Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a review.

Cassidy Roekiem is just like everyone else: she goes to school, works at her dads firm, and in her spare time she works on solving the kidnapping case that drove her mother to seek out medical help. When Cassidy starts investigating the “alien abductions” the rest of town claims aren’t happening, she realizes it might be more connected to her life than she could have ever guessed.

“As the colon between the bright green numbers blinks intermittently, my heart pounds in time.
9:53.
“That can’t be.” But the phone I fish out of my jeans pocket confirms it.
I’ve lost over two hours of my life..’”

I don’t typically pick up books about aliens, but I’m glad I made an exception for Under the Milky Way. I wouldn’t call myself a believer in alien UFOs so it’s really hard to find an alien book I don’t find incredibly corny. But Barneveld found that perfect middle ground for me. UtMW was filled with unexpected twists, an adorable romance, and a plot that is out of this world ;) Under the Milky Way also has a character who is Deaf and communicates through ASL. I cannot attest to the accuracy of the representation, but I’m always happy to see disability rep in YA books.

The only reason this book didn’t get five stars was that I wasn’t a fan of the time jumps. Early in the book, multiple chapters jump between Present Day and seemingly random times in the past. These vary from hours to years, and work alongside other chapters that contain memos/letters written to unknown characters. I felt like as soon as I got into the flow of the story, it was interrupted by a time jump or irrelevant chapter. After finishing the book I understand that these were meant to build intrigue, but I feel like they could’ve been formatted in a less obtrusive way.

Under the Milky Way releases on August 10, 2021. Thank you again to the publisher for providing a copy to review.

CW: Kidnapping, scenes involving needles and physical pain, drug therapy as treatment for mental illness, and parental divorce (CWs provided in book by author).

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this was enjoyable, the character work and writing was ok, but the pacing ruined everything for me. there are some parts that were confusing and didn't make any sense, maybe they were introduced too soon or too late, and everything just felt wobbly and poorly edited. good story, just needed better execution.

I really enjoyed the concept of this story and the evolving relationship between Cassidy and Hayden. Cassidy is smart, determined, and easy to like. Hayden is sweet, caring, and a little mysterious. They have great chemistry together and all my favorite parts revolved around them. Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of the documents from the past being injected into the story and sometimes found them downright confusing. I feel like some of them were introduced too early, when they may have had more impact if they were included after more of the storyline was established. The end sort of seemed a bit frantic to me and I wish there would have been a little more about how Cassidy's mom is adjusting after everything that transpired. Overall I did really enjoy Cassidy and Hayden's story and am hoping they find a way to make it work.

This was a wonderful book full of mystery. Do Aliens exist? Have certain people been abducted? All questions that Cassidy wonders. She is sure she has been abducted. Besides trying to figure out the hours she is missing she is also trying to solve a mystery her mom was working on. Along the way she meets Hayden. He is new at school and may be part of the mystery.


This book had a good flow to it. It keeps you wondering what do these aliens want and is there more going on than what you think. I really enjoyed the characters. If you like mysteries or alien stories I'd give it a try.

☆☆☆☆,5 /5
(english review below!)

