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The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away
In this delightfully creepy novel from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Ronald L. Smith, twelve-year-old Simon thinks he was abducted by aliens. But is it real, or just his over-active imagination? Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and Louis Sachar.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2019
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1479 people want to read
About the author
Ronald L. Smith
14 books200 followersI grew up on Air Force bases and have lived in Japan, Maine, Alabama, Michigan, South Carolina, Delaware, Washington, DC, Illinois and a bunch of other places I don’t remember. After reading Ray Bradbury’s R is for Rocket and Eleanor Cameron’s Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet I fell in love with books.
I haven’t stopped reading since.
HOODOO is my debut middle-grade novel. My second novel, THE MESMERIST, is available February, 2017.
My work is represented by Adriann Ranta of Foundry Literary + Media.
My publisher is Clarion, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
January 25, 2019
The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith is a middle grade scifi/horror story featuring alien abductions. The main character Simon has a fear about aliens after picking up his parents books with the subject.
Simon’s father is in the Air Force and his whole life he is used to being on military bases instead of out with the rest of the world. This however doesn’t stop Simon from having an active imagination as he writes stories hoping to become a young author.
When out camping with his parents Simon heads off into the woods by himself to gather firewood when he sees strange lights through the trees. The next thing Simon knows his parents find him passed out and he is sure he’s been abducted but is it real or just his overactive imagination?
Reading The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away I could tell that the author has done a lot of research into the area of alien sightings and abductions since I’ve read a lot of the same subject matter in the past. It was fun to see how this young boy took it all so seriously and had studied up on the subject giving it all just the right combination of chills and thrills. There was one scene I questioned might be a little too much for the age range and the end seemed a bit rushed but overall I thought it was well done.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Simon’s father is in the Air Force and his whole life he is used to being on military bases instead of out with the rest of the world. This however doesn’t stop Simon from having an active imagination as he writes stories hoping to become a young author.
When out camping with his parents Simon heads off into the woods by himself to gather firewood when he sees strange lights through the trees. The next thing Simon knows his parents find him passed out and he is sure he’s been abducted but is it real or just his overactive imagination?
Reading The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away I could tell that the author has done a lot of research into the area of alien sightings and abductions since I’ve read a lot of the same subject matter in the past. It was fun to see how this young boy took it all so seriously and had studied up on the subject giving it all just the right combination of chills and thrills. There was one scene I questioned might be a little too much for the age range and the end seemed a bit rushed but overall I thought it was well done.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
February 3, 2019
Grays. Just saying it freaks me out. It's such a simple word. A color. Not black or white. But something in between. Something unknowable. Something that makes me not want to sleep.
I'd never read anything by Ronald L. Smith before, but when I first heard this middle grade sci-fi/horror was releasing, I got so excited! I was terrified of aliens as a kid, so naturally, I'm totally fascinated by the whole idea of them (and abduction stories) as an adult. Plus, aliens + owls? Major Fourth Kind vibes (not that the film is where the idea originated, but still), so altogether, I was super stoked to read this! On top of everything else, a biracial kid with asthma as a main character, and a book that takes the time to seriously tackle toxic masculinity? There's just so much good stuff going on here, y'all.
Unfortunately, it's not all good: the writing is okay, but not my favorite, and there are some issues that never get addressed, like Simon's father's total absence most of the time (and his emotionally abusive nature when he is around), or Simon's paralyzing fear of mental health professionals and medications (which could be great if he grew to learn that they are super helpful for some people, but instead, they're vilified to the end). I know some books are just for fun, and that's great for a lot of readers, but as a mom and children's librarian, it's hard to watch an author sail right past these opportunities to shed light on some really heavy (and important!) topics for kids while telling the story.
The other issue — and this was the biggest reason my rating isn't particularly high — is that Simon is writing a fantasy novel, and we're periodically forced to sift through a chapter at a time of that. This is a totally personal issue, but I hate the "books inside of books" trope, especially when the inner-layer "book" is COMPLETELY UNRELATED to the story we signed up to read. It just comes off as pointless filler and it's frustrating and disjointed.
All in all, not my favorite MG horror by any means, but it had its fun moments and I flew through it. I'm not sure it's the first thing I'll be recommending to kids based on the problems that aren't ever addressed, but with the right reader, I could see this being a world of fun and creepiness.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Clarion Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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May 24, 2020
May 21, 2020
The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith follows a twelve-year-old boy named Simon who is obsessed with aliens. One day while on a camping trip with his parents, he has a strange encounter in the woods that leads him to believe he was abducted by aliens. His memories are hazy afterward but as he begins to remember things, he becomes increasingly paranoid and his parents begin to believe he is crazy. They get him therapy and put him on medications that leave him nauseous and without energy. Not only must Simon investigate the mystery of what happened to him that day in the woods, but he must convince his family that he is telling the truth.
As you can tell, this little middle grade book isn't afraid to get dark. It deals with heavy subjects like mental illness and there are even a few mild curse words scattered throughout. There is nothing too explicit in this novel, but I would be weary of handing this to a child that isn't at least in fifth grade. This is a rather intense, creepy read with a lot of paranoia.
That sense of dread, however, is broken up by our protagonist, Simon, who is a very funny and quirky. "Weird kids" such as myself at that age will be able to identify with Simon who is not like the other kids. He tells the story through his twelve-year-old stream of consciousness, making the book flow in a strange way that still somehow works.
The main problem I had with this book was the ending, which felt very abrupt. I feel this could (and should) have gone on for another 100 pages. Maybe Ronald L. Smith ran out of time and needed to submit a draft to the publisher? Whatever the case, the ending suffers and feels anticlimactic.
At the end of the day, though, I enjoyed The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away almost as much as I enjoyed Ronald's debut novel Hoodoo, which I highly recommend.
Overall, 3.5 stars
As you can tell, this little middle grade book isn't afraid to get dark. It deals with heavy subjects like mental illness and there are even a few mild curse words scattered throughout. There is nothing too explicit in this novel, but I would be weary of handing this to a child that isn't at least in fifth grade. This is a rather intense, creepy read with a lot of paranoia.
That sense of dread, however, is broken up by our protagonist, Simon, who is a very funny and quirky. "Weird kids" such as myself at that age will be able to identify with Simon who is not like the other kids. He tells the story through his twelve-year-old stream of consciousness, making the book flow in a strange way that still somehow works.
The main problem I had with this book was the ending, which felt very abrupt. I feel this could (and should) have gone on for another 100 pages. Maybe Ronald L. Smith ran out of time and needed to submit a draft to the publisher? Whatever the case, the ending suffers and feels anticlimactic.
At the end of the day, though, I enjoyed The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away almost as much as I enjoyed Ronald's debut novel Hoodoo, which I highly recommend.
Overall, 3.5 stars
April 19, 2019
This book........is bad. It’s just very bad. Which is sad, because the cover is lovely and the title is fantastic. It’s like the middle grade novel of that Nicolas Cage movie where the kids are aliens. Main complaints: 1) the treatment of mental health and the mental health care system was.......terrible??? Like objectively bad for the target audience in the tradition of 13 Reasons Why. We learned the lesson that you should lie to your parents, psychologists are trying to drug you and ruin your brain, you are right and parents are wrong and medications make you feel wonky and not like yourself and it’s fine because you’re not actually mentally unhealthy, your parents are just mean. If that’s what you want the takeaway of a book to be, that’s fine, but there’s like NO interrogation of that idea. It’s presented as right, and then it is right, the end. Wtf. 2) there was nooooo character development. Everyone was so flat. Simon’s dad sucked, and he sucked the whole time. His brother likes sports and therefore was annoying, and he liked sports and was annoying the whole time. Etc etc etc. 3) There just isn’t a story here. The story was: I read a conspiracy book my dad bought and then mocked me for reading, I got really scared and paranoid, my parents were worried about my behavior, and then I was right and spoilers aliens are real and I’m one of the Chosen Ones who will live forever after the aliens save humanity. Like. ???? That’s not a story. It could have been! It could have been cool! But with no character development and no point to anything except that humans are dumb and ruined the world, this book is not....anything.
