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C.H.A.O.S. #1
Invasion
He didn't ask to be a hero, but now all that stands between us and chaos . . . is Colt.
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.
He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.
But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?
Vowing to uncover truth, Colt is drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible getaways.
The invasion has begun.
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.
He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.
But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?
Vowing to uncover truth, Colt is drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible getaways.
The invasion has begun.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2010
75 people are currently reading
2790 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
January 6, 2011
Original post at One More Page
I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested Invasion by J.S. Lewis from Booksneeze, so I had zero expectations when I started reading the book, too. Invasion is the first book in the C.H.A.O.S. series, and the first book tells the story of Colt McAlister, orphaned at 16 after his parents died in a car crash. Soon after he moved with his grandfather in Arizona, weird things start happening such as weird creatures chasing him, and random people trying to kill him for some reason. Soon Colt finds out that his mom was about to release a story about mind-controlling chips from a huge and powerful corporation, Trident Biotech. As Colt tries to uncover the mystery of his parents' death, he runs for his life with his friends and he encounters all weird creatures and high technology, and he realizes that there may be more to this than he thought it was.
Invasion has 57 chapters, which I found a bit daunting when I started reading. These were short chapters, however, which made it for easy albeit a bit shallow reading. There is strong world building in Invasion, backed with interesting facts and information with how aliens and different creatures have been hidden among humans since the start. If you liked the setting in Men In Black, this book provides the same kind of world. Just like other books that involved conspiracies, action wasn't lacking in this book: chase scenes, fights, random people trying to kill the heroes are a-plenty here. There's also enough secret hideouts, mysterious people and advanced technology to excite sci-fi fans around.
However, I never felt invested in the characters. I liked Colt, Oz and Danielle, but I didn't feel like I knew them for real. It may be because of how the story flowed or maybe even because each chapter is too short for me to glean much about who they are and what makes them tick. There also seemed to be a crowd of secondary characters all over the place, and while I get that it's needed to build the new world that Colt is moving into, it was kind of hard to keep track of them. The overall premise was interesting, and it does make for an interesting read but I felt that I would be more interested in this if it were a movie instead of a book.
I think Invasion is still a good book, but I think it's not for me. Perhaps it's my age, or my lack of scifi knowledge and love. I like my aliens and wild worlds with chase scenes and explosions, but this one just failed to capture my interest. Maybe younger boys or longtime scifi fans would enjoy this more than I did. I didn't really finish the book, but I thought it had enough potential to get a 3-star rating.
Invasion by J.S. Lewis is already out in hardcover, published by Thomas Nelson. Thanks to Booksneeze for the review copy.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested Invasion by J.S. Lewis from Booksneeze, so I had zero expectations when I started reading the book, too. Invasion is the first book in the C.H.A.O.S. series, and the first book tells the story of Colt McAlister, orphaned at 16 after his parents died in a car crash. Soon after he moved with his grandfather in Arizona, weird things start happening such as weird creatures chasing him, and random people trying to kill him for some reason. Soon Colt finds out that his mom was about to release a story about mind-controlling chips from a huge and powerful corporation, Trident Biotech. As Colt tries to uncover the mystery of his parents' death, he runs for his life with his friends and he encounters all weird creatures and high technology, and he realizes that there may be more to this than he thought it was.
Invasion has 57 chapters, which I found a bit daunting when I started reading. These were short chapters, however, which made it for easy albeit a bit shallow reading. There is strong world building in Invasion, backed with interesting facts and information with how aliens and different creatures have been hidden among humans since the start. If you liked the setting in Men In Black, this book provides the same kind of world. Just like other books that involved conspiracies, action wasn't lacking in this book: chase scenes, fights, random people trying to kill the heroes are a-plenty here. There's also enough secret hideouts, mysterious people and advanced technology to excite sci-fi fans around.
However, I never felt invested in the characters. I liked Colt, Oz and Danielle, but I didn't feel like I knew them for real. It may be because of how the story flowed or maybe even because each chapter is too short for me to glean much about who they are and what makes them tick. There also seemed to be a crowd of secondary characters all over the place, and while I get that it's needed to build the new world that Colt is moving into, it was kind of hard to keep track of them. The overall premise was interesting, and it does make for an interesting read but I felt that I would be more interested in this if it were a movie instead of a book.
I think Invasion is still a good book, but I think it's not for me. Perhaps it's my age, or my lack of scifi knowledge and love. I like my aliens and wild worlds with chase scenes and explosions, but this one just failed to capture my interest. Maybe younger boys or longtime scifi fans would enjoy this more than I did. I didn't really finish the book, but I thought it had enough potential to get a 3-star rating.
Invasion by J.S. Lewis is already out in hardcover, published by Thomas Nelson. Thanks to Booksneeze for the review copy.
February 17, 2012
This book had potential at the beginning, and really kind of drew me in despite some of the weak writing. It didn't maintain the momentum, though. About the time I hit the halfway point, I was getting bored. It was pretty cliched and cheesy, and to a point that's inevitable in most fantasy, but a good fantasy novel puts a twist on things. This one didn't have a twist. It was just a compilation of everything you might expect. I also struggled with how unbelievable it was. I'm pretty good as suspension of disbelief, and I had no problem with six-legged aliens, but the characters' actions made no sense. There were several times where I was just totally stumped by their behavior. And the plot relied very heavily on things conveniently falling into place or deus ex machina eliminating anything inconvenient. Truthfully...this might be a good early draft of a book, but what it really needed were some good revisions (and something to make it a bit more unique).
September 9, 2020
A crazy, intense adventure novel that feels like a cross between a DCOM and a SyFy channel telefilm.
June 1, 2022
I actually enjoyed this more than I would probably admit XD It's pretty rare that I read "contemporary", and I actually liked it. There are some slightly cringy/annoying high school clichés, but I was able to look past that for the most part and enjoy the story.
