Review: The Others

The Others is a dazzling historical science-fiction adventure that kept me utterly entranced from start to finish:  a breath-taking, unforgettable story of connection, friendship and hope.  

Reuben’s world is small, living in an observatory with his astronomer grandma and black cat, Inky, never having ventured beyond its gates, yet yearning for adventure, a yearning that is only somewhat satiated through the books he reads including War of the Worlds.  Reuben’s insulated existence is in contrast to the vastness of the universe which his grandma has been attempting to connect with over the past ten years, sending out signals into space – and, at last, she has received a response …

When something falls from the night sky, his Grandma goes to investigate, leaving Reuben alone as she cannot risk anything happening to him due to his rare eye condition.  But, when his Grandma doesn’t return home, Reuben goes in search of her and finds something he has been longing for …. someone who could become his friend.  Archie agrees to help him find his Grandma, but instead they find an unconscious girl with blue light emanating from her skin.  Frightened by something they cannot understand, they both run …

It is not long before Reuben connects his own loneliness with the girl being left alone.  Feeling the need to protect her and keep her safe, he brings her home and gives her a name:  Blue. 

Meanwhile, Professor Pinfield learns that a spaceship has crashed and, with cold, ruthless determination, he sets out to exploit what it has brought for his own aggrandisement through winning the prestigious and wealth-bringing Pierre Guzman Prize for proof of communication with an alien life form.

And so begins the most incredible, stunning and thrilling adventure as Reuben faces a world that holds wonder, danger and secrets in his mission to protect Blue and reunite her with the others who she is searching for.   Can he help Blue escape the clutches of a ruthless pursuer, intent on exploiting alien life for his own selfish reasons?  Has he lost the only home and family he has ever known?  I really enjoyed both the ethereal quality underpinning the narrative and the rising tension as the inexorable pursuit brings both danger and revelations.  I’m a huge fan of classic science-fiction, both in books and film, and am so pleased that more and more middle-grade science-fiction books are being published – and this is a brilliant addition to this genre.

I absolutely adored Reuben, Blue and Archie as they navigate a new world for each of them, a world where connection and friendship brings both hope and empathy, a world where curious minds explore and find joy and wonder in new experiences, and a world where discoveries bring enlightenment and a sense of belonging.  But it is also a world where danger threatens to bring despair, and where great courage, determination and ingenuity is needed to stand together against exploitation, cruelty and prejudice.

The detailed illustrations throughout are absolutely stunning and complement both the otherworldliness and the darkness and light within the story perfectly.

This will most definitely be one of my Books of the Year and is one I cannot recommend highly enough to those of 9+. 

Thank you to Mikka at Everything with Words for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.