Axiom's End

  Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis (2020, 384 pages)

In 2007, whistleblower Nils Ortega is launched into fame when he publishes a top-secret CIA memo revealing the existence of aliens on Earth (California, even!). While his estranged sister Luciana, ex-wife, and children try to avoid him and lead normal lives, his daughter Cora has no choice but to face the extra-terrestrials -- literally. The book opens with Luciana's co-worker committing suicide suddenly, a series of unexplained meteors and power surges, and... is Cora being followed?

By placing it in the recent past, Ellis didn't need to establish culture or government. We all know what George Bush and the CIA were like, and she could focus on speculating their response to visiting aliens. I couldn't put it down because there was no way to know what an alien was going to do next or how it would play out.

The best way I can describe Ellis' writing style is thick and juicy (sorry), which was exacerbated by the audiobook reader's incredible acting. It has thoughtful relationships, but I feel like the dialogue is heavier than the character development. The first quarter or so is stumbling through Cora's confusion and life on the run, which made me want to read more but also made me worried I missed something. Stick with it, though!

While it touches on alien biology and technology, the focus is more on conspiracy, government workings, and alien relationships with each other on Earth and with the few humans who know of them.

Thank you Kara for recommending it to me (read her reviews here and here), and you can also read Regan's review here.