Likes:
Slight Novacom vibes
There's just a 2000s charm about this that I thrive off of 😂
Oz was the typical 2000s YA comic relief dude, and he played his part well 👏
The humor was right up my alley sometimes😎
All of the outfit descriptions were great. They weren't even THAT 2000s, but they were still amazing 😂
Graham (was that his name?) was moving to Idaho for a Boise State football scholarship and it made me happy👍
It's honestly a breath of fresh air to read from a male POV sometimes. I'm so done with the over-used clichés that seem to be in every female MC in YA books these days. 🙄
Dislikes:
Both Lily and Danielle got on my nerves a little bit (but I still liked them)
All the high school stuff that I didn't relate to
If I remember correctly, previously-mentioned-Graham was first going to Boise State and then later it said he was going to Idaho state. There's a big difference.🤠
I feel like my likes/dislikes help no one because they are such random things that tell you nothing about the story, but oh well 😆 If you enjoy contemporary/sc-fi stuff I'd recommend this to you! If you don't mind outdated stuff in books (or, if you're like me and think it's the best thing ever) and like aliens/conspiracy theory, other world type stuff, you'd probably like this! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
Likes:
Slight Novacom vibes
There's just a 2000s charm about this that I thrive off of 😂
Oz was the typical 2000s YA comic relief dude, and he played his part well 👏
The humor was right up my alley sometimes😎
All of the outfit descriptions were great. They weren't even THAT 2000s, but they were still amazing 😂
Graham (was that his name?) was moving to Idaho for a Boise State football scholarship and it made me happy👍
It's honestly a breath of fresh air to read from a male POV sometimes. I'm so done with the over-used clichés that seem to be in every female MC in YA books these days. 🙄
Dislikes:
Both Lily and Danielle got on my nerves a little bit (but I still liked them)
All the high school stuff that I didn't relate to
If I remember correctly, previously-mentioned-Graham was first going to Boise State and then later it said he was going to Idaho state. There's a big difference.🤠
I feel like my likes/dislikes help no one because they are such random things that tell you nothing about the story, but oh well 😆 If you enjoy contemporary/sc-fi stuff I'd recommend this to you! If you don't mind outdated stuff in books (or, if you're like me and think it's the best thing ever) and like aliens/conspiracy theory, other world type stuff, you'd probably like this! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
April 2, 2011
It's been a while since I've read such a powerful science-fiction book. Invasion is a surprisingly gripping read. The second an alien that looked like Bigfoot came up, I was hooked.
When his parents die in a strange car accident, Colt has to live with his WW2 veteran grandfather. Yet he cannot get the idea out of his head that something about his parents' death isn't right. He suspects that one of the worlds largest companies, Trident Biotech, has something to do with it. While trying to uncover the truth about his parents' death, Colt discovers a world normal human beings never see...
Young-adult science-fiction is not an easy genre to write in. Because the story needs to be fast-paced so the younger readers don't lose interest, there is not much room left for extensive world building. I love the way how we learn about the aliens together with Colt. What I also really like is that this isn't about the standard green-men-in-suits-from-space kind of aliens. It actually reminded me a lot of the movie Men in Black.
And with all those aliens, we of course have to have some very, very awesome gadgets. I mean, souring through the air on a motorcycle with retractable wings? No one can convince me that isn't really cool. I had such a great time reading about this and jetpacks and special weapons that made my inner geek very excited.
The only problem I had with this book is one I seem to be having quite often these days. Sometimes is astonishes me how naive one can be. In this book though, this was only a minor annoyance, because most of those moments could easily be explained by the age of our main characters. You can't really expect from a bunch of teenagers to grasp the extend of the situation right away. And in the end, they do, it only took them a while.
I think this is a wonderfully fast-paced book that a lot of young-adults, both boys and girls, will enjoy. And as an adult, I think you would be equally entertained by this book. I definitely recommend this to anyone that loves science-fiction.
I received this ARC through Netgalley.
When his parents die in a strange car accident, Colt has to live with his WW2 veteran grandfather. Yet he cannot get the idea out of his head that something about his parents' death isn't right. He suspects that one of the worlds largest companies, Trident Biotech, has something to do with it. While trying to uncover the truth about his parents' death, Colt discovers a world normal human beings never see...
Young-adult science-fiction is not an easy genre to write in. Because the story needs to be fast-paced so the younger readers don't lose interest, there is not much room left for extensive world building. I love the way how we learn about the aliens together with Colt. What I also really like is that this isn't about the standard green-men-in-suits-from-space kind of aliens. It actually reminded me a lot of the movie Men in Black.
And with all those aliens, we of course have to have some very, very awesome gadgets. I mean, souring through the air on a motorcycle with retractable wings? No one can convince me that isn't really cool. I had such a great time reading about this and jetpacks and special weapons that made my inner geek very excited.
The only problem I had with this book is one I seem to be having quite often these days. Sometimes is astonishes me how naive one can be. In this book though, this was only a minor annoyance, because most of those moments could easily be explained by the age of our main characters. You can't really expect from a bunch of teenagers to grasp the extend of the situation right away. And in the end, they do, it only took them a while.
I think this is a wonderfully fast-paced book that a lot of young-adults, both boys and girls, will enjoy. And as an adult, I think you would be equally entertained by this book. I definitely recommend this to anyone that loves science-fiction.
I received this ARC through Netgalley.
April 7, 2011
Colt is the youngest son in a family full of brothers. He is the smallest, but has the wit and personality to stand out above the crowd. Colt doesn’t know it, but his is entire world is shrouded in mystery and lies. The wool is pulled from his eyes when his parents are killed in a tragic accident and he is sent to live in a new state with his grandfather. Colt learns quickly that the world around him is not what it seems and he is pulled into action with his friends Oz & Dani to solve a mystery and save lives. There wasn’t anything wrong with this novel, other than the fact that it just couldn’t keep my attention. It was a fun read with a lot of classic-style comic book references, aliens and real superheroes. It was well written and pretty quickly paced; very dense with action. There were robots, aliens, mind control, secret government agencies and teens saving the world. Along with all of the non-stop action (literally – I am pretty sure this kid never had a chance to sleep!) there were tragic events and heartfelt conversations that held strong emotional pulls and helped you connect with Colt. Colt himself was a good lead character, an all around great guy that you were rooting for the entire novel. Although I feel kind of apathetic about this novel, it was good and I would recommend it for younger teens who love sci-fi, video games and comics. I might have loved this book at their age, but it just didn’t keep me hooked as well at this time. Invasion was an enjoyable, fast paced start to a new series that I feel a lot of people will like.
April 16, 2015
A.W.E.S.O.M.E!
Slow in some parts but I did like it, now I NEED the next book!
Slow in some parts but I did like it, now I NEED the next book!
January 9, 2022
Men in Black for teenagers :P
July 11, 2025
Searched for CS Lewis but found this book instead. A far-fetched teen novel with lots of aliens but written at a very innocent middle school level. I liked it so much I'm reading the next one.
September 7, 2020
Colt is 16 and he is not ready for the life he has been thrown into. With the death of his parents, he goes to live with his Grandfather in Phoenix, his grandfather who fought in the second world war. But his grandfather never talks about that time.
