Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead is a third person multi-POV middle grade sci-fi. Nathan has spent his whole life aware that he is not human and is living among humans on Earth as part of an experiment. When one of Nathan’s best friends and another member of the experiment, Izzy, disappears he starts to become concerned that something else is going on. The tail he recently grew that seems to have a mind of its own is not helping.

This is an allegory for puberty without being directly about puberty. Nathan is about to turn twelve and Izzy disappears when she turns twelve, roughly the age when many children’s bodies start changing in ways that feel completely out of their control. The growing of a tail is a fresh spin on the alien-pubery allegory and it gets even more interesting as it evolves into a sci-fi conspiracy book.

The book moves at a fairly fast pace, often chapters being fairly short and moving from point A to B at a decent clip. This is good for the reluctant readers as it will help make them feel more accomplished to go through so many chapters so quickly but for the young readers who prefer to savor the story, it might not hit.

One of the things I thought was very cool was that Nathan has a crush on Izzy and even asked to go out with and then has to deal with her starting a relationship with someone else. By some metrics, they are a bit young to be dating, but plenty of sixth graders start dating and not only does this recognize that, but it also makes sure Nathan isn't going to ‘get the girl’ just because he saved the day. Izzy is not a reward and she wants to be friends with him forever and Nathan has to learn to deal with that just like a lot of people do and it's nice to see him still want to be friends with Izzy even though he's processing his feelings.

I would recommend this to young readers of sci-fi who want something very fast-paced and readers who prefer romantic interest being acknowledged but dating and kissing are not part of the lead's arc

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead is such a fun and engaging read! Nathan may look like any other kid, but he’s grown up being told that he’s actually an alien. Along with nine other families, he’s part of an “experiment” to see how well they can blend in on Earth. But when families begin to mysteriously disappear one by one, Nathan starts questioning everything he’s been told. Is he really who he thinks he is and if the truth has been hidden from him all along?

What makes this book so enjoyable is the way it mixes sci-fi and fantasy with a light, adventurous feel. I especially liked the tie-ins to Calvin and Hobbes, which give it a nostalgic and playful touch. A lot of books today focus on heavy, real-world issues (which is definitely important) but I liked that this one leaned more into being a fun, fast-paced story.

The storyline kept me interested the whole way through, and one of the twists totally caught me off guard! It’s clever, entertaining, and the kind of book you’ll want to keep reading just to see how everything plays out.

The Experiment is a delightful, enjoyable sci-fi story for middle schoolers. There is humor, suspense, and alien abduction. The friendships and camaraderie among Nathan, Izzy, Leo, and Annie help them work together to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. Are things the way their parents have told them . . . or will they figure everything out together? Tuck is an endearing character who helps them discover what is really going on with Hester and the Wagon. It's not quite what you (or Nathan) are led to believe at the beginning. There are twists and turns that stymie Nathan at times, but he perseveres in trying to figure it all out. Full of wonder and imagination! A great read for middle schoolers, both boys and girls, and equally entertaining for adults.

What a fun and engaging middle grade read! Nathan knows that he and his parents are aliens living undercover as humans, but when he starts growing a tail and faces the possibility of leaving Earth, he decides to share his secret with his best friend. Full of adventure and friendship, this is a book middle schoolers are going to love! I can’t wait to add this one to our middle school library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars really. I thought this was a unique book and kids will enjoy it. I liked the twist. It reminded me a bit of Egg Monsters from Mars, the Goosebumps book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

This book was an interesting and at times felt a bit silly. The characters are all enjoyable. There is some great messages in this book that are still very engaging to readers and blended into the story well. For the most part I really enjoyed this one.

This middle grade science fiction novel is a delight. I think it's very age-appropriate, while still holding my decidedly middle-aged interest. Sixth-grader Nathan seems fairly normal to outside appearances, but he harbors a secret: he and his parents are aliens, and they are part of a small experiment along with nine other alien families. When Nathan starts growing a tail, the book kicks into high gear with a fast-paced, fun plot. The supporting cast of characters is wonderful, and the reveals throughout the story are interesting and ask bigger questions about who we are and who we want to be. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for a digital review copy.

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead drew me in from the first chapter. It's an incredible mix of adventure and heart, all centered on a lovable character named Nathan. All Nathan wants is a normal life, full of normal school days, and lots of Calvin and Hobbes (who doesn't love Calvin and Hobbes?!) Instead, his parents have him safely locked in his bedroom. Not as a punishment, not as some creepy situation, just for safekeeping, until the whole family (minus Toto the cat) get picked up to go to The Wagon.

The Wagon is not your everyday, run of the mill, red wagon. Nope, this one is a full-fledged Space Ship! See, Nathan's parents are Kast, which is some sort of alien life form, masquerading as humans for this giant, decades long experiment on planet Earth. And Nathan is key in that experiment.

