The Unseen

Fueled by malevolent aliens and sinister changelings, this middling sci-fi horror novel from Ahlborn (Brother) follows grieving mother Isla Hansen as she reckons with both the death of her infant son, Adam, and the ongoing spate of children’s disappearances that have gone unsolved in her small town. When a strange boy of five or six years old turns up in her garden in bad shape, Isla believes his appearance to be a miracle and is determined to provide “Rowan,” as she dubs him, with a family and home, despite the warnings of the social worker assigned to his case and the misgivings of her husband, Luke. Things take an eerie turn in their house as Isla’s five other children, August, Eden, Olive, Sophie, and Willow, witness their mother behaving increasingly strangely as her obsession with both Rowan and a mysterious disappearance from her own childhood consume her. Though the plot moves along at a good clip with suitably creepy descriptions and body horror that is gory without being gratuitous, much of the imagery will feel familiar, if not a little derivative, especially for fans of Stranger Things. Meanwhile, the characters blend together in a jostled narrative that switches viewpoints far too rapidly. It’s a brisk diversion, but not a memorable one. Agent: David Hale Smith, InkWell Management. (Aug.)