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Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 09, 2016
Cinematic Sci Fi Series Perfect for Reluctant Readers, Especially My Own
7:04 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
A common lament around my house is that I take reading recommendations from other people far more seriously than I do those that come from my own family members. While I always insist this is untrue, maybe I'm wrong. So, when my 11-year-old begged me to read the first book in his favorite series, I agreed. Usually I have to force him to sit down with a book, but the whole C.H.A.O.S. trilogy by Arizona author Jon S. Lewis kept him glued to the pages. Naturally, I was anxious to see what kind of story had that kind of power over my usually reluctant reader.
Invasion, the first book in the series, introduces our hero, 16-year-old Colt McAlister. The teen, who lives in San Diego, wants nothing more than to spend his summer riding the ocean waves, strumming his guitar, and flirting with a pretty girl. A car accident changes all that. With his parents dead, Colt moves to Chandler, Arizona, to live with his 85-year-old grandpa. Although grieving, the teen finds friends and starts to make an okay new life for himself.
When Colt receives a strange message insinuating that his parents' "accident" wasn't an accident at all, he's incensed. Especially when a follow-up meeting with its sender ends with him running for his life on a flying motorcycle. That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strange. As Colt investigates what really happened to his mom and dad, he's horrified to discover that nothing in his world is quite what it seems. He's confronted otherworldly creatures before—in comic books and video games—but never have they crawled off the pages to invade his real life. With murderous life forms straight out of his worst nightmares hot on his tail, Colt has to figure out what the heck is going on. Who are these aliens infiltrating the planet? What do they want? What crazy secrets did Colt's parents die trying to protect? Most importantly, how can Colt, a teenage surfer, stop an enemy with untold power from taking over the world?
Alien invasion books aren't really my cup of tea, but I can see why an 11-year-old boy would be mesmerized by this story. With scary monsters, cool sci fi gadgets, and plenty of action, Invasion definitely keeps your attention. It's a fast-paced, cinematic thrill ride that will especially appeal to pre-teen boys and reluctant readers. They won't care how far-fetched the plot or how unrealistically inept the bad guys—they will just eat up the adventure. I enjoyed Invasion enough to keep reading but, despite my son's badgering to read its sequels, I probably won't. Still, I recommend this one for kids who like sci fi adventure movies and action-packed comic books. They'll surely inhale the C.H.A.O.S. series, just like my son did.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other sci fi thrillers, although no specific title is coming to mind. Suggestions?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and brief, mild sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I borrowed my son's copy of Invasion. Thanks, bud!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Hyped-Up 5th Wave Just Okay for Me
10:10 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
The Others have invaded Earth in four devastating waves of destruction. Unlike 97% of Earth's population, 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan has managed to survive all of them. Her parents were not so lucky. Alone and terrified, she's making her careful way toward Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where she hopes to find her 5-year-old brother, Sammy. With only an M16 and her own wits to keep her alive, Cassie must evade the Silencers that roam the destroyed landscape. These "sleeper agents" look just like humans, but they're not people and they're certainly not friendly. Therefore, she can't trust anyone. No matter how benign they might appear.
Evan Walker looks like your average 17-year-old boy. He's not. Even he doesn't understand why he takes the risk of rescuing Cassie Sullivan, but he does. She doesn't want to trust him. She shouldn't trust him. But maybe the two can help each other navigate the dangerous world in which they now live.
In another world, "Zombie" was an average teenager, too. Now, he's a soldier, training to stop the aliens and whatever horrors their 5th wave might unleash. His recruits are a pathetic bunch, scared children even younger than Zombie. Among them is a tiny 5-year-old boy, whom Zombie must teach to kill or be killed.
The fates of these three teenagers intersect in the strange, post-apocalyptic land that has become their new normal. As they fight to save themselves and their world, they will learn some shocking truths about each other. Despite their differences, they will have to come together to defeat an enemy bent on annihilating them once and for all.