Because of an article that his mother a reporter was writing, Colt is in danger too. But he vows to get to the truth of his parents accident. In his new school, he meets Ozzy and reconnects with his old friend Dani. The three of them will get into all sorts of trouble in this fast paced story you wouldn't believe if you saw with your own eyes.
Ozzy is a bit far fetched but would appeal to the teen male audience.
I listened to this book and the narrator did a very good job with the pacing on this book. Well done to author and narrator.
Because of an article that his mother a reporter was writing, Colt is in danger too. But he vows to get to the truth of his parents accident. In his new school, he meets Ozzy and reconnects with his old friend Dani. The three of them will get into all sorts of trouble in this fast paced story you wouldn't believe if you saw with your own eyes.
Ozzy is a bit far fetched but would appeal to the teen male audience.
I listened to this book and the narrator did a very good job with the pacing on this book. Well done to author and narrator.
April 19, 2013
Review:
In a nutshell Invasion is Men In Black with a young adult twist. Yep, Aliens are real and like the movie mentioned above some are good, some are bad and its up to a secret organization to make sure they all remain hidden. That being said, I am totally impressed by how the Author made Invasion feel unique.
I love the alternative history told brilliantly through the use of Comic books. Letting the reader know about Colt's love for the Phantom Flyer early on and then later reintroducing the comics as being based on real events was so clever. It also explained how Colt knew so much about the aliens and the C.H.A.O.S. organization without having to spend chapters bringing him and us up to speed.
Another thing that was really cool to see were the gadgets and weapons created for this series. The chips the Trident Corporation created were the scariest aspect about this book especially because the recipients genuinely needed them. The poor patients had no clue their "cure" made them unwilling pawns in an interplanetary struggle between good and evil. Also FYI, I totally want a Jetpack and robot butler after reading this.
Now if I had any gripes about Invasion it would be the characters. Don't get me wrong I liked Danielle, Colt and Oz but had I not known they were teenagers I would of assumed they were in Middle not High School. They just read a bit juvenile at times. I also had to wonder why none of Colt's siblings called to check up on him. I can't recall a single call from them once Colt transplanted to Arizona. Surely Colt's Grandfather or even the C.H.A.O.S. organization would let the brothers know he was in trouble. Even if for some reason they wanted to protect the brothers and keep them in the dark, wouldn't they still call just to check up on Colt as a general hey how are you type thing?
On the other hand, I loved Colt's Grandfather and his teacher Mr.Pfeffer. It's always nice having enjoyable background characters. Plus Trident and the Thule were great villains. I cannot wait to see the havoc the Thule cause once they start arriving en masse.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first book in the C.H.A.O.S. series and cannot wait to get started on Book 2! I also really want to give kudos to the author for making a clean yet thrilling book about an impeding alien invasion. Invasion never lacked for action and as an adult reader I appreciated that the author was willing to put the characters into uncomfortable and sometimes scary positions. I really believe I can recommend this to Adults and Teens alike. I love books that I can share with my kids and still find enjoyable myself! In the end, If you like action, science fiction and strong writing then definitely pick this one up and give it a go. I will be rating Invasion by Jon S. Lewis ★★★★.
In a nutshell Invasion is Men In Black with a young adult twist. Yep, Aliens are real and like the movie mentioned above some are good, some are bad and its up to a secret organization to make sure they all remain hidden. That being said, I am totally impressed by how the Author made Invasion feel unique.
I love the alternative history told brilliantly through the use of Comic books. Letting the reader know about Colt's love for the Phantom Flyer early on and then later reintroducing the comics as being based on real events was so clever. It also explained how Colt knew so much about the aliens and the C.H.A.O.S. organization without having to spend chapters bringing him and us up to speed.
Another thing that was really cool to see were the gadgets and weapons created for this series. The chips the Trident Corporation created were the scariest aspect about this book especially because the recipients genuinely needed them. The poor patients had no clue their "cure" made them unwilling pawns in an interplanetary struggle between good and evil. Also FYI, I totally want a Jetpack and robot butler after reading this.
Now if I had any gripes about Invasion it would be the characters. Don't get me wrong I liked Danielle, Colt and Oz but had I not known they were teenagers I would of assumed they were in Middle not High School. They just read a bit juvenile at times. I also had to wonder why none of Colt's siblings called to check up on him. I can't recall a single call from them once Colt transplanted to Arizona. Surely Colt's Grandfather or even the C.H.A.O.S. organization would let the brothers know he was in trouble. Even if for some reason they wanted to protect the brothers and keep them in the dark, wouldn't they still call just to check up on Colt as a general hey how are you type thing?
On the other hand, I loved Colt's Grandfather and his teacher Mr.Pfeffer. It's always nice having enjoyable background characters. Plus Trident and the Thule were great villains. I cannot wait to see the havoc the Thule cause once they start arriving en masse.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first book in the C.H.A.O.S. series and cannot wait to get started on Book 2! I also really want to give kudos to the author for making a clean yet thrilling book about an impeding alien invasion. Invasion never lacked for action and as an adult reader I appreciated that the author was willing to put the characters into uncomfortable and sometimes scary positions. I really believe I can recommend this to Adults and Teens alike. I love books that I can share with my kids and still find enjoyable myself! In the end, If you like action, science fiction and strong writing then definitely pick this one up and give it a go. I will be rating Invasion by Jon S. Lewis ★★★★.
February 16, 2012
Review on Lili Lost in a Book
After the death of his parents, 16-year-old Colt moves from California to Arizona to live with his grandfather. In no time, Colt's life is turned upside down. Suspicions arise dealing with the death of his parents. Colt was told that they died in a car accident, but this car crash may not be just an "accident." You see, Colt's mom found out about a mind control program being run by a large company. Her goal was to publish an article about this for everyone to read. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.
Now it's up to Colt and his friends, Oz Romero and Danielle, to stop the company from achieving this goal, all while trying to not get killed by aliens...yes, you read correctly, aliens!
I LOVED this book!! I have not read very many sci-fi books, but this one was just amazing! I really liked all the diverse characters and creatures, the story line was very entertaining and kept me interested throughout the book, and all the cool futuristic gadgetry.
The story itself was quite intense, suspenseful, and even funny at times. At first I didn't know what to expect, but, as I said already, I found it very entertaining and interesting and I just could not put the darn book down until I finished!
There were little pictures at the end of the book of the characters and even some of the aliens which I really liked...it helped me picture them better :)
I would recommend this book to those who like science fiction. And I actually told my 13-year-old brother that he should read this book. He has been reading the Alex Rider series about this teenage spy or somethin' and Invasion is kinda similar, so I figured that he'd like it too.
