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Rich is Currently Reading

Rich B is currently reading

The Space Between Us

by Doug Johnstone

bookshelves: fiction, sci-fi, thriller, currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

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Rich B said: " Enjoyable alien first encounter story set in Scotland. Felt it slightly overdid the deep and meaningful life and the universe is bigger than us theme, but has very likeable and believable characters and a decently paced plot.

There’s 3 main character Enjoyable alien first encounter story set in Scotland. Felt it slightly overdid the deep and meaningful life and the universe is bigger than us theme, but has very likeable and believable characters and a decently paced plot.

There’s 3 main characters. Lennox, a teenage boy living in a children’s home who is picked on by bullies because of his skin colour. Ava, a pregnant teacher living with a horrible, gaslighting bully of a husband. And Heather, a 50 something woman mourning for her daughter who died from leukaemia and who has a brain tumour and is planning to commit suicide. (it’s a way cheerier book than you’d guess from these character backgrounds by the way).

(Only occurred to me as I was writing this, the 3 lead characters initials spell out HAL - probably coincidence, but would be a very oblique sci-fi 2001 reference if it was deliberate).

Strange lights are seen over Edinburgh and a bunch of people suffer rare crippling strokes and don’t survive. But Lennox, Ava and Heather all wake up and find themselves in hospital having miraculously recovered from their strokes.

At the same time, a mysterious octopus-like creature is found washed up on a nearby beach, and the 3 leads feel strangely drawn to it. They rescue the creature which turns out to be (a) alive and (b) not from this planet.

They’re then forced to go on the run as a shady government scientist called Fellowes and his team of goons try to come after the alien visitor. Plus, Ava’s husband Michael, who’s well connected with the cops is also trying to bring her back, even though she wants no more to do with him.

They’re helped along the way by Ava’s sister and Heather’s ex husband as they help Sandy (as they name their new alien friend) make his way back to the rest of his crew.

There’s also a journalist who helps them out, as he searches for what would be the biggest story of his life.

It rattles along at a good pace, and though you have to park your credulity about the whole idea of alien contact, it’s quite a lot of fun in a Scottish ET meets Thelma and Louise type way.

I didn’t completely buy how everyone would actually react to alien visitors and the “universe is bigger than us” theme is reinforced just a few too many times, but it was still an enjoyable and different read. ...more "

Aug 17, 2023 11:20PM · see review