Other thoughts: other readers found the fantasy story boring and pointless. I didn’t mind it, mostly because I thought it was going somewhere. But like the rest of the book, it was not.
I guess we learned that there are different types of strength, but after reading the entire thing, I’m still not sure what Simon’s strength was. Just the fact of not being good at sports? Being shy and bookish? But how did being shy and bookish make him ~A Chosen One???~
Anyway this book was so bad that I’m being incoherent because I’m so perplexed by this bad bad book’s existence. it could have been really good and fun—x files and the outer limits for kids! Kids need scary things like that! Alas, this is not that, which, again—disappointing, because it’s a great cover, title, and story idea. Saaaaad. This is the end of the review.
Other thoughts: other readers found the fantasy story boring and pointless. I didn’t mind it, mostly because I thought it was going somewhere. But like the rest of the book, it was not.
I guess we learned that there are different types of strength, but after reading the entire thing, I’m still not sure what Simon’s strength was. Just the fact of not being good at sports? Being shy and bookish? But how did being shy and bookish make him ~A Chosen One???~
Anyway this book was so bad that I’m being incoherent because I’m so perplexed by this bad bad book’s existence. it could have been really good and fun—x files and the outer limits for kids! Kids need scary things like that! Alas, this is not that, which, again—disappointing, because it’s a great cover, title, and story idea. Saaaaad. This is the end of the review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2022
I read this book on a whim because I liked the title. Unfortunately, the title was the best part. I took a college class once about communication where the professor liked to say things like "I've noticed that my female students don't mind having their work mistaken for a man's work, but the male students are really upset and embarrassed if you think a woman created their art" and you thought she was going to start talking about sexism and misogyny but then she'd just be like "that's a weird fun fact I've noticed!" And then we'd move on. This book was like that class.
There's no way to talk about anything else without spoilers, so here we go:
There's no way to talk about anything else without spoilers, so here we go:
February 28, 2019
This book is almost 5 stars but a few things irritated me too much. Its a little scary at least for me but that held my attention. It is mostly about aliens. I don't much like them being depicted as owls since owls get a bad rap as it is! All kinds of people believe silly nonsense about them. Thank God for Hedwig which may help the utter nonsense.
October 22, 2020
So good! I had goosebumps over my entire body reading that ending. I can't wait to loan this to my spooky little niece and blow her dang mind.
June 26, 2023
Well this was pretty entertaining until it took a real nose dive. This feels like some kind of fantasy "I told you so" novel from an author who is really mad no one believes him about aliens. All throughout the book, Simon is suffering from real mental health issues (or are aliens actually real??) and is punished by his father for not being man enough, for being scared all the time, and mistreated by the psychiatrist - only to be rewarded in the end by being right. It would be different if there was some discussion about how the psychiatrist is actually bad at their job by not explaining anything to Simon - but it ultimately tells kids that meds are bad and not to seek help for anything scary they might be experiencing
February 6, 2025
Mid ass book. The ending is trash
April 12, 2019
Reading the summary and the praise for this book, I was excited to check it out with the hopes of finding another great option to hand to reluctant younger readers. It was compared to Louis Sachar who I absolutely enjoy and have recommended to many kids. The premise also sounded like something that would have a great appeal. The story of a young boy obsessed with aliens who is then abducted. The imagery of the creepy owls mimicking (or perhaps being/becoming) the referenced aliens made me feel like this had potential.
I dove into the story, working through the introductory pages and chapters, eagerly awaiting the moments of sci-fi tension or creepy foreboding from the owls. I was a little puzzled at the direction the story took. It meandered around with some exploration of the familial and social world of our protagonist Simon. While this was fine, I found these relations taking on the heart of the story in a way I didn't expect.
The story is told in Simon's voice both through his own narrative and through him sharing with us a fantasy story he's writing. He lives on an Air Force base, the latest in many. Simon's parents are biracial which he makes a point of letting us know (a few times). He has a bad relationship with his father in that he feels like a bit of a disappointment to his father or at least that he's not what his father hoped. His father is a little verbally abusive even in the times he tries to show compassion. It felt a little like a stereotype from an old TV sitcom. Simon has asthma and is on meds for that as well as other meds later in the book. His mother tries to be supportive but she feels a bit flat and disconnected. Simon is distanced from others but has one core friend he can turn to even if there are issues in that friendship.
Throughout the first few chapters, we learn that Simon read a book about aliens and is a bit obsessed with them. He's studied up and is very knowledgeable about all sorts of trivia around alien sightings, abductions and the like. So much so that it's a point of contention with his parents.
**** minor plot spoilers in next 2 paragraphs *****
Based on the title and the synopsis, I kept expecting "the owls" or the aliens to make an appearance early on and/or repeatedly. Instead, I kept getting to know more and more about Simon and his family and his life. The whole plot felt rather mundane as we read along with the ways he tries to deal with his personal issues.
Finally, Simon and his family are going camping and I thought "Yes, here come the owls." There was a minor moment of excitement and then we're back home. Convinced that he was abducted while camping, Simon tries to work through this with his parents. His parents take him to therapists and get him on medications and the whole incident makes relations with both his parents even worse. Simon seeks out someone who will believe him and finally makes a connection with some other "believers."
****** End main spoilers **********
At this point, I realize that this slim book is running out of pages and I'm concerned as to how they're going to resolve things. I still felt like there hadn't been any real good climax and I had essentially decided to change my expectations from this being an alien abduction kid's horror novel to being a psychological book about emotional issues and parent-child relations.
As the pages of the book quickly ran out, I suspected the way the author was going to end it. I have to admit I was a little surprised as to the way the book concluded. In some ways I was glad for the surprise because my "predicted" ending would have been a little heartless and depressive (even if realistic and thus able to act as a harsh fable).
Instead the ending felt very forced. The quick turn of events and sudden nuances were a bit 'deus ex machina' and the overall conclusion was rather unsatisfying. We are rushed through the wrap up and given a multi-paragraph discourse on the moral of the story. It's obvious that this moral is intended to be coupled with all of the unresolved emotional baggage from the other story threads. Throughout the book Simon also shares with us some chapters from the fantasy book he's writing. These chapters give more insights into some of the intentional messages and conversations this book is obviously trying to induce. Unfortunately I felt like this "messaging" was a bit too heavy handed and became the crux of the story rather than a message to be learned from a good story. Add to that the fact that no realistic resolutions are given and I wonder at the author's motivation in framing the story in this way.
Overall the premise sounded intriguing. The writing is adequate and can easily be digested by a reader in the 8-10 year old age group. The pacing of the story is fine, once you realize what kind of a story you're reading. An overly excited young kid looking for a high adrenaline thriller would quickly lose interest. The messages of the story could be nice talking points between adults and kids, either in a classroom or a therapeutic setting, but I doubt kids will care about them otherwise. Young readers may be more forgiving of the hasty wrap up and messy conclusion, but only if they make it that far in the book.
**
2.5 out of 5 stars
I dove into the story, working through the introductory pages and chapters, eagerly awaiting the moments of sci-fi tension or creepy foreboding from the owls. I was a little puzzled at the direction the story took. It meandered around with some exploration of the familial and social world of our protagonist Simon. While this was fine, I found these relations taking on the heart of the story in a way I didn't expect.
The story is told in Simon's voice both through his own narrative and through him sharing with us a fantasy story he's writing. He lives on an Air Force base, the latest in many. Simon's parents are biracial which he makes a point of letting us know (a few times). He has a bad relationship with his father in that he feels like a bit of a disappointment to his father or at least that he's not what his father hoped. His father is a little verbally abusive even in the times he tries to show compassion. It felt a little like a stereotype from an old TV sitcom. Simon has asthma and is on meds for that as well as other meds later in the book. His mother tries to be supportive but she feels a bit flat and disconnected. Simon is distanced from others but has one core friend he can turn to even if there are issues in that friendship.
Throughout the first few chapters, we learn that Simon read a book about aliens and is a bit obsessed with them. He's studied up and is very knowledgeable about all sorts of trivia around alien sightings, abductions and the like. So much so that it's a point of contention with his parents.
