THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL ZOO

In a world where aliens fall to Earth, a girl shoulders adult responsibilities to care for them.

Ever since her mom died and her dad left, 13-year-old Ava Ardent has cared for the 32 Extraterrestrial Living Beings in the Alien Zoo. But life gets even harder when Ava’s uncle Pete, an Iraq War veteran, hires 14-year-old Harley as an intern just as a hurricane is barreling toward Maine. Most of the ELBs get loose during the storm, and Uncle Pete goes off with the police, leaving Ava and Harley to care for the one remaining ELB and chase one that escaped into the woods. In this high-stress, high-stakes situation, Ava and Harley bond, sharing their histories and becoming each other’s first real friend, but when they make a startling discovery that flips Ava’s world upside down, she pushes Harley away in order to keep him safe. Through people’s reactions to the escaped aliens, van Leer explores deeply relevant themes; as Ava says, “When humans feel threatened, they will always choose themselves.” Ava’s devotion to the ELBs is wholly believable, and her competence is admirable. The supporting cast includes compelling characters whose backstories inform their actions. The ELBs are uniquely imagined, though their origins remain mysterious. A climactic rescue scene requires some suspension of disbelief, but the ending is satisfying, leaving enough open threads for the series to continue and hinting at a possible romance between Ava and Harley, who are cued white.

A science-fiction adventure with heart.