I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Our Child of the Stars is, in a word, magical. It reads like a combination of speculative fiction combined with alternative history mixed with magical realism. A moving story of family and what ties us together.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Molly and Gene want a baby, but Molly keeps losing them. As if she’d put it down somewhere and forgot where she placed it. That’s how Molly feels – that it’s her fault.
Instead of considering who or what is at fault, the author throws us a lifeline with an emotionally heartfelt bit of magic that falls squarely in the Science Fiction genre when a meteor falls to Earth. There is only one survivor, a child from the stars who becomes Molly and gene’s son.
A story of hope and love masterfully told by Stephen Cox.

I would have read Our Child of the Stars in one sitting, but my Kindle died at 92%. I raced to my back-up Kindle only to find I’d failed to recharge it. So I had to finish the last 8% book on a second day. It is a gem of a book, a quiet, emotional story filled with a low-key tension, a poignant look at the life of one particular, peculiar family. It is enchanting and hopeful.

In the 1960s, Amber Grove, a small town in New England was stuck by a meteor on what started out as a run-of-the-mill day. People were killed and injured, and fires devastated the area. Author Cox does a splendid job of recreating the tensions of the 1960s: the long-haired, pot-smoking hippies; Woodstock; the straight folks who toed the line; the Cold War; the Vietnam war; the constant fear of atomic bombs; the protest marches against the war; the marches for racial equality; the first moonwalk.

What is hidden from the people of Amber Grove is that the so-called meteor was an alien space ship, and survivors were found: an alien mother and her child. The mother dies, thus all attention focuses on the child. Several people decide to protect him, he must be sheltered from contact with all but a few humans. Despite these restrictions, his nurse, Molly Myers, bonds with him and names him “Cory” for the cor-cor-cor sound he makes.

Cox manages to capture the youthful exuberance of this alien child down to his voice, that of a boy so eager to get the words out that they come out in a staccato rat-tat-tat. The physical description is vague enough readers can draw their own versions of the boy in their minds. He is smart, curious, and adventurous—and utterly entering. As he’s confined to the space between the four walls of the Myers household, he has no other children to play with. Thus, under this lovable appearance, lies a lonely child. Not only isolated from humans, he is from a planet in which there is communal sleeping—and communal dreams. His own kind, who is supposed to come rescue him, is millions of miles away.

Towards the end of the book, the action picks up dramatically. Cory and his family are running for their lives, trying to escape from the FBI, the American military, Russian spies, curious reporters, and thugs who want to sell him for a profit.

Our Child of the Stars is a poignant portrait of an American family, the ties that bind this family, and the strength of those ties. It’s a story of a nearly-broken couple brought back together by the random twist of fate when an alien child lands in their life. The novel looks at how far this family will go to protect the ones they love.

I really really enjoyed this one, it's Sci-Fi but almost reads like an Alternative History. It is hopeful even in the darkest points of the story and was a beautiful example of the unconditional love of a parent. I think it's brilliant how the author created the "purples" society to be peaceful and without war and yet allowed them to be technologically advanced, powerful beings. I feel like peaceful societies are usually depicted as more primitive/simple or somehow lacking, presumably to justify and encourage our own desire and drive for power and war mongering.
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My only real complaint about this one is that the author chose to begin the story two years after the crash, which was confusing because until they revealed the truth of the crash and ship a few chapters in it basically read a little cryptically, like Cory is maybe a special needs child versus an extraterrestrial. For me at least I think it would have had a better flow if they had started from the beginning at the beginning.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it oddly (and pleasantly) plausible! Science fiction usually tends toward the fantastic; "Our Child of the Stars," however, takes the oft-mundane experience of parenting and elevates it to a higher plane. The pacing is generally good though I found the ending to be a bit abrupt for me. I'm hoping that a sequel is in the works, as I would feel more satisfied knowing more about how this family continues to grow and thrive.

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the 1960's a spaceship crashed to Earth in the United states and a couple finds the only survivor, a small child, in the wreckage. Molly and Gene Myers aren't able to have children after a miscarriage and they are struggling to rebuild their life when Cory shows up.

But Cory must be hidden because he doesnt look like other children and if an alien were to land on Earth how many people would want to get their hands on him? The government? Scientists? Everyone would want to experiment on him so Molly and Gene hide him away so that a lifetime of experiments can be avoided. They get there second chance.

This book isnt filled with action packed adventures but it is filled with second chances, family, love, and trust. This is definitely a heartwarming, feel good story of a small family who has been through hardships and is rebuilding a happier life.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book!

I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would- I was expecting a sparkly, childish sci-fi story about Aliens Coming To Earth, and pleasantly ended up with what I thought was overall a rather beautiful portrayal of a family coming together to protect their adopted child- who just happens to be an alien. It was very interesting to see how Gene and Molly and their friends band together for Cory, and how plausible and real their lives felt.

I would definitely recommend giving this book a try, even if you aren't typically a sci-fi reader!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did, but I did really like the book. There was a gritty real kind of feel to it and their was unavoidable pain in the book. It was very realistic and very hard to swallow at times.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. The characters are rich (we even discover some interesting facets in characters who are…less than sympathetic), and the tension never lets up. I never knew where the story was going (a plus from my point of view!). I definitely sympathized with the Myers’ constant struggle to make the right decision despite a lack of adequate information. I especially liked the fact that the author portrayed the emotional effects of miscarriage openly, yet sensitively. Those looking for science fiction/action will get plenty of it; nonetheless, Our Child of the Stars is a book heavily focused on family love and (mostly)-realistic family struggles.

From a Catholic point of view, I was very grateful to see a family who was open to, and excited for, life (even though, unfortunately, they did engage in contraception at one point). I was also grateful to see Catholic nuns being portrayed in a positive light. I was not pleased, however, with the depiction of the alien society as an absolute paradise—where transgenderism (and, it seems, homosexuality) is normal. That smacked too much of modern acquiescence to the new gender theory.

This is a somewhat gritty, albeit hopeful, book. I think most adult readers will be able to handle the content. There are, however, content issues, including a good bit of violence and a moderate amount of profanity.

There were moments you could live in forever, to full too speak. Molly rested her head against Gene’s shoulder and remembered how they had brought Cory home from the hospital, a secret in the night, without a clue if it would even work. Cory was a secret. So, few people knew, and those friends held his life in their hands. You could still see where the Meteor fell, the flaming stone from space that had turned mile of State Forest to flame and smoke and then to mud and ash. The Meteor brought destruction, it brought Cory, and it changed everything. After meeting Gene, six months later Molly decided beyond all doubt, this man who believed in spaceships and aliens, justice, and peace was the man for her. Their second winter Gene and Holly had been together they married. Then Molly got pregnant and just knew it was a girl. But she miscarried their daughter Molly was lost and drank a lot for a while, almost killed herself and decided then to change things and go back to the job she had loved as a nurse. No one in Amber county would forget that cold spring day, clear but with cloud due from the north. Everyone had their own Meteor Day story, but Molly believed hers was the strangest of them all.

I really loved this book and didn’t think I would. Once I started it, I found it hard to put down. Cory was so endearing you couldn’t help but root for him and his earth parents. I loved the pace and the plot. I just plane old loved Cory. I loved that Molly and Gene toke Cory in and loved him and would do anything to protect him. I loved we got to know Cory and his home and culture through his dreams. This was not the usual read for me. But I did love it. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it.

I really liked the plot to this book and though I found it too wordy I also wish it had more substance to the story

There's no b***h on earth like a mother frightened for her kids. ― Stephen King

This was a different book than I expected. Yes, it definitely had sci fi elements but it was a story about the love of a mother and a father for their child foremost.

The story takes place in the 1960s mostly in and around small town Amber Grove, New York.

Molly is a nurse there and her husband, Gene, is a librarian. They have tried to have a child in the past and were heartbroken partway through the pregnancy.

A large meteor crashes in and near Amber Grove and an alien craft is discovered. The only survivor of the crash is a small child that is hidden at the local hospital and Molly takes care of the child. Military and government entities want to get their hands on the child and Molly, with help from hospital personnel, spirits the child into her and Gene's home where they start raising the child as their own

I enjoyed this story although I think it was too wordy. It could have been pared down quite a bit and made for a better reading experience. Also, even though the author is British, he decided to set the story in the U.S. and there were quite a few Britishisms (such as petrol and tyre to name a couple) that I noticed throughout the book. That tended to be a bit distracting.

All in all, though, I enjoyed this story especially the characters of Molly and the child.

I received this book from Jo Fletcher Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I really liked the premise of the book, but there was something that was lacking in the story that made me not enjoy it.

Molly’s character, while interesting, bothered me. She decided she would be the mother of Cory very quickly and it just felt wrong to me. I couldn’t get past that, and everytime she’d mention Cory, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes a little bit.

The story was beautifully written; it just wasn’t for me.

Due to my ill-timed slump, it took me longer than usual to complete this. Nevertheless I did find myself intrigued by the overall premise of the story. Once diving into the read, the reader is thrown into the Woodstock era where we meet married couple Gene and Carol, a troubling duo whose lives soon spin of control when dealt with death, grief, deception, infidelity, and substance abuse. Fast forward, we meet 'Corey', a special 'boy' that comes along and everything changes.

I won't go too much into it since it'll spoil the story but this is ideal for readers who are looking to steer off their usual route and indulge themselves with a family oriented, science fiction mixed type of story.

To close this out, "Our Child of the Stars" was a debut that didn't particularly stand out and didn't fall in my favor, but the concept was unique and refreshing, and I would recommend this novel if you're looking to step out of your comfort zone. Yet be warned, it can be a hit or miss, that's for sure.

This is my first book of 2020! I know you're looking at the date (February 11th) and wondering what the hell's taken me so long to start reading. Truth is, it's only February and my days are already incredibly busy; I just haven't been able to fit reading into my schedule. I already knew 2020 would be a big year for to-do's, which was why I reduced my reading goal to 30 books. But anyway, let's get into this review.

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This book neither drew me in nor revolted me. It had its bright moments, and then it had its filler chapters that could have been cut out entirely.

The story follows an alien space craft crashing onto Earth, leaving an orphaned alien child in the arms of caring small-town nurse, Molly. Molly will end up loving this child as if it were her own, and protecting/hiding him from the government.

I had two issues with the novel as a whole:

1) I've already mentioned this above, but there was a lot of filler content. There were scenes in which I engrossed myself in, and once they were over I asked myself "What was the point of that scene? How did this expand the story in any way? Why have I wasted my time reading it?" (view spoiler) This really, really put off the reading experience. I found myself getting very bored, skimming paragraphs and sometimes entire chapters without feeling like I'd missed a beat of the story.

2) The mother-son love between Molly and Cory (the alien boy). I understand that Molly had tried and miscarried a pregnancy, which had a massive toll on her mental health and her marriage. I understand this had a major roll in her decisions to take Cory in as her own. But it truly felt so rushed. Within only a few moments you can see that Molly sees him as a son, and there was something wrong about how her feeling developed. I feel almost--I don't know how to word it--uncomfortable with Molly's character. She very much disguises herself as this compassionate all-good-nurse, but I feel like she has a lot of inner demons inside of her in which she used Cory as a bandaid solution for. It didn't feel as if she actually loved Cory; she loved that Cory needed her and could never leave her side without facing serious consequences. Like the mother that loves when her child is sick because then she's needed and can't be abandoned; Molly's relationship with Cory felt similar to this. Perhaps this was intentional by the author, but as I was reading, I feel like I was trying to be deceived into believe Molly was this extraordinary, self-sacrificing human being. I was just not buying into the mother-son relationship the two of them had that was so crucial to the story.

But beyond these points, this story truly wasn't bad. Would I pick it up again? Probably not. Would I be willing to read more from this author? Definitely. The story had its potential, unfortunately it just wasn't the completely right fit for me.

A soul survivor of an alien space ship is adopted by a childless couple unbeknownst to the government. The child Corey is charming and frightening at the same time but of course the government finds out and all hell breaks loose. A fun story , well told if a bit too long but good nonetheless.

Our Child of the Stars is very beautifully written. I just love the tone and direction the narration takes with every part of the story. I found myself adoring something I don't typically pay attention to: the actual words on the page.

