The Boy Who Fell From The Sky – Benjamin Dean

I think even Dad saw Hunting as more of a sport than a public safety role. He loved the spotlight and adoration it gave him, and he
considered himself the best there was. The numbers in the Hunting League, which ranked every Hunter based on their number of captures, more than proved that. Dad had the most by nearly double. It was in my blood to be just like him when I grew up and I was determined not to let him down. I was praying that the Assessment would prove that.

Twelve-year-old Zed has always been fascinated by the Demons that fall from the sky. His whole life his dad has worked as a Hunter, tasked with eliminating Demons once and for all, and Zed hopes to one day follow in his footsteps. Then one night, Spark appears and disrupts everything Zed thought he knew; this Demon is nothing like the myths – he’s a frightened boy, no older than Zed, who wants to go back home. Can Zed stand up for what’s right, even if it means going against his own family?

Is there no genre Benjamin Dean can’t smash? After such classics as Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow (my review is here!), The Secret Sunshine Project (review is here!) plus Young Adult thrillers The King Is Dead (find my thoughts here!) and How To Die Famous (review here!), Benjamin returns to middle grade with an evocative, beautiful story of a 12 year old boy confronting his own beliefs and standing up to do the right thing. After a tantalising prologue, we meet Zed who is nervous about the Assessment – will he be able to follow in his esteemed father’s footsteps and become a Hunter? You will instantly love and champion Zed when we quickly see his quiet demeanour and insecurities, especially when he interacts with an obnoxious, rival family.

What is so striking about The Boy Who Fell From The Sky is the message of Zed realising what his father and community believes about Demons is, unsurprisingly, incorrect – everyone is being fed this rhetoric to create fear and anger towards a group they don’t really know much about, but who are actually not much different from themselves. At a time when trans and refugee rights are being attacked and the conflict between Israel and Gaza is causing unrest amongst society, The Boy Who Fell From The Sky shows why, now more than ever, it is a must-have book for all classrooms, libraries and homes. Benjamin is such a champion for embracing our differences and once again, shows this so sensitively and compellingly in his latest book – I read this in less than 24 hours as I felt both Zed and Spark’s pain but then marvelled at their friendship and understanding of each other. Another glorious, inspiring story encouraging readers to find their voice and aim for the stars, The Boy Who Fell From The Sky has a thought-provoking message and I pray we return to this world soon!

Suggested reading age: 8+

The Boy Who Fell From The Sky is written by Benjamin Dean and will be published by Simon and Schuster on 18th January. Preorder your exclusive Waterstones edition copy today here or get a special indie edition with sprayed edges as I’ve preordered – what are you waiting for?