BEINGS is an absolutely gorgeous novel by Ilana Masad that I feel so lucky to be an early reader for. I loved Masad's debut novel, and knowing this one was about alien abductions? I was so ready to dive in. But the book, of course, is about so much more than UFOs. Told in 3 distinct parts, we follow a couple in the 1960s who are believed to be the first people to experience an alien abduction (I didn't realize they were real people until I did some research after I put the book down!), an archivist who is learning about them and a science fiction writer from the 60s as well, and the writer herself, in letters to an old lover about her coming out as queer in a hostile city.

The interconnected stories are beautifully woven together, and I kept changing my mind about who I was most interested in. It is clear that the theme of aliens, and feeling like an other, is a heavy but apt metaphor for what all of the characters in all different timelines are experiencing. Phyllis, the lesbian sci fi writer, was a fascinating character and I began to wish that she was real as well! I would love to read her stories. All in all, this book lived up to the excitement I had going into it and I think it will be a hit title this fall. Can't wait for what else Masad has for us in the future.