At first it is a nightmare. When the invaders arrive, the world as they know it is destroyed. Their friends are kidnapped. Their families are changed. 

Then it is a dream. With no adults left to run things, Violet and the others who have escaped capture are truly free for the first time. They can do whatever they want to do. They can be whoever they want to be. 

But the invaders won’t leave them alone for long… 

This thrilling debut by one of the most acclaimed short form writers in science fiction tells the story of a young trans girl who must find a way to fight back against the aliens who have taken over her city.

This book…this book just fucking destroyed my feelings. This is that rare book when you know early on, like just a chapter or two into it…that it’s gonna turn into a new favorite. Oh man…trying to formulate coherent enough thoughts to write a review, but goddamn…I just want to scream & yell about how fucking brilliant this was & give copies to everyone I know!!

Annex is an alien invasion novel, and the first book in The Violet Wars trilogy by Rich Larson. Our main characters are Violet & Bo, a young trans girl and a Nigerian boy, respectively. They meet in the early(ish) stages of the invasion…their city (which goes unnamed, if I recall correctly) is cut off from the rest of the world. The adults, having been “clamped”, shuffle through life, zombie-like. Called “wasters”, they are just grim reminders of everything the aliens have taken away. 

Violet befriends Bo, and brings him into the group of kids that she’s been staying with, who call themselves the Lost Boys. From there, they attempt to save Bo’s sister, and well, also the world. 

This book just felt so damn magical to me…seeing things through the eyes of all these kids felt so real. This is a world of “whale-things” and “othermothers” and  “the wormy wall”, names given to all the various monstrosities by these children. They are left to fend for themselves, and they prove quite capable, while still a bit untethered from societal norms. There is more than a little Lord of the Flies influence here.

I just found the whole thing so heart-achingly gorgeous. Little touches given to the characters make them so lifelike…like how Violet’s ears flush red when she feels embarrassed. Violet’s story is so gut-punchy and raw. In a way, she’s never been more free than she is in the midst of this nightmare invasion. She can finally live the life she wants, but she’s also sort of longing for an idealized version of her home life…one she never truly had. 

I absolutely fell in love with Annex. This will no doubt be on my list of favorites I’ve read in 2018. While not terribly similar, something about this book reminded me of reading The Girl With All The Gifts…just that feeling of falling so hard for a book, for a world, and for the characters within it. I just can’t recommend Annex any more highly!! 

Thank you so much to Orbit Books for sending me a copy!! Annex releases today, 8.24.18