The Humans by Matt Haig

The Humans is a warm hearted, life affirming account of what it is to be human. The premise of the story is an alien arrives on earth charged with the task of taking the place of mathematician, Andrew Martin, and eliminating his wife and son. It's a simple story but, one that is told with such feeling, it latches onto the reader's heart and won't let go. It is through the alien Andrew Martin's eyes that we come to see how terrifying, crazy but ultimately full of promise life is. As this so called imposter insinuates himself into the family, he becomes more and more connected to them. I particularly loved his relationship with the son Gulliver and, when he writes a list of advice for the boy, I was moved to tears. Haig's style of writing is deceptively straight forward, giving the impression of an easy read whilst challenging us to contemplate our very reason for existence. I recommend this book highly and if it doesn't fill you with hope for the human race then nothing will.