The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone

Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They don’t know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes...only to wake up the following day in hospital, miraculously recovered.

When news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call 'Sandy' and goes on the run.

But they aren’t the only ones with an interest in the alien ... close behind are Ava’s husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandy’s arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagine...

About the author

Doug Johnstone is the author of fourteen previous novels, most recently Black Hearts (2022). The Big Chill (2020) was longlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year and three of his books, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade, and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club, and has a PhD in nuclear physics.

Review

‘The Space Between Us’ is a mesmerising, beautifully written book that makes us look deep within and asks us the fundamental questions of ‘what makes us human’ and how we would react when faced with a life force outside of our planet! I am not a huge sci-fi, yes I read it but it's not my preferred genre as I question far too much when reading it as it comes across as unbelievable. But wow Doug’s book I did not question anything at all. I just accepted and carried on reading and it didn't come across as fantastical or over the top, it just felt real and true in a very fundamental sense. I'm totally expecting to rock up to any sea loch in Scotland now and meet Sandy and it would be an utter joy if I could! Don't be put off by the genre of this book as it's so much more than sci-fi. I ensure you that you will love it!

Lennox is a troubled teenager in care as he has no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is dying from cancer and grieving the loss of her daughter. They don't know one another but when a meteor flashes over Edinburgh one night they all suffer from catastrophic strokes, only to wake up the next day in hospital and feeling completely fine. They end up watching the local news together and see an item about an octopus-like creature that has washed up on a local beach. Lennox senses it is something to do with them and they, along with a local journalist Ewan, rescue the creature they call ‘Sandy’ and go on the run. But they aren't the only people interested in Sandy, the police, Ava’s abusive husband and a secretive government group are chasing them and won't stop until they have caught them all!

I absolutely loved this book and for me it transcended the sci-fi genre as it's main themes went much further than a first contact story. It looked at fundamental aspects of what makes us human, it's a coming-of-age story, a story about motherhood, a story about grief, a story that looks at abuse, a road-trip story and so much more. In other words it's very multi-layered and an absolute joy to read. It was also a comforting read, when ever Sandy touched one of our trio and showed them things I felt a sense of calm and peace come over me. Doug’s writing projected a world that was beautiful, a world I would love to interact with and a desire to interconnect with our natural world.

All three protagonists in this book were well-formed and I was rooting for each of them! Lennox is a lonely kid who lives in a children's home and is having to deal with a group of bullies as our story opens. Ava is fleeing her abusive husband and Heather is preparing to end it all. The only thing they have in common is that they were outside when they saw this magnificent light show and then passed out whilst having a massive stroke. They all have a miracle recovery and feel bonded in a strange way. It's this part of the story that makes me have one question for the author ‘did this story come to you in a fever dream whilst you were having your own stroke?’ and it's also due to knowing what happened to Doug that makes me instantly believe this part of the story. Well, I just believed all of it really!

It was these three people that made the story for me. You could have removed Sandy from the equation and it would have still been the same book in a way as the main themes emerged from these characters and their very human problems and backgrounds. They pulled me into the story and I just wanted to know what would happen to them. It was their hopes and desires that formed the base of this book and it's a brilliant foundation upon which to build. I honestly could not put this book down but I also wanted to prolong the experience of reading it as it was an exquisite piece of literature.

‘The Space Between Us’ has been picked as one of the books for Sara Cox’s ‘Between The Covers’ on BBC2 and his episode is next Monday! I hope this proves to be super successful for Doug as more people should know about him as he is an amazing author. I will be tuning in and I hope you will do as well. Turn on at 7pm to see Sara Cox, Alan Davies, Ivo Graham, Samantha Bond and Sunetra Sarker discuss this unforgettable book, alongside an interview with Doug filmed in the book’s Scottish setting!

Let me know if you pick this one up!