern setting. So much about this book feels so real, particularly the characters and the setting, which makes the alien elements very believable.
This story features a lot of difficult themes- societal and parental expectations, diversity, responsibility, female autonomy, growing up (and being forced to grow up too quickly) but the tackling of these is a mixed bag. All of the characters read like teens (as opposed to the dreaded 'how do you do fellow kids' meme), and the fact that all of the characters want to defy and exceed the expectations of them is great to read about. However, the thoughts on female autonomy were a little scary to read about- particularly in the times we are living in, even if the thoughts were presented as being had because of the alien aspects.
All in all, this was a refreshing read that I really enjoyed!
I haven't read the novel this was based on- the Midwich Cuckoos- but I really liked the concept, and think it translates really well into a modern setting. So much about this book feels so real, particularly the characters and the setting, which makes the alien elements very believable.
This story features a lot of difficult themes- societal and parental expectations, diversity, responsibility, female autonomy, growing up (and being forced to grow up too quickly) but the tackling of these is a mixed bag. All of the characters read like teens (as opposed to the dreaded 'how do you do fellow kids' meme), and the fact that all of the characters want to defy and exceed the expectations of them is great to read about. However, the thoughts on female autonomy were a little scary to read about- particularly in the times we are living in, even if the thoughts were presented as being had because of the alien aspects.
All in all, this was a refreshing read that I really enjoyed!
August 3, 2017
I didn't really enjoy this book. I felt that it was lacking in some serious places.
In many ways the problems that I had with this book were similar to those I had with Memoirs of a Geisha in that I think it's very hard for male authors to really capture the true feelings behind things like pregnancy. In The Fallen Children several teens are mysterious impregnated by aliens (?) and have extremely accelerated pregnancies and I found that the terror that normal new moms experience wasn't there, let alone the feeling that a surviver would feel.
I also really struggled with several of the characters.
I expected a lot more from the novel especially because it was based off The Midwich Cuckoos which I really enjoyed.
The ending is set up for a sequel. I hope it never comes.
In many ways the problems that I had with this book were similar to those I had with Memoirs of a Geisha in that I think it's very hard for male authors to really capture the true feelings behind things like pregnancy. In The Fallen Children several teens are mysterious impregnated by aliens (?) and have extremely accelerated pregnancies and I found that the terror that normal new moms experience wasn't there, let alone the feeling that a surviver would feel.
I also really struggled with several of the characters.
I expected a lot more from the novel especially because it was based off The Midwich Cuckoos which I really enjoyed.
The ending is set up for a sequel. I hope it never comes.
March 13, 2017
To be honest I really liked The Fallen Children at the beginning. The characters, their problem and struggle seemed very realistic and emotional, despite the supernatural theme. However, as the story developed I felt more and more confused with their actions and their development in general. In the end a lot of characters got on my nevers and some questions as well as conflicts were never answered which I found very disappointing.
October 2, 2018
I enjoyed the idea of the book more than the book itself. Some aspects were poorly executed but overall it was enjoyable. The pacing of the book was a bit off, rushed in some places and too slow in others. Not the best read ever but not bad.
January 22, 2018
Interesting ideas but not hooking me right bow. Will come back to when my brain is ready for it.
January 8, 2019
I absolutely loved the concept of this book. But there were a few issues with characters and plot lines but despite this it was an interesting read.
August 2, 2020
The Fallen Children is by David Owen is a book unlike any other I have read before. It follows an alien-enforced blackout (referred to as the ‘nightout’) in a thirteen storey block of council flats, whereby four young women are forcefully impregnated (raped, to use the correct terminology, which is important to address). Three of these women aren’t even women, they are children. Girls of around 14-16, one of whom is part of a controlling Muslim family who’s response she fears. The fourth is a woman in her late twenties, and the storyline just increases in bizarreness from there. The children are born, and chaos ensues, nothing about these pregnancies being normal or expected.
