Nathan,
emotionally scarred after three tours in Afghanistan, lives alone in Manhattan
until New Year’s Eve, when he meets Lara. The next morning, he notices
something strange is going on – a terrified kid is being pursued by his father,
and a girl, Sally, pleads with Nathan to hide her from her parents. There is no
internet, no television, no phone coverage.
Nathan, Lara
and Sally flee along the East Coast, encountering madmen, terrorists, the armed
forces, and other children frightened for their lives. The only thing Nathan
knows for sure is that he must not fall asleep...
“A
fantastic and original premise…flashes of Stephen King and MR Carey.” Tom
Witcomb
“A nicely
taut thriller, with a Lee Child feel to its staccato writing and strong action
sequences, and a high concept stretching the novel into true science fiction
territory.” Amanda Rutter
“Not just
a page-turner – all in all a fabulous novel, which I was sad to finish.”
Loulou Brown
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-children-come-Barry-Kirwan-ebook/dp/B08LXFB9ZR/
US - https://www.amazon.com/When-children-come-Barry-Kirwan-ebook/dp/B08LXFB9ZR/
My Review
When the Children Come is dystopian sci-fi novel that will immediately draw you in and have you on edge the entire time, anxiously wondering what might happen next. It's an emotional page-turner that's unlike any other alien invasion story I've come across, and that's what makes it unique and immensely more likable.
The beginning of the story had me hooked immediately, and I found myself up until 2 am the first night eagerly flying through the pages. My heart was beating so hard I thought it would fall out of my chest, that's how intense things were right off the bat.
The story follows Nathan and Lara, a couple set up by Nathan's sister on New Year's Eve. Everyone is happy and celebrating, but come New Year's Day, that's when everything changes. Nathan sets off to get some bagels and coffee, but something is off. He sees a little boy running terrified as his father chases after him with a knife. Other people are acting odd as well. But it isn't until Sally, the little girl who lives downstairs, stumbles into his apartment upon his return that the reality of the situation comes into focus. Nathan, Lara, and Sally are now on the run, trying to avoid the Infected while trying to figure out how to stop the alien invasion before it's too late.
With an interesting cast of supporting characters, a fast-paced plot, and writing that comes across as short, staccato bursts, When the Children Come is one of those books you won't be able to put down.
4.5 stars!
Author Bio – I was born
in Farnborough and grew up watching the Red Arrow jet fighters paint the sky at
airshows. I didn't get into writing until years later when I arrived in Paris,
where I penned The Eden Paradox series (four books) over a period of ten
years. My SF influences were Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank
Herbert, and Orson Scott Card, but also David Brin who writes about smart
aliens. Iain Banks and Alistair Reynolds remain major influences, as well as
Neal Asher, Peter F Hamilton and Jack McDevitt.
My
main SF premise is that if we do ever meet aliens, they'll probably be far more
intelligent than we are, and with very different values and ideas of how the
galaxy works. As a psychologist by training, that interests me in terms of how
to think outside our own (human) frame of reference.
When
I'm not writing, I'm either working (my day job), which is preventing mid-air
collisions, reading, or doing yoga or tai chi. When I'm on holiday I'm
usually diving, looking for sharks. Most times I find them, or
rather, they find me.
Social
Media Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EdenParadox
Website: www.barrykirwan.com
Twitter: @Eden_paradox
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