Erin Bow

Simon and his parents move to a new town after major trauma, though Simon likes to tell people it was because of the Alpaca Incident. It's Simon's goal to fly under the radar, but Agate, his new best friend, convinces him that what they really need to do is to spoof a message from aliens, directed at the scientists at a nearby research facility. Also, goat birth, a murderous peacock, and a holy squirrel.

As you can sort of tell from that description, this is a wacky story of friendship and show more PTSD, interspersed with questions of faith and death, and a multitude of disgusting facts. You might not think that this would work, but let me assure you, it does. This book is funny and endearing, and accessible to both kids and adults. show less

I absolutely loved this book. I was either laughing out loud or crying or both. I loved the parents--they were fantastic and what all parents hope to be. This novel and the Labors of Hercules Beal are my favorite 2024 Lone Star novels that I've read so far.

Simon moves to Grin and Bear, Nebraska to attend a new school. His mother also purchases the one funeral home and his father is a deacon at the local Catholic Church. It's home to the National Quiet Zone. No one can use TVs, microwaves, show more cell phones, computers, etc. because of the radio towers waiting to hear from outer space. Simon feels ecstatic about the lack of outside intrusion because no one can google him. He can fly under the radar and live a normal life. He meets two people who become his friends. Agate (whose 6 siblings have "rock" names) lives on a farm, representing Team Farm, where she and her family have a dog, Todd, who drinks beer, goats, and lots of animal and farm chores. It's a lesson in biology with every visit. Kevin belongs to Team Science, with his mom a major player in the radio tower alien messaging world. She rules the house and the choices her kids make, relying on science more than emotion.

I am not giving away anything in this review and I'm annoyed that most tell about Simon's past, which isn't revealed until almost halfway through the book. As the reader, you need to wait. Catch the foreshadowing and the clues and get to know Simon and his parents. It'll make the reveal of his trauma mean more. Don't even read the cover of the book. Just read the book. Let it unfold. It's so well-written and pulls you in immediately.

Agate is overweight and autistic, but those facts are less important than what she wants to do. She wants to bring the Scientists joy. They really need to get a message from space, so she has a plan. Kevin spends his time trying to please his mom and her high expectations. Simon agrees to help Agate but vacillates on whether Kevin should help them. This project becomes an over-arcing plot. Can they fake a message from outer space?

So, how is a book about a past trauma, scientists, and farmers funny? Well, his mother owns a funeral home with the word Slaughter in the title and has an incompetent employees who picks up the bodies. His father manages the Catholic church where he pronounces a squatting quirrel, their Jesus squirrel. Erin Bow incorporates hilarious moments from these two jobs along with a peacock that's "in heat." Agate's parents are also amazing--not so funny but more than capable.

I absolutely loved the pacing of the book, the balance of humor and trauma. The realities of life are presented with a deft hand. I highly recommend listening to this novel! show less

When a friend commissioned me to make a pair of earrings to match this book cover for the author, I knew I would have to order a copy to keep. We'd watched The Eagle Huntress documentary as a family and had been fascinated. A return to that world in fiction (especially one I knew to be well researched) was too good to pass up. So I bought a copy for our bedtime story shelf, and my thirteen-year-old picked it up immediately.

This book was instantly captivating to both of my kids. In fact, my show more nine-year-old frequently tried to bargain to skip his own story to get extra chapters of this book instead. Aisulu's life is so completely different from their lives, but her feelings are so relatable, and even though you suspect from the beginning that she will triumph in the end, enough tension remains to make nearly every chapter a cliffhanger.

An incredibly well told tale, and an unforgettable look into a different way of life. Would love to replace Island of the Blue Dolphins with this in school libraries across the country. show less

A year after Simon survived a school shooting, he and his family are only too happy to move to a rare U.S. town with no radio, television, or internet—they are all suffering from PTSD and the overinterest of the media, but especially Simon. This novel is absolutely deft. I cannot emphasize enough how ridiculously funny this book is, without ever diminishing any of the extremely heavy, heavy topics it covers. I laughed, I cried, but mostly I laughed while being amazed I wasn't crying. The show more world's most accurate and evocative depiction of emus ever in fiction, and possibly the same for peacocks (I have less real world experience of peacocks with which to compare). An absolutely beautiful story of friendship, and of a level of strength that should never, ever be necessary. show less