A mixed cocktail of the painful reality that accompanies teenage pregnancy, and the unimaginable concept of ‘alien pregnancy’ - this book makes for something of a double-ended read throughout. We can almost feel firsthand the shame cast upon Keisha and Siobhan by their neighbours for being 15/16 year old girls who have fallen pregnant, the abuse they receive and the misogyny which comes with blaming the mother, labels such as ‘SLUT’ thrown around freely to describe the pair. Elements of the book I enjoyed included the unpredictability of the storyline. I did not see certain events unfurling whatsoever, which kept me on my toes as I read. I also enjoyed the characters’ racial and cultural diversity, the high aspirations of what I viewed as the main protagonist, Keisha, and the setting being a low status, high crime block of council flats, injecting a heavy dose of reality into the supernatural.
However, I found this a problematic read for a number of reasons. Firstly, attitudes surrounding rape and abortion. Spoiler alert: When one of the four pregnant girls destroys her body in order to abort the thing living inside of her, she is shamed by the other characters in what appears to be some sort of moral teaching by the author? She is told that her body is no longer hers and that it was not her decision to make! The book is written from multiple perspectives, and her perspective is simply dropped and she becomes a secondary character from this point onwards, the enemy of the others who have decided to keep their alien babies. This is honestly ridiculous, at no point is there a firm ‘my body my choice’ line drawn under this issue. Nor is the fact that the girls were raped given much attention. It is raised a small handful of times in passing, yet is viewed too casually for my liking. There is a serious sexual assault incident between Keisha and her teacher after she tells him of her rape, which I felt added a greater wariness of adults into the mix and led to Keisha’s expulsion from school. However, once again there was no counter-balance of morals here whatsoever. In addition to this, one of the main characters is fat, which she is mentally berated for by others during their chapters in the book - and the only point that this attitude against her stops is when, surprise surprise... she loses weight (from a placental abruption of all things). I’m aware this book was written by a man, and I’m unsure if this affected his ability to write about issues more commonly associated with women and their bodies - but for a YA I feel as if Owen should’ve provided a greater moral compass on these issues.
Overall I gave The Fallen Children a 3.5 because it genuinely was an enjoyable read for the most part, easy to follow in the majority of places and contained multiple social issues. However I wouldn’t be able to recommend this to a young girl, due to the crushing perpetuating of negative attitudes towards abortion, rape, fat shaming and more, which sadly aren’t addressed fully by the author.
A mixed cocktail of the painful reality that accompanies teenage pregnancy, and the unimaginable concept of ‘alien pregnancy’ - this book makes for something of a double-ended read throughout. We can almost feel firsthand the shame cast upon Keisha and Siobhan by their neighbours for being 15/16 year old girls who have fallen pregnant, the abuse they receive and the misogyny which comes with blaming the mother, labels such as ‘SLUT’ thrown around freely to describe the pair. Elements of the book I enjoyed included the unpredictability of the storyline. I did not see certain events unfurling whatsoever, which kept me on my toes as I read. I also enjoyed the characters’ racial and cultural diversity, the high aspirations of what I viewed as the main protagonist, Keisha, and the setting being a low status, high crime block of council flats, injecting a heavy dose of reality into the supernatural.
However, I found this a problematic read for a number of reasons. Firstly, attitudes surrounding rape and abortion. Spoiler alert: When one of the four pregnant girls destroys her body in order to abort the thing living inside of her, she is shamed by the other characters in what appears to be some sort of moral teaching by the author? She is told that her body is no longer hers and that it was not her decision to make! The book is written from multiple perspectives, and her perspective is simply dropped and she becomes a secondary character from this point onwards, the enemy of the others who have decided to keep their alien babies. This is honestly ridiculous, at no point is there a firm ‘my body my choice’ line drawn under this issue. Nor is the fact that the girls were raped given much attention. It is raised a small handful of times in passing, yet is viewed too casually for my liking. There is a serious sexual assault incident between Keisha and her teacher after she tells him of her rape, which I felt added a greater wariness of adults into the mix and led to Keisha’s expulsion from school. However, once again there was no counter-balance of morals here whatsoever. In addition to this, one of the main characters is fat, which she is mentally berated for by others during their chapters in the book - and the only point that this attitude against her stops is when, surprise surprise... she loses weight (from a placental abruption of all things). I’m aware this book was written by a man, and I’m unsure if this affected his ability to write about issues more commonly associated with women and their bodies - but for a YA I feel as if Owen should’ve provided a greater moral compass on these issues.