Je n’ai que très peu lu d’histoires mettant en scène des extraterrestres sur Terre. Alors, j’avais quelques appréhensions sur ce roman qui, en plus de mettre en scène des aliens, mélangeait d’autres genres comme la romance et le mystère à la science-fiction…
Pourtant, l’autrice a balayé toutes mes appréhensions en un revers de bras. Dès les premières pages, elle a su me happer dans son récit, l’esprit ouvert à la découverte.
¤
Rien ne se passe jamais à Dawson, Colorado.
Jusqu'à ce que la mère de la lycéenne Cassidy Roekiem se rende dans un "centre de bien-être". Jusqu’à que rien ne va plus avec elle.
Ensuite, les gens commencent à voir des lumières dans le ciel et des morceaux de temps manquants, mais la ville insiste sur le fait que rien ne se passe.
Et maintenant, Hayden, le nouveau garçon à l'école qui reste seul et qui est plus qu'un peu mystérieux, commence à la remarquer comme si de rien n'était.
Soudain, ce « rien » commence à ressembler beaucoup à quelque chose. Et tout la ramène à Hayden. Le garçon pour qui elle commence à craquer. Le garçon avec trop de sombres secrets pour son bon cœur. Le garçon qui, et elle en est presque sûre, n'est pas humain...
¤
Tout d’abord, je dois dire que j’ai trouvé la première partie du roman assez lente puisqu’il ne se passe pas grand-chose et qu’on apprend à connaître le personnage de Cassidy. La jeune fille est un personnage plutôt intéressant et j’ai pris plaisir à découvrir sa personnalité et son histoire. Ses parents sont divorcés et alors qu’elle n’était qu’avec sa mère, lorsque celle-ci disparaît soudainement, notre protagoniste est laissée à elle-même… avec toutes ces choses étranges qui sont en train de se dérouler.
C’était particulièrement intéressant de voir les différentes réactions que les personnages ont eu lorsque les événements étranges ont commencé à se passer. En passant du déni à la difficile acceptation, puis à la panique et à la peur, toutes ces réactions humaines avaient un goût de réalité et d’actualité -bien que pour notre monde, je ne fasse pas référence aux extraterrestres mais plus à l’inconnu autour des phénomènes naturels et le réchauffement climatique.
Puis, le rythme de l’histoire s’accélère. On commence à voir où l’autrice veut nous emmener et je dois dire que j’ai été surprise par la tournure de l’histoire. Autant dans le fond, avec les événements, que dans la forme, avec la mise en page des extraits de journaux, de photos et de textes, la lecture reste dynamique et entraînante. Je trouve que l’autrice a su dépeindre son histoire de sorte à ce qu’on ait toujours la soif de savoir et que les mystères ne se tarissent pas. J’ai beaucoup apprécié l’alchimie entre Cassidy et Hayden, aussi. Ils ont chacun leurs différences, leurs opinions et pourtant, ils finissent par bien se compléter.
En bref, ce roman a été une totale découverte, que ce soit du style de l’autrice ou de l’histoire dynamique et atypique qui est offerte. Lorsque j’avais révélé la couverture du roman, il y a quelques mois, j’avais ajouté ce roman à wishlist puis à ma pile à lire… Et je ne regrette pas de l’avoir fait !

-------
ENGLISH REVIEW:

I have read very few stories about aliens on Earth. So, I had some misgivings about this book which, in addition to featuring aliens, mixed other genres such as romance and mystery with science fiction ...
Still, the author brushed aside all my misgivings From the first pages, she was able to capture me in her story, with an open mind to discovery.
¤
Nothing ever happens in Dawson, Colorado.
Until high school senior Cassidy Roekiem’s mom checks into a “wellness center,” but nothing is wrong with her.
Then people start seeing lights in the sky and missing chunks of time, but the town insists nothing is going on.
And now Hayden, the new boy at school who keeps to himself and is more than a little mysterious, starts to notice her like it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, “nothing” is starting to feel a whole lot like something. And everything leads back to Hayden. The boy she’s starting to fall for. The boy with too many dark secrets for his kind heart. The boy she’s pretty sure isn’t human…
¤
First of all, I have to say that I found the first part of the book quite slow since not much is happening and you get to know the character of Cassidy. The girl is a rather interesting character and I enjoyed learning about her personality and her story. Her parents are divorced and while she was only with her mother, when she suddenly disappears, our protagonist is left on her own... with all these weird things going on.
It was especially interesting to see the different reactions the characters had when the strange events started to unfold. Going from denial to difficult acceptance, then to panic and fear, all these human reactions tasted of reality and topicality -although for our world, I’m not referring to aliens but more to the unknown around natural phenomena and global warming.
Then the pace of the story picks up. We're starting to see where the author wants to take us and I have to say, I was surprised by the twists. As much in substance, with the events, as in the form, with the layout of newspaper extracts, photos and texts, the reading remains dynamic and lively. I think the author was able to portray her story in such a way that there’s always a thirst for knowledge and that the mysteries don’t bore us. Also, I really enjoyed the chemistry between Cassidy and Hayden. They each have their differences, their opinions and yet they end up complementing each other well.
Finally, this book was a total discovery, whether in the author's style or the dynamic and atypical story that is offered. When I revealed the cover of it a few months ago, I added this book to my wishlist and then to my TBR... And I don't regret doing it!

