Overall I thought it was a great read and I already can't wait for another book by Melissa Savage!" Meg, Goodreads
Published: October 2nd, 2018
A boy and his best friends set out to discover the aliens who crash-landed next to their Roswell, New Mexico, farm in this charming novel packed with adventure and heart, perfect for fans of Ali Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish and Jennifer L. Holm's The Fourteenth Goldfish.
Mylo never really believed in Martians, unless they had a starring role in one of his comic books. But then a flying saucer crash-lands next to his Roswell, New Mexico, ranch, and he starts to hear voices--like someone is asking for his help.
With his best friend Dibs and crush Gracie by his side, and his Cracker Jack superhero membership card, a slingshot, and a small American flag--for peace--in tow, Mylo sets out on an epic adventure to investigate the crash and find the Martians. But he and his friends end up discovering more about the universe than they ever could have imagined.
EXCERPT
I can’t sleep.
The clock on the nightstand reads 1:00 a.m.
“Dibs,” I whisper down at him. “You awake?”
“Yep,” he whispers back.
“Where do you think they’re from?” I ask him.
He doesn’t hesitate. “Mars,” he says. “Probably they were on some kind of mission to take over our planet . . . our minds . . . you know, that sort of thing.”
I snort. “Where did you get that?” I ask him.
Dibs gives me a look like my brains really were sucked clean out of my head by the Martians out at the ship last night. “Where do you think? The Planet Comics series.”
I scoff. “Oh, the Planet Comics series,” I mock him. “The real-life guide to Martians.”
“What we really need to worry about is the second shift that might come down angry and level us with their Martian weapons,” Dibs says. “What do they want with us? And are they a hostile entity?”
I lean on my elbow. “What do you mean?”
“Like Martian mind control . . . or like what kinds of weapons do they have? Ray guns, phasers, stuff like that. What superpowers do they possess? Do they want to destroy mankind? Bring the human race to the very brink of extinction with a rampage of destruction and all that?”
I don’t say anything.
“God made good and God made evil,” he goes on. “Whether you’re talking about Adam and Eve or Martians. The only difference is Martians are one million times smarter than us and they have powers far beyond what we can even imagine. If they want to take over Earth, believe me, they can do it.”
“That’s your comic books talking,” I tell him. “You don’t know it’s true for real life.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what you said about the disk and you were wrong about that, too,” he says. “You don’t want to believe anything is true ’cause you’re scared and that’s a fact.”
“And you’re not?”
He doesn’t answer me that time.
We lie there for a long while with no one saying anything until Dibs punches at the pillow again and turns over.
“There’s something else I have to tell you,” I say.
“Yeah?” He yawns.
“I hear something,” I say. “Sometimes I think I do. I mean, not like with my ears. But it’s something. Or it’s . . . someone.”
Silence.
“I don’t hear anything,” he says.
“No, I mean, not right now. I have been hearing someone calling for help and no one else seems to hear it.”
Dibs’s head pops off his pillow and I can feel his laser-beam gaze bore a hole straight through me. What do you mean? Who?” he finally asks.
“I think it might be . . . them,” I say without looking at him. “It’s someone or something . . . asking for help. My help.”
“Help?”
“I think it could be them. . . . Th-the Martians.” I whisper the last word. “I mean, I don’t know who it is. ’Cause I don’t see anything. Except sometimes I see these outlines on the backs of my eyelids. Does that sound weird?”
“Very weird,” he says.
I sigh and flop back down on my pillow. “Forget it.”
He stays sitting up, staring at me.
“Are you messing with me?” he finally says.
“No,” I say.
“Swear?”
I sit up then, too, and look him straight in the eyes. “Swear.”
Silence.
He’s still staring.
“I’m telling you, I hear them. It’s like . . . it’s like it’s my own voice but it’s . . . it’s their message, and they’re asking for help . . . my help. I mean, I don’t know . . . I haven’t heard anything since we left yesterday . . . maybe they are talking to someone else by now. I hope they are, because I’m afraid that . . . you know . . . well . . . if they’re not talking to someone else, then . . . then maybe they’re not talking at all.” I swallow the lump pushing its way up my throat from my gut. “You know what I mean by that?”
Silence. I fold and unfold my fingers, waiting for him to say something else.
“You’re not lying?”
I shake my head. “Nuh-uh,” I say. “I’m telling you the truth. Cross my heart I am.”
About the author:
Melissa D. Savage’s first book, The Lost Pony, premiered in her second grade classroom, winning high praise from critics such as her mom. Although the book was hand written and self-illustrated in Crayola Crayons, it was this experience that began her love of writing and to this day she still believes was one of her best works. Melissa continued to create stories growing up, writing different adventures for friends to read and later completed a Master’s Degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University in Minnesota. She was privileged to be able to receive guidance from amazing authors, educators, and fellow writers who shared their wisdom, experience, and support. Most recently, Melissa’s debut book, Lemons has been recognized by the American Booksellers Association on their Independent Booksellers’ debut picks of the season list, Indies Introduce Winter/Spring 2017. Additionally, Bigfoot, Tobin & Me (The UK/Commonwealth version of Lemons published by Chicken House Books) has been recognized as Children’s Book of the Month with WHSmith.
Melissa is a writer and a child and family therapist. She has worked with families struggling with issues of abuse, trauma and loss/bereavement. She believes that expressing oneself through writing can be a very healing process when struggling with difficulties in life. In addition it can be a vehicle in which to honor, celebrate and continue to share the spirits of the special people who have left us too soon. Melissa lives in Minneapolis with her family. You can follow her on Twitter at @melissadsavage.
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