And there wasn't really anything I didn't like :)
Although this isn't the typical book I would read, it has become one of my favorites!
After the death of his parents, 16-year-old Colt moves from California to Arizona to live with his grandfather. In no time, Colt's life is turned upside down. Suspicions arise dealing with the death of his parents. Colt was told that they died in a car accident, but this car crash may not be just an "accident." You see, Colt's mom found out about a mind control program being run by a large company. Her goal was to publish an article about this for everyone to read. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.
Now it's up to Colt and his friends, Oz Romero and Danielle, to stop the company from achieving this goal, all while trying to not get killed by aliens...yes, you read correctly, aliens!
I LOVED this book!! I have not read very many sci-fi books, but this one was just amazing! I really liked all the diverse characters and creatures, the story line was very entertaining and kept me interested throughout the book, and all the cool futuristic gadgetry.
The story itself was quite intense, suspenseful, and even funny at times. At first I didn't know what to expect, but, as I said already, I found it very entertaining and interesting and I just could not put the darn book down until I finished!
There were little pictures at the end of the book of the characters and even some of the aliens which I really liked...it helped me picture them better :)
I would recommend this book to those who like science fiction. And I actually told my 13-year-old brother that he should read this book. He has been reading the Alex Rider series about this teenage spy or somethin' and Invasion is kinda similar, so I figured that he'd like it too.
And there wasn't really anything I didn't like :)
Although this isn't the typical book I would read, it has become one of my favorites!
May 7, 2019
Title: Invasion
Author: Jon S. Lewis
Series: C.H.A.O.S., 1
Format: ebook
Length: 641 pages (iPhone)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Synopsis:
He didn't ask for the job, but now all that stands between us and chaos... is Colt
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.
He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.
But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?
Vowing to uncover the truth, Colt gets drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible gateways.
Favourite character: Danielle (obviously)
Least favourite character: Koenig
Mini-review:
This was pretty good. It was a reread for me and I had forgotten a lot of the book, I just remembered that the end fight happened underneath a tree, which I was right about. This is fun, could definitely have been turned into a graphic novel. Also, I really like the fact that for the main trio, the main girl and main guy are not interested in each other past friendship, it's a really nice change.
Fan-cast:
Colt McAlister - Ross Lynch
Oswaldo "Oz" Romero - Brandon Larracuente
Danielle "Dani" Salazar - Letitia Wright
Lily Westcott - Jessica Amlee
Basil Hyde - Benedict Cumberbatch
Aldrich Koenig - Daniel Brühl
Author: Jon S. Lewis
Series: C.H.A.O.S., 1
Format: ebook
Length: 641 pages (iPhone)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Synopsis:
He didn't ask for the job, but now all that stands between us and chaos... is Colt
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.
He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.
But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?
Vowing to uncover the truth, Colt gets drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible gateways.
Favourite character: Danielle (obviously)
Least favourite character: Koenig
Mini-review:
This was pretty good. It was a reread for me and I had forgotten a lot of the book, I just remembered that the end fight happened underneath a tree, which I was right about. This is fun, could definitely have been turned into a graphic novel. Also, I really like the fact that for the main trio, the main girl and main guy are not interested in each other past friendship, it's a really nice change.
Fan-cast:
Colt McAlister - Ross Lynch
Oswaldo "Oz" Romero - Brandon Larracuente
Danielle "Dani" Salazar - Letitia Wright
Lily Westcott - Jessica Amlee
Basil Hyde - Benedict Cumberbatch
Aldrich Koenig - Daniel Brühl
February 4, 2012
When I requested from NetGalley "Alienation" to read and review, I had no idea it was the second installment to a series. Well, it turned out that there was book one that I had to read beforehand and that book was "Invasion". I honestly don't regret starting on this series because it was absolutely amazing. I'm already into book two because I just can't get enough of high school students Colt, Oz and Danielle and their adventures with the extra terrestrials and the biomedical Trident facilities.
I loved the emotional rollercoaster, even if sometimes the pain was just too much to bear. I was sad almost to tears when the horrible accident happened and could really feel Colt's pain, confusion and desire to bury himself in the ground. I never ever want to be in such a position.
I really loved the story, straight from the beginning. Even though Colt wouldn't later remember his special day at the CHAOS military camp, something deep inside of him knows that he's met certain people and things before. Yet, it isn't until after his parents' accident and after he moves in to live with his grandfather that things start to become weird.
When he meets Oz, he feels like he's met the boy before, but he doesn't know where, until Oz tells him about CHAOS, the aliens and most of all that his grandfather isn't just any ordinary man.
In their desire to figure out who and why killed Colt's parents, the threesome come in the midst of multi-world war. Would they survive, and would they gather the info they need?
For the full review, please visit my blog @ YA Story Teller
I loved the emotional rollercoaster, even if sometimes the pain was just too much to bear. I was sad almost to tears when the horrible accident happened and could really feel Colt's pain, confusion and desire to bury himself in the ground. I never ever want to be in such a position.
I really loved the story, straight from the beginning. Even though Colt wouldn't later remember his special day at the CHAOS military camp, something deep inside of him knows that he's met certain people and things before. Yet, it isn't until after his parents' accident and after he moves in to live with his grandfather that things start to become weird.
When he meets Oz, he feels like he's met the boy before, but he doesn't know where, until Oz tells him about CHAOS, the aliens and most of all that his grandfather isn't just any ordinary man.
In their desire to figure out who and why killed Colt's parents, the threesome come in the midst of multi-world war. Would they survive, and would they gather the info they need?
For the full review, please visit my blog @ YA Story Teller
January 3, 2011
What originally attracted me to this novel for review was the cover. It has the eerie and sci-fi look to it. Granted, I am not a huge fan of science fiction but the cover kept calling to me.
In the first book of a series, Colt McAlister is a surfer, youngest of seven brothers, and has a crush on a girl like any normal 16 year old boy. Unfortunately, he is far from normal whether he knows yet or not. When his parents die in an accident he is forced to move in with his Grandfather in a different state, Colt gets a mysterious text stating that his parents' death was not an accident. After the text, Colt is sucked into a world that you would find in comics. From that point on, Colt and his childhood friend Dani and new friend Oz, must find a way to save the world from Aliens.
Again, I am not a huge fan of science fiction, yet I found myself drawn into the story and felt like I was on the adventure with Colt. The writing was good and flowed nicely. The suspense was great and the action was fast paced. The book was just what a science fiction book would be about without being boring! I feel that teens and adults will both enjoy the story as well as it being great for both boys and girls. Granted, it isn't a favorite book of mine, but it was a great read for someone who is just venturing into the Science Fiction genre with hesitancy.
