I love how Andrea K. Höst tells stories that feel fresh and new, and AATS was no exception - yes, it’s a post-apocalyptic YA SF, which appears to be *the* subgenre at the moment, but I don’t think I’ve read one quite like AATS.

It’s set immediately in the aftermath of an initially-incomprehensible appearance of an alien tower in the centre of Sydney, and the story captured me from the first pages onwards - I felt as disorientated as Madeleine was, caught in the chaos of the initial incursion and trying to figure out what was happening and somehow survive. There was something vaguely Robinson Crusoe-like in how Madeleine and her new-found friends bonded together and figured out how to survive in the immediate days following the alien invasion - and oh, a fun element of wish fulfillment too, with the teens having free rein in luxury apartments and hotels.

Madeleine’s voice was a key part of my enjoyment of AATS - she was wry and down-to-earth, and I enjoyed seeing her drop her guard and make friends with her fellow Blues. I loved how diversity was the “norm” in AATS - it made the story feel that much more contemporary and relevant. And I liked how the book was very much grounded in contemporary Sydney - it wasn’t just a generic AnyCity setting.

Plot-wise, oh my. I love being surprised and I was. Minor spoilers ahead (view spoiler)[ I’ll be honest... a page before THE TWIST, I was thinking that this plot is getting slightly predictable, and then *bang* I swear my jaw dropped open. It’s a risky twist in so many ways, but the author totally pulled it off IMO, and it just added so much more depth to the story. (hide spoiler)]

The book did feel a tad slow in places, and I skimmed the passages on the alien politics and history somewhat, but really, AATS was one of those satisfying reads. I cannot wait to see what Andrea K. Höst will release next.