Overall I gave The Fallen Children a 3.5 because it genuinely was an enjoyable read for the most part, easy to follow in the majority of places and contained multiple social issues. However I wouldn’t be able to recommend this to a young girl, due to the crushing perpetuating of negative attitudes towards abortion, rape, fat shaming and more, which sadly aren’t addressed fully by the author.
October 27, 2017
The story is a multi-perspective, contemporary/sci-fi adventure set in a council block of flats called Midwich Tower. The four perspectives come from three teenagers who find themselves pregnant following the 'Nightout' and Morris, who has potentially life-threatening problems of his own. Alien impregnation is the stuff of nightmares and it made for a really intense, Halloween read.
I haven't read or seen the original material, so this review will bare no comparison to that.
Keisha is a troublemaker who has found the light and is trying to make something of herself, Siobhan is the friend Keisha left in the dark, Maida is only fifteen and comes from a strict Muslim family and Olivia is a nurse who has always wanted to be a mother. Now they're all pregnant, and it's due to alien intervention.
Keisha and Morris are the main protagonists, and used to date. As a part of Keisha's journey onto the straight and narrow, she ended her relationship with Mo and friendship with Siobhan under the guidance of friendly deputy head teacher, Mr Arnopp. So falling pregnant is literally the worst thing she could have imagined, while Morris has elected himself to be the father to whatever is growing inside Keisha.
Maida and Olivia are much more content with the circumstances. Maida believes she has been chosen for something bigger than any of them, Olivia believed herself to be unable to have children so this is nothing short of a miracle. Siobhan, like Keisha, hates every second of this and wants out immediately.
It was so interesting to see the different perspectives on the situation, though at times I couldn't connect with Maida and Olivia. I can't imagine ever being okay the violation of the events of the Nightout, making it easier for me to sympathise with Keisha and Siobhan.
The book gave me serious Attack The Block vibes, which is a compliment because I actually enjoyed that film. Though The Fallen Children was much less about the block coming together to prevent an alien uprising, and more about victim blaming the girls.
I wasn't expecting to like the book as much as I did, I don't read nearly enough sci-fi these days but this was sci-fi set in a contemporary setting so you get the best of both worlds because you don't have to learn a load of 'space-y' terms and imagine how life on Earth ended. Earth is okay but girls are getting pregnant with alien's, if that's more your speed then you'll love this book.
The Fallen Children ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Like the characters I have so many questions about what all of this means. As the characters go in search of answers we're left wondering is this going to happen again? More alien babies. Has it been happening all along?
I think this is one of those books that would work as a series or a stand alone, I'd be happy never knowing what David Owens had in mind, and think it up myself. I'm also really intrigued to know where the characters go next as it seems like they have a big adventure ahead of them. Definitely pick this book up if you like thrilling, sci-fi adventures, or if you love YA and want to read something a bit different. You won't be disappointed.
My copy of the book is colour number 259/360, in case you were wondering.
I haven't read or seen the original material, so this review will bare no comparison to that.
Keisha is a troublemaker who has found the light and is trying to make something of herself, Siobhan is the friend Keisha left in the dark, Maida is only fifteen and comes from a strict Muslim family and Olivia is a nurse who has always wanted to be a mother. Now they're all pregnant, and it's due to alien intervention.
Keisha and Morris are the main protagonists, and used to date. As a part of Keisha's journey onto the straight and narrow, she ended her relationship with Mo and friendship with Siobhan under the guidance of friendly deputy head teacher, Mr Arnopp. So falling pregnant is literally the worst thing she could have imagined, while Morris has elected himself to be the father to whatever is growing inside Keisha.
Maida and Olivia are much more content with the circumstances. Maida believes she has been chosen for something bigger than any of them, Olivia believed herself to be unable to have children so this is nothing short of a miracle. Siobhan, like Keisha, hates every second of this and wants out immediately.
