Genre: Young Adult, LGBT
Number of Pages: 465
Publication Date: January 19, 2016

Rating:  out of 5
OBC Rating: 4 out of 4 stars
Themes: Depression, Bullying, Friendship, Family
January’s OBC Book of the Month Discussion: We Are the Ants

Teenager Henry is having a terrible time getting over his boyfriend’s suicide. He blames everyone, including himself for the untimely death. School has bullies left and right, home is filled with screams, and this young man feels like he has no one.

The one thing that is not helping his situation is his abduction by aliens. These strange creatures communicate to him that the world he lives in will be destroyed unless he pushes a button. But the question is – would it be so bad if everything is comes to an end?

Right from the beginning, I was hooked. Henry is a character that you sympathize with and one that you want to comfort. Though clearly hurt and depressed, he has a sweet side that needs to be pulled out. All throughout the book, I wanted to give him a hug and tell him the world is a good place.

Aside from the author allowing the reader to really get to know Henry, the plot and the writing flow were flawless. I felt everything flowed from one scene to the next with purpose and with smoothness. The inclusion of aliens, which were brief and spread out throughout the read, added nicely to the storyline.

There were several heavy topics discussed throughout this read, but each one was handled extremely well. Topics included: teenage suicide, depression, bullying, Alzheimer’s, self-worth, and life. I also felt the inclusion of the gay relationship(s) here were discussed well and naturally.

There really isn’t anything negative I can say about this well-written book. The characters, plot, and themes all fit well together. I enjoyed it immensely and am happy that I read it.