All Good Children

Ingram (Eat Your Heart Out) reinvents the alien-invasion novel and mixes it with a quintessential young adult sensibility that feels raw and real. Jordan Fontaine is a teenager in a world where children are drafted by Earth’s alien overlords to become either cattle or experimental subjects. When Jordan and her brothers are selected, she begins a rigorous training program that leads her to come to terms with the horror around her. Stubbornly, she refuses to accept her fate and frequently acts out against her superiors. Jordan’s life is altered again when a dangerous opportunity presents itself. Ingram has invigorated the apocalyptic genre with a tightly woven story brimming with atmosphere; the world the Fontaines live in is equal parts familiar and surreal. There is a quiet depth and intensity to Jordan that makes it easy for readers to invest in her personal struggles. Ingram’s supporting cast is also well-rounded, and the action moves along at a fast clip. This novel is at once refreshing and thoughtful, and a great addition to the genre. (May)