by Ben Mezrich
First published 2023
Charlie Lewis relies on math equations to separate truth from fiction. As his school's numbers expert, he dismisses anything that can't be proven scientifically. UFOs and aliens fall squarely in that category, despite arguments from Janice, the smartest student he knows. Then classmate Anthem brings what he claims is a space rock to show-and-tell and promptly disappears. Charlie and the Whiz Kids start tracking down clues. They visit Anthem's strangely vacant house and discover that both the boy and his father may be caught up in something far more complex than a missing rock. The investigation leads them to UFO believers, secret rooms, and mysterious agents who seem to be watching their every move. Charlie finds his logical worldview cracking under pressure. The evidence keeps pointing toward possibilities he never wanted to consider. What if the things he dismissed as impossible are actually real?
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, mystery, contemporary, young-adult, aliens
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Anthem's House
192 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers