Suppose an alien spaceship crashed on Earth in the middle of the USA and the only occupant that survived was a small child. What would happen to him? Would the government and the FBI want to capture that child and lock him away in a lab to study and investigate him? What if kind, caring people in a small town hid him away to grow up in a loving environment while he waited for rescue by his own people?

This is the premise of this book. Molly Myers, a nurse and her husband Gene, who lost their own child, find themselves protectors of this strange alien child they name Cory, hiding him from the many powers who want him and his race's superior technology. Given that he looks nothing like a human child, this is not easy and eventually his existence becomes known to the federal agents and spies looking for him. A wonderful story about what it is to be a parent and love a child, doing all in your power to keep them safe.

3.2*

"Human history was full of blood and terror and she was ashamed of it."

This was a really interesting read. A little slow paced, perhaps, but packed with tension, love, and all kinds of heart rendering emotions.

A meteor crashes next to the town of Amber Grove. Molly, a nurse, immediately repairs to the hospital where she helps everyone she can. Gene, her husband, is working at the local library at the time and is saved by not being flattened and impaled by foreign metal objects by sheer luck. Molly is called to her duty by the top doctor at her hospital, Dr Jarman, who needs her to work on a VIP patient. This patient is a survivor of the meteor - and the alien ship that fell with it. Discretion is of the utmost importance and Molly soon builds a maternal relationship with the alien life form, who she names Cory. Once Dr Jarman is arrested for obstructing the government, Molly and Gene take Cory and run.

I think that Our Child of the Stars by Stephen Cox is a great Halloween read, especially if you prefer science fiction to horror, which I personally don't, but even then I wouldn't be doing the author justice if I didn't appreciate the effort and level of standard that has gone into this novel.

This book is a really intriguing take on what would happen when (and if) humans discover extra terrestrial life. I think that humans are so intent in thinking that uncovering other life in the universe would lead to devastation, when there's plenty of destruction here on Earth that needs worrying about already that this insight is impetuously refreshing.

"He pleaded for humanity's encounter with another species to be more peaceful and productive than the clashes of culture seen on Earth."

Personally, I think it shows just how selfish we are as people and how little we appreciate everything around us - there is an entire universe out there, an unknown number of planets that are waiting to be discovered and searched and we really think that we have this entire vast expanse to ourselves? Sorry to go all conspirator on you but I think it's much more likely that there is other life out there than just us. And if there isn't then isn't that just a little sad? That we're potentially alone? I like the direction the plot in this book takes because it shows us for what we are - bad guys. People literally invented the semantics and concept of 'bad guy', and this book will not let the reader forget it.

"Bad Men? They were surrounded by people who'd betray them in an instant, but to call them Bad Men was unkind; there was a danger in good, kind men too, who'd do the wrong thing out of duty. That handsome soldier would have obeyed his orders an let them take her son away because he'd believe it to be the right thing to do."


Something that also stood out in this book is the beautiful and realistic imagery that is produced. So, so necessary when reading a sci fi or a fantasy, detail is key , I literally can't get into a novel if the level of detail leads to a flat plot and an uninspiring monologue. This is not something to worry about in this book.

Another key component would be that the reader is shown first hand the unimaginable lengths that parents will go to - or should go to - to keep their child safe. The constant worrying about Cory and the actions spurred by this worrying really embody the love a parent has for a child. It is so uplifting and wholesome to read about, this novel is capable of melting the iciest and cynical of hearts.

"He didn't know how anyone could be a father and not find their child and his needs at the beating heart of their life."

Unfortunately, one major let down for me was Cory himself. Although he's described really well, his dialogue is single handedly the most fist clinchingly annoying perspective that is in this book. I've read books that are written from a child's perspective before - Room, for example, by Emma Donoghue - and what should be an endearing, soul-stirring account of a child alien life form fallen to earth turns into a gratingly frustrating monologue full of repetitiveness and phonetic mispronunciations. Soldiers, for example, become sowljers, and the repeating of his words makes me want to tear my eyeballs out;
"'Eggs please-please breakfast Cory help,'"
Coupled with talking about himself in third person made me wish that a less annoying alien crashed to Earth in this otherwise resounding book.

Our Child of the Stars by Stephen Cox is a science fiction story about family, love and second chances.
In 1969 a meteor crashes in a town in New England. One child rescued from the site is taken to hospital and he is cared for by a nurse Molly Myers. This is no ordinary child and he must be hidden from everyone to keep him safe.
Molly and her husband take the child to live with them and grow to love him as their own. I enjoyed this book it was a different type of read for me.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Quercus books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.