**** minor plot spoilers in next 2 paragraphs *****
Based on the title and the synopsis, I kept expecting "the owls" or the aliens to make an appearance early on and/or repeatedly. Instead, I kept getting to know more and more about Simon and his family and his life. The whole plot felt rather mundane as we read along with the ways he tries to deal with his personal issues.
Finally, Simon and his family are going camping and I thought "Yes, here come the owls." There was a minor moment of excitement and then we're back home. Convinced that he was abducted while camping, Simon tries to work through this with his parents. His parents take him to therapists and get him on medications and the whole incident makes relations with both his parents even worse. Simon seeks out someone who will believe him and finally makes a connection with some other "believers."
****** End main spoilers **********
At this point, I realize that this slim book is running out of pages and I'm concerned as to how they're going to resolve things. I still felt like there hadn't been any real good climax and I had essentially decided to change my expectations from this being an alien abduction kid's horror novel to being a psychological book about emotional issues and parent-child relations.
As the pages of the book quickly ran out, I suspected the way the author was going to end it. I have to admit I was a little surprised as to the way the book concluded. In some ways I was glad for the surprise because my "predicted" ending would have been a little heartless and depressive (even if realistic and thus able to act as a harsh fable).
Instead the ending felt very forced. The quick turn of events and sudden nuances were a bit 'deus ex machina' and the overall conclusion was rather unsatisfying. We are rushed through the wrap up and given a multi-paragraph discourse on the moral of the story. It's obvious that this moral is intended to be coupled with all of the unresolved emotional baggage from the other story threads. Throughout the book Simon also shares with us some chapters from the fantasy book he's writing. These chapters give more insights into some of the intentional messages and conversations this book is obviously trying to induce. Unfortunately I felt like this "messaging" was a bit too heavy handed and became the crux of the story rather than a message to be learned from a good story. Add to that the fact that no realistic resolutions are given and I wonder at the author's motivation in framing the story in this way.
Overall the premise sounded intriguing. The writing is adequate and can easily be digested by a reader in the 8-10 year old age group. The pacing of the story is fine, once you realize what kind of a story you're reading. An overly excited young kid looking for a high adrenaline thriller would quickly lose interest. The messages of the story could be nice talking points between adults and kids, either in a classroom or a therapeutic setting, but I doubt kids will care about them otherwise. Young readers may be more forgiving of the hasty wrap up and messy conclusion, but only if they make it that far in the book.
**
2.5 out of 5 stars
March 18, 2019
Click here to watch my video review of The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away: https://youtu.be/xUZcS9DPfhc
I picked up this book because I really liked the concept. It’s a creepy, science fiction, alien abduction story with a middle grade flair to it. When I started reading it, I liked the main character Simon and how he had a fascination for aliens and provided snippets of UFO sightings and alien related incidents that have occurred.
The author has written the story in a very dark and creepy way, similar to the old episodes of The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. The story is very atmospheric. At times, I felt like I was reading a novel by Stephen King. The author also keeps the reader guessing as to whether Simon’s encounters are real, or if it just his imagination. I felt that the story had a lot of potential, but there were just other aspects in the book that made it very difficult to enjoy reading it.
The first and main problem I had with this story was the story within a story. While we read about what is going on in Simon’s life, Simon starts narrating his own story in alternate chapters, which we get to read. Even though there were moments where I found Simon’s written story more interesting that the main story, the shift between the main story and the narrated story was unnecessary and confusing. It is not at all related or connected to what Simon is experiencing, so I didn’t see the point of including it in the book. The author could have actually released the narrated story as a separate book because it had a lot of potential.
The second problem with the story is how it ended. The book is somewhat consistent in pacing for most, but takes a complete nosedive in the end. There is a constant buildup as to whether Simon is experiencing these things, or if it just in his head. But the story ends in a cliffhanger, and the epilogue following it just quickly covers and tries to provide closure in 2 pages for a buildup of 250 pages. I really dislike such books where the author wrap up everything in a hurry for whatever reason it may be.
And lastly, it’s Simon’s interactions with his family and friends. We really don’t get much closure or details of any of the supporting characters. Simon has issues with his father, but the author does not provide any closure for it. Simon’s friends Tony and Miranda help him in a few scenes, but again, we don’t get to know anything about them. It felt like all these characters just made a random appearance in the book and disappeared.
Overall, “The Owls have come to take us away” was disappointing to read and I would give it a rating of 2 out of 5 stars.
I picked up this book because I really liked the concept. It’s a creepy, science fiction, alien abduction story with a middle grade flair to it. When I started reading it, I liked the main character Simon and how he had a fascination for aliens and provided snippets of UFO sightings and alien related incidents that have occurred.
The author has written the story in a very dark and creepy way, similar to the old episodes of The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. The story is very atmospheric. At times, I felt like I was reading a novel by Stephen King. The author also keeps the reader guessing as to whether Simon’s encounters are real, or if it just his imagination. I felt that the story had a lot of potential, but there were just other aspects in the book that made it very difficult to enjoy reading it.
The first and main problem I had with this story was the story within a story. While we read about what is going on in Simon’s life, Simon starts narrating his own story in alternate chapters, which we get to read. Even though there were moments where I found Simon’s written story more interesting that the main story, the shift between the main story and the narrated story was unnecessary and confusing. It is not at all related or connected to what Simon is experiencing, so I didn’t see the point of including it in the book. The author could have actually released the narrated story as a separate book because it had a lot of potential.
The second problem with the story is how it ended. The book is somewhat consistent in pacing for most, but takes a complete nosedive in the end. There is a constant buildup as to whether Simon is experiencing these things, or if it just in his head. But the story ends in a cliffhanger, and the epilogue following it just quickly covers and tries to provide closure in 2 pages for a buildup of 250 pages. I really dislike such books where the author wrap up everything in a hurry for whatever reason it may be.
And lastly, it’s Simon’s interactions with his family and friends. We really don’t get much closure or details of any of the supporting characters. Simon has issues with his father, but the author does not provide any closure for it. Simon’s friends Tony and Miranda help him in a few scenes, but again, we don’t get to know anything about them. It felt like all these characters just made a random appearance in the book and disappeared.
Overall, “The Owls have come to take us away” was disappointing to read and I would give it a rating of 2 out of 5 stars.
February 13, 2020
This book started with a bang, but by the end it was over the cliff.
The opening chapter sets up the story perfectly. The protagonist, 12-year-old Simon, is part of a military family. I love the description of base living, especially shopping in the BX (base exchange). At moments like this the author shines. He has a tactic of talking to the reader directly like he wants you to agree with Simon. Simon is a weird kid. He believes in aliens. He likes living on a military base because he feels protected. The rest of the world has too many potential dangers. He's convinced the government is involved in a big alien cover-up.
Early in the book Simon and his parents go on a camping trip. While collecting firewood, Simon sees a light and an owl, then passes out. When he wakes up he has a scar on his belly. He's convinced the aliens abducted him and inserted a tracking device. He tells his parents and they think he's losing it. They take him to a psychiatrist who puts him on meds, which he only pretends to take. His friend and his brother's girlfriend believe him, but can't really help him. He continues to have memories of his abduction while dreaming, and wets the bed each time. Finally, he can't take it anymore and he attempts to cut out the tracking device. All the adults think he tried to commit suicide.
The end offers no explanation or resolution. Abruptly, Simon's mom gets a frantic phone call and when he looks outside he sees the mother ship. I hope the author is not providing a set up for a sequel because it will be a waste of time. No one will read it. I have no idea what point this author was trying to make. Are we supposed to think that Simon is correct and everyone else is wrong? Because all I can see is one messed up kid. One other weird thing is the book Simon is writing. The story within a story idea throws the main book into the abyss. It makes no sense and adds nothing.
I'm giving this book 2 stars because it has glimmers of excellence, but truly, any kid who starts this will not finish it. Smith is out of touch with what kids want. For a truly magnificent book about the Roswell alien cover-up from the 1940's read Melissa Savage's The Truth About Martians. Absolutely adored that book and it gets checked out in my library.
