User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This. Was. Terrific. Set in the Virgin Islands, the premise is that aliens arrive to do some research and give humanity all sorts of amazing tech in exchange for their stay. But they stay on an inhabited island. They look like people, mix with people, drink and have sex with people...and if anyone bothers or threatens them, they kill brutally and immediately. It's just their culture.
Obviously this is about colonialism--one of the characters is even writing a book about the subject and we go into the history of the island's slave revolts. It's terrifically powerful, conveying a tremendous sense of choking injustice and rage, plus the way some people just shut down or even collaborate with the new, advanced, fascinating invaders.
I couldn't stop reading. There's a terrific engaging cast (it's multiple stories and voices, some of which we dip into only briefly) and the set up is really compelling. One of those books that leaves you compulsively imagining yourself in the situation. I can't believe I hadn't even heard of this book till a recs thread.
The lesson of the title, btw, is "if we feel threatened [no matter if it's a real threat, no matter that we'd be better off and safer reacting another way] we will kill and kill to assert our power." Which, looking at the US right now, sounds about right.
Rating: really liked it
Cadwell Turnbull paints a stunningly intricate portrait of humanity, capturing hopes and dreams, flaws and failings with remarkable depth and texture. The Lesson is a blast to read and a meaningful exploration of the bearing of colonialism and the perils of human ambition.
Rating: really liked it
I absolutely LOVED this book!I was so thrilled that
The Lesson was set in the Caribbean I immediately reached out to the Publishers and author to review it in advance of its June 2019 release. I was so happy that I did!
The Lesson is set in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a story that unfolds around different islanders who live amicably among The Ynaa, Earth's newest visitors who just happen to be alien lifeforms. The story also follows one of the alien leaders, Mera, on her mission to bridge the gap between humans and Ynaa, as an intermediate of sorts. Unsurprisingly, there are challenges that must be overcome on both sides and this makes for an engrossing story.
Don't let the word "Alien" fool you. This book is so much more than Sci-Fi, I am at a loss for words. The story flows, the characters are developed, and everything just fits together so nicely I just felt entranced. I joke that I wanted to skip work to finish it but the truth is
The Lesson was an addictive and fluid read, I almost tried.
I must give credit to Turnbull for setting this story in the Caribbean. I almost feel like the Caribbean setting was designed for this story. Turnbull did not steer away from our accents, slang, history or culture and in turn I think it helped him to create
The Lesson. I am wishing for a sequel but as a standalone, it is superb ( and this is coming from a person who isn't the biggest fan of Sci-Fi). I encourage everyone to grab this book come June 2019!
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As stated previously, I received an e-ARC via Blackstone Publishing for an honest review. Many thanks to the Publisher and author for the same.
Rating: really liked it
[3.5 stars] First contact stories in science fiction have been used for decades to explore cultural and anthropological themes. More than anything, I would say SF writers use alien contact as a kind of emotional tonic, a way to relieve humanity’s existential distress at the very real likelihood we are either alone in the universe, or so far away from any other advanced, spacefaring species that contact with them will be effectively impossible before both we and the aliens become, in the natural course of time, extinct. First contact stories can be scary, exciting, action-packed, dramatic and serious, or satirical, and SF writers have shown remarkable invention in spinning endlessly imaginative variations on the theme.
One of these variations involves presenting the aliens as mirrors to ourselves, and that’s what Cadwell Turnbull does in his debut novel,
The Lesson. It’s an unusual and mostly gentle story that nonetheless has a distinct apocalyptic inevitability, and though there are times Turnbull keeps some of his ideas perhaps a little too close to the vest for the story’s overall good, The Lesson is a story that should not be missed by readers who embraced such books as Emily St. John Mandel’s
Station Eleven or even Arthur C. Clarke’s
Childhood’s End.
It’s all about colonialism, basically.