Even though I've read about a million YA post-apocalyptic novels, many of which are unoriginal copycats, I'm still intrigued by this genre. When I received an ARC of The 5th Wave, the first book in Rick Yancey's popular alien invasion series, a couple years ago, I naturally wanted to read it. It took me awhile, but I finally got to it. What did I think? Although the book starts slow, it's got plenty of action which kept me turning pages. The characters and plot offered nothing really new or original and there were few surprises I didn't see coming. Considering all the hype that has surrounded this book since its publication, I expected it to knock my socks off and ... it really didn't. It's an engrossing book, yes, but not an exceptional one. Eventually, I'll get around to reading the sequels and seeing the movie—I'm just not in any big rush. As you can tell, in the end, The 5th Wave was just an okay read for me.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content
Monday, May 25, 2015
Teens Trapped in a Human Zoo Makes for Stomach-Turning, But Engrossing YA Thriller
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Cora Mason is supposed to be on the slopes skiing with her family. In fact, the last thing the 16-year-old remembers is composing song lyrics in the passenger seat while her brother drove to the ski resort. But what she sees now isn't snow. She's alone in a vast sea of sand. Cora's a senator's daughter—maybe this is a kidnapping? Except her surroundings don't even seem real. There's something off about them, something surreal and dream-like to the whole situation. The more Cora explores the land around her, the more confused she becomes. A patchwork landscape like this can't exist. Farms don't sit next to jungles, nor tundras next to deserts. Where in the world has she landed? And why is she here?
Soon, Cora discovers other teenagers, all wandering the strange terrain in various states of astonishment and fear. As they learn to regard each other with a wary trust, they also discover the chilling truth about their new living quarters: the odd habitat has been designed especially for them, the newest exhibits in a human zoo run by a highly intelligent alien race. To remain in the safety of the zoo, all they have to do is obey—they must eat, sleep, exercise, and procreate. If they do not comply, they will be auctioned off to private collectors who use captured humans for their own murky purposes.
While some of her comrades agree, preferring known horrors to the unknown, Cora refuses to be controlled so easily. Her new-found friendship with one of the alien guards may be the key to escape. But, as the human captives turn their backs on Cora and her otherworldly captors grow more suspicious of her intentions, life in the zoo is becoming increasingly dangerous. Can Cora find her way home? Or will she be forced to live like a caged animal, kept alive only as long as she does what she's told?
Megan Shepherd, author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy, must have a stomach of steel. In her debut series, she addressed the bloody art of vivisection in all its fascinating goriness. Her new YA novel, The Cage (available May 26, 2015), is no less horrifying with its vivid and disturbing depictions of humans being kept as exhibits and pets. As disconcerting as the idea is, though, I have to admit it makes for an intriguing premise, one that pretty much guarantees an intense, nail-biter of a story, which The Cage certainly is. Pulse-pounding action isn't the only thing the novel has going for it—mix in interesting, complex characters; thought-provoking philosophical questions (What is real? What does it mean to truly be free?); and a taut, survivalist adventure tale; and you've got yourself an edge-of-your-seat, can't-put-it-down thriller. My only real complaint is I wish the kids hadn't met the Kindred quite so soon. A more anonymous antagonist (a lá LOST or The Maze Runner) would have made the story even more suspenseful. Despite that small annoyance, I couldn't look away from this one. It kept me totally engrossed and completely mesmerized. I'm already dying to read the next book in the series.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Maze Runner trilogy [The Maze Runner; The Scorch Trials; The Death Cure] by James Dashner and a little of the t.v. show LOST)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, and some sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Cage from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at Edelweiss. Thank you!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Alien Abduction Story Leaves Me Feeling Flummoxed ... and Not Much Else
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)Alien[eyl yuh n, ey lee
uh n] adjective: unlike one's own; strange; not belonging to one: alien speech. (fromIt's appropriate that First Day on Earth, Cecil Castellucci's new (available November 1) YA novel, concerns aliens because I think the above description fits the book to a T. It's weird. It's strange. It's just ... alien. I'm not sure how to describe it, let alone react to it, but I'll try ...