In the first book of a series, Colt McAlister is a surfer, youngest of seven brothers, and has a crush on a girl like any normal 16 year old boy. Unfortunately, he is far from normal whether he knows yet or not. When his parents die in an accident he is forced to move in with his Grandfather in a different state, Colt gets a mysterious text stating that his parents' death was not an accident. After the text, Colt is sucked into a world that you would find in comics. From that point on, Colt and his childhood friend Dani and new friend Oz, must find a way to save the world from Aliens.
Again, I am not a huge fan of science fiction, yet I found myself drawn into the story and felt like I was on the adventure with Colt. The writing was good and flowed nicely. The suspense was great and the action was fast paced. The book was just what a science fiction book would be about without being boring! I feel that teens and adults will both enjoy the story as well as it being great for both boys and girls. Granted, it isn't a favorite book of mine, but it was a great read for someone who is just venturing into the Science Fiction genre with hesitancy.
August 5, 2011
I really liked the concept of this book. A 16 year-old boy loses his parents, finds out that his family has a history of fighting other-dimensional invaders, and ends up going against the conspiracy that killed his parents because of an article his mother was writing.
Concept good, execution lousy.
I know this is aimed at younger readers, but I still expect it to make some internal sense. For example, you have the scientist working for the conspiracy who was feeding the mother the information that ended up getting her and her husband killed. If his bosses find out he was the leak, he's dead. So what does he do? He sends a car and driver for the woman's teenaged son and tells him everything. Then, when the assassins descend on them, gives the boy a flying motorcycle to escape on, which the boy has absolutely no problem flying. See what I mean?
And there were many more examples of this. Too many examples
Maybe if I was a ten year-old boy, I would have enjoyed this more. Instead, I'll just say that I have no interest in the sequel, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
Concept good, execution lousy.
I know this is aimed at younger readers, but I still expect it to make some internal sense. For example, you have the scientist working for the conspiracy who was feeding the mother the information that ended up getting her and her husband killed. If his bosses find out he was the leak, he's dead. So what does he do? He sends a car and driver for the woman's teenaged son and tells him everything. Then, when the assassins descend on them, gives the boy a flying motorcycle to escape on, which the boy has absolutely no problem flying. See what I mean?
And there were many more examples of this. Too many examples
Maybe if I was a ten year-old boy, I would have enjoyed this more. Instead, I'll just say that I have no interest in the sequel, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
December 2, 2015
Invasion
C.H.A.O.S
In the book Invasion it talked about how the
boy named Colt goes to this Area 51 kind of camp that his dad doesn't even know what it really is. He thinks it was just a tour of the camp. He left his son in but it's a trading military camp for alien invasions. In the first fire pages you meet Bigfoot, but not the Normal one, he has a robotic leg and arm and a robot head in his shoulder so it could talk for him. And he is like the leader, but he just showed you around.
So bigfoot sends you to this locker room and you meet this guy named Romero. He is the son of the commander of the camp, and he teaches Coke everything then at one point Romero and Colt fight and Colt wins but Romero get injured and Bigfoot is surprised. And then he is sorry for hurting Romero, but he forgives him. Then they put a fun training video on. And then they erase his memory of everything. And he Rogers so he doesn't care about it anymore in the car when he sleeps.
In conclusion I think that the book Invasion was a very action packed and interesting book about this boy. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in action.
C.H.A.O.S
In the book Invasion it talked about how the
boy named Colt goes to this Area 51 kind of camp that his dad doesn't even know what it really is. He thinks it was just a tour of the camp. He left his son in but it's a trading military camp for alien invasions. In the first fire pages you meet Bigfoot, but not the Normal one, he has a robotic leg and arm and a robot head in his shoulder so it could talk for him. And he is like the leader, but he just showed you around.
So bigfoot sends you to this locker room and you meet this guy named Romero. He is the son of the commander of the camp, and he teaches Coke everything then at one point Romero and Colt fight and Colt wins but Romero get injured and Bigfoot is surprised. And then he is sorry for hurting Romero, but he forgives him. Then they put a fun training video on. And then they erase his memory of everything. And he Rogers so he doesn't care about it anymore in the car when he sleeps.
In conclusion I think that the book Invasion was a very action packed and interesting book about this boy. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in action.
January 2, 2016
I am by far not a fan of sci-fi. But something drew me to this book. I am so glad I read it. While it has a sci-fi element it also have a bit of a government/adventure plot to it that makes it fun.
This does set up for a series of books. There isn't too much aliens/sci-fi and it really is only gleamed over. But I cannot WAIT to read more aliens in the next few books.
Another element that I liked was the bit of history/take on history that was given. I think it fit nicely in the book and really added a nice element to it.
If I could change anything I guess I would have put a few more aliens in the book. This first book was very heavy on the corporate conspiracy and light on the aliens but do not fear there WILL be aliens in other books.
So if you are looking for shape-shifting, cool teenagers and a corporation that is trying to brainwash people this is the book for you!
This does set up for a series of books. There isn't too much aliens/sci-fi and it really is only gleamed over. But I cannot WAIT to read more aliens in the next few books.
Another element that I liked was the bit of history/take on history that was given. I think it fit nicely in the book and really added a nice element to it.
If I could change anything I guess I would have put a few more aliens in the book. This first book was very heavy on the corporate conspiracy and light on the aliens but do not fear there WILL be aliens in other books.
So if you are looking for shape-shifting, cool teenagers and a corporation that is trying to brainwash people this is the book for you!
April 7, 2023
Colt just wants a normal life, hanging out with friends and the girl he has a crush on. But first he has to save the world... literally! This is the first book in an exciting new series that introduces sixteen-year-old surfer Colt McAllister. Colt's life changes when his parents are murdered to prevent exposing a secret: aliens from another world are running major corporations and want to invade our planet. The aliens and technology that Colt grew up reading about in comic books are real! There is plenty of action involving robots, jetpacks and concussion grenades. Great for teens but should be fine for younger readers, too. Excellent choice for a library collection because Invasion will appeal to boys and girls and reluctant readers.
May 23, 2019
Excellent sci-fi book for tweens. I liked the mystery of the story and how the characters engaged with each other. Will definitely look for other books in the series.
June 17, 2020
AH! I had such high expectations for this book, but it really let me down.
The actual story behind me and this book is that I’ve had it for about 5 months.
