Rebecca Stead Books

I was hooked into the story from the first couple of pages with questions as to why a boy named Nathan is locked in his room by his family, and why they are being summoned to the mysterious ‘Wagon’ – a journey that Nathan is clearly very reluctant to take.

The reader then discovers that he’s an alien from the planet Kast, and that his peers in the group, who arrived on Earth together, are disappearing. Nathan is also on a meticulously controlled and monitored food intake: Hester – the Kast leader – needs to see how long their people can maintain human form and blend in. When Nathan grows a tail, that’s clearly no longer possible, and this is why he and his family are summoned to the Wagon – their hidden spaceship – to meet Hester.

Once on the ship, it becomes clear that the situation is not as Nathan has been led to believe, and he has to try to convince his parents that they must all take action. When Nathan takes matters into his own hands and becomes trapped with Hester on the Wagon, the shocking truth about their identity and Hester’s experiments is revealed.

It’s a highly original story that explores our sense of belonging and what it is to be human – or alien. It does challenge a few preconceptions and has further themes of friendship, family and identity. It would be a fabulous science fiction read – more in this genre than fantasy – and would appeal to fans of Christopher Edge or Alistair Chisholm.