  Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine. SYNOPSIS: This is the absolutely true account of how Lansburg, Pennsylvania was invaded by aliens and the weeks of chaos that followed. There were sightings of UFOs, close encounters, and even abductions. There were believers, Truth Seekers, and, above all, people who looked to the sky and hoped for more. Only...there were no aliens. Gideon Hofstadt knows what really happened. When one of his science experiments went wrong, he and his older brother blamed the resulting explosion on extraterrestrial activity. And their lie was not only believed by their town―it was embraced. As the brothers go to increasingly greater lengths to keep up the ruse and avoid getting caught, the hoax flourishes. But Gideon's obsession with their tale threatened his whole world. Can he find a way to banish the aliens before Lansburg, and his life, are changed forever? (AMAZON)    Reading this novel made me realize that I did not have nearly as much fun as I could have had when I was a teenager. Would it have bitten me in the end and made me regret a few things? Oh, sure. But what entertainment would I have had in the meantime!
Whenever an introverted character makes its debut among the pages of a book, I instantly feel a draw toward them. I think that's the case for quite a few of us. Gideon is quite happy with his world revolving around science and his experiments, with his lack of a desire to be among most of humanity, and being forced by family and friends to step out of that comfort zone is physically painful for him. But the beautiful thing about this type of person is that when they decide to be vulnerable before others, and push themselves so that they can experience more of life, they flourish. The moment that Gideon agrees with his brother Ishmael to prank the rest of the town into believing that aliens have made contact, he begins that journey. It Came From the Sky is not just the tale of two brothers starting mayhem and watching the world around them go wild. It's at times heartwarming as Gideon learns more about himself; it's about emotional and mental growth; it's about family and friendships; and it's about learning that no matter what path you have set out for yourself, things don't always work out according to plan and you need to not just adapt, but find and fight for new goals. While there are a few different stories developing at the same time along with the main plot, they all come together cohesively in the end to present a full picture for the reader. And the diary entries, private messages and interviews that accompany the regular storytelling are a nice addition. It's not just about the aliens—they're merely what sets off into motion a case of incidents that increase in drama and devilry. By the close of this tale, I don't think that Ishmael and Gideon missed pushing any buttons that they may have been able to push. And despite how different the two of them are, it was great to see how well their personalities complement each other. They have no idea at the start of things, but they eventually realize how much they care for one another and how willing they are to stand by each other through the downfall of their actions. Relationships are the core of It Came From the Sky, and they're what truly make the novel so special. What begins as an amusing and slightly dangerous sociology experiment, turns into a young man learning who he is and what he is capable of, despite his imagined shortcomings.
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