We learn that Nathan and his family are Kast, an alien species masquerading as humans for a huge, decades-long experiment on planet Earth. The details of his life are as captivating as they are strange, from the pink toothpaste he must use five times a day, to his mom recording every morsel of food that enters his body, and more, not-so-pretty post meal details, to the monthly virtual meetups with the eight other kids involved in the experiment. The more we read, the more we learn about what prompted this visit to The Wagon, and whatever it was that happened on the family's first visit to Florida that warrants this urgent trip to The Wagon.

Along the way, we meet Nathan's best friend Victor (completely human, with a family that Nathan loves to spend time with) and other Kast kids: Izzy, with whom Nathan communicates secretly between meetings, Miriam, who was first to disappear (yes, you read that right!), Leo, and a plethora of other characters that add to this exciting read. Nathan's adventure draws the reader in and keeps them hooked with every page turn. And the ending? The twist you won't expect (or, maybe you will, but it's still awesome) completes this highly recommended new book by Stead!

Along the way, we meet a fantastic cast of characters who add so much to the story. There's Nathan's best friend, Victor, a completely human kid whose family Nathan loves spending time with. We also get to know other Kast kids like Izzy, with whom Nathan communicates secretly between meetings, and Miriam, the first to mysteriously disappear. These friendships add a richness to the story as the adventure deepens.

Stead expertly weaves this exciting tale, and Nathan's journey keeps you hooked with every page turn. And the ending? It delivers a clever and totally awesome twist that you won't see coming, completing this highly recommended read. The Experiment is a book that proves that even when your life is filled with aliens and spaceships, what truly matters is friendship, family, and finding your place in the universe.

This is a fun read about 6th grader Nathan, who has been keeping a secret his whole life: he's an extraterrestrial, a Kast who's been passing as human in an experiment to see if the Kast might eventually be able to live on Earth. Nathan’s parents grew up on the Kast spaceship traveling to earth and were chosen to be among the settlers. As part of the experiment, Nathan’s mom records everything about his life–from what he eats to how he succeeds socially. Nathan’s best friend is Victor, who of course doesn’t know the truth about Nathan and his family. When this book opens, Nathan has been recalled to the “Wagon,” the “mothership” of the Kast, which is essentially parked on earth (posing as a U Store It facility), because of a “development”--he is growing a tail. The call to return is deeply upsetting to Nathan and his parents, who are worried because among the nine other Kast kids with whom he and his family meet regularly online, four have disappeared, presumably recalled and not heard from again. Before he leaves, Nathan manages to let Victor know the truth. What Nathan learns on the “Wagon,” which is in Pennsylvania (he lives in NYC), upends everything he’s ever known.

This is an unusual, fast-paced read; I didn't want to put it down. There are some aspects of the plot that seemed a little convenient to me (for example, how easily Nathan was able to move around the spaceship) but it didn't sink the story for me, which I think will be so appealing to kids. It also offers a really nice depiction of a friendship between boys (Nathan and Victor).

Nathan and his family are part of an experiment where he must brush his teeth with a special pink toothpaste and he meets virtually with the other children monthly. Now, children are starting to go missing and when his crush Izzy is the next to go missing, he wants to find her. When his family is called back to the mothership, he is determined to find Izzy and get to the truth. Fun, fast-paced that deal with family dynamics, friendship and teen relationships.

This novel is a great sci-fi novel for middle schoolers that would definitely satisfy both boys and girls.

It tells the story of Nathan who knows that both he and his family are actually aliens from another planet. His parents had attempted to keep this a secret from him until the point where they are summoned, to a place Nathan never knew existed. Here he finds that they are actually part of an 'experiment', and one that he knows must stop.

The writing was simple and easy to read but captured my interest immediately from the first chapter. This book would definitely make a great addition to any middle schooler's bookshelf!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Nathan has known from an early age that he and his parents are from another planet and that they are part of a secret experiment whose parameters are unclear. But things are starting to go wrong — some of the other alien families are disappearing, his family is being called back to the mothership, and his parents are looking pretty worried. What happens next is one twist after another in this absolutely satisfying middle grade science fiction story.

I love Rebecca Stead. She has that rare ability to write about topics with depth and make them equally accessible and appealing to both children and adults. Her books are all well-written (Newberry Award winner), weird in the best possible way, and never even close to trite or formulaic. The blurb likens it to A Wrinkle in Time and — as a long time and HUGE Wrinkle fan — I can lend my expert agreement! It’s a coming-of-age book about a young boy who is put into a very difficult situation and manages to be a hero because he can’t bear to not do the right thing regardless of the possible cost. There are no insipid moral messages (I’m sorry but “being kind” will not solve most real problems!), but there is plenty of (young boy) reflection, confusion, and eventual understanding to help grow a child into the adult they want to be. This is the kind of book that will both entertain and educate a young audience. And it was fun for this (much older) audience, too.

This book was certainly interesting. Nathan is a tween who has known his whole life that he is an alien, on Earth as part of an experiment to save his people. While the premise was interesting, many elements of this book didn't work for me. Some sections were just very odd and confusing for no particular reason. I also didn't like the added drama of children trying to date and be in relationships. There were many things I liked. The book occasionally switched to other perspectives, which I enjoyed. I also loved the different relationships and types of love that were demonstrated. I'd recommend this book to people who like relationship focused stories, and don't mind some weirdness to go with it.