The Lesson takes place on the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean, Turnbull’s own birthplace, and right away this piqued my interest, as I’ve read more than enough white-America-centered stories of alien visitation and invasion to last a lifetime. We meet a handful of perfectly ordinary characters managing their daily lives in the two weeks prior to the aliens’ arrival. Jackson is a college instructor who is midlifing so hard that even he is embarrassed by what a walking cliché he’s become. His wife Aubrey responds to the general malaise of their marriage by rekindling an old flame with her coworker Alice. And their teenage daughter Patrice is heading off to Pittsburgh for college, much to the dismay of Derrick, her childhood friend and semi-serious boyfriend, who lives downstairs in the same house with his grandmother and kid sister, Lee.
It’s all boringly normal until
(continued...)
Rating: really liked it
An interesting new take on the alien invasion novel. Ultimately I wanted more from it, I wanted to dive deeper and learn more and build the world, so the 3 stars is mostly that.
THE LESSON does the opposite of what a big Hollywood movie would do and that is very much a compliment. It skips pretty much entirely over the moments of first contact with aliens. Instead it sets the stage and then we jump forward several years to a kind of stasis, to examine what the world is like now. The Ynaa can look human and are mostly separate, but the world has allowed them to have the run of one part of the Virgin Islands. The mostly-black islanders take the brunt of the unpredictable, mysterious, and sometimes violent nature of the Ynaa while the rest of the world benefits from their technology.
There's a lot that's interesting here theme-wise, and while colonialism is the obvious one, my mind jumped to several different places, which is just what you want to happen in good speculative fiction. We also get multiple points of view, allowing us to see those who are fascinated by the Ynaa and those who abhor them and everything in between. It's a fun world to play around in, with characters you really care about, I just want Turnbull to go further.
I listened to this book on audio, something I particularly enjoy doing when characters have non-US accents.
Rating: really liked it
Aliens have made first contact in the Virgin Islands. Amazingly, they look just like humans and come bearing gifts of advanced medicine and clean energy. All they ask in return is that they be able to hang out for awhile to conduct some unspecified scientific research. Sure, they look human, but something seems just a bit off with the way they move, almost like they're not used to their own bodies. The locals immediately distrust the alien presence and see them as just the latest in a long line of colonizers.
If the plot sounds familiar, then you probably watched the television show V. The original came out in the mid 80's and there was a reboot around 2010. The book is more or less V set in the Virgin Islands, only with all the interesting storylines cut out of it.
The book starts 15 days prior to first contact. Each day has a few paragraphs introducting the two families that make up most of the main characters. Day 0 ends with a spaceship hovering over the Virgin Islands. Things are about to get good. Then, the book inexplicably cuts to FIVE YEARS LATER. Why? You just got rid of the most entertaining part of the story. It's like ordering a double cheeseburger and asking them to hold the meat and cheese.
At this point, we discover that almost everyone in the Virgin Islands is dumb. The aliens are basically Superman without the ability to fly; they're super strong, super fast and impervious to harm. This doesn't stop people from frequently attacking them. Surprise, surprise, this doesn't go well for the attackers.
Why are the aliens being attacked? Well, there are a couple reasons. First, people are mad that the aliens killed the people who attacked them, so they attack the aliens and get killed, creating more mad people who go on to....you get the picture. Second, there are no aliens in the bible (apparently no one watches Ancient Aliens on the History Channel), so that means they must be demons. Ok, that's one way to go. Personally, I think they'd fit the description of biblical angels better than demons, you know, coming from the sky and healing people and all, but what do I know.
Around the halfway point, a bunch of new POV characters are introduced for no good reason. Other stuff happens, but none of it is terribly intersting until the King Idiot of the Virgin Islands shows up and doubles down on the stupid. The book ends with a fairly ambiguos ending that leaves no one satisfied.
Rating: really liked it
I get what the author was trying to do here. The alien race Ynaa invading and taking over the Virgin Islands is an obvious comment to colonialism and an overall interesting idea. So the basis for a good story is there, I just don't feel as though the author truly pulled it off.
Many parts of the novel were confusing and disjointed, and didn't quite fit back together for the reader in the way the author likely believed they would. Another thing that really disconnected the story from the reader was the lack of effort the author put into fleshing out his characters.
There wasn't enough characterization for many of the novel's main players (except for Mera, she was superb) and therefore the events of the story didn't have as much of an emotional impact as they could have.