The opening chapter sets up the story perfectly. The protagonist, 12-year-old Simon, is part of a military family. I love the description of base living, especially shopping in the BX (base exchange). At moments like this the author shines. He has a tactic of talking to the reader directly like he wants you to agree with Simon. Simon is a weird kid. He believes in aliens. He likes living on a military base because he feels protected. The rest of the world has too many potential dangers. He's convinced the government is involved in a big alien cover-up.
Early in the book Simon and his parents go on a camping trip. While collecting firewood, Simon sees a light and an owl, then passes out. When he wakes up he has a scar on his belly. He's convinced the aliens abducted him and inserted a tracking device. He tells his parents and they think he's losing it. They take him to a psychiatrist who puts him on meds, which he only pretends to take. His friend and his brother's girlfriend believe him, but can't really help him. He continues to have memories of his abduction while dreaming, and wets the bed each time. Finally, he can't take it anymore and he attempts to cut out the tracking device. All the adults think he tried to commit suicide.
The end offers no explanation or resolution. Abruptly, Simon's mom gets a frantic phone call and when he looks outside he sees the mother ship. I hope the author is not providing a set up for a sequel because it will be a waste of time. No one will read it. I have no idea what point this author was trying to make. Are we supposed to think that Simon is correct and everyone else is wrong? Because all I can see is one messed up kid. One other weird thing is the book Simon is writing. The story within a story idea throws the main book into the abyss. It makes no sense and adds nothing.
I'm giving this book 2 stars because it has glimmers of excellence, but truly, any kid who starts this will not finish it. Smith is out of touch with what kids want. For a truly magnificent book about the Roswell alien cover-up from the 1940's read Melissa Savage's The Truth About Martians. Absolutely adored that book and it gets checked out in my library.
January 12, 2022
I think that there's a lot of good conversation starters here. Especially about toxic masculinity, gender tropes, what and who can be "strong", and support from parents. Simon's father was... upsetting most of the time. He was the toxic, muscle-head, himbo of a soldier I often see as a caricature from the 50s and 60s. It was a little jarring to see him placed across from Simon's compassionate and supportive mother. Although, she wound up a melancholic disappointment, too. Very complex parental figures, for sure.
Simon himself embodied a child feeling alienated in most aspects of his life. From his country as a military kid, from the military base families as a biracial child, and from his own family as the "nerdy" one. It's no wonder he gravitated towards alien conspiracies.
There were also some great historical references to take note of while reading. Overall a solid midgrade novel for anyone looking for a sci-fi / horror mashup.
Simon himself embodied a child feeling alienated in most aspects of his life. From his country as a military kid, from the military base families as a biracial child, and from his own family as the "nerdy" one. It's no wonder he gravitated towards alien conspiracies.
There were also some great historical references to take note of while reading. Overall a solid midgrade novel for anyone looking for a sci-fi / horror mashup.
June 3, 2019
I really did not enjoy this book. The reading experience was a tedious one and I don't think I'll read anything else by this author. I don't want to rehash about everything that I disliked but the one thing that I'll speak on is the writing. It was comically juvenile and did not read like a sci-fi children's novel. Nor was it very scary.
July 7, 2018
Great sci-fi story that feels like a mix of The X-Files and The Twilight Zone. Also, aliens. 👽🛸
March 20, 2025
Part 1:
Loved the cover and cooky title. Interracial couple have light skinned kid (Simon) with a fascination for aliens and maybe a touch of autism. This book is imaginative and engrossing. I loved the kid’s adventures, stories, and narration of the world.
The kid is writing a book inside the book about a kid whose father dies and how evil is after him and his dog can talk to him- its neat! Max Hollyoak and the Tree of Everwyn~
Anyway the family goes camping and the kid gets abducted by aliens sort of and then begins to think they are following him and experimenting on him. “Nibiru” is what they say in a dream. Naturally his parents don’t believe him and think a lot of his episodes are related to his asthma.
The kid is kind of an unreliable narrator as he paints a picture that his parents don’t get along very well but at the same time showing disgust when they do get along.
Part 2:
The kid tells his best friend about the abduction and how he had to go to the doctor since the parents think he is crazy. The pills are probably for his anxiety but he tries to get off them and subs them out for fakes.
His older brother visits and the kid goes to the girlfriend’s house for a UFO meeting. They say Nibiru is an alien planet. Later on, Simon, his friend (Tony), and the girlfriend (Miranda) had to the spot in the woods. They encounter some MIB/military agents in the woods!
He comes home and his parents confront him as to how he swapped out his meds he goes upstairs for his punishment and remembers that he was abducted and takes scissors to stomach to try and remove the implant.
Part 3:
The scissors didn't go well and he ends up in the hospital. When he is back home and back on his meds, he writes his book more, the kids get superpowers! He realizes his book is similar to his own story.
Simon starts to suspect that others are crazy or that others don’t believe as severely as him. We as the audience are of course supposed to not believe in aliens, but the military is acting weird and things are lining up.
He continues writing his book, the main character and his friends are fae folk! Simon returns to school and is rightfully grumpy. He gets abducted again. Anyway, aliens appear at the base in a big ship. Our boy isn’t crazy!
Part 4 aka 100 years later:
The book trips and falls at the finish line. This chapter isn’t needed or wanted. It could have ended on a cool cliffhanger, but instead it ends with hints of alien genocide, eugenics, and a new world order?? The Annunaki, mesopotamian stolen cultural reference, are here to help. Sigh.
He tells the ending of his made up book: “You will change,’ she had told them. ‘But you will always survive.’ The strong will always survive.”
—
Great book except for this final chapter so I’m not gonna hold it against it. I loved how this book was like a summary of alien history and lore into a neat package. The book would’ve benefited from picking a side to really focus on. Like if it wanted to really focus on the dad being busy at work that could’ve been touched on more thoroughly and if it really wanted to focus on family issues then it could’ve established the brother better. The book goes into some tremendous details sometimes especially with the trying to dig the implant out and with the abduction scenes that I feel would’ve been better placed into a more adult centered book.
The fantasy novel within the sci-fi novel ended up having no real stake in the tale was a cat fish.
Loved the cover and cooky title. Interracial couple have light skinned kid (Simon) with a fascination for aliens and maybe a touch of autism. This book is imaginative and engrossing. I loved the kid’s adventures, stories, and narration of the world.
The kid is writing a book inside the book about a kid whose father dies and how evil is after him and his dog can talk to him- its neat! Max Hollyoak and the Tree of Everwyn~
Anyway the family goes camping and the kid gets abducted by aliens sort of and then begins to think they are following him and experimenting on him. “Nibiru” is what they say in a dream. Naturally his parents don’t believe him and think a lot of his episodes are related to his asthma.
The kid is kind of an unreliable narrator as he paints a picture that his parents don’t get along very well but at the same time showing disgust when they do get along.
Part 2:
The kid tells his best friend about the abduction and how he had to go to the doctor since the parents think he is crazy. The pills are probably for his anxiety but he tries to get off them and subs them out for fakes.
His older brother visits and the kid goes to the girlfriend’s house for a UFO meeting. They say Nibiru is an alien planet. Later on, Simon, his friend (Tony), and the girlfriend (Miranda) had to the spot in the woods. They encounter some MIB/military agents in the woods!
He comes home and his parents confront him as to how he swapped out his meds he goes upstairs for his punishment and remembers that he was abducted and takes scissors to stomach to try and remove the implant.
Part 3:
The scissors didn't go well and he ends up in the hospital. When he is back home and back on his meds, he writes his book more, the kids get superpowers! He realizes his book is similar to his own story.
Simon starts to suspect that others are crazy or that others don’t believe as severely as him. We as the audience are of course supposed to not believe in aliens, but the military is acting weird and things are lining up.
He continues writing his book, the main character and his friends are fae folk! Simon returns to school and is rightfully grumpy. He gets abducted again. Anyway, aliens appear at the base in a big ship. Our boy isn’t crazy!