The anticipation and the mystery-- Nathan is an alien on earth and now he's locked in his room and awaiting reunification with others because things appear to have gone awry. There are others like him, aliens that can pass for human but then they seem to be going missing including Izzy, another of his kind. So when they're linked back up there are revelations which are curiously weird but it's a trademark of Stead's.

The cutest part is Nathan's tail that looks like Hobbes's from Calvin and Hobbes and Nathan's best friend Victor that's with him through thick and thin.

A great sci-fi story brought to us by the incredibly talented Rebecca Stead whose “When You Reach Me” or “Liar & Spy” among others, have been favorites.
Nathan is an alien. He looks like a regular kid, but everything about his life is regulated – what and how much he eats and the necessity to brush multiple times a day with a special pink toothpaste. His parents were raised on an alien ship and are one of nine other families who are also members of the experiment of putting aliens on earth. The kids zoom with each other frequently so they can converse about their situation - something they can’t do with their human friends. When Nathan suddenly begins growing a tail, he becomes especially interesting to Hester who is running the experiment. Nathan then decides to share his secret with his best human friend Victor who might help him come to terms with some things about Hester and the ship that are very disturbing as well as the fact that some of his alien friends are disappearing. A page turner!

What a unique story! There are so many things to think about as you go through the pages discovering the mystery of the aliens here on earth. Secrets, friendship, and trust are just a few of the powerful themes within the captivating story line of this heartfelt adventure.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Nathan appears to be a typical sixth grader, doing school projects and hanging out with his best friend Victor. But Nathan is not a typical tween – he and his family look human but they are from another planet, trying to blend in with humans. Nathan’s mom takes fastidious notes about everything Nathan does, from what he eats to how much he sleeps. Once a month he would have virtual visits with other tweens like him but lately, the group numbers are dwindling with some of the families disappearing without a trace. While on vacation in Florida, something happens to Nathan that alarms his parents and they prepare to return to the mother ship. But things seem weird to Nathan and he begins to question everything, especially when he sees his missing friends on the ship.
This is a great middle grade novel – it’s fast paced, relatively short (for Stead), and well-developed. It’s about family love, friendship love, and first crush love. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend for grades three and up.
#TheExperiment #NetGalley

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends through NetGalley.
Stead creates relatable characters in this sci-fi tale. Nathan is a sixth grader who has always known he was an alien living on Earth. His family along with several others were sent here to see if they could maintain their human shape and life as part of an experiment from the planet Kast. All seems well until readers learn that Nathan has grown an unusual appendage which has its own personality. The two of them work together to solve the bigger mystery of what really happened aboard the spaceship and who the real aliens are.
Nathan shares about his friends both in town and through the experiment. Readers see typical middle grade friendships bloom and vary. I appreciate the normalcy portrayed around the unusual circumstances. In the end, readers see who the true aliens and humans are and how the real experiment was set up generations ago.
The short chapter style will interest readers of various levels and help them stay focused on the various reveals and twists.

Nathan has been keeping a huge secret from his best friend Victor: he's an alien! Nathan and his parents, who are originally from a planet called Kast, are part of an experiment to learn more about Earth and to maintain long-term human forms & identities. But when Nathan grows a tail and gets called to the mothership, the Wagon, by the experiment's overseer, Hester, he is terrified. It doesn't help that of the ten kids in the experiment, three have mysteriously disappeared lately, including Izzy, who was maybe kind of his first girlfriend. While visiting the Wagon, Nathan finds a few answers, but they only lead to more questions, and what he sees & learns threatens to turn both his and his parents' worlds upside down. After Nathan tells Victor the truth, can the two friends get to the bottom of this otherworldly mystery?

Nathan is a likable character for whom readers will definitely root, and his friendship with Victor rings true. The support Nathan receives from his parents is also notable; rather than being absent or adversarial, they work to protect Nathan and help him work through his problems. The layers of mystery (Nathan's tail, his missing friends, the experiment & Hester's real agenda) are unusual and unexpected. Once again, Stead has crafted a unique, suspenseful narrative with plenty of strange twists and turns that will keep middle grade readers engaged and turning pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Experiment is a fast-paced, refreshing science fiction tale about a family of aliens, one of 10 across the country. Nathan meets with the single child of each family online monthly, so as they start disappearing, he grows increasingly worried, despite his parents' lack of response. Meanwhile, his home life is filled with constant measurements, which are logged into books maintained by his mother -- how much he ingests, weighs, does he consistently brush his teeth (5x/day) with the special pink toothpaste provided by "the wagon" where they came from? And now there is the beginning of a tail? Hopefully Nathan's questions will be answered when he gets summoned to return to the wagon... Rebecca Stead has created another story that quickly captures and keeps your attention with sympathetic characters, mysterious circumstances, suspense, and humor.