Quick Stats
Age Rating:
Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 3.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5

I was very apprehensive going into this book. I received an eARC via Entangled Teen and NetGalley because the blurb sounded interesting and I have a very eager trigger finger when it comes to requesting ARCs. But after I was approved, I looked a little more into the book… and it’s an alien romance. Which is very much not my cup of tea. Twilight-esque paranormal romances that are heavy on the cheese are always much more cringy than enjoyable for me, and based on the reviews I’d read, I was sure that was exactly what I was in for. And I wasn’t wrong, but I also wasn’t right.
Now, all of this is not to say that there is anything wrong with those types of books. I have just never been into them personally. If you love twilight and cheesy paranormal romances? That’s great! And you very likely will enjoy this book as well, because it definitely has those aspects. It just also had more substance than I was expecting.
In this book we follow Cassidy, a pretty average teenage girl in the aftermath of her mother unexpectedly checking herself in to an inpatient psych rehab. As Cassidy struggles with feelings of abandonment and some spooky—maybe even extraterrestrial—happenings, she begins to grow closer to the shy, mysterious new kid, Hayden.
As the book begins, it seems like a very typical alien-abduction storyline. But there are pieces that don’t quite fit and leave you guessing. For a while some of the storylines seem disconnected and disjointed, but as the story starts to pick up, I got too caught up in the plot twists and characters to be bothered by it, and in the end everything wraps up nicely with just enough open endedness to leave me hopeful for a sequel.
There were points at which the writing was a bit cheesy. A few overly cliche declarations of love and one instance in which a character says they have “skillz”. With a Z. That was painful to read. But it was otherwise very well written.
All of the characters felt fleshed out and interesting. I loved Alondra and the representation of a Deaf individual as well as Cassidy’s knowledge and use of sign language. Cassidy and Hayden’s romance wasn’t my favorite ever, but there was enough chemistry that I did end up rooting for them in the end.
In the end, I enjoyed this book, and if there is a sequel someday, I would definitely pick it up.

Honestly, I love Entangled Teen titles and this book is no exception to that. There's not nearly enough alien YA books and I'm grateful I got to add this to my list of read books! Definitely worth the read.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Chapter by Chapter, Netgalley, and Entangled Teen for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

This was such an interesting novel to be quite honest! I haven’t really read any contemporary novels dealing with aliens visiting Earth in any capacity, and I was excited to have something completely new to my experience. Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this book based on the synopsis alone, but I’m glad that I gave it a chance.

I haven’t had a bad experience with Entangled Teen, and I’m glad to say that I still haven’t! I think one of my favorite parts of this book was the different songs mentioned as the Track (Chapter) titles. Some of them really brought back some memories, and honestly I’m such a song and music person anyway that anything music related makes me give extra kudos. I adore mysteries as well – and even though this isn’t a full blown mystery, there were great elements of a mystery woven throughout the story. I found it to be rather enjoyable all around!


I love it when the dynamics between two characters is almost perfect. I don’t mean perfect like nothing goes wrong or there’s absolutely no drama. No, I don’t like boring relationships like that lol. I love when the characters need to get to know one another, they take the time to and because they WANT to. I like when they disagree or don’t see eye to eye on certain aspects. I like when they aren’t always happy with one another but learn how to deal with each other. So being able to see that happen in any capacity in a novel is excellent. I adore seeing Cassidy and Hayden interact.