Part 4 aka 100 years later:
The book trips and falls at the finish line. This chapter isn’t needed or wanted. It could have ended on a cool cliffhanger, but instead it ends with hints of alien genocide, eugenics, and a new world order?? The Annunaki, mesopotamian stolen cultural reference, are here to help. Sigh.
He tells the ending of his made up book: “You will change,’ she had told them. ‘But you will always survive.’ The strong will always survive.”
—
Great book except for this final chapter so I’m not gonna hold it against it. I loved how this book was like a summary of alien history and lore into a neat package. The book would’ve benefited from picking a side to really focus on. Like if it wanted to really focus on the dad being busy at work that could’ve been touched on more thoroughly and if it really wanted to focus on family issues then it could’ve established the brother better. The book goes into some tremendous details sometimes especially with the trying to dig the implant out and with the abduction scenes that I feel would’ve been better placed into a more adult centered book.
The fantasy novel within the sci-fi novel ended up having no real stake in the tale was a cat fish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2022
4.5, and maybe even a 5-star here.
I'm never "on the edge of my seat" in a story, but this was a first!
Our MC is a nerdy outcast who strongly believes in alien life, human abductions, and interaction but is never taken seriously.
Until...
He himself gets abducted!!
I was so wanting this all to be true, for his sake (and let me be honest, also mine! As I think I believe too?), not that he was just crazy, manic, dreaming or pretending it all.
Everything unfolds in the final few chapters.
And I. WAS. ON. THE. EDGE!
Was he really abducted not just once, but three times?!
Were the others who also believed (in the on-base UFO "support group" he discovered) to be trusted?
Was there really a massive cover up going on?
Were the aliens coming to destroy Earth and all humanity?
One moment so intense is when he tries to cut out what he believes is an implant in his stomach!! To which his family thinks he's tried to kill himself, as they're well aware of his beliefs and fears of the "Grays".
This is an easy, fast read that kept me hanging on till then end.
**Standing ovation**
(So why not a 5-star? Hum...good question?)
I'm never "on the edge of my seat" in a story, but this was a first!
Our MC is a nerdy outcast who strongly believes in alien life, human abductions, and interaction but is never taken seriously.
Until...
He himself gets abducted!!
I was so wanting this all to be true, for his sake (and let me be honest, also mine! As I think I believe too?), not that he was just crazy, manic, dreaming or pretending it all.
Everything unfolds in the final few chapters.
And I. WAS. ON. THE. EDGE!
Was he really abducted not just once, but three times?!
Were the others who also believed (in the on-base UFO "support group" he discovered) to be trusted?
Was there really a massive cover up going on?
Were the aliens coming to destroy Earth and all humanity?
One moment so intense is when he tries to cut out what he believes is an implant in his stomach!! To which his family thinks he's tried to kill himself, as they're well aware of his beliefs and fears of the "Grays".
This is an easy, fast read that kept me hanging on till then end.
**Standing ovation**
(So why not a 5-star? Hum...good question?)
August 15, 2019
Simon is intrigued by aliens and the conspiracies surrounding them. When his family leaves the air force base that they call home to camp in the woods, something strange happens in the woods. Simon is sure he's been abducted by aliens. Getting someone to believe him is tough.
This is a titillating story that borrows heavily from rumors, theories, and firsthand accounts, reminiscent of the X-files, but with plenty of other pop culture alien references thrown in for good measure. Smith keeps readers off-balance. Aliens are fiction. People who believe in them are crazy. But what if it's real? Since we're not sure, this probably counts as a psychological thriller with a side of The Twilight Zone to blindside the end.
I suspect this storytelling style simply isn't my thing. Not a fan of the surprise finish that seems to say, "Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming!"
This is a titillating story that borrows heavily from rumors, theories, and firsthand accounts, reminiscent of the X-files, but with plenty of other pop culture alien references thrown in for good measure. Smith keeps readers off-balance. Aliens are fiction. People who believe in them are crazy. But what if it's real? Since we're not sure, this probably counts as a psychological thriller with a side of The Twilight Zone to blindside the end.
I suspect this storytelling style simply isn't my thing. Not a fan of the surprise finish that seems to say, "Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming!"
July 12, 2020
Really good quick read but had a few glaring issues for me which dropped it to three stars. Nice pace, edge of your seat action; however, the protagonist writing a book within the book did nothing for me. Additionally, the protagonist’s fear and contempt for psychiatric help was somewhat understandable but could have been portrayed in a different manner as to not diminish the mental health community and appropriate medications.
May 23, 2019
This narrator is precious and smart and lovely and I adored being in his active, creative, worried young brain. The sci-fi elements are excellent. Definitely a great read for this summer, especially if you have some reluctant readers who might relate well to a young boy obsessed with aliens.
September 15, 2020
I will mark all spoilers, but be aware: I'm pissy and what did this book even have to do with owls?
Simon should have been the middle-grade hero I wanted as a kid. Somewhere packed away in my many containers of books is a huge blue-marbled hardcover whose dust jacket disappeared long ago. My brother brought it home from school when he was in sixth grade, and I basically stole it from him and never gave it back to his teacher. (Sorry, by the way.) The contents gave me nightmares and panic attacks, but fascinated me so much that now, 18 years later, I'm nearly an encyclopedia of weird. Mysteries of the Unexplained taught me to fear spontaneous combustion, look for hoofprints leading sideways up houses in the snow, and that aliens could definitely be real.
Naturally, the synopsis for The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away revved me up. I wanted this book SO BADLY. Stakeouts for grays! Abductee support group meetings! Owls! An unbelieving family unit that will most definitely become believers by the end of it!
Nope. Take those expectations and shove them right up your unsuspecting bum, because this book decided to be a frenetic mess of words and unresolved plot.
Simon thinks he gets an implant on his family camping trip, and no one believes him. Of course! Implants are the stuff of conspiracy theories. Every good, spooky alien story has some kind of weird fluid or body horror involved. Simon's insistence on having an implant and impending Full Disclosure are reason enough for his parents to seek out psychiatric counseling for him, which is totally understandable. He's not crazy, he could just have OCD. As a kid with OCD myself, my own unexplained book was enough to scare the shit out of me every time I saw the illustration of the Jersey Devil.
But the psychiatrist angle never pans out in a productive way. What could have been a great opportunity to explore the hardship that can sometimes come with finding meds that help bring normality to your brain's chemicals, becomes "Oh, this BRAIN DOCTOR doesn't understand! No one understands! I'm not crazy! There are aliens! I'll swap out my meds for vitamins! DOCTOR BAD."
Like...stop it. With all the problems and stigma around mental health that (unfortunately) exist today, the LAST thing middle grade readers need to be told is that zero adults will listen to them and understand. Dr. Cross is a typical "bad" psychiatrist with about as much depth as a crepe pan. I saw another reviewer on here talk about how this book illustrates the propensity of some doctors to shove meds into their patients' laps, and I thought, "Surely, they're exaggerating."
To which this book responded, "They're not exaggerating. And don't call me Shirley."
Pushing this train of thought further is the arrest of an abductee for an outburst in public. Forgive me if I get all the details here slightly incorrect, as this happened late in the book and I was already pissed off. Simon's older brother Edwin gets a girlfriend, whose father runs an abductee support group. One of these members gets arrested near the end of the book for violently lashing out in public and claiming that "They" were coming back to get him. In a book that already has a poor portrayal of mental health and dealing with those issues, PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF CHARACTER. All this arrest did was affirm to Simon that he was right, the adults were wrong, and he could act out all he wanted because people needed to be told about the Grays. A few chapters prior to this,
Amidst all of this craziness, we have Simon's dad. AH, SIMON'S DAD, YOU PIECE OF SHIT. Yelling at his wife for no reason, favoring Edwin because he can play sports and doesn't have asthma, popping open a beer any chance he can, and telling Simon to toughen up whenever the thought occurs, which is OFTEN. Oh, you thought the book was going to address tough home lives of some military kids or the casual domestic abuse Simon and his mom face? Well, aren't you cute.