The reason I stopped this book back then was because I got a new book that I really wanted to read, and I figured because I wasn’t loving the book I could read that book, then go back to this one. But that obviously never happened until now.
When I looked on my bookshelf and saw this one at the way bottom, my mind went straight to “ooh, I feel like reading a Sci fi and I never finished that book.” So I started it over again, except ting that my taste of books has changed since then, but boy was I wrong.
The problem I’v had with Christian published fiction is that I don’t really care about the characters they write about. Like, for instance this book. If a the characters just fell of a cliff and died, it wouldn’t affect me in any way except that was a bad way to kill characters. And for me, characters are really important in stories. So if I don’t like the characters, I donks really love the book.
Now, before you judge me and say you can’t rate a book from just the characters ( which, in my opinion, you can) that wasn’t the only reason why I didn’t like this book.
The story line was actually really weird, not what I was excepting going into this book. I knew there where going to be aliens, but not like these weird shape shifting ones. I felt like I was reading a kids book sometimes.
And one minor thing that I found strange, was that after Daniella gets chased by a shape shifting crocodile, she stopped and got ice cream. Uh, HELLO. THAT IS REALLY WERID. I mean, I don’t have experience, but I figured if your being chased by a shape shifting monster, you usually I don’t know, call someone? A friend? A family member? The police? But no, she just had to have her ice cream.
And the main reason I didn’t like this book is because it wasn’t exciting. No action, no suspense.
Nothing. It’s not that it was boring either, it just wasn’t exciting, It wasn’t fun. It was just... not fun.
Anyways, I was disappointed by this book, but you gotta read some bad books to get some good ones
Man, I gotta start making my reviews shorter. 😂
The actual story behind me and this book is that I’ve had it for about 5 months.
The reason I stopped this book back then was because I got a new book that I really wanted to read, and I figured because I wasn’t loving the book I could read that book, then go back to this one. But that obviously never happened until now.
When I looked on my bookshelf and saw this one at the way bottom, my mind went straight to “ooh, I feel like reading a Sci fi and I never finished that book.” So I started it over again, except ting that my taste of books has changed since then, but boy was I wrong.
The problem I’v had with Christian published fiction is that I don’t really care about the characters they write about. Like, for instance this book. If a the characters just fell of a cliff and died, it wouldn’t affect me in any way except that was a bad way to kill characters. And for me, characters are really important in stories. So if I don’t like the characters, I donks really love the book.
Now, before you judge me and say you can’t rate a book from just the characters ( which, in my opinion, you can) that wasn’t the only reason why I didn’t like this book.
The story line was actually really weird, not what I was excepting going into this book. I knew there where going to be aliens, but not like these weird shape shifting ones. I felt like I was reading a kids book sometimes.
And one minor thing that I found strange, was that after Daniella gets chased by a shape shifting crocodile, she stopped and got ice cream. Uh, HELLO. THAT IS REALLY WERID. I mean, I don’t have experience, but I figured if your being chased by a shape shifting monster, you usually I don’t know, call someone? A friend? A family member? The police? But no, she just had to have her ice cream.
And the main reason I didn’t like this book is because it wasn’t exciting. No action, no suspense.
Nothing. It’s not that it was boring either, it just wasn’t exciting, It wasn’t fun. It was just... not fun.
Anyways, I was disappointed by this book, but you gotta read some bad books to get some good ones
Man, I gotta start making my reviews shorter. 😂
January 11, 2015
After being lazy for a few days, I finally decided to do my review for Invasion. I wasn't really sure what to think about Invasion when I first got it. I'm closer to the age that this book targets, so my review can be pretty trustworthy. This review doesn't want to be written, but bear with me.
Invasion begins with Colt McAlister, a normal teen in California who loves surfing, the beach, and his friends. His life changes when his parents are supposedly killed in a head-on collision. Forced to move in with his grandfather in Arizona, Colt is lucky that he at least has his childhood friend to keep him company. But things aren't as they seem in Colt's world.
Colt discovers that his parent's were murdered because his mother, an investigative reporter, was about to leak the story of a lifetime. With his parent's deaths Colt is drawn into the world of aliens, advanced technology, conspiracy theories, and evil corporations.
Plot
Okay, the plot is pretty much Men In Black with more teenagers. While this may seem like a lackluster description, that doesn't take away from the story because MIB is really good (at least in my opinion). It's got advanced technology, aliens on Earth, secret agents (C.H.A.O.S.), and evil aliens that want to destroy Earth/humans. The big difference between MIB and Invasion is Invasion follows the story of a teenager who is dragged into this world of aliens. Overall, I do like the plot. It's not a plot that's been done to death, but it's not too unique. The pacing can be a bit slow at times, especially when dealing with Colt's everyday life. And, as strange as it is, the action parts, especially towards the end of the book, are a bit slow as well.
Writing
The writing in Invasion is above the standard YA novels. It's not chock full of comma splices or similes, which is always lovely to see. But, regretfully, there's nothing that really makes the writing stand out. It is good, yes, but not terribly unique. The only real problems I had with the writing was the way the dialogue was handled, the way new concepts were handled, and the way the text addressed Colt's father and grandfather. First off, with the dialogue, when there was a continuous stream of talking it looked like this:
"Really? What about his nickname?"
"Sorry."
"I was told everyone called him the Phantom Flyer."
"As in the comic book?"
"It's crazy, right? Did you ever read it?"
That's just an example, but the book is full of people talking like that. No, "he said" or "Colt asked", or anything like that. It reminds me of what newbies writing fanfiction do. Eventually, you confuse who's talking.
The next problem is how new concepts are introduced into the story. Like, when a piece of technology that the reader doesn't know about is revealed, it's done very clumsily, like we were supposed to sort of know what the object was. This is done multiple times throughout the book and it gets annoying.
Lastly, and this is the smallest complaint, is how Colt's father and grandfather are talked about. For example, his grandfather/father will do something and the text will read: "Grandpa McAlister grabbed so-and-so" or "Dad said". It's like the point of view is switching whenever talking about these two men.
Other than those three gripes, the writing is nice.
Characters
There are three main characters: Colt, Danielle, and Oz. Colt is the protagonist and Danielle/Oz are the deuteragonists. The characters are all relatively well developed, Colt more so than the other two. I feel like Danielle and Oz were better, more interesting, characters than Colt. Even though Colt did a lot of action-y stuff and whatnot, and he was smart-ish, the other two outshined him in my eyes. I can't really explain why, but I just liked Danielle and Oz better.
