Headlines:
Humanity
Compassion, touch and skin
Being a pioneer

This story was part invasion of the body snatchers, part Roswell and much of its own unique conception. It was firmly placed in the YA genre, so that age and immaturity that comes with it was present in the pages. It was about the exploration of humanity through the eyes of Silver, an interesting alien character trying to sketch what it meant to be human.

The story was told in past and present, both were equally engaging. Present being Silver's life in a family in the UK and past being her cadet training on board an alien ship, preparing to be the first pioneer on Earth. Not everything was as it first appeared and there were some good reveals along the way.

The family that Silver found herself in was chaotic but real and how she found her feet there kept me reading in the early stages. The situation with the founders on board the ship, the need to 'shield' and then the second pioneer had me stress reading.

The plot was super exciting in the final quarter and the ending felt right for all that had gone before.

Thank you to Hot Key Books for the review copy.