Look, I'm running out of steam. The plot threads that trailed the story ended up frayed and pointless, because in the end, nothing gets resolved. And I won't even get into the epilogue. That's what clinched this waste of paper for me.
I don't usually dink around with GIFs, but I can't stop myself here. I'm not even sorry this time. This book? Kevin Sorbo-certified.
Simon should have been the middle-grade hero I wanted as a kid. Somewhere packed away in my many containers of books is a huge blue-marbled hardcover whose dust jacket disappeared long ago. My brother brought it home from school when he was in sixth grade, and I basically stole it from him and never gave it back to his teacher. (Sorry, by the way.) The contents gave me nightmares and panic attacks, but fascinated me so much that now, 18 years later, I'm nearly an encyclopedia of weird. Mysteries of the Unexplained taught me to fear spontaneous combustion, look for hoofprints leading sideways up houses in the snow, and that aliens could definitely be real.
Naturally, the synopsis for The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away revved me up. I wanted this book SO BADLY. Stakeouts for grays! Abductee support group meetings! Owls! An unbelieving family unit that will most definitely become believers by the end of it!
Nope. Take those expectations and shove them right up your unsuspecting bum, because this book decided to be a frenetic mess of words and unresolved plot.
Simon thinks he gets an implant on his family camping trip, and no one believes him. Of course! Implants are the stuff of conspiracy theories. Every good, spooky alien story has some kind of weird fluid or body horror involved. Simon's insistence on having an implant and impending Full Disclosure are reason enough for his parents to seek out psychiatric counseling for him, which is totally understandable. He's not crazy, he could just have OCD. As a kid with OCD myself, my own unexplained book was enough to scare the shit out of me every time I saw the illustration of the Jersey Devil.
But the psychiatrist angle never pans out in a productive way. What could have been a great opportunity to explore the hardship that can sometimes come with finding meds that help bring normality to your brain's chemicals, becomes "Oh, this BRAIN DOCTOR doesn't understand! No one understands! I'm not crazy! There are aliens! I'll swap out my meds for vitamins! DOCTOR BAD."
Like...stop it. With all the problems and stigma around mental health that (unfortunately) exist today, the LAST thing middle grade readers need to be told is that zero adults will listen to them and understand. Dr. Cross is a typical "bad" psychiatrist with about as much depth as a crepe pan. I saw another reviewer on here talk about how this book illustrates the propensity of some doctors to shove meds into their patients' laps, and I thought, "Surely, they're exaggerating."
To which this book responded, "They're not exaggerating. And don't call me Shirley."
Pushing this train of thought further is the arrest of an abductee for an outburst in public. Forgive me if I get all the details here slightly incorrect, as this happened late in the book and I was already pissed off. Simon's older brother Edwin gets a girlfriend, whose father runs an abductee support group. One of these members gets arrested near the end of the book for violently lashing out in public and claiming that "They" were coming back to get him. In a book that already has a poor portrayal of mental health and dealing with those issues, PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF CHARACTER. All this arrest did was affirm to Simon that he was right, the adults were wrong, and he could act out all he wanted because people needed to be told about the Grays. A few chapters prior to this,
Amidst all of this craziness, we have Simon's dad. AH, SIMON'S DAD, YOU PIECE OF SHIT. Yelling at his wife for no reason, favoring Edwin because he can play sports and doesn't have asthma, popping open a beer any chance he can, and telling Simon to toughen up whenever the thought occurs, which is OFTEN. Oh, you thought the book was going to address tough home lives of some military kids or the casual domestic abuse Simon and his mom face? Well, aren't you cute.
Look, I'm running out of steam. The plot threads that trailed the story ended up frayed and pointless, because in the end, nothing gets resolved. And I won't even get into the epilogue. That's what clinched this waste of paper for me.
I don't usually dink around with GIFs, but I can't stop myself here. I'm not even sorry this time. This book? Kevin Sorbo-certified.
May 31, 2019
A middle school read about aliens? A thriller for those who love R. L. Stine? Hearing those descriptions was like having my own childhood nightmares somehow form a novel with plot and characters. The Goosebump series WAS my childhood. I made my Dad buy me new ones every other day. Needless to say, I had high, high hopes for The Owls Have Come to Take Us Way by Ronald L. Smith, and maybe that was the problem. Perhaps, I'd built it up too much in my own head for it to ever live up to my expectations, but my gut tells me probably not. There were too many issues with this novel for that to be the case, but before I go into that, let's start with the positive.
Simon, a biracial boy about to turn 13, has an unhealthy obsession with aliens. He believes that they come to abduct and experiment on humans, and after a strange happening in the woods, he comes to believe that he has been abducted. Simon's fears are relatable, as we've all been victims of our own extreme and borderline irrational fears. Side note: I have a pal who believes she was once abducted by aliens because she woke up with strange markings on her body, so Simon's dive into the rabbit whole didn't seem that out there to me. Simon, as a protagonist, is not reliable, which adds to the novel's mystery. His voice is almost like a stream of consciousness. Any thought he has goes right to the reader. It's very much like having a conversation with someone and having a random thought pop into your head. Most of us can use the filter and keep the off topic thoughts in our heads, but Simon is 12. The filter isn't there quite yet. It is one of the things I actually enjoyed most about the novel. I truly loved Simon. He reveals to readers that his fear of aliens isn't unfounded or based in zero research. This is where Smith does some great work. He reveals Simon to be a very smart child by having Simon reveal many famous UFO and alien abduction cases that have made the national news in the past. History and lore buffs will enjoy that bit of the story. As someone who has a podcast on ghosts and lore, and who frequently has to leave the lights on because I watched too many episodes of Ghost Hunters in a row, I can say I enjoyed that part.
Unfortunately, it was one of the few things I did enjoy about this novel. Smith starts off strong with little hints of Simon's home life: his father usually has a beer in hand, Simon wets the bed at night, Simon's father voices his dislike Simon's choices because he isn't an athlete like his brother, etc. So many excellent plot points are started, but their threads are left loose and hanging. There are no satisfying moments in this novel where any of these points are handled or addressed in the nature that provides Simon with an answer or closure or the ability to grow as a character. He stays static as a result. There is one topic in this novel that I really struggled with. As Simon's parents worry for his mental health, he is placed on medication that is supposed to help him. What this turns into is almost an attack on health care providers and paints parents as disbelieving enemies. At one point, I believe one character uses the word "poison" to describe the medication. Everyone in this world has the right to believe whatever they would like about medication, and this may be Smith's argument on how children are overmedicated. I am not really sure and do not mean to make any type of assumption, but here's the point: It is utterly dangerous to plant the idea that medications given by health care providers should be disregarded entirely. Children pick up on ideas a lot more than they are given credit for, and this is one seed that I hope does not take root.
This novel attempted to do something different and in a lot of ways it did. The problem is that in so many ways that mattered it fell flat. Especially the ending. Without spoilers: I don't think Smith thought out how to end the novel, so he threw one in there. It's an incomplete story that will leave readers frustrated long after they've finished.
Simon, a biracial boy about to turn 13, has an unhealthy obsession with aliens. He believes that they come to abduct and experiment on humans, and after a strange happening in the woods, he comes to believe that he has been abducted. Simon's fears are relatable, as we've all been victims of our own extreme and borderline irrational fears. Side note: I have a pal who believes she was once abducted by aliens because she woke up with strange markings on her body, so Simon's dive into the rabbit whole didn't seem that out there to me. Simon, as a protagonist, is not reliable, which adds to the novel's mystery. His voice is almost like a stream of consciousness. Any thought he has goes right to the reader. It's very much like having a conversation with someone and having a random thought pop into your head. Most of us can use the filter and keep the off topic thoughts in our heads, but Simon is 12. The filter isn't there quite yet. It is one of the things I actually enjoyed most about the novel. I truly loved Simon. He reveals to readers that his fear of aliens isn't unfounded or based in zero research. This is where Smith does some great work. He reveals Simon to be a very smart child by having Simon reveal many famous UFO and alien abduction cases that have made the national news in the past. History and lore buffs will enjoy that bit of the story. As someone who has a podcast on ghosts and lore, and who frequently has to leave the lights on because I watched too many episodes of Ghost Hunters in a row, I can say I enjoyed that part.