Things I Didn't Like
There are a lot of things I didn't really like in this novel. For one, the way everybody acted when a seemingly impossible subject came up. Aliens, oh that's strange. Mind control, well, we better fix that. Somebodies trying to kill Colt, hope they don't kill him. The reactions of people were extremely lackluster. And not even for a good reason. In Colt's case, it could have been explained that he wasn't as surprised because he kinda believed in things like conspiracy theories and aliens, but there was never an explanation! Everybody just went with the flow, and that was very irksome. There was literally no shock at things anywhere in this book.
Another thing I didn't like as the romance between Lily and Colt. At first, I was happy that Colt and Danielle weren't going to be an item, because that whole "friend for the longest time turned girlfriend/boyfriend" trope is annoying. However, the way Lily and Colt's budding romance was handled was tiresome. For example, Graham is seemingly a very nice boyfriend to Lily and in the end, gee golly, he cheated on her, didn't see that coming! Is it so much to ask for that the main character to like somebody who's already in a relationship and that relationship doesn't fall apart for no reason? Romance is fine in my books, but not cliche, overdone romances tropes. I think the romance between them (Colt/Lily) is weak, awkward, and obvious and I don't much care for it.
The last thing I didn't like, and this goes for nearly all YA novels, is the fact that the main character is really special for no reason. In the book, the agents in C.H.A.O.S. say that Colt's got the highest scores ever, yet he was no better than any of the other boys. He was average, yet he's being heralded like he's gold. If they had said that he has potential to be one of the best, that's different, but that's not what was said.
Diversity
In terms of diversity (disabilities, sexualties, races, etc.) Invasion is a very lacking. There's one disabled character that I can really think of, an alien that we know as bigfoot. There is literally no LGBTQIAP+ characters at all. In terms of race, two of the three main characters are people of color, which is more than the standard YA book. The "president" of C.H.A.O.S. is a POC as well, but he never gets screen time in the book, so he doesn't much count. There are two female characters that have more than a few scenes (Danielle and Lily) but they never talk to one another, I don't think, so there should be more female characters. Like I said, there isn't much representation in this book besides the average cisgender/straight/white/able-bodied characters.
Overall
In the end, I really liked Invasion. I finished it fairly quick. It wasn't hard for me to get through at all. While the book does have it's issues, there's nothing too major (except for lack of diversity) that stopped me from reading the book. I'd recommend this book to anybody who likes MIB, aliens, advanced technology, or conspiracy theories.
Invasion begins with Colt McAlister, a normal teen in California who loves surfing, the beach, and his friends. His life changes when his parents are supposedly killed in a head-on collision. Forced to move in with his grandfather in Arizona, Colt is lucky that he at least has his childhood friend to keep him company. But things aren't as they seem in Colt's world.
Colt discovers that his parent's were murdered because his mother, an investigative reporter, was about to leak the story of a lifetime. With his parent's deaths Colt is drawn into the world of aliens, advanced technology, conspiracy theories, and evil corporations.
Plot
Okay, the plot is pretty much Men In Black with more teenagers. While this may seem like a lackluster description, that doesn't take away from the story because MIB is really good (at least in my opinion). It's got advanced technology, aliens on Earth, secret agents (C.H.A.O.S.), and evil aliens that want to destroy Earth/humans. The big difference between MIB and Invasion is Invasion follows the story of a teenager who is dragged into this world of aliens. Overall, I do like the plot. It's not a plot that's been done to death, but it's not too unique. The pacing can be a bit slow at times, especially when dealing with Colt's everyday life. And, as strange as it is, the action parts, especially towards the end of the book, are a bit slow as well.
Writing
The writing in Invasion is above the standard YA novels. It's not chock full of comma splices or similes, which is always lovely to see. But, regretfully, there's nothing that really makes the writing stand out. It is good, yes, but not terribly unique. The only real problems I had with the writing was the way the dialogue was handled, the way new concepts were handled, and the way the text addressed Colt's father and grandfather. First off, with the dialogue, when there was a continuous stream of talking it looked like this:
"Really? What about his nickname?"
"Sorry."
"I was told everyone called him the Phantom Flyer."
"As in the comic book?"
"It's crazy, right? Did you ever read it?"
That's just an example, but the book is full of people talking like that. No, "he said" or "Colt asked", or anything like that. It reminds me of what newbies writing fanfiction do. Eventually, you confuse who's talking.
The next problem is how new concepts are introduced into the story. Like, when a piece of technology that the reader doesn't know about is revealed, it's done very clumsily, like we were supposed to sort of know what the object was. This is done multiple times throughout the book and it gets annoying.
Lastly, and this is the smallest complaint, is how Colt's father and grandfather are talked about. For example, his grandfather/father will do something and the text will read: "Grandpa McAlister grabbed so-and-so" or "Dad said". It's like the point of view is switching whenever talking about these two men.
Other than those three gripes, the writing is nice.
Characters
There are three main characters: Colt, Danielle, and Oz. Colt is the protagonist and Danielle/Oz are the deuteragonists. The characters are all relatively well developed, Colt more so than the other two. I feel like Danielle and Oz were better, more interesting, characters than Colt. Even though Colt did a lot of action-y stuff and whatnot, and he was smart-ish, the other two outshined him in my eyes. I can't really explain why, but I just liked Danielle and Oz better.
Things I Didn't Like
There are a lot of things I didn't really like in this novel. For one, the way everybody acted when a seemingly impossible subject came up. Aliens, oh that's strange. Mind control, well, we better fix that. Somebodies trying to kill Colt, hope they don't kill him. The reactions of people were extremely lackluster. And not even for a good reason. In Colt's case, it could have been explained that he wasn't as surprised because he kinda believed in things like conspiracy theories and aliens, but there was never an explanation! Everybody just went with the flow, and that was very irksome. There was literally no shock at things anywhere in this book.
Another thing I didn't like as the romance between Lily and Colt. At first, I was happy that Colt and Danielle weren't going to be an item, because that whole "friend for the longest time turned girlfriend/boyfriend" trope is annoying. However, the way Lily and Colt's budding romance was handled was tiresome. For example, Graham is seemingly a very nice boyfriend to Lily and in the end, gee golly, he cheated on her, didn't see that coming! Is it so much to ask for that the main character to like somebody who's already in a relationship and that relationship doesn't fall apart for no reason? Romance is fine in my books, but not cliche, overdone romances tropes. I think the romance between them (Colt/Lily) is weak, awkward, and obvious and I don't much care for it.
The last thing I didn't like, and this goes for nearly all YA novels, is the fact that the main character is really special for no reason. In the book, the agents in C.H.A.O.S. say that Colt's got the highest scores ever, yet he was no better than any of the other boys. He was average, yet he's being heralded like he's gold. If they had said that he has potential to be one of the best, that's different, but that's not what was said.
