Starred review from May 1, 2019

DEBUT Five years ago, an alien ship appeared above Water Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands met the Ynaa. A species on an undisclosed research mission on Earth, the Ynaa hold great healing powers that benefit the island residents but also show no tolerance for aggression against themselves; aggressors are met with extraordinary violence and that often results in death. Mera, the Ynaa ambassador, tries to balance her people's actions with the humans', while bonding with Derrick Reed, her assistant with his own family struggles, during the anniversary of the death of a young man at the hands of the Ynaa. They will have to choose sides in a growing standoff between the Ynaa and humanity. As other residents see their journey play out from the occupation to the anniversary, stories and lives become intertwined, culminating in a final conflict that not everyone can survive. Emotional prose and distinctive characters highlight this incredible tale that will touch readers' hearts and minds. VERDICT A compelling read of an invasive occupation and emotional uprising, Turnbull's debut is a must for all libraries. The author, who crafts speculative stories featuring black characters on par with Octavia Butler, is definitely one to watch.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2019
The Lesson begins with the ominous line, Fifteen days before, referring to an alien occupation of the U.S. Virgin Islands, specifically Water Island. As soon as the occupation begins, the story jumps ahead five years, and the humans have all been coping with how the Ynaa alien race has complicated the social and political climate of their new home. It's becoming more and more obvious that the already tense cohabitation is reaching a boiling point. The Ynaa have been providing Earth with new technology in exchange for their occupation, but their strength and violent nature suggests that the occupation isn't exactly benevolent. The Ynaa use an ambassador to bridge the gap between the two races, but after an Ynaa murders a human teen, the tension becomes too much to bear. Turnbull artfully incorporates the history of slavery and colonialism on the U.S. Virgin Islands into the story, imagining that history's legacy on a future in which it's hard to differentiate between the cruel nature of man and alien. The Lesson is an impressive first book that takes a classic science fiction archetype and makes it feel new.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from June 15, 2019
Sometimes the aliens don't land in New York or London. In fact, the alien Ynaa ship that catalyzes the emotional landscape and drives the action of this debut novel lands in the harbor of Water Island, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Ynaa are decidedly a mixed bag, as aliens go: They don't intend to conquer, just to stay for a while to do some unspecified research. In return, they give humans advances in medicine and other technology. The downside is that the Ynaa, who nearly appear to be human but are far stronger, live by a code of survival above all things and return any violence or even perceived violence done to them with more excessive violence, which the governments of the world decline to pursue legally. Five years after the landing, many islanders are unhappy about the occasional dog ripped in half and young man's neck snapped. Moreover, the Ynaa are being less than forthcoming: The Ynaa ambassador, Mera, has been here far longer than most humans know. But that time has done more to damage her relationship with the Ynaa than with humanity; her intimate contacts with humans and the brutality she witnessed centuries ago when she posed as a slave have caused her to question both her people's way of life and their mysterious mission. Her struggle to reconcile her origins with her experiences and present circumstances is mirrored by several humans on the island--including Shawn, the angry brother of a boy killed by the Ynaa; Patrice, a young woman who went to the mainland U.S. for college but has returned pregnant; her ex-boyfriend Derrick, dubbed a traitor for his job working for Mera; and Derrick's grandmother Henrietta who refuses a Ynaa treatment for her cancer. All of them must come to their own conclusions, for good or for ill, as all of Water Island moves toward a final, explosive confrontation. A persuasively--almost musically--worded meditation on colonialism and whether it's really possible to return home again.

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"Bring[s] to mind the urgent and vibrant writing of Octavia Butler...From beginning to end, The Lesson is thrilling, moving and thought-provoking. This may be Turnbull's debut, but it reads like the work of a seasoned writer. It's also proof that science fiction is more than entertaining—it's a vital genre that lays bare the perils of the age and the boundlessness of the human spirit.

"Turnbull was raised in the Caribbean in a family that lived there for generations. This slow but gradual addition to the field of diverse writers whose fiction is influenced by their cultural background has not only led to a more authentic depiction of places other than mainland America and the United Kingdom, it's also revitalized the genre's creaky old tropes, such as the alien invasion/first contact narrative...The Lesson is everything I adore about a debut, a bold new voice that applies a fresh coat of paint to an old idea and does so with a sense of daring, compassion, and intelligence."

"Remarkable...Turnbull's writing is affecting and intelligent, dropping wisdom like cherry bombs...A daring and thoughtful book...that presents racial issues and questions in a genuinely new way, which makes it a book that, I hope, will stand the test of time."

"Turnbull's novel combines a solid, modest gravitas, a homey quotidian ambiance, a sophistication of character development, and some genuine SFnal strangeness into a unique and savory gumbo...A native of the region before taking up residence in the USA, Turnbull has the setting and citizens of St. Thomas in his bones and blood, and he conveys their reality to us gracefully, colorfully and with a minimum of hand-holding...Turnbull illustrates life on the island and the patterns of culture that contribute to the climactic miniapocalypse with sensitivity and flair...Ultimately, this deft, low-key, exacting, surprising, yet predestined story assumes the contours of the classic account of two cultures at cross-purposes, misunderstanding each other through a welter of good and bad intentions, tragedy resulting."

"A parable of cultural conflict, conflicting moralities, colonialism, and the costs of being a decent person in the midst of desperate times...This is one of those books in which the setting becomes almost a character in itself. The Virgin Islands and their people are drawn in vibrant detail...Turnbull has been compared to Octavia Butler, and in his case I think the observation is a valid one. The Lesson isn't just a serious, important book—it's also a fun and rewarding one."

"A thought-provoking work that blends empathy with high concepts. It's a fine place for a thoughtful career to begin."

"[A] rich debut novel about family, love, and loyalty in turbulent times...Turnbull uses a beautifully drawn cast of black characters to convey the complexity of ordinary hardship in extraordinary times. This is an ideal story for fans of Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and other literary science fiction novels."

"Emotional prose and distinctive characters highlight an incredible story that will touch readers' hearts and minds. A compelling tale of invasive occupation and emotional uprising, Turnbull's debut is complex and enthralling. It's a must for all libraries, and the writer, who crafts speculative stories with black characters on par with Octavia Butler, is definitely one to watch."

"Sometimes the aliens don't land in New York or London. In fact, the alien Ynaa ship that catalyzes the emotional landscape and drives the action of this debut novel lands in the harbor of...