The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

Read: September 2025

Rating: 4.25 stars

Format: ebook

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead drew me in from the first chapter. It's an incredible mix of adventure and heart, all centered on a lovable character named Nathan. All Nathan wants is a normal life, full of normal school days, and lots of Calvin and Hobbes (who doesn't love Calvin and Hobbes?!) Instead, his parents have him safely locked in his bedroom. Not as a punishment, not as some creepy situation, just for safekeeping, until the whole family (minus Toto the cat) get picked up to go to The Wagon.

The Wagon is not your everyday, run of the mill, red wagon. Nope, this one is a full-fledged Space Ship! See, Nathan's parents are Kast, which is some sort of alien life form, masquerading as humans for this giant, decades long experiment on planet Earth. And Nathan is key in that experiment.

We learn that Nathan and his family are Kast, an alien species masquerading as humans for a huge, decades-long experiment on planet Earth. The details of his life are as captivating as they are strange, from the pink toothpaste he must use five times a day, to his mom recording every morsel of food that enters his body, and more, not-so-pretty post meal details, to the monthly virtual meetups with the eight other kids involved in the experiment. The more we read, the more we learn about what prompted this visit to The Wagon, and whatever it was that happened on the family's first visit to Florida that warrants this urgent trip to The Wagon.

Along the way, we meet Nathan's best friend Victor (completely human, with a family that Nathan loves to spend time with) and other Kast kids: Izzy, with whom Nathan communicates secretly between meetings, Miriam, who was first to disappear (yes, you read that right!), Leo, and a plethora of other characters that add to this exciting read. Nathan's adventure draws the reader in and keeps them hooked with every page turn. And the ending? The twist you won't expect (or, maybe you will, but it's still awesome) completes this highly recommended new book by Stead!

Along the way, we meet a fantastic cast of characters who add so much to the story. There's Nathan's best friend, Victor, a completely human kid whose family Nathan loves spending time with. We also get to know other Kast kids like Izzy, with whom Nathan communicates secretly between meetings, and Miriam, the first to mysteriously disappear. These friendships add a richness to the story as the adventure deepens.

Stead expertly weaves this exciting tale, and Nathan's journey keeps you hooked with every page turn. And the ending? It delivers a clever and totally awesome twist that you won't see coming, completing this highly recommended read. The Experiment is a book that proves that even when your life is filled with aliens and spaceships, what truly matters is friendship, family, and finding your place in the universe.