I could understand why some people didn’t like the “news” or event snapshot parts, but I personally adore getting to see stuff like that every once in a while. I don’t like a huge info dump back to back, however I think in this case I needed it more than other books. Once everything ties together, everything will make more sense and you can appreciate the story a lot more! Definitely give this one a try and get lost in this mini alternate world for a bit.

This was such a fun and unique story. I loved the extra terrestrial spin to it which is rarely done and even more rarely done well. This checked all the boxes for me. Romance, Intrigue, Mystery, Sci-fi, likeable characters, and an interesting plot. There were little twist and turns and lots of creepy feels. I loved how the story was set up with little tidbits from her mother throughout. Hayden and Cassidy's relationship was absolutely adorable and riddled with problems to overcome. I am a die hard X-Files fan so all of the old lore and mysteries were a great touch.

I will definitely be looking out for more coming from this author.

Aliens and space meld with high school drama to form a high tension, well-woven read.

Cassidy is struggling. Her parents are divorced, her mother is a well-known figure, and now, her mother has checked herself into some strange wellness ranch, where Cassidy isn't allowed to visit her. Nothing makes sense, and everything about life seems out of sorts. So, when one of the boys at school...a 'hot' one...can't take his eyes off of her and starts accidentally running into her everywhere, she's not sure what to think. As she warms up to him, things on her mother's side grow stranger and stranger, especially as Cassidy begins to delve into the research for the novel her mom was writing. Add her sudden blackouts and hours being lost at a time, and she's afraid something big and sinister is going on.

When I picked this one up, I was expecting a sappy, alien-human romance...but this is so much more. The author weaves tons of secrets and intrigue around the characters, creating a tale which is packed with unexpected twists and turns, high stakes, and dangerous shadows. Nothing is as it seems and so much is at stake. So, romance is there, and it does carry the tones of usual high school drama, but that is only the beginning.

There's quite a bit going on in the background. To get this to all click together by the end, the author tells the tale not only from different perspectives, but includes emails and notes from the past. Each chapter does put a place and date at the beginning to help keep things clear and coordinated. Still, I was more than a little confused during the first half of the book and just trusted that this was all going to fall into the right place by the end. And it does for the most part, although some things were still blurred and I'd have to go back and reread several spots to see exactly how it worked. But to say this ruined the read for me would be wrong.

I read this one in a single sitting and couldn't put it down. The characters and situations are very original, and while it's clear there are some evil doings happening, it's not so clear how it all works. The tension is high, the characters are more than easy to root for, and it's an entertaining read until the very end. So, if you're looking for high school romance with a dash of science fiction and a super helping of evil intrigue...this one is for you. I received an ARC and found the tale very engaging.

Strange, weird, and oh so cute, UNDER THE MILKY WAY was such a delightfully charming tale filled with mystery and romance, with a side of aliens for good measure. Or possible aliens. Potential aliens, too.

The story starts off with Cassidy having an awkward encounter with Hayden, a boy she kind of sort of maybe has a crush on. From there, she runs in to him yet again when she decides to pay a visit to her mom, who’s institutionalized under strange circumstances. Cassidy gets him a job and they end up working at her dad’s law firm together where their relationship starts blossoming even more. Pretty soon they both find themselves wrapped up in bizarre happenings around the town that all seem to point to possible alien abductions, and, strangely enough, all seem to have ties to super secretive Hayden.

Fast paced and super fun, I was quickly drawn into this strange little town with its many weird occurrences. I am admittedly a huge fan of aliens and abduction tales, and this little gem was right up my alley. Author Vanessa Barneveld weaves in all of the classic abduction phenomena and puts her own little spin on many aspects. The romance between Hayden and Cassidy was definitely my favorite part, and their cute and fun banter was certainly the highlight.

