Welcome to Litsy!

It took me almost 50% of the book for me to really get into it. The family dysfunction was annoying at first, but as the Shao sisters are forced to work together to figure out what‘s going on with their brother, the story really picks up. The sci-fi elements are both central to the story but also not. I already recc‘d this to someone looking for a space opera. Takes place on Earth, but has that genre‘s mix of epic action and personal drama.

This book was fascinating. So many stories, where say the hapless dude gets kidnapped by aliens who need his help to fight an intergalactic war, kinda hand wave what that means for their family. If they show up at all, their need for explanations are just roadblocks. This is a story about three siblings, fifteen years after one of them disappeared and it just lives in all the stuff that means.

#12BooksOf2022
This was a great sci-fi family drama that kept me on the edge of my seat.
@Andrew65

Jakob and his father disappeared in a strange event from a camping trip, with Dad reappearing not long thereafter clutching…something. After 15 years, Jakob reappears. Sister Evie believes he was abducted by aliens but sister Kass is having none of it. This is a really lovely exploration of family, in particular adult siblings working to see each other as adults, set in a fun sci-fi storyline.

I really liked the idea of this book, but it fell a bit flat. I found all the characters a bit annoying and felt it left some things hanging.

Wow this month was very difficult to choose a favorite. There were three standouts: Light Years from Home, the Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea, and the Ladies of the Secret Circus. But I ultimately chose the tagged because it was just so wonderfully complex with the character dynamics and unreliable narrators and overall sci-fi goodness 🌌

"The Shao family had become a textbook case study in trauma. But with aliens."

I first heard of Mike Chen on the Reading Glasses podcast, as he's a friend of their show. This book is a different sort of read because it really is more about this one family than it is a more traditional science fiction novel, and even the idea of whether it is a science fiction novel depends on which character you find most trustworthy. ↘️

Mike Chen has become an automatic read for me and his latest did not disappoint. It explores all the complexities of a family broken by tragedy, while mixing in a fantastical sci-fi alien world.
15 years ago, Jakob mysteriously disappeared. His father & sister are convinced he was taken by aliens. His twin sister thinks he's galavanting Europe like the slacker he's always been. Then he suddenly returns, supposedly with a mission to save the galaxy

I don't think I've seen such a succinct quote so accurately describe an entire book in one go 😅

Fifteen years ago, Jakob was abducted by aliens and trained as an intergalactic soldier. Now returned to Earth, he attempts to reconcile with his family while eluding the government and exterrestrial enemies in this sci-fi novel that combines speculative fiction with heart, family, and healing.

A little lunch time reading today.

This book explores family dynamics in a smart, unique way, and I adored it!

Jacob was abducted by alien rebels who recruited him in their war. Jacob finds purpose there away from his slacker identity. Meanwhile back on Earth, his younger sister is determined to find him and his twin sister is stuck being their responsible one as their mother slides deeper into dementia. When Jacob comes back on a mission, the whole family gets upended.