The Boy Who Fell from the Sky (The House Next Door) (Volume 1)

Innovative, imaginative, tantalising futuristic fantasy which I loved.
I read the first two chapters of The Boy Who Fell from the Sky on a train out of London. Somewhat appropriate, as events in the novel would later show. I was immediately intrigued to see where the opening sentences would lead me as I was bombarded by the physical sensations and vivid colours of fast-moving action. I was then quickly yanked from this world neither I nor the protagonist had had chance to figure out into a very different world of technology that filled me with a sudden sense of foreboding. House robots and driverless cars gave me a glimpse of a futuristic environment where I half expected a Terminator-type metal spike to protrude from the friendly domestic helper pottering around the kitchen.

Relieved that no one appeared to be about to come to a sticky end, at least for now, I read on and was drawn into a fascinating story in a London created by the powerful imagination of Jule Owen. As one of the characters later states: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This encapsulates what I love about the book as it satisfies the need for intrigue and interest future tech can provide along with my secret urge for a little other worldly, borderline magic, (almost) inexplicable stuff!

This novel gave me interest on many different levels from individual to worldwide; from everyday London landmarks I recognise to a London I hope never to see. As well as being an excellent story to read, there is a serious and sinister thread running throughout which I see as a clear message to all of us to clean up our act before it’s too late and we totally destroy the beautiful place we inhabit and exchange it for somewhere I would never wish to travel to. The somewhat scary part is that 2055 is really not so far off.

Yet I’m a cup-half-full person and I love the optimism embodied in the idea that “there is something sublime” in every one of us. I may be uncomfortable and disturbed by this future London, just about recognisable as a version of the London I was whizzing in and out of as I read this book but I am left with a feeling that through the action the novel’s main characters are taking, there is still hope for all of us.

As they say in the later chapters: “The proper place for people is under the sky, not in tunnels and caves.” Let that be a warning to us. But don’t let that spoil our enjoyment of this thoroughly entertaining book which was a joy to read.

So glad I have already downloaded the sequel!

Throughly, thoroughly enjoyed this. All consumed in one sitting. Recommended to readers of all ages.

Initially I was a little hesitant about this - I think "Young Adult" as a genre is a broad church, with both extremely good and extremely wretched entries. However, The Boy who fell from the Sky is handled brilliantly. Perfect for anyone in their teens, but with plenty to recommend it to the older reader. The protagonist is a teenager - but a relateable, well drawn one. Hesitant in some ways, reckless in others, with understandable motivations throughout.

The plot is gripping, and well paced. There are plenty of mysteries here - with enough clues to piece together the outline of what's happening if you're attentive. I read it from cover to cover in one go and immediately downloaded the sequel - which is really the highest praise you can give a novel.

As has been alluded to in other reviews, the writer has a background in tech & futurology, so the concepts in this book are grounded in current science and are therefore wholly credible. It's not an exposition or a brain dump on what she feels the future will look like. Nothing is rammed down your throat, or explained in a cringing "So tell me, Professor, how does X work?" fashion! There are some mind-bending concepts as well, expect to be intrigued and puzzled.

5* - treat yourself to a great read.

A futuristic ride into the future and then 400 years beyond this book is well written. A British writer with a great imagination would be of interest to a middle schooler or anyone interested in the future of the world accoding to Owen.

An interesting time travel story.
There were parts in this book that I couldn't follow, mainly due to not being a computer or technology whiz, but that's bound to happen when I'm reading a story involving time travel. It's such a great genre and such a mind-trip.
The Boy Who Fell from the Sky is very well written and a great story & I'm hooked. I've got to read the next instalment, Silverwood & follow more of Mathew's story.

I was hesitant getting into the plot at first - as it usually is for me getting into a new world - but without realising it I found myself gripped in the flow of this dystopian reality that the author has created. She has woven in a plethora of current trends and future possibilities to have you swept along and questioning your own perspective at the same time. So much so that you can tell how much research has gone into the book which addresses many current issues such as global warming, personal data security, driverless car protocol, etc to name a few, all set from the view of a teenage protagonist. Despite the YA category (young adolescent), I would recommend this to anyone willing to immerse themselves in a possible future and anyone questioning the impact of today's decisions on tomorrow's world. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and can't wait to dive into the next book.

This is a captivating book and I'm greatly looking forward to the next in the series as it is only the beginning of the story.

