Review: Being by T.R. Mousner

BEING by T.R. Mousner

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 282

Publication: March 8, 2011
(Self-Published)

Source: Author


Goodreads Summary: For elite extraterrestrial pilot EBN-Reyoz-X, awaiting rescue while hiding out in a trailer park in Lancaster, California, is a grueling nightmare. She’s injured, lacks proper supplies and can’t blend in with the indigenous population because she’s seven feet tall and can’t control the trail of wildflowers blooming in the wake of her footsteps. She’s unprepared to begin sexual maturity in the alien land and when she develops feelings for Shale, the mute teenage boy next door, she’s convinced circumstances can get no worse.

Except rescue never comes and once word spreads that her touch holds miraculous healing abilities, EBN must find a way to fix her ship, evade capture by the United States Air Force and survive long enough to return home.

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I'm not an avid reader of science fiction, but once in a while a story sounds intriguing enough that I'll step out of my normal genres. Being is one such story. Complete with a girl forced to rely on her own resourcefulness, government conspiracies, and a little bit of romance, Being is an enjoyable debut novel as well as a good introduction to science fiction if you're curious about the genre.

When EBN's ship crashes on Erox (earth), she's sure it's only a matter of time before rescue comes. Until then, she'll simply avoid Sents (humans) and wait. But after a small altercation with soldiers, rescuing a cat from two mischievous boys, sustaining a leg injury, and leaving a trail of wildflowers blooming in her wake, she realizes that things may not be as simple as she originally thought. Add to that the fact that none of her transmissions to the High Chancellor are going through, and she is forced to reevaluate her original assignment. This disobedience brings her into contact with more Sents - notably Shale and his sister, Harmony. And even though EBN knows she shouldn't, she can't help but feel drawn to Shale. Meanwhile, Aix, EBN's brother, still on Pharralax, is determined to find the information that nobody seems to have about EBN. There is something strange about the High Chancellor...and if Aix can't find the information he wants at home, then he will go wherever necessary to get it. But EBN wasn't meant to live on Erox, and her days may be numbered...

Unlike many contemporary books that only follow the main character, Being is told in three different points of view - EBN, Aix, and Shale - and each had their own style and flow that were completely appropriate to the characters. Each shift of narrator was accompanied by a brief review of the events that had just taken place, which helped not only to avoid confusion but also to show these important events from more than one perspective. I especially enjoyed watching Shale's interactions with EBN and his subsequent growth throughout the book. In addition, it was interesting to see how such separate lives - EBN's quest for survival, Shale and Harmony's day-to-day existence, and Aix's issues on Pharralax - eventually converged into one thread.

There was a fair amount of world building in this book (for the extra-terrestrial side of things), but about halfway through the book, everything began accelerating to the end. The ending was satisfactory, but it definitely left some questions open-ended (to be answered in a sequel, I hope!) This book is influenced by certain environmental problems from last year, the oil spill and wildfires, and it does make a point about caring for the earth. However, rather than coming across as preachy, these points, as well as the environmental destruction, are fully integrated into the story.

Being is a good debut novel, combining an original idea with an important message. I'm looking forward to seeing what Mousner writes next!

Rating: 3.5 stars