An excellent new addition to the science fiction genre. this story is told from the point of view of an alien entity who has been sent to earth to find out more about the way humans think and behave all of this prior to an intended invasion of the planet. However Silver, as the alien becomes known, finds themselves becoming fascinated by the family they move in with and particularly the son. They also begin to wonder about their own leaders and the attitudes towards humans, in which the latter are deemed expendable. what a very thought provoking story and one that really says something about recognizing differences and accepting others for who they are.

This is an enjoyable 'entry level' science fiction/romance. Like other reviewers, I thought of 'The Host' by Stephanie Meyer, but I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed 'The Host'.

Silver is sent to Earth to investigate whether it is viable for her people (on the ship Charybdis) to invade. Her mission involves 'inhabiting' a human and living amongst a human family, to discover their weaknesses. She does so, and at first fulfills the remit of her mission, reporting back regularly to Charybdis. As she learns more about humans, she starts to like them, and make friends, and become more human. This means she isn't reporting back to the ship, and she begins to realise that she has to protect the family she is living with, and by extension all humans.

I really like the character of Silver. Initially she makes some terrible mistakes, but learns very quickly. The family she lives with - Stella, Finch and Doodles - initially just think she is foreign, as the body she has inhabited is a Polish dogsitter, but they become accustomed to her as she becomes more human. There's a very touching romance between her and Finch, the son of the family. Of course it doesn;t work out, as Charybdis sends another alien to retrieve her. Silver kills them, but realises she can't stay. She tells Finch, and the last we see of her is when, after she has returned to her non-corporeal form, she settles briefly over his skin.

That's a very simplified version of the plot. It's a very quick read. I would definitely recommend it to a younger reader who wanted to get into science fiction.

What a great cosy sci-fi romance! The cover originally drew me in but after a few chapters I was fully invested. Silver is such an interesting character and it really is a journey looking into what it is to be human. I liked the two timelines and the short chapters as it was super engaging, I think it definitely is more YA as some parts weren't for me but I would recommend it to younger readers than myself

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really tried to finish this book... but this main character... Sigh DNF. Only got a couple of chapters into the book, wasn't engaging enough to get me to continue

This is a beautiful YA story about what it is to be human.
I enjoyed following Silver & seeing her develop from a fairly robotic persona to a fully fledged non human.

The ending was so bittersweet & I hope the family never forget her. I also hope Doodles won 🏆

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

This was a really sweet, enjoyable read to which I'm giving a strong 4 stars! It's definitely geared more towards younger adult and perhaps middle grade, but I'm not saying this in a negative way - it was a lovely easy read that made me smile. I found the premise really original, I liked the idea of Charybdis and the world-building around it. The characters were all really loveable and the story touched on some really important themes of love, desire and self-advocacy. All in, I'd recommend this book to anyone and will be looking out for more work from this author!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

I want to preface this by saying I’m probably not the target audience. This book is YA, truly young YA. I do read YA and enjoy many of them, even the ones on the less mature side. However, this book felt a bit more middle grade, and I can easily imagine myself loving it when I was 12. However, the adult me, not so much.

The premise is amazing, reminding me a lot of Translation State by Ann Leckie in the design of the aliens and Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh in their manipulation by the governing entity. The flashbacks to Silver’s past as a cadet are the best part of the book, a true sci-fi of the best quality. The Earth part, though is the reason I couldn’t finish the book.

Once Silver ends up with the human family, she seems to forget all the supposed knowledge she acquired as a cadet. The scouts died trying to find out as much about human activity as possible, and on all the educational videos, there was no one walking the dog? She learned human language on the ship, but she’s capable only of quoting bad commercials? The logic starts to break a little. Don't even get me started on how the family let the original dog sitter have access to the house before meeting her first. Did they just leave a key under a doormat so that a foreign teenage girl could let herself in?
And then, when Silver wants to cook a cake, so instead of going shopping (payments don’t seem to be a problem for her technology), she goes to a neighbor? A neighbor who is clearly not okay and spends pages after pages on gibberish.

I really wish I loved it more. There is great potential, though, and if I was still a teenager, I would probably enjoy the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover and the blurb sounded very cool. The initial premise of the story was interesting and the whole 'body-snarcher invasion' thing is definitely not new but a good book concept.

Unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations. The naivety of the character was expected to a certain degree but I honestly found the whole experience painful. The secondhand embarrassment in this book was strong.

I liked that she learnt to think for herself a bit more but some parts were so unrealistic in terms of 'humans' reactions that it was a struggle at times.

