Truth of the Divine

A page-turner!

This feels like the awkward middle chapter.

This book was much more heavy and hard hitting than the first. Lots of tough topics touched. I am excited to see where it goes next. 

Well, I grabbed this book hoping for more poppy first contact hijinks, but what I got was a deep dive into depression, trauma, and the descent of the US into fascism. So not exactly like the first book. It's good. Ellis is a good writer, and she builds complex characters with complex relationships. That said, it is a much harder read than I was anticipating, and ended up taking a lot more out of me than I intended to give. If you like aliens and hate fascism, it's still a good read, but if you're processing any lingering traumatic events or want something for the beach, maybe skip it.

Not as great as the first book but we learned a lot more about whats going on and I still can't wait to get to the next book

Like the first book in this series, this book was fast-paced and kept me interested in what was going to happen next. One of the things I like most about sci-fi as a genre is its ability to help the reader think about the human condition through a different lens. The author does a great job of using this to explore the nature of relationships, attachment, and truama. Her efforts to provide commentary on current social events, though, are a little too on the nose for my personal preference. However, that's a minor quibble and I'll definitely be reading the next one whenever it arrives.

One of the most realistic and compassionate depictions of trauma I've ever seen. Also way sexier than I was expecting.