It was so interesting to see the different perspectives on the situation, though at times I couldn't connect with Maida and Olivia. I can't imagine ever being okay the violation of the events of the Nightout, making it easier for me to sympathise with Keisha and Siobhan.
The book gave me serious Attack The Block vibes, which is a compliment because I actually enjoyed that film. Though The Fallen Children was much less about the block coming together to prevent an alien uprising, and more about victim blaming the girls.
I wasn't expecting to like the book as much as I did, I don't read nearly enough sci-fi these days but this was sci-fi set in a contemporary setting so you get the best of both worlds because you don't have to learn a load of 'space-y' terms and imagine how life on Earth ended. Earth is okay but girls are getting pregnant with alien's, if that's more your speed then you'll love this book.
The Fallen Children ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Like the characters I have so many questions about what all of this means. As the characters go in search of answers we're left wondering is this going to happen again? More alien babies. Has it been happening all along?
I think this is one of those books that would work as a series or a stand alone, I'd be happy never knowing what David Owens had in mind, and think it up myself. I'm also really intrigued to know where the characters go next as it seems like they have a big adventure ahead of them. Definitely pick this book up if you like thrilling, sci-fi adventures, or if you love YA and want to read something a bit different. You won't be disappointed.
My copy of the book is colour number 259/360, in case you were wondering.
May 15, 2017
4/5 stars
This book was..... I don't really have the words? Trippy, I guess. It honestly read like Attack the Block except it's a book and John Boyega isn't knocked out and impregnated by a mysterious alien-esque life force. I loved that about it.
The Fallen Children follows 4 girls after the 'Nightout', where all of the residents of the Midwich estate all mysteriously fall unconscious, and the 4 girls discover they were impregnated by someone or something while unconscious. And their babies? All growing at a speed that points to the fact that their children aren't your average humans.
The characters in this book are very compelling. I personally loved Keisha and , so anything with them I loved. Although I enjoyed reading from Siobhan, Maida and Morris' point of views, I didn't really like them as much. Morris does some stuff that made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially the way he talked about his relationship with Keisha. Anything to do with Keisha and the other character and his sisters, I loved.
I honestly loved the themes explored in this. Violation, for one; societal expectations forced onto young people; adults being total, complete dickheads, so badly you want to punch them in the throat. I found myself wanting to put the book down because I felt so uncomfortable at the first two and so angry at the last, but I also kept on reading because I cared about the characters so much and seeing them through.
Also, I completely forgot- teenage pregnancy, literally one of the biggest topics of the book. I'm fairly certain one of the girls is 15 or 16, the other two are 17, and the fourth is older than the other three and in a position where being pregnant is less frowned upon. I've honestly never read a book about teenage pregnancy for, and it was really hard to read about, honestly- two of the girls are around the same age as me, and I kept imagining myself in their shoes and completely understanding why they reacted the way they did. I appreciate how much David Owen also looked at slut shaming and how shitty society is towards these young girls who get pregnant at such a young age, and how toxic people are.
The setting of this book also really got to me. I lived on a London council estate until I was 15, and I actually found myself picturing where I lived reading this, which is something I'm rarely able to do. It was just so vivid and clear in my head, where I lived and the people in the area. The language, and the way characters talked to each other and about their future, was something I could also relate to, because I felt the same way for so long growing up. I feel like growing up in a place like that kind of fucks you up, and that drive to escape it? Definitely something I understand.
Overall, a really solid book. I preferred the last half more, but it was really interesting how they deal with the pregnancy in the first part. Would wholeheartedly recommend!
This book was..... I don't really have the words? Trippy, I guess. It honestly read like Attack the Block except it's a book and John Boyega isn't knocked out and impregnated by a mysterious alien-esque life force. I loved that about it.
The Fallen Children follows 4 girls after the 'Nightout', where all of the residents of the Midwich estate all mysteriously fall unconscious, and the 4 girls discover they were impregnated by someone or something while unconscious. And their babies? All growing at a speed that points to the fact that their children aren't your average humans.
