We Are The Ants

Author: Shaun David Hutchinson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, LGBTQ+

Release Date: January 19th 2016

Format: ARC

Page Count: 304

ISBN: 9781481449632

Author Website | Book Depository | Chapters/Indigo | Amazon | Goodreads

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC for review.

I don’t even know where to begin with We Are The Ants. If I could give this book all of the stars in the universe, I would. This book won’t even be released until mid-January and I think I have already read one of the best Young Adult novels of 2016. Is it too soon to make that statement? Probably, but who cares…it doesn’t matter. This will be one of my favourite books of 2016 and probably of all time and I will shout it from the rooftops if that’s what it will take to get my point across.

How have I never read anything by Shaun David Hutchinson before? What have I been doing with my life? Not only have I possibly just found one of my favourite books of all time, but I think it’s safe to say that I have also definitely found one of my new favourite authors of all time. Hutchinson’s writing style is perfection. I haven’t read anything like We Are The Ants in such a long time. I literally had trouble putting it down. It has definitely been a while since a book has had me as captivated as We Are The Ants did.

We Are The Ants tells the story of Henry Denton, a teenaged boy who has been abducted by aliens. These aliens have informed Henry that the world is going to end and have given him the choice to either save it by pushing a big red button, or let it end by simply doing nothing. On top of all of this, Henry is relentlessly bullied at school and he has recently lost his boyfriend Jesse to suicide.

I will not lie to you when I say that aliens are really just not my thing. I find the idea of aliens and contemplating their existence really interesting and exciting, but in terms of reading about fictionalized aliens within novels, I’m just really not that interested. However, I could tell just by reading the synopsis of We Are The Ants, that this story was so much more than that. I beg you to please not let the mention of aliens stop you from reading this brilliant story. I’m not sure if it is obvious to everyone while reading the synopsis, or if it just so happened to jump out at me, but these alien abductions and the choice these aliens are giving Henry are a huge metaphor for another strong topic throughout this novel.

There are definitely some moments throughout this story that are tough to read, or they were for me at least. I found myself wanting to insert myself into the story just so I could be there for Henry. We Are The Ants deals with multiple heavy topics. Although, the majority of this book is darker in tone, there are so many moments that are beyond important. Of course We Are The Ants is a must read for those involved in the LGBTQIA+ community, but it is also a should read for everyone else. We Are The Ants is so important.

Clearly, I enjoyed this book beyond my expectations. It is one of the best books I have ever read, one of the best LGBTQIA+ themed books I have ever read and by an author who is sure to be one of my favourites of all time. We Are The Ants will remain in my mind and heart for a very long time.