Unfortunately, it was one of the few things I did enjoy about this novel. Smith starts off strong with little hints of Simon's home life: his father usually has a beer in hand, Simon wets the bed at night, Simon's father voices his dislike Simon's choices because he isn't an athlete like his brother, etc. So many excellent plot points are started, but their threads are left loose and hanging. There are no satisfying moments in this novel where any of these points are handled or addressed in the nature that provides Simon with an answer or closure or the ability to grow as a character. He stays static as a result. There is one topic in this novel that I really struggled with. As Simon's parents worry for his mental health, he is placed on medication that is supposed to help him. What this turns into is almost an attack on health care providers and paints parents as disbelieving enemies. At one point, I believe one character uses the word "poison" to describe the medication. Everyone in this world has the right to believe whatever they would like about medication, and this may be Smith's argument on how children are overmedicated. I am not really sure and do not mean to make any type of assumption, but here's the point: It is utterly dangerous to plant the idea that medications given by health care providers should be disregarded entirely. Children pick up on ideas a lot more than they are given credit for, and this is one seed that I hope does not take root.
This novel attempted to do something different and in a lot of ways it did. The problem is that in so many ways that mattered it fell flat. Especially the ending. Without spoilers: I don't think Smith thought out how to end the novel, so he threw one in there. It's an incomplete story that will leave readers frustrated long after they've finished.
February 18, 2022
My sweet and voracious reading 11 year old insisted I read this. So of course I read it. I would and will read anything he suggests!
April 9, 2019
Spoilers galore! You have been warned.
I'm just absolutely flummoxed by this book. I would have given it a much higher rating, if the author had bothered to finish it. As it is, it's actually two-thirds of a book. It literally has the first two acts, and then the book just ends, in the most unsatisfying way possible.
The main character, Simon, has some real problems he's trying to figure out. He doesn't get along with his dad, at all. (Dad is in fact, largely absent, and when he's around, he's a raging asshole and possibly an alcoholic. So, yeah, good luck, kid.) The author seems to raise the question of whether the kid has a genuine mental health issue, or possibly is repressing memories of sexual abuse. The kid thinks he's been abducted by aliens. He does the right thing by going to his parents and asking for help. (Isn't that what kids facing a mental health issue are supposed to do? Why would they though, in real life, when they see the kid in the book do it and get disbelieved, forced into counseling with a therapist who is totally ineffectual, and drugged to the gills.)
So, Simon takes drastic steps to deal with the problem on his own. He stops taking his pills, dumping them in the toilet. And then he carves what he believes to be an alien implant out of his stomach by himself using scissors, leading his parents and the counselor and everyone around him to believe that he tried to commit suicide. Which is a reasonable assumption, from the outside. But as a reader, it's profoundly frustrating that not one single authority figure believes Simon when he tells them the truth. (I get that this is actually true to the experience of kids, who have little or no agency in their real lives. But it seems like a bad message to send to children who are experiencing real-life mental health crises. Because what the author seems to be saying is this: 'Don't bother talking to grown-ups, because no one will believe you.')
So there we have it. Great set-up and stakes. Lovely character and voice. And then instead of having the protagonist solve the problems, confront his asshole-of-a-dad, deal with the bullies at school, have a productive, honest conversation with the ineffectual therapist, or you know, try to solve the problems on his own, the author ends the book -- after a literal alien invasion -- with a one-hundred year flashback that devolves from 'show' to pure 'tell.' One-hundred-and-twelve-year-old Simon reads a story to his alien-hybrid grandchildren while expounding about how humans were killing their world so the aliens had to come and take over, enslaving the human race and forcing humanity to accept colonization, rather than allow the humans to finish destroying their world.
It's... problematic, especially from a childhood mental health standpoint. And truly one of the weirdest middle grade books I've read in a very long time. Supremely frustrating, given how many seemingly legitimate problems this child faced.
Sadly, I was not surprised, when I read in the author bio on the back, that this is an award-winning author of many books. Why, you ask? This seems to be what happens to authors over time. They write a lot of great stuff, and then they're allowed to publish whatever they want with little to no editorial input. Seriously, why did someone not ask him to finish the book before publication?
So, there you have it. If you're looking for a literal alien-abduction kid's book, this one's for you. If you don't mind that it never really ends, that is.
I'm just absolutely flummoxed by this book. I would have given it a much higher rating, if the author had bothered to finish it. As it is, it's actually two-thirds of a book. It literally has the first two acts, and then the book just ends, in the most unsatisfying way possible.
The main character, Simon, has some real problems he's trying to figure out. He doesn't get along with his dad, at all. (Dad is in fact, largely absent, and when he's around, he's a raging asshole and possibly an alcoholic. So, yeah, good luck, kid.) The author seems to raise the question of whether the kid has a genuine mental health issue, or possibly is repressing memories of sexual abuse. The kid thinks he's been abducted by aliens. He does the right thing by going to his parents and asking for help. (Isn't that what kids facing a mental health issue are supposed to do? Why would they though, in real life, when they see the kid in the book do it and get disbelieved, forced into counseling with a therapist who is totally ineffectual, and drugged to the gills.)
So, Simon takes drastic steps to deal with the problem on his own. He stops taking his pills, dumping them in the toilet. And then he carves what he believes to be an alien implant out of his stomach by himself using scissors, leading his parents and the counselor and everyone around him to believe that he tried to commit suicide. Which is a reasonable assumption, from the outside. But as a reader, it's profoundly frustrating that not one single authority figure believes Simon when he tells them the truth. (I get that this is actually true to the experience of kids, who have little or no agency in their real lives. But it seems like a bad message to send to children who are experiencing real-life mental health crises. Because what the author seems to be saying is this: 'Don't bother talking to grown-ups, because no one will believe you.')
So there we have it. Great set-up and stakes. Lovely character and voice. And then instead of having the protagonist solve the problems, confront his asshole-of-a-dad, deal with the bullies at school, have a productive, honest conversation with the ineffectual therapist, or you know, try to solve the problems on his own, the author ends the book -- after a literal alien invasion -- with a one-hundred year flashback that devolves from 'show' to pure 'tell.' One-hundred-and-twelve-year-old Simon reads a story to his alien-hybrid grandchildren while expounding about how humans were killing their world so the aliens had to come and take over, enslaving the human race and forcing humanity to accept colonization, rather than allow the humans to finish destroying their world.
It's... problematic, especially from a childhood mental health standpoint. And truly one of the weirdest middle grade books I've read in a very long time. Supremely frustrating, given how many seemingly legitimate problems this child faced.
Sadly, I was not surprised, when I read in the author bio on the back, that this is an award-winning author of many books. Why, you ask? This seems to be what happens to authors over time. They write a lot of great stuff, and then they're allowed to publish whatever they want with little to no editorial input. Seriously, why did someone not ask him to finish the book before publication?
So, there you have it. If you're looking for a literal alien-abduction kid's book, this one's for you. If you don't mind that it never really ends, that is.
August 13, 2025
"HUMANITY IS BEYOND REPAIR."
Please put on your tinfoil hat and keep it on. This book made me relive all of my pre-existing alien-based fears, and I loved every second of the shiver bumps it gave me.
This premise was amazing. It was very Signs and The Fourth Kind mixed together, which drew me in initially. I really enjoyed the development of Simon's psyche, as he became more and more convinced that his alien theories were a reality.
There were great moments here, from the look into childhood bullying and isolation to the effect of toxic masculinity on children, and really just the perception that kids can have on medications and therapy instead of just wanting to feel seen by their parents.
BUT.
I was so disappointed in the final chapter. Man, oh, man. It was a major buzzkill. My above quote, "HUMANITY IS BEYOND REPAIR," was chilling and probably one of the scariest moments in the book. Yet, the last chapter betrayed this warning as it showed Simon as a now old man (of 112?) with his family and friends still alive with him.