The characters in this book are very compelling. I personally loved Keisha and , so anything with them I loved. Although I enjoyed reading from Siobhan, Maida and Morris' point of views, I didn't really like them as much. Morris does some stuff that made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially the way he talked about his relationship with Keisha. Anything to do with Keisha and the other character and his sisters, I loved.
I honestly loved the themes explored in this. Violation, for one; societal expectations forced onto young people; adults being total, complete dickheads, so badly you want to punch them in the throat. I found myself wanting to put the book down because I felt so uncomfortable at the first two and so angry at the last, but I also kept on reading because I cared about the characters so much and seeing them through.
Also, I completely forgot- teenage pregnancy, literally one of the biggest topics of the book. I'm fairly certain one of the girls is 15 or 16, the other two are 17, and the fourth is older than the other three and in a position where being pregnant is less frowned upon. I've honestly never read a book about teenage pregnancy for, and it was really hard to read about, honestly- two of the girls are around the same age as me, and I kept imagining myself in their shoes and completely understanding why they reacted the way they did. I appreciate how much David Owen also looked at slut shaming and how shitty society is towards these young girls who get pregnant at such a young age, and how toxic people are.
The setting of this book also really got to me. I lived on a London council estate until I was 15, and I actually found myself picturing where I lived reading this, which is something I'm rarely able to do. It was just so vivid and clear in my head, where I lived and the people in the area. The language, and the way characters talked to each other and about their future, was something I could also relate to, because I felt the same way for so long growing up. I feel like growing up in a place like that kind of fucks you up, and that drive to escape it? Definitely something I understand.
Overall, a really solid book. I preferred the last half more, but it was really interesting how they deal with the pregnancy in the first part. Would wholeheartedly recommend!
January 11, 2018
A modern retelling of the Midwich Cuckoos, the story centres on the residents of a tower block and their strange experiences after they all suddenly fall unconscious for a few hours. Three teenage girls and one woman soon discover themselves to be unexpectedly pregnant, and now face the fear and judgement of the other residents. The babies grow at a remarkable pace and it seems these golden eyed children are far more deadly than anyone could imagine.
Although I’ve never read The Midwich Cuckoos, I have seen the creepy 1960’s film adaptation, and so I had a good understanding of the story before I began reading.
David Owen’s version is much more of a modern take on it and the strange events only occur in one small area of the town. The narration switches between the points of view of four of the main characters as they desperately try to work together to search for answers. Due to this format, the reader gets a well-rounded overall picture of the plotline and how it affects each of their lives. The characters are well developed throughout and layered with flaws and strengths. They each have a realistic and interesting backstory and have faced hardships, and so alongside the supernatural elements, Owen addresses and explores some very real world and important issues, such as abuse, bullying, religion and strict parenting, economic background and of course teenage pregnancy.
With the majority of the plot taking place before the babies are born, it was fitting that the children grew at such a quick rate after they were born.
Whilst it’s clear that there is something incredibly off and eerie about the children it is fairly subtle at first. However, particularly with the boy, the subtle turns into extreme and they really are something straight out of a horror film.
The pacing is fairly fast but there is a good flow to the plot and it is captivating from start to finish.
Although I’ve never read The Midwich Cuckoos, I have seen the creepy 1960’s film adaptation, and so I had a good understanding of the story before I began reading.
David Owen’s version is much more of a modern take on it and the strange events only occur in one small area of the town. The narration switches between the points of view of four of the main characters as they desperately try to work together to search for answers. Due to this format, the reader gets a well-rounded overall picture of the plotline and how it affects each of their lives. The characters are well developed throughout and layered with flaws and strengths. They each have a realistic and interesting backstory and have faced hardships, and so alongside the supernatural elements, Owen addresses and explores some very real world and important issues, such as abuse, bullying, religion and strict parenting, economic background and of course teenage pregnancy.
With the majority of the plot taking place before the babies are born, it was fitting that the children grew at such a quick rate after they were born.
Whilst it’s clear that there is something incredibly off and eerie about the children it is fairly subtle at first. However, particularly with the boy, the subtle turns into extreme and they really are something straight out of a horror film.
The pacing is fairly fast but there is a good flow to the plot and it is captivating from start to finish.
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