The book itself is closer to hard science exploring both the near and far future progression of current technologies. It also explores the social context to this which marks the book out from books of this genre set in the far future such as Altered Carbon and it features a hero rather than a protagonist that I found myself rooting for early in the book. Some of the prose was a little fussy (the first chapter in particular) but a great story meant I barely put the book down, and almost missed my train stop - the true sign of a good book !

I love this novel. The author has created a convincing dystopian future in which much of London is flooded, there's a semi-totalitarian government and a very clever resistance movement. Global war has extended into space for the first time. There are some truly wonderful visualisations of what the future will be like (the author is a futorologist), and the author has her protagonist and his acquaintances using these in beautiful and magical ways. To this is added a really clever and engaging plot that will keep you turning the pages.

What really makes the novel a joy to read is that the author's style is smooth and unobtrusive. Many writers in this genre ram facts into the text, or give exposition in an ungainly fashion. In this novel I felt the backdrop was revealed to me at the right kind of pace - enough to help me make sense of the situation, at the right time, and to keep me wanting more. I've already downloaded book two!

The Hunger Games and Divergent meets climate change

What if somewhat wrote a dystopia that might actually happen? That’s what Jule Owen has done with 'The Boy Who Fell from the Sky'. This is the story of a possible future, exploring what the world will be like if we don’t address climate change, but also bringing to life where science and technology is heading, imagining what it would be like to actually like in 2055 and further into the future. It’s a bit more serious and dark (because it’s real) than the usual YA dystopia, but it's also an engrossing page turner, with likeable, believable characters. Highly recommended.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next installment. The author expertly portrays a future world that is very close to what could happen in reality. Issues we face at the moment, such as Climate change, as well as advances in technology are interwoven into the background of the story and have a ring of truth to them where you can feel the author has done her research well. I felt the theme fairly reminiscent of a futuristic version of 1984 with a twist of the original Planet of the Apes film (I am imagining the scene where Charleston Heston realizes he hasn’t landed on a different planet, but rather in the future). The story is certainly compelling and the main characters is well drawn out. The only criticism I would have is that the book is almost too short. I can only hope that the next installment in the trilogy will give us a better glimpse of the characters that have been briefly introduced in the first book, including Mathew’s father, as well as his mother’s story. Overall, I would give this book a 4.5 star review, it is greatly entertaining and I had to fight my own tiredness against the desire of wanting to read on.

Dystopia of the not so distant future. Mathew Erlang takes you on an adventure where the effect of global warming have resulted in London being flooded, resources are scarce (people eat synthetic food), the country is on the brink of civil war (international relations are not too hot either). People are house bound (if they are lucky to have one) and use their dark room to communicate with the outside world via the heavily monitored Nexus network. The world created is utterly believable as the novel is set only 40 years from now and Jule Owen being a futurologist, is better placed than most to analyse trends an philosophies and bring her vision of the future to us. The novel is fast paced and manages to be hugely entertaining and though provoking. Buy the book if you want to find out why beebots are so cool ;)

The author has pulled off the difficult task of creating and conveying whole new environments (that of London in 2055 and Russia in 2472) in a way that is also incredibly believable and realistic. On one hand this is a “sci-fi” or “cli-fi” novel, and it was fascinating to read the author’s imaginings of future technologies and what climate change would do to London (and also rather sobering, given that the author has researched this topic heavily). And yet it is also a more timeless story about a teenage boy who is not dissimilar from ones we all know – missing his father, hating group activities at school, intrigued by the girl across the street. I loved how the author combined both these strands in the story.

I sped through this well-written book, eager to know what was coming next – can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

Well written! I usually don't like this genre, but this book was great. I really enjoyed it. The new future technologies are explained so well, v creative and well thought out. I was hooked and had to read the rest of the series! Agree that the proof reading was excellent, which is unfortunately not common in many kindle free books. Highly recommend for an entertaining and fun read.

I sped through this book very quickly, a sure sign that it was well written and had a good fast pace. Even with that, there was plenty of time for the more technical sci-fi and dystopian content to shine through, and present some interesting and well thought out ideas for the future.
Definitely worth a read, and I'm going to make a start on the second book shortly!

With its fantastic opening, this book had me hooked from the start. A pacey sci-fi adventure with engaging and thoroughly believable characters, all set against the backdrop of a futuristic London - a real page-turner from start to finish, with some spine-tingling twists along the way. Highly recommended.

The author manages to send us to a fascinating world where fiction, technology and dreams mix in a rather possible and scary future. Get ready to embark for a gripping journey to the future alongside the main character Mathew!