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Danny Callaghan and Katelyn Burns did not know each other in Madison, Wisconsin. In the summer of 1977, however, their lives were inexplicably intertwined beyond imagining when they were both abducted by aliens and met in the frightening confines of the alien ship. Years later they met, neither remembering the other or the event from their childhood, and they were married. During the course of this marriage they produced a child, Connor.
Connor is no ordinary child. He is gifted. Not in the way that most parents believe their own children to be gifted. Connor is undoubtedly the smartest living human being on the planet. As such, he is socially maligned by the other children in his school. Struggling to find friendships, Connor has no knowledge at all that he is a pawn in a very dark and deceptive game.
Lieutenant Lauren Glass, United States Air Force, finds herself also being manipulated into a shadowy governmental secret, one previously held by her father. Like her now deceased father, whose demise no one will discuss with her, Lauren is an empath, and her abilities are desperately needed. An alien craft once crashed in the desert and the military succeeded in capturing one of the Grays, as they are called. Lt. Glass is needed to maintain mental communication with that Gray, named Adam, who is also responsible for killing her father with a simple scratch.
The Grays are beginning to show themselves more often, and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Wilkes, the head of the Gray unit, is becoming more concerned with complete occupation by the visitors. When a group of Grays knowns as the Three Thieves allow themselves and their craft to be spotted in Wilton, Kentucky, they set in motion a frightening series of events that involve Dan Callaghan remembering his abductions and coming to understand that Connor is a product of the testing from so many years ago. The Grays have a purpose and they are preparing to set it in motion with Connor as the key to it all.
Overall, Whitley Strieber has devised a very interesting and entertaining story, one that any alien abduction or "The X-Files" fan would easily enjoy. Conspiracy theorists will applaud his description of the government's complicity in allowing the Grays to kidnap and sometimes even kill U.S. citizens as long as they remain in isolated areas, a cover-up dating back to Harry Truman's presidency. There are some moments of horror and the children can be downright creepy, yet the story is grounded in its own humorous moments and in the disbelief of those involved, including Katelyn.
The Grays themselves are an interesting race, and without that, this story would ultimately fail. The concept of them noticing the Earth from billions of light years away because the signature aura of emotions attracted them is quite well designed. They are interested in emotion because they cannot feel it themselves. Instilling fear is necessary for them to get that need sated.
THE GRAYS stumbles a bit. One problem is the abundance of names that come fast and furious, which can prevent a decently paced chapter from moving smoothly. Another is that some of the writing is weak or, in some instances, confusing, causing the reader to continually go back to re-read a second or even a third time to try to determine what was truly being said.
Despite those elements, THE GRAYS is still an enjoyable read for those who really enjoy science fiction with a touch of horror.
--- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard
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