The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone

 

The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone.

Published 2nd March 2023 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Connecting will change everything…

Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They don’t know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes...

...only to wake up the following day in hospital, miraculously recovered.

When news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call 'Sandy' and goes on the run.

But they aren’t the only ones with an interest in the alien … close behind are Ava’s husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandy’s arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagine…

***********

One night over Edinburgh a strange light appears, and causes a handful of people who witness it to suffer from a rare stroke. It is an event that unites three of the survivors in an extraordinary common cause, although they are complete strangers - Lennox, a troubled sixteen-year-old resident of a children's home; Ava, a heavily pregnant young woman trying to escape an abusive partner; and Heather, a dying woman weighed down by grief.

The next day, Lennox, Ava, and Heather awake in hospital somehow completely recovered from the cerebral haemorrhage that struck them down, and they feel an uncanny connection with each other. When they hear the news that a strange octopus-like creature has been found washed-up on the shore, they are drawn to the location. Lennox somehow knows that this is an extra-terrestrial entity that needs their help, and with the aid of a journalist called Ewan, who has been sent to follow the story, the trio rescue the creature they call 'Sandy' and set off on the run.

But they are not the only ones interested in this alien being. Dodging the police, a shady government department, and the insidious pursuit of Ava's violent husband, it is vital that they not only help Sandy to survive, but try to understand the purpose that has brought this incredible creature to Earth...

The Space Between Us is a surprising departure from Doug Johnstone's usual gritty domestic drama novels into the realms of speculative science fiction, and it is a move that produces a piece of work that is beautifully life-affirming. The story focuses on a group of strangers who are brought together by the arrival of an alien that needs their help, and by becoming entangled in a cause that has far-reaching consequences for humankind they find the strength to address their own problems too.

The novel combines road-trip adventure and hard-edged thriller, at the same time following the winning formula of a group of under-dogs on a quest for good, while being pursued by the insidious forces of the establishment. But this is not just a buddy story filled with spills and thrills, as it is also rich in all the intimate relationships and interpersonal dynamics that Johnstone does so well in all his books, so as our little band undertake their quest we get to learn all the details of their troubles and heartache too. There are wonderfully moving scenes as the human and alien characters bond with each other, and open their minds to new concepts and perspectives on life - especially about their places in the universe. All elements of the story come together to make something that captures your imagination with its pace and cinematic scope, and that also calls to your heart and soul with its touching emotional depth. 

I was really struck with the way Johnstone weaves so many themes around the notion of connection in this story, playing cleverly with many shades of meaning around space. There is a lot here about the darker emotions linked to loss and isolation, and the divisive aspects of control, but the story is also flooded with warming themes of sacrifice for a cause, coming together in adversity, and hope.

This is a read in a single, breath-taking session kind of book, and it takes you to a place that promises a terrifically exciting sequel too. As a big fan of compelling science fiction, I like this new direction from Doug Johnstone very much, and I cannot wait to see what comes next! 

The Space Between Us is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Doug Johnstone is the author of twelve novels, most recently The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for TV. In 2021,The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022. 

Several of his books have been best sellers and award winners, and his work has been praised by the likes of Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin. He's taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. 

Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He's also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh.