Rosewater

"The mind is supposed to be the last sanctuary of a free human." What if that sanctuary is breached? Rosewater by Tade Thompson, the first book in the Wormwood trilogy, presents an alien invasion story with a twist.
 
Midway through the 21st century a biodome appears in rural Nigeria, initially eliciting worldwide fear. Nearby people notice certain healings, and the dome's properties afford electricity where there is none. A town, Rosewater, grows up around the perimeter, and the dome, nicknamed Wormwood, seems less menacing.
 
Kaaro, the narrator, is an anomaly, even in a world that includes aliens. He's a "sensitive" who has learned to harness the power of the biodome to access people's thoughts. He admits, "I steal dreams. I steal hopes. I steal entire lives." He uses this skill for the Nigerian government but is increasingly mistrustful of the real motives of the state. When the few other sensitives start mysteriously dying, he realizes that the aliens may in fact have invaded more than the surface of the planet--they may be within the human race.
 
Even as most of the world accepts aliens, the United States is an enigma. It went dark after Wormwood became established and has not been heard from since, setting up the next piece of the trilogy. Thompson, born in London to Nigerian parents, makes the story believable with his sensual and atmospheric writing. Waiting for the rest of the series will be hard for those enthralled with this imaginative novel. --Cindy Pauldine, bookseller, the river's end bookstore, Oswego, N.Y.
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