The author did do a good job representing different groups of people that are usually underrepresented in common literature, such as the community of the Virgin Islands and the LGBTQ+ community, which was a definite strength of this novel.
Overall, "The Lesson" had a lot of promise, yet ended up being rather underwhelming.
Rating: really liked it
First off, the description for this book doesn't really describe what it's about. Or rather, it sort of describes it, but sets it up in a way that doesn't really give you a good idea of what actually happens or when.
This is a heavily character driven story about the intertwined lives of people living in the aftermath of an alien arrival/occupation. That dichotomy of thought plays a large role in how the people in the tight island community of St. Thomas feel about life alongside the Ynaa.
This is a slow moving and deftly plotted story, focusing on the everyday lives of people living through extraordinary events. Events which rarely touch them personally, except when they do, often with crushing consequences.
Rating: really liked it
3.5 starsTrigger Warnings: violence, death, cancer
This is such an interesting and fresh take on the first contact trope in alien science fiction stories. However, this book is not as much about aliens as I thought it would be going into it. The set up for this is 5 years prior, an Alien race known as the Ynaa arrives at the US Virgin Islands and have been living with the people there ever since. They are on a research mission and while there they have offered up their advanced technology to the humans. And while benevolent in many ways, they can also be quick to aggression and wrath. This story is mainly following 3 families, across multiple perspectives and time periods, as they all interact with the presence of the aliens differently. And specifically a year after the death of a young man at the hands of the Ynna.
This book very much leans into its characters and its concepts more than anything. There is very little plot, but that is kind of the point of the story. It's really not about the aliens, rather, the aliens are sort of used as a tool, as a backdrop, to explore various themes - invasion, colonization - to explore the history of the Virgin Islands, to explore people and humankind. And while this wasn't what I was expecting of this story, it still did an excellent job of conveying and exploring those concepts.
While I love a character-driven story, my main gripe with this book was the characters. There are many and in turn, many POVs. And I just thoughts that some of them needed more time to develope the character. This book is on the shorter side - under 300s, and I just kind of felt like this could have been improved with a few more chapters from each of these perspectives to give us everything we need to connect with the characters and understand their perspective and truly get the impact of their story.
Overall, I do think this is a good story. Not exactly what I was expecting but still an enjoyable experience. I do really like conceptual stories that really take a larger look at things and make you think. It is a debut, so I am very much looking forward to what more this author will come out with.
Rating: really liked it
[Alien invasion of the Virgin Islands in search of their alien brand of self actualization. Tentacled aliens wrapped in human form/flesh travel through time and experience plantation life and cruelty. They kill humans that harm them. One human figured a way to kill one of them. In retaliation they kill all the males on the island and then leave (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
My love for alien invasion novels has become a life long passion. Over the years, I’ve added many favorites to my personal bookshelf and now I will be adding another. It’s rare to pick up a debut as unique as The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull. This is a deeply emotional story of suspense about an alien race that has traveled to the US Virgin Islands with seemingly unknown intentions. As the plot slowly unfolds through the POV of multiple complex characters, Turnbull sets the stage for a revelation and ending that not only rewards the reader but has us thinking about the story long after we turn the last page. By the time I was finished, I had no doubt this is the beginning of an epic career for Cadwell Turnbull. I anxiously await his next book.
Rating: really liked it
And they didn't invade. They arrived... The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull is unlike anything I have ever read before and I cannot stop talking about it and I didn't want it to end.
Set on the U.S. Virgin Islands, we meet the members of the community of Charlotte Amalie-like most Islanders, they are pretty laid back, but all living complicated lives. Things get even more complicated when one day the sky opens up and an alien ship docks close to the island. The five hundred Ynaa came in "peace" and with advance technology to offer for their five year stay on the island. The Ynaa's message to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands is that they are looking for "something", they needed time to "research" and "they would leave the planet as they found it". Yes, the Ynnas were very vague but their ask seemed reasonable at the time.