The tale is ultimately a mother looking out for her child. The book starts with a couple, Molly and Gene Myers. Molly is a nurse, Gene a librarian. They love each other, and they try to have a kid. But Molly miscarries late in the pregnancy. This completely devastates Molly and she falls into herself, and alcohol, which nearly destroys their marriage. But in the end they prevail and come together again. That's the start of the book.

And then a meteor crashes just outside their town, and it changes their lives forever. As a nurse, Molly has to go into work to help the injured. It is an emergency, all hands on deck situation. And she ends up spending long hours there. And what she finds at the hospital both challenges her worldview and gives her a future. She learns that it wasn't just a meteor, there was a ship, too. With two occupants: a mother and a son. Both are badly wounded, and the mother soon dies, but not before getting a promise (through a translator box) for the doctors to help her child.

And they do, and Molly is one of the few trusted with the secret. Which includes keeping the young boy a secret from the US government. Molly falls in love with this injured child. And soon she decides that he is going to be hers, and she is going to be his second mom. And Molly convinces her husband to go along with it.

The young boy, which she names Cory because they cannot pronounce his real name, doesn't look anything like a human. He doesn't know English, though he quickly learns. He isn't accustomed to earth and is at high risk of infection and being unable to even eat our food. The Meyers will have to keep him hidden, always, from everyone. But they love him and want to protect him. And it's adorable.

Yet this isn't all fun and games. The government finds out he exists. They want him. And they aren't particularly good or even pleasant people in charge. The family has to run, they have to lie, they have to pretend. They have to keep their secret, or else. And young Cory is terrified of the soldiers - the aliens don't really have violence. It is a constant battle between living and being safe.

And Cory is so inquisitive, too. At a guess he is around 8 years old, if he were a human boy. And Cory wants to know everything. He wants to experience everything. And he's incredibly lonely. He isn't used to it, and he doesn't want to be alone. He wants others of his own age around him. And that hurts. Both him and me.

I really loved reading Our Child of the Stars. It was cute and wholesome when it focuses on the family. It made me feel like I was part of a family. It put me on the edge of my seat and made me worry when shit hit the fan. This isn't the Earth as we know it. It is an alternative earth, taking place during the Vietnam War, when tensions are already high. And there are changes made to the timeline, and further changes made for when the alien ship crash landed.

And this is actually one of the few stories I have ever read that deals with such real, hard topics such as miscarriage and adoption in science fiction/fantasy. Which is something I really respect. Our Child of the Stars hits a lot of the things I'm annoyed don't exist more in series I read, including children. And sometimes the road to that goal is paved with tragedy, and sometimes your wish is granted where you least expect it to.

ARC received from Jo Fletcher Books on Netgalley. This did not affect my review.

This was a sweet and unique sci-fi story. I thought it was a really well written debut too, I will definitely look for by Cox.

I have to start by saying that this book was truly remarkable! I believe Mr. Cox did a fantastic job with this debut, and I greatly look forward to his books to come!

This was a Sci Fi/ Fantasy book that totally captivated me from about the second chapter in. I'll admit that it started a little slow, and not just a little confusing. I almost think that the first chapter or so was not really needed. It would have been better to start just before the big event that led to the heart of the story. I did not share all of the same political views as this author, but did find much of it easy to believe could happen in such an event. The little speech (clear agenda) made at near the end by the alien boy at the White House did feel a bit over the top, and not real necessary, but it was easy to skip over and let it go when the rest of the story was so profoundly well written. However, to be fair, the author did seem to make an effort to represent both sides of the isle without a lot of patronizing. I loved that he made individuals with different views to be close friends, and that they could truly count on each other. This is a true lesson that we could learn from in todays day and age! The fact that the story was so enjoyable made it impossible to give a less than 5 star rating on this wonderful book! I don't always expect to share the same political views as the authors (or even friends or family, sometimes), but do greatly enjoy such well written and imaginative writings!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Jo Fletcher Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is sci-fi with a heart and lots of good review already so I'll be brief. It has a lot of strong story elements, including how it is told. Readers don't have to be sci-fi fans to enjoy this one. Recommended.