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Was Johnstone sending a veiled political message? Well, maybe not. But I think I would happily exchange some of our own political representatives for those with the hearts and souls of our protagonists. Science fiction may be a departure for Johnstone, but he’s approached it like the crime thrillers that made his name, prioritising pace, tension and high stakes … a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective, and a celebration of our capacity to connect with one another, shot through with vivid characters and a sense of wonder’ Herald Scotland Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They don’t know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes...
A sci-fi novel that is as moving as it is magical and mysterious. Doug Johnstone has hit it out of the park again' Mark Billingham Sandy manages to communicate with Lennox initially which guides all three in the direction where Sandy needs to go. As the pace ramps up, danger lurks at every corner. But through connections and understanding, Lennox, Ava and Heather realise the enormity of what they are involved with and the consequences of every action they take or do not take. Each of out characters were deeply personable, instantly recognisable with their distinct voices as we hear from each perspective; the switches happening smoothly, quietly telling us that they are all part of something larger if we can just find the link. All of them are suffering with something, looking for a way out but never really knowing what that could look like. The relationships between them grew beautifully, a connection and bond forming not only over their shared experiences but something much more meaningful as they recognise something within each other. When news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call ‘Sandy’ and goes on the run. Lennox, Ava and Heather all realise that they have been part of something special and realise that they must return to the beach where Heather was saved and where, according to the news, a strange octopus-like creature has washed up on the shore. Gathering there on the following day, Lennox touches the creature and is immediately peppered with visions of an alien planet and a species struggling to survive, who need their help.The trio sneak Sandy off the beach and out of the reaches of officialdom. That choice will lead the group across large swathes of Scotland and into all kinds of trouble - from Ava's husband, from the police, from a mysterious chap in a sharp suit with hulking minders, and from a journalist, Ewan, who starts out following the story but ends up engulfed by it. Maybe it’s the octopus like creature but there were definitely vibes of remarkably bright creatures throughout the book. I find myself slowly falling in love with these remarkable sea creatures. Prioritising pace, tension and high stakes … a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective … shot through with vivid characters and a sense of wonder' Herald Scotland
These three are special for reasons they don’t understand, and they are drawn to a strange octopus-like creature on a beach outside Edinburgh, where the meteor was seen crashing into the sea. To save its life, they have to go on a road-trip across the Scottish Highlands, dark forces chasing after them all the way. I jokingly told my publisher the elevator pitch: ‘ ET meets Thelma and Louise’. But there’s a kernel of truth in that. I also found myself making comparisons to our own country’s response to immigration. How we treat those we don’t understand; who are not from our little island. Lennox, Ava and Heather felt compassion and connection to something they didn’t know, and didn’t understand. Ultimately they saw something needing their help; so they went to help. But the motives of government agencies were very different. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us Their journey to find out more about Sandy and his kind was fraught with obstacles, both personal and from the outside, but as they sped towards their destination with determination, they work together to get through every single absurd series of events that was thrown their way. I felt their anxiety, their fear, but also the love and understanding they were learning to find. This is more than science fiction that delves into the meaning of humanity: it is a psychological, literary, feel-good road trip book. It delves into the loneliness of being human. Sandy is total empathy, able to enter into their inner thoughts and feelings, infusing them with well-being and love. Who wouldn’t want that?Of all the things I was expecting from this book, being taken to some emotional places I have never been taken to by a sci-fi book before was not one of them. I still, to this moment, hours after finishing this book, have not managed to work out how Doug Johnstone has made an alien cephalopod who can’t speak a creature that can illicit such empathy and such strong emotion from, not only the three protagonists in the book, but from the reader as well. There were times in this book that I was on the verge of tears (the scene with Heather and Sandy in the bath being the main one) and the story was so resonant and uplifting, its quite incredible. A novel where the central character in peril is so unlike anything you would normally feel a connection to is the novel has made me feel the most empathy and sympathy for that character than any other book I have read so far this year. Our cephalopod, Sandy, is no different. They have found themselves homeless – forced from their home and looking for a safe place to live without fear. They are refugees and first we need to understand them, learn how to communicate with them and finally, find a way to live side by side with them in harmony. However, when it comes the realistic elements within a sci-fi novel, I want them to actually be rooted in reality. For that reason I was immediately annoyed with the first few chapters of this novel, especially with the ridiculous depiction of the hospital-scenes. Since it’s mentioned in the synopsis, and happens in the first few chapters, I don’t consider this a spoiler; the inciting incident involves our protagonists suffering a simultaneous, unexplained stroke and waking up within the hospital afterwards. What follows is a scene in which they’re all in a multi-patient open room, having woken up not 5 minutes earlier, only for a doctor (read: walking-plot-vehicle-of-exposition) to walk in and explain in detail what happened. This involves exposing patient-sensitive medical info to other patients (hello HIPAA violations!!), discharging patients mere minutes after suffering massive strokes and potential brain-damage, and quite a few medical inaccuracies that can’t be explained by “magic-alien-stroke”. The entire sequence reads incredibly amateurish on an exposition level, and feels written by someone who has never experienced a hospitalization themselves. As a chronically ill, cancer-survivor and MD: this stuff bothers me personally more than it might most.
The quartet soon discover that they have Ava’s husband on their heels, followed by local police, and the government officials… Can they help Sandy? I don’t normally go for science/ alien fiction, but as a child I was pretty obsessed with The X-Files, and this book felt like an episode of my childhood’s favourite series.Doug Johnstone’s writing and storytelling is sublime. This wasn’t some corny sci-fi, this was a story of connection, friendship and family that is full of hope. I really enjoyed the adventure and fast pace of the road trip, as they try to out run the government. The prose was descriptive, capturing the stunning landscape of the Scottish Highlands, and there was plenty of acion on this adventure. The main characters, their lives and their struggles, are portrayed very vividly. I was straight into this, just like a thriller' Ivo Graham on Between the Covers
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