A group of genderqueer teen aliens crash-land across the U.S. while attempting to rescue their brother, now a human pop star, leading to a series of interconnected stories where aliens and human teens navigate identity, belonging, and unexpected friendships. Blending humor, romance, and coming-of-age themes, the anthology explores universal desires for love and understanding through both alien and human perspectives.

Reader Review Summary

This anthology is a collection of interconnected young adult science fiction stories centered on an accidental alien invasion. The narrative follows a group of teen aliens who crash-land on Earth while attempting to rescue their captain's brother, Max, who has been living undercover as a human movie star. The crash scatters the alien crew across the United States, with each story focusing on different characters—both alien and human—as they navigate the aftermath. The anthology is structured so that each chapter is written by a different author, yet the stories are designed to build a continuous overarching plot. The book explores themes such as love, identity, belonging, and coming of age, often through the lens of queer and gender-diverse characters. The tone is described as humorous, campy, and sometimes introspective, with a blend of romance, adventure, and pop culture references throughout.

Readers appreciated the anthology's cohesive structure, noting that the interconnected stories created a sense of unity rather than feeling disjointed. Many highlighted the diverse representation, particularly the focus on queer and genderqueer characters, and the way the stories explored identity and self-acceptance. The humor and lightheartedness were frequently mentioned as strengths, with several readers enjoying the playful pop culture references and the 'fish out of water' scenarios as aliens interacted with human society. The anthology's ability to balance multiple perspectives—both human and alien—was also praised, as was the seamless blending of different authors' voices. Specific stories such as 'One Last Shot Before the End of the World' by Julian Winters and 'A Taste of Country' by M.K. England were singled out as favorites.

Some readers found the premise required a significant suspension of disbelief, particularly regarding how quickly human characters accepted the existence of aliens and the ease with which the aliens found supportive, often queer, teens to help them. A few noted that the pop culture references sometimes felt dated or more relevant to millennials than the intended Gen Alpha audience. There were comments about the lack of variety in the types of people the aliens encountered, with most being teenagers and many identifying as LGBTQ, which some found unrealistic. Others felt that the anthology missed opportunities for deeper exploration of found family dynamics or that certain stories leaned too heavily on affirming messages at the expense of plot. A small number of readers did not connect with the anthology format or found the humor forced.

In addition to its focus on identity and belonging, the anthology incorporates elements of romance, adventure, and contemporary issues, often set in varied locations across the United States. The stories are told from both alien and human perspectives, and the narrative includes both established and debut authors. The book has received positive critical attention, including praise from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and holds an average reader rating of 4.1 out of 5 based on 50 ratings and 26 full reviews. The anthology is published by Page Street YA and is scheduled for release on February 4, 2025.