Buckle up for an unnecessarily in-depth critique of a three-page ending epilogue:
If humanity was beyond repair, then even the chosen few believers meant to guide the new hybrid race of man/alien were risks. And also unnecessary. If they just wanted to procreate with human beings, they would just fertilize the women and raise the hybrid species themselves, right? So why bother to keep normal humans in mainstream society? And ESPECIALLY, why would they keep random people like friends and family around in their basic human bodies? If they were trying to create a NEW race to populate the Earth, united under one banner of same-ness, it makes zero sense that they would co-mingle with the previous, inferior life forms that used to occupy the planet.
"There was only one race. The human race."
Uhhhh, not really? Half-alien babies are running around this old human man's feet. Literally, not the case.
Sci-fi and suspension of disbelief aside, I don't like being fed a half-baked future that makes zero sense with the book I read up to that point. The hostility the aliens expressed does not line up with the future timeline and events. I don't buy it.
You don't say, "HUMANITY IS BEYOND REPAIR," And then go, "oh well, I guess you guys are okay. And you three over here, and you in the back. You can stay. And we will actually also call our alien/human offspring humans still because why not?"
No. A strong stance was taken that the extraterrestrials viewed us as inferior and flawed beings.
I get that this is a middle grade novel, so maybe the author wanted us to have a less bleak ending? But you went there, honey. You opened the door and I just walked through. No takesies-backsies.
Sooooo despite my overly long critique of what amounted to be about three pages of this book (BUT THEY WERE THE LAST THREE WHICH IS WHY I AM SO FIRED UP), it was good. I enjoyed it. It was unsettling. I would recommend it; I just need to kick the editor that let those last pages see the light of day.
And while we are at it, kick them for the random insertions of the "fantasy novel" that this 12-year-old kid is writing. They are boring, unnecessary, and pointless filler.
You can skip past those, and legitimately when you see the chapter heading 100 YEARS LATER just stop. Close your book. Walk away. You will be happier pretending it never existed.
Please put on your tinfoil hat and keep it on. This book made me relive all of my pre-existing alien-based fears, and I loved every second of the shiver bumps it gave me.
This premise was amazing. It was very Signs and The Fourth Kind mixed together, which drew me in initially. I really enjoyed the development of Simon's psyche, as he became more and more convinced that his alien theories were a reality.
There were great moments here, from the look into childhood bullying and isolation to the effect of toxic masculinity on children, and really just the perception that kids can have on medications and therapy instead of just wanting to feel seen by their parents.
BUT.
I was so disappointed in the final chapter. Man, oh, man. It was a major buzzkill. My above quote, "HUMANITY IS BEYOND REPAIR," was chilling and probably one of the scariest moments in the book. Yet, the last chapter betrayed this warning as it showed Simon as a now old man (of 112?) with his family and friends still alive with him.
Buckle up for an unnecessarily in-depth critique of a three-page ending epilogue:
If humanity was beyond repair, then even the chosen few believers meant to guide the new hybrid race of man/alien were risks. And also unnecessary. If they just wanted to procreate with human beings, they would just fertilize the women and raise the hybrid species themselves, right? So why bother to keep normal humans in mainstream society? And ESPECIALLY, why would they keep random people like friends and family around in their basic human bodies? If they were trying to create a NEW race to populate the Earth, united under one banner of same-ness, it makes zero sense that they would co-mingle with the previous, inferior life forms that used to occupy the planet.
"There was only one race. The human race."
Uhhhh, not really? Half-alien babies are running around this old human man's feet. Literally, not the case.
Sci-fi and suspension of disbelief aside, I don't like being fed a half-baked future that makes zero sense with the book I read up to that point. The hostility the aliens expressed does not line up with the future timeline and events. I don't buy it.
You don't say, "HUMANITY IS BEYOND REPAIR," And then go, "oh well, I guess you guys are okay. And you three over here, and you in the back. You can stay. And we will actually also call our alien/human offspring humans still because why not?"
No. A strong stance was taken that the extraterrestrials viewed us as inferior and flawed beings.
I get that this is a middle grade novel, so maybe the author wanted us to have a less bleak ending? But you went there, honey. You opened the door and I just walked through. No takesies-backsies.
Sooooo despite my overly long critique of what amounted to be about three pages of this book (BUT THEY WERE THE LAST THREE WHICH IS WHY I AM SO FIRED UP), it was good. I enjoyed it. It was unsettling. I would recommend it; I just need to kick the editor that let those last pages see the light of day.
And while we are at it, kick them for the random insertions of the "fantasy novel" that this 12-year-old kid is writing. They are boring, unnecessary, and pointless filler.
You can skip past those, and legitimately when you see the chapter heading 100 YEARS LATER just stop. Close your book. Walk away. You will be happier pretending it never existed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2019
The Owls Have Come to Take us Away, is one of my favorite books because the Author Ronald L. Smith, shows how the main character, Simon is afraid of aliens. Specifically, the Grays, which are gray skinned aliens, that is stated many times within this book. I can make a connection with how it explains how Simon felt when he was being watched. Plus, I just love how the Author, is using highly detailed words as if I can see it happening in front of me. Not only that, but this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I believe that this book is good for action and adventure readers, definitely a five star.
February 17, 2020
The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith, 215 pages. Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2019. $17.
Language: PG (several minor swears) Mature Content: PG Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – NOT RECOMMENDED
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
12-year-old Simon, is obsessed with aliens and he’s convinced the government is involved in a big alien cover-up. While on a camping trip with his family, Simon passes out and later finds a scar on his belly. He’s sure he was abducted by aliens and implanted with a tracking device. His parents think he’s troubled and sends him to a psychiatrist who puts him on meds. His friends are sympathetic, but can only do so much. With no adults taking him seriously, Simon takes matters into his own hands and attempts to cut out the tracking device.
This one is a bit on the weird side. The big question about whether Simon is a troubled boy or whether he was truly abducted by aliens is not answered. The attempted self-surgery is a little unsettling, especially because the adults assume he was trying to commit suicide. The author’s point is not clear. The reader must side with an alien-obsessed kid or doubting adults. Neither option is good, creating an uncomfortable situation.
Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, MLIS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
Language: PG (several minor swears) Mature Content: PG Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – NOT RECOMMENDED
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
12-year-old Simon, is obsessed with aliens and he’s convinced the government is involved in a big alien cover-up. While on a camping trip with his family, Simon passes out and later finds a scar on his belly. He’s sure he was abducted by aliens and implanted with a tracking device. His parents think he’s troubled and sends him to a psychiatrist who puts him on meds. His friends are sympathetic, but can only do so much. With no adults taking him seriously, Simon takes matters into his own hands and attempts to cut out the tracking device.
This one is a bit on the weird side. The big question about whether Simon is a troubled boy or whether he was truly abducted by aliens is not answered. The attempted self-surgery is a little unsettling, especially because the adults assume he was trying to commit suicide. The author’s point is not clear. The reader must side with an alien-obsessed kid or doubting adults. Neither option is good, creating an uncomfortable situation.
Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, MLIS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
September 5, 2018
Simon knows all about aliens. He has been studying them for years and knows they are out there really abducting people. On a camping trip with his parents, Simon actually has an abduction experience. Of course no one believes him, but it keeps happening. He relies on his friends Tony and Miranda to help figure things out. His parents think he is crazy and send him to a psychiatrist to be medicated. But Simon knows something is coming.
Ronald Smith books are always a bit different and this was probably the strangest of them all. I think there were things that worked in this book and others that didn't. I don't get why the book Simon is writing was included, especially why full chapters were included. Sure it is supposed to help Simon work through what he is going on, but it was jarring and interrupted the flow of the story. I did like Simon's alien information and experiences. But what kid doesn't know what sour cream is? That might have been the strangest thing!
Ronald Smith books are always a bit different and this was probably the strangest of them all. I think there were things that worked in this book and others that didn't. I don't get why the book Simon is writing was included, especially why full chapters were included. Sure it is supposed to help Simon work through what he is going on, but it was jarring and interrupted the flow of the story. I did like Simon's alien information and experiences. But what kid doesn't know what sour cream is? That might have been the strangest thing!
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