Fast forward to a year into the invasion and tension between the Islanders and Ynaas is strong. While the Ynaas's tries to blend in by using human disguise, they are easily prone to anger, so much so, a Ynaa ripped an Islander to his death. The Ynaa's Ambassador Mera, tries to keep the peace by using Derrick a fellow Islander to help her get the message out but things are now beyond her control. The Islanders realize there are no consequences for the Ynaas action. Things spiral, quickly.
When I say I have never read a book like this, I mean it. Cadwell is able to traverse and blend various genres together, it is hard to classify exactly what genre this book falls under. I think that is what I loved most about it. We get a bit of Sci-Fi, historical fiction and young adults. The book starts out exploring the complicated lives of the community members of Charlotte Amalie. We see a married couple coming to terms with the impending doom of their marriage and how their daughter might be affected. We meet a young man who grew up in church questioning Christianity, while wondering “what else could be out there?”
Cadwell, took his time in The Lesson to explore the history of colonialism and what the invasion meant for an island that have a history of being invaded and taken over. We get a historical look on how the island was colonialized, and the question was posed to the reader and the members of the community, whether the Ynaa invaded or they arrived.
If you are looking for a book that will grab you from the very beginning and won’t let go until the end, this is it. If you have never read about an alien invasion happening on an island- well this might be the only book for you to read.
A must read!
Rating: really liked it
A speculative alien invasion novel set in the Virgin Islands--and it has a large contingent of female characters who actually do things! I know that sounds like a low bar, but I really did admire the dynamic characters Turnbull created. The story is well paced, and I loved how the aliens (who inhabit humanoid bodies) were incorporated into society, or rather, how they affect society. Honestly, this book was right up my alley, and will definitely be recommending it to everyone upon its release. Add it to your TBR now!
Rating: really liked it
The Lesson is a literary take on an alien invasion story, set in the Virgin Islands. It largely centers Black characters, local culture, and touches on the history of slavery and colonization. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but explores some interesting ideas. It uses the aliens as a metaphor for colonization, where they are both benevolent and brutally violent.
If you're looking for a book that spends most of it's time on describing and understanding the aliens, you aren't going to get it. Although what we do learn about the Ynaa is fascinating and around the middle of the book we get a bit more on them. Really though, this is a character study of people who live through this alien invasion in the Virgin Islands, their responses, their complicated personal relationships, and violence visited on them by their past and present. We also see a variety of responses to the alien presence- those who want to be like them, those who love them, those who fear them, and those who refuse to have anything to do with them. As a study of colonization and racism, it's pretty fascinating to think about.
Go in knowing this is more literary and philosophical than fun sci-fi, but it accomplishes what it's trying to do very well. Do be aware there are content warnings that include violence, death, violence toward animals, infidelity, medical trauma, and flashbacks to slavery and attempted sexual assault.
Rating: really liked it
A great read!Set in the Caribbean, Turnbull has given us an alien-human story that is character driven and tackles big themes. What defines an invasion, what becomes of the invaded, and how will the interactions change the landscape as we know it? It is a story of family, friendship, belonging, violence, community, and resilience.
The beauty and strength of Caribbean people is stamped all over this one.
Turnbull's prose is practically liquid the way it flows across the page, creating such a vivid picture and connection between reader and character, it is as if one is inhabiting the page.
The lives, loves, experiences, and scape are depicted with a familiarity that immediately grips and holds the attention. There is no pomp or overly done construction here. It is pure simplicity and renders the characters even more real because of it.
This narrative raises questions around who defines invasions and what is the nature of a particular arrival that allows it to either be stamped or negated as an invasion? Is the position and perception of the native inhabitants being taken into consideration or is the story being steered by larger and uninvolved foreign powers?
It also addresses belonging: what does it mean to belong to a society when one has been embedded in it for centuries but is different from and has been carrying out specimen collections and societal observations that aim to benefit a distant home planet?
Is it surprising or unexpected that one should form bonds and begin to understand the people and planet on which one has been integrated into?
What made me love this book, even more than just because it is set in the Caribbean, is that it portrayed people not unlike those who we grew up with. People who are falling in and out of love, discovering a new passion, allowing themselves to exist in the moment, adjusting to a new reality while still maintaining behaviours and mores that they have always known.