Bottom line — mysterious and fun alien tale that will have keep you guessing until the very end. 4 stars.


*Many thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing a copy for review.

"He was reminded yet again that he could never be a regular teen or a bystander."

I was kind of surprised by this story. The book's gorgeous cover drew me in and made me interested in reading the story. Usually, alien/extraterrestrial stories are hit or miss for me as a reader. This book was good!

Nothing like a book called Under the Milky Way to get you ready for fall and Halloween! This book mentions and included Sign Language which was absolutely wonderful to see! I am so glad I'm starting to see more ASL/sign and deaf characters in stories. I loved that the chapters were called Tracks, it was unique!

For me, this book took a little bit of time to get into the story, but it was definitely an interesting read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ok. I need the next book like yesterday.
I really enjoyed this book. I love Hayden. He’s the perfect mix of sweet and nerdy but also hot and mysterious. I also love Cassidy’s determination and wish I had her bravery.
I loved the suspense and mystery of this book and how it mixed with the romance and the typical high school drama.
My only complaint would be that some of the details were a little confusing but I was never really lost.
I think this book will definitely be on my comfort read list.

Under the Milky Way is a story about a small town in Colorado where inexplicable events happen, and everyone seems to turn their heads away from the supernatural.

Oddly enough, this book was exactly what I was expecting and it still managed to surprise me several times.

The story is compelling, attention-seeking, and sometimes wholesome. It's one of those reads for when you need something light that will leave a good feeling in your heart.

What a story! As someone who watches a lot of shows about aliens- like Roswell, New Mexico - this was the perfect book for me. Hooked from the very first chapter. And oh my god, I love Hayden. Hayden slipped up so many times about the alien shit that I was surprised Cassidy didn't piece it together sooner. Cassidy is a badass and period. The ending was perfect it left enough for me to be satisfied and enough for a second book so Entangled Teen and Vanessa I'm looking at you. Anyway, this is a great book and I highly recommend it.

'Under the Milky Way' by Vanessa Barnveld is a sweet young adult sci-fi tale that follows high school senior, Cassidy Roekiem as she tries to solve a mystery that landed her mom in a 'wellness resort' that feels more than a little questionable.

As locals start to report lights in the sky and issue claims of alien abduction, Cassidy finds she's missing chunks of time that she can't account for.. and that's exactly the kind of symptom being associated with these said 'events.' The town insists nothing out of the ordinary is really going on, but the problem is so widespread she has her doubts.

Then there's Hayden. He's new at school and seems to have all the right boxes checked for instant popularity, but he keeps to himself and has a strange habit of watching Cassidy. Almost constantly.

Honestly, the writing itself is just okay, but the story is cute and enjoyable. Hayden really is lovely and the dynamics between him and his family, especially Trudy are quite amusing.

Told in a non-linear format from multiple perspectives, there's a decent bit to keep track of both past and present. Conceptually and structurally, it could have been a robust story.. but the execution just isn't quite there. Having done a bit of research into the author, I feel that's largely just inexperience and that she's probably still learning to fill those pages out thoughtfully. She definitely has potential, she just needs to get all the pieces working fluidly together.

Still, as I said.. I did enjoy the read. Anyone looking for a light fare with some cute romance and a sci-fi bent might enjoy this too.

Keeping it simple - I enjoyed this YA romance/sci-fi/mystery-thriller. It has minimal romantic elements, just how I like, and the emphasis is on mystery, but unlike most YA mysteries where a group of teens would get together and do a Secret Seven-ish investigation, Under the Milky Way is sophisticated and complex.

The concept revolves around alien sightings and US government aided high-profile secret operations involving human subjects. While these kept the plot spiced up with conspiracy theories, there's also an emotional family drama amidst the extraterrestrial chaos. The pacing is superb; most chapters end on a cliffhanger making it difficult to pause in between. I finished the book in a day so you can imagine how intrigued I was throughout.