The story revolves around Mal, a 16-year-old high school student nursing some serious angst. With his dad long gone and his mom mourning her abandonment with as much alcohol as she can find, Mal's usually left to his own devices. Since everyone thinks he's weird, Mal doesn't have any friends. Lonely, bitter, and confused about his place in the world, he seeks solace with a community support group. For survivors. Of alien abductions. Among the members of the group, Mal actually sort of fits in. The thing is, though, that none of the abductions other people describe during meetings resemble the experience Mal had with aliens. Or thinks he had. How else can he explain those hazy days when he disappeared back when he was 12? If the group can't help him make sense of what happened, who can? And if it wasn't aliens, what did happen to Mal? Most importantly, if the people in the group are crazy - and he strongly suspects they may be - then what does that say about Mal?
When Mal strikes up an unlikely friendship with Hooper, a mentally-challenged homeless man who's waiting for the Mother Ship to beam him up, Mal thinks he may finally have found his savior. The only problem: Mal has to somehow convince Hooper's aliens to take him with them when they come. And if they don't show up? Then, Mal will know for sure what he's always suspected - he's officially insane.
See what I mean? Strange premise (although I like the whole I'm-a-teen-who-feels-like-a-stranger-in-my-own-body-maybe-I-was-abducted-by-aliens idea), strange plot, strange execution. The whole story weirded me out so much that I couldn't connect with it at all. It's not exactly cheery either - the hopeful ending seems tacked on, not convincing. So, although I liked the book enough to finish it, overall, First Day on Earth was a really odd read for me. It left me feeling flummoxed and not much else.
(Readalikes: Um, I really can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade: C-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for strong language (1 F-bomb, plus milder invectives), lewd humor and mature themes
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of First Day on Earth from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Watch the Skies Just Good Endertainment
8:33 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)Think about how many times a day you switch on your t.v., log on to your computer, scroll through playlists on your iPod, or answer a call on your cell phone. Now imagine that an evil alien - say Number 5 on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma - decided to use popular technology to hypnotize humans into doing exactly what he told them to do. Well, it wouldn't be pretty.
That's exactly the freaky kind of situation in which Daniel finds himself in Watch the Skies, James Patterson's second book (the first with contributor Ned Rust) starring the cool-headed Alien Hunter. Although Number 5 professes to be melting humans merely for alien endertainment, Daniel senses the slimy monster has ulterior motives. He just has to figure out what they are. And, oh yeah, stop a notoriously bad, bad alien outlaw. Luckily, he has the help of his super powers, a minivan decked out with every high-tech gadget imaginable, and his butt-kicking imaginary friends. Yes, I did say imaginary. How exactly are they going to take down Number 5? Very, very carefully. And with some rocking, superhuman stunts. He may even capture the heart of Judy Blue Eyes in the process. That's if he survives to take her on a second date, of course.
If you liked the first book in this series (you can see my review here), you'll enjoy this one, too. It's got everything readers love about James Patterson - fast action, snappy dialogue, quick humor - without any of the racier elements found in his adult books. If you're looking for developed characters, a complex plot, or writing that will make you swoon, you'll definitely want to look elsewhere. But if you - or the tween boy in your life - long for a light, action-packed, funny read, this is your (or his) series. Oh yeah, and if you want to frighten said tween boy away from technology overload, Watch the Skies just might just do the trick. After all, what's scarier than a bloodthirsty alien bent on taking over the world via iPod? It's enough to make you pop out your earbuds - a least long enough to devour the 250 pages of this fun, thrilling adventure. It's just plain ole' good endertainment.
Grade: B-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for fantasy violence and a few (non-graphic) reference to "stoners," making out and a "booty call."
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