The overall plot is good but I feel like it could have been developed more.

The story of an alien from Charibdis Who is sent on a mission to earth to find out more about humans, and how to conquer them? Silver is able to possess the bodies of othe Humans in order to read their minds, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and tap them for data
Living with an ordinary human family, she creates emotional bonds with them and questions her mission.

Thanks to #NetGalley For the opportunity to read this, I had a publication and exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up for net galley
This was a really quick read for me, the first chapter or two took some getting used to with a naïve first person perspective- of a character that is learning and discovering everything for the first time. A few times you have to suspend disbelief on the things the character does and doesn’t understand. But for the most part it is really sweet. It shows how small gestures can really change people’s lives. And I enjoyed knowing the characters. This is a children’s book that is accessible and can be enjoyed by all ages. But the ending had a complete tone shift that kind of left me taken aback and confused, it felt like the author didn’t actually have a plan for the plot or maybe thought it would have a greater emotional impact. Because as a whole it was a really cool concept the way the aliens in this book existed and their powers and they could’ve delved deeper into that rather than the route they chose to go down. There was also one chapter that was third person which was a little strange because it only happened once towards the end of the book.
#ad I received this book as an arc but the opinions are entirely my own.

A wonderful story about identity and questioning authority. Silver has been trained from birth for the chance to infiltrate planet Earth, but when chosen she is not prepared for the experiences that taking over a human body gives her. Silver becomes attached to her human family, causing her to question everything she once believed.

I am sorry but I could not read all of this book and gave up after a few chapters. I really do try and finish a book that I have been blessed with having access to prior to the publication date. On this occasion I struggled because I found it slow, dull and totally unrealistic.
The content did not seem original to me and the story reminded me of 'V' from the 1980's.
I found the competition to be the 'chosen one' a little bizarre and the one that was chosen seemed to be the incorrect choice. That may have changed as the book went on. Unfortunately, I was not enticed enough to read on to find out what actually happened.

Curious and fabulous science fiction romance of the kind that I was crying out for aged 13 and still love today! Genuinely sinister in places, fabulous science fiction world building and sympathetic characters that are well imagined. Brilliant!

I was drawn in by the cover and title although I should have read the description more carefully because I’m not a huge sci-fi fan!

I saw some reviews using the host as comparison which i can totally see! It was a cute short book but it wasn’t really something I would usually read! I really enjoy the relationships in this book and would recommend to friends!

Initially I was reminded of "The Host" by Stephanie Myers with the premise of this book, but soon shook that concept as this was much more focused of feelings rather than a fight for survival.

I loved Silver's progression from an outsider to 'human' and her relationships with the family and found family.

Overall, a very good book.
In the beginning, it gave me vibes of the Host (Stephenie Meyer) for the "alien hijacking body" trope, as well as the Fifth Wave (alien invasion), but it moved more towards the personal experience of Silver, the main character, whom I thought particularly relatable. A great depiction of the search for humanity, I enjoyed the whole cast of characters and Silver's authenticity.
Although not a big fan of romance, I think this one had a great twist in the end (but no spoiler). I would really recommand this book!

I am great fan of sci-fi which is why I requested this title. I am not a fan of teen romance, so was braced to be objective about that element.
The "body-snatching invasion" theme is not a new one but this was approached with enough innovation and discussion around controlling societies to maintain interest. And the "twist" at the end will satisfy those who are newer to the genre.
The character of Silver left me a little divided : at times I found her authentic and interesting, at others a little obvious, a conduit to examine what it means to be human. Her romance with Finch I didn't find as cloying as I thought I would!
I found the pacing to be a little off at times but overall the narrative kept me engaged and by the end I just had to keep going til it was finished. It was refreshing to have a one-volume story without a bunch of sequels to invest in, and the finale was not what many will expect.
The quality of the writing was good, and I would pick up something else by this author

A first love story. A sci fi story. A first contact story. A cousin to Under the Skin by Michael Faber. I don't want to give too much away, but this was truly excellent scifi. Highly recommended and quite moving

This was a bit different to what I was expecting, but it's intriguing and casts a perspective on what it means to be human, as well as the struggle to escape an indoctrinated belief system.

A really enjoyable read based on an original idea. Silver's development, as they learn about what it means to be human, the bonds that bring us together and what it means to love, intertwines with their discovery of the truth behind their purpose and the intentions of their guardians. I will definitely look out for other titles by this author.