It does get cheesy in places, but where there is YA, there has to be some cheese, right? For me, the climax was the weakest part. When you read a highly intriguing mystery, you expect some action at the end, but with this book, the climax came in slow and cold, not up to the mark. Fortunately, the book ends on a cliffhanger, so we can expect something bigger to be planned in the next book.

Overall, an enjoyable read.
3.75/5🌟 (rounding up).

I decided to read an advanced reading copy of this book because I thought the cover was cute, loved the title, and was intrigued by the hint of romance and sci-fi in the book description.

Under the Milky Way by Vanessa Barneveld is the story of teenager Cassidy, who sets out to continue the investigation into the disappearance of a young girl, Jane Flanagan, that was began by her mother, Nina, before she checked herself into a wellness center. Cassidy thinks picking up the investigation where her mother left off and solving it could be the catalyst to getting her mom to communicate with the family again and check out of the wellness center. In the midst of this, Cassidy develops a relationship with the tall, handsome new guy in town, Hayden.

When I first started reading, it was a little challenging to get used to the regular shifting of perspective and time; however, once I got a little into the book, I was hooked. Cassidy is a solution seeker and independent, and I loved each time the book shifted to her perspective because she was strong, even when dealing with the "loss" of her mother. She didn't shy away from what made her uncomfortable, missing time, but rather sought to understand it. She wanted to know what was going on and wasn't interesting in forgetting about her experiences. Watching the relationship between Cassidy and Hayden develop was also fun and relatable, especially with seeing what Cassidy was thinking.

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who loves romance with a twist of sci-fi-fi and even thriller. If you're a fan of Jennifer Armentrout's Lux series, you will love Under the Milky Way!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This was such a fun read, once I got past the beginning “shots”. Cassidy is a tenacious young girl and is doing all that she can to help her mom recover and return home.

The story that Nina (Cassidy’s mom) was working on is what led to her breakdown and she admitted herself to a mental institution. Cass seems to think that if she can finish and solve the Jane Flanagan case, her mom will miraculously get better and so she dives off the deep end.

The kidnapping case ends up tied to EVERYTHING that goes on in the story and when Cass solves it/finds the truth, a lot of the odd things that had been going on make so much sense.

It’s so sad that good people tend to do bad things in the name of “the greater” good. Happens in books, movies, shows, and even real life. So having that underlying driving point and mixing in the alien stuff actually helps connect to the story.

At the beginning, the story felt a little convoluted and there were things that could’ve been left out since they don’t really do much except to help set the “tone”/ambiance.An example is the little snippet of the Australian band and their encounter. That was it. No more.

Another thing I felt was a tad bit disorienting was how the flashbacks were done. There was too much jumping around and then switching POV between Cass and Hayden.

The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, it sets up things for a sequel since there are some unresolved topics AND we get a brand new mystery right at the end! Hopefully, we get a book 2!

A small town in Colorado is experiencing some interesting phenomenon which is resulting in people disappearing or having nose bleeds or memory lapses.

They are blaming it on alien abductions. Which there might be alien abductions happening but there might also be other nefarious experiments happening as well.

So now I think my usual response that we can't be so arrogant that we would be the only intelligent life within the vast universe would be sus. Also, really though who would want to visit us with all the negative media I'm sure we are blasting into space lol. We aren't very welcoming. 

Cassidy's mother was investigating a high profile kidnapping from years prior then had a mental breakdown and checked herself into a treatment center. But she isn't allowed to even visit. She is not ok with this and takes up the investigation on her mom's behalf.

Theres a new boy, Hayden, at their school who is very hot and is very interested in her. Which is weird for her.

I enjoyed this the villains you thought you knew might not actually be who you thought. There was a romance and science!

How easy is it to go from grey morals to full on no morals as a villain?

Thank you entangledteen and netgalley for my e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.