First published 2021
Cora Sabino works full time as the communication bridge between the alien entity Ampersand and his government handlers. She shares a painful, intimate bond with Ampersand that neither expected, yet he continues hiding secrets from her. When investigative journalist Kaveh Mazandarani witnesses more of Ampersand's activities than intended, Cora must trust him despite his connection to her disreputable estranged father. Together, Cora and Kaveh face the challenge of convincing a frightened world that intelligent, conscious beings deserve recognition as persons, regardless of how terrifying or powerful they appear. The public remains unaware of the full scope of the alien presence on Earth while political tensions escalate over granting rights to nonhuman persons. Their mission becomes exponentially harder when a mysterious flash lights up the sky, signaling the arrival of a chaotic force that threatens to destabilize an already fragile world. Ellis examines what defines personhood while exploring the thin line between humanity and monstrosity.
Genres: science-fiction, contemporary, aliens, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intimate-bond
Setting: Earth
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Kindle Edition · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness