The Fallen Children Review

By: David Owen

Rating: 4/5

Source: Amazon

Young people on the Midwich Estate don't have much hope for their futures. Keisha has lived there her whole life, and has been working hard to escape it; others have just accepted their lot.

But change is coming . . .

One night, everyone inside Midwich Tower falls mysteriously unconscious in one inexplicable 'Nightout'. No one can explain what happened during those lost hours, but soon afterwards Keisha and three other girls find they're pregnant - and the babies are growing at an alarming rate.

As the news spreads around the tower, its residents turns against them and the situation spirals toward violence. Keisha's life unravels as she realises that the pregnancy may not have just ruined her hopes for the future: she might be mother to the end of the world.

The story is a multi-perspective, contemporary/sci-fi adventure set in a council block of flats called Midwich Tower. The four perspectives come from three teenagers who find themselves pregnant following the 'Nightout' and Morris, who has potentially life-threatening problems of his own. Alien impregnation is the stuff of nightmares and it made for a really intense, Halloween read.

I haven't read or seen the original material, so this review will bare no comparison to that. 

Keisha is a troublemaker who has found the light and is trying to make something of herself, Siobhan is the friend Keisha left in the dark, Maida is only fifteen and comes from a strict Muslim family and Olivia is a nurse who has always wanted to be a mother. Now they're all pregnant, and it's due to alien intervention.

Keisha and Morris are the main protagonists, and used to date. As a part of Keisha's journey onto the straight and narrow, she ended her relationship with Mo and friendship with Siobhan under the guidance of friendly deputy head teacher, Mr Arnopp. So falling pregnant is literally the worst thing she could have imagined, while Morris has elected himself to be the father to whatever is growing inside Keisha. 

Maida and Olivia are much more content with the circumstances. Maida believes she has been chosen for something bigger than any of them, Olivia believed herself to be unable to have children so this is nothing short of a miracle. Siobhan, like Keisha, hates every second of this and wants out immediately.

It was so interesting to see the different perspectives on the situation, though at times I couldn't connect with Maida and Olivia. I can't imagine ever being okay the violation of the events of the Nightout, making it easier for me to sympathise with Keisha and Siobhan.

The book gave me serious Attack The Block vibes, which is a compliment because I actually enjoyed that film. Though The Fallen Children was much less about the block coming together to prevent an alien uprising, and more about victim blaming the girls.

I wasn't expecting to like the book as much as I did, I don't read nearly enough sci-fi these days but this was sci-fi set in a contemporary setting so you get the best of both worlds because you don't have to learn a load of 'space-y' terms and imagine how life on Earth ended. Earth is okay but girls are getting pregnant with alien's, if that's more your speed then you'll love this book.

The Fallen Children ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Like the characters, I have so many questions about what all of this means. As the characters go in search of answers we're left wondering is this going to happen again? More alien babies. Has it been happening all along?

I think this is one of those books that would work as a series or a stand alone, I'd be happy never knowing what David Owen had in mind and just think it up myself. I'm also really intrigued to know where the characters go next as it seems like they have a big adventure ahead of them. Definitely pick this book up if you like thrilling, sci-fi adventures, or if you love YA and want to read something a bit different. You won't be disappointed.

My copy of the book is colour number 259/360, in case you were wondering.