We Are the Ants

by Shaun David Hutchinson

[Angie]

Wow. We Are the Ants was nothing like I expected it to be, but it was so good and super intense! Henry has been randomly abducted by aliens for the last few years, but this latest kidnapping was different. He's told that the world is going to end, but if he pushes the red button, it won't. At first it seems like an easy decision: just push it! Henry figures the alien chose him for a reason and he shouldn't be so hasty. He has 144 days to decide, but as time goes on, Henry has less and less reason to save Earth.

We Are the Ants deals with a lot of heavy topics. Henry's boyfriend recently committed suicide and didn't leave a note or say anything to anyone, so Henry's been blaming himself as he grieves. His father also left without a word, which Henry also blames himself for. His mother seems to have given up on life, just smoking and working too hard at her crappy job. His grandmother is in the early stages of dementia but refuses to go to a nursing home. His brother dropped out of college after knocking up his girlfriend. The guy Henry is hooking up with is emotionally and physically abusive. The new guy he's crushing on is keeping secrets and possibly hiding anger issues. It's a lot, but never felt like too much. It all felt real and definitely cemented Henry's conflict over whether the world is worth saving.

I don't want to give too much away about We Are the Ants. Henry is going through a lot, which was hard to read at times. It's not all gloom and doom though. He does find some bright spots, which I think is the whole point of the story. Things may look bleak and not worth continuing, but should that overshadow all of the good stuff in life?

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