A life-affirming story that will help us all become a little more human.
Kokab is a bit of an anomaly in her world of unfeeling beings. She is tasked with the unenviable job of embracing imperfect human nature and experiencing erratic feelings that are so common on Earth. And if she fails, her people could die. Meanwhile on Earth, Carter spends his days fending off bullies and denying the very existence of aliens in the wake of his wacky father’s extra-terrestrial claims. Far away, a Yadian named Ags prepares to become an official guardian of Earth. Though she expects to spend her days studying the human culture that she loves so much, an impending threat to humanity will challenge Ags in ways she never expected. These three teens may come from different planets, but they will have to put their preconceived notions aside in order to save what is most important.
Becoming Human is a brilliantly written YA sci-fi delight infused with vivacity and penned with intent. The characters and their individual arcs are well planned and believable. Unexpected plot twists enrich an exciting and vivid story about teens from contrasting backgrounds, but with similar goals. And if you appreciate quirk and wit, with an alien girl so robotic that she can’t understand how to “watch her back” without eyes in the back of her head and a space-loving father with a dog named Sputnik, you’ll find that humor abounds in this smart young adult novel. Fresh and fun, Amy Michelle Carpenter ascribes the most elemental human problems to aliens that are literally worlds apart in a natural way. Easy to read, entertaining and refreshing, Becoming Human is a life-affirming story that will help us all become a little more human.
