Esperance

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji, 432 pages

When Chicago police detective Ethan Krol arrives at a murder scene, the last thing he expects to find is a father and son dead of drowning with sea water in their lungs, hundreds of miles from the ocean in a dry high rise apartment. Yet that strange crime scene sets Ethan on the strangest trail he's ever investigated, taking him across the country in search of some sort of rational explanation. Meanwhile, a strange-talking, not-quite-human being arrives in Bristol, England, where she partners up with young woman who helps her navigate the world in pursuit of the same murderer Ethan's tracking.

This is an intriguing mix of science fiction and police procedural, and while I like that mix and the characters (especially Bristol native Hollie), the way it comes together at the end is a little off. Honestly, I was disappointed in this, if only because Oyebanji's debut novel, Braking Day, was so stinking good. I'll definitely continue to read his stuff though, as I know he has it in him to completely wow me.

Contagion

Contagion, by Erin Bowman. 432 pg, 2018.
Teen space adventure meets John Carpenter's The Thing in Contagion! Smart and determined student Thea is working as a research intern when she becomes part of a search and rescue crew for a far-away drilling operation. The mission quickly descends into chaos as the corpses and questions pile up around the team. As Thea and her companions fight to survive, forces both inexplicable and all-too-human are at work against them.
If you need a fast paced space mystery with a dollop of creepy, this one might be for you!

Contagion, by Erin Bowman. 432 pg, 2018.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, 343 pages

April May is a 23-year-old New Yorker with a BFA and a job she hates when she stumbles upon a huge robot-like sculpture on the sidewalk. She assumes it's a piece of public art, and calls her friend to film a video of her to post on YouTube. Little does she know that's she's actually discovered one of 64 identical items (the Carls, as they come to be known) that appeared simultaneously around the world, prompting a wide array of responses, from fear to conspiracy theories to academic curiosity.

In his debut novel, Green manages to create a fun and funny, adventure-filled novel that also manages to hit on so many timely topics, including the polarization of debate, fear of the unknown, social media trolls, extremists, the dehumanization of famous people, the rapid news cycle... It's really a great book, one that makes me want to see what else Green comes up with in the future. Though hopefully his next novel won't launch an earworm that will take, by conservative estimations, six years to dislodge itself from my brain. ("Call Me Maybe"? Really, Hank?)