Diversity
In terms of diversity (disabilities, sexualties, races, etc.) Invasion is a very lacking. There's one disabled character that I can really think of, an alien that we know as bigfoot. There is literally no LGBTQIAP+ characters at all. In terms of race, two of the three main characters are people of color, which is more than the standard YA book. The "president" of C.H.A.O.S. is a POC as well, but he never gets screen time in the book, so he doesn't much count. There are two female characters that have more than a few scenes (Danielle and Lily) but they never talk to one another, I don't think, so there should be more female characters. Like I said, there isn't much representation in this book besides the average cisgender/straight/white/able-bodied characters.
Overall
In the end, I really liked Invasion. I finished it fairly quick. It wasn't hard for me to get through at all. While the book does have it's issues, there's nothing too major (except for lack of diversity) that stopped me from reading the book. I'd recommend this book to anybody who likes MIB, aliens, advanced technology, or conspiracy theories.
August 18, 2017
Jon S. Lewis-Invasion
336 pages
This book has a lot of great aspects, but I felt like the story progression was a bit slow. There were several times it just felt like too much filler was happening. This kind of books often requires a lot of set up, world building, and explaining, and all of that stuff is good with me, but there were just a few too many lulls for my taste.
All of that aside, I like Colt. He is an interesting character with an interesting history. The little stuff that bothered me about him just go to strength him as a character. It makes him more realistic and more relatable. They are human flaws not writing flaws.
Dani is also a really great character. She felt the most authentic to me out of all the people in this book, she could be a main in her own right. Her sense of humor is pretty fantastic too. Colt and Dani balance each other so well, and their dynamic was definitely refreshing to read.
I didn't want to like Oz, but I did. He's kind of an ass, but in the best possible way. He is able to be overly silly and weird (in a good way!) then turn around and be serious and kind of badass. I did end up liking what he brought to the table.
The plot is a little... lacking. It doesn't feel like there was that big of an ark, and I don't feel like it was resolved enough. Even though it is part of a series, and there are more books to read, it seems like more should've been accomplished.
Overall, I liked the book and have high hopes for the second book!
Rating:
♥♥♥♥
For more reviews, click here!
336 pages
This book has a lot of great aspects, but I felt like the story progression was a bit slow. There were several times it just felt like too much filler was happening. This kind of books often requires a lot of set up, world building, and explaining, and all of that stuff is good with me, but there were just a few too many lulls for my taste.
All of that aside, I like Colt. He is an interesting character with an interesting history. The little stuff that bothered me about him just go to strength him as a character. It makes him more realistic and more relatable. They are human flaws not writing flaws.
Dani is also a really great character. She felt the most authentic to me out of all the people in this book, she could be a main in her own right. Her sense of humor is pretty fantastic too. Colt and Dani balance each other so well, and their dynamic was definitely refreshing to read.
I didn't want to like Oz, but I did. He's kind of an ass, but in the best possible way. He is able to be overly silly and weird (in a good way!) then turn around and be serious and kind of badass. I did end up liking what he brought to the table.
The plot is a little... lacking. It doesn't feel like there was that big of an ark, and I don't feel like it was resolved enough. Even though it is part of a series, and there are more books to read, it seems like more should've been accomplished.
Overall, I liked the book and have high hopes for the second book!
Rating:
♥♥♥♥
For more reviews, click here!
July 6, 2021
It was a nice, light read. The book is not long either, and so with it, the story too. I think it was a good book if you consider it to be a set-up for what is to come in the succeeding books. There were not really any jaw-dropping scenes, neither was there any extremely exciting part in it. But make no mistake, it was not boring at all, and at no point. The story was fairly simple, and straightforward, and without too many unexpected twists. Basically, the writer played it safe, in my opinion. Which is not a bad thing, to be honest.
Although, have to mention, that the climax... well... Jon S. Lewis just knocked it out of the park when it came to the climax. The finale was epic. The last battle, and the description, and all of it; was so very well written that I could feel it myself, along with the characters in the book.
I read the ebook, along with the audiobook, like I read all my books. I would say the narrator was decent. Could have had a little more variety in narration, like for character voices, and sometimes for emphasis on stuff. But most of the time, it was fairly good. No complaints. 3.5 stars to him.
Overall, I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars.
I will definitely be reading the further books soon.
Although, have to mention, that the climax... well... Jon S. Lewis just knocked it out of the park when it came to the climax. The finale was epic. The last battle, and the description, and all of it; was so very well written that I could feel it myself, along with the characters in the book.
I read the ebook, along with the audiobook, like I read all my books. I would say the narrator was decent. Could have had a little more variety in narration, like for character voices, and sometimes for emphasis on stuff. But most of the time, it was fairly good. No complaints. 3.5 stars to him.
Overall, I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars.
I will definitely be reading the further books soon.
Want to read
October 9, 2019This was a very entertaining book about aliens and mystery and I found myself drawn into the story and ready to be part of this adventure. The suspense was great and the action was fast paced; I also liked the writing, as it was engaging even though it felt like it was intended for a much younger audience.
There's a pretty great cast of characters.
It's been a while since I read it, but I do remember liking Colt, the main character, as he is quite relatable based on his age and his actions. I also liked Danielle, as she was smart and could hold her own, though my favourite would probably be Oz, as he make me laugh so much.
The twists were entertaining and the unique creatures made for a very interesting and creative book. The overall premise was interesting, and it does make for an interesting read that somehow played out like a movie in my mind.
There's a pretty great cast of characters.
It's been a while since I read it, but I do remember liking Colt, the main character, as he is quite relatable based on his age and his actions. I also liked Danielle, as she was smart and could hold her own, though my favourite would probably be Oz, as he make me laugh so much.
The twists were entertaining and the unique creatures made for a very interesting and creative book. The overall premise was interesting, and it does make for an interesting read that somehow played out like a movie in my mind.
June 4, 2025
The premise for this book sounded pretty interesting, but it didn’t take long for me to realize it was majorly geared for middle grade readers. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I have read many middle school books and recommended them to students. But just like any other genre or age-related group for books, there is superb writing and average writing. I give the author kudos for writing a book with a decent plot line. However, this book jumps around so, so much. The storyline feels very disjointed. One minute, the world is ending, and the main characters are fighting for their lives, the next, they’re getting ready for a dance. I feel like this is done to keep young readers interested, which is fine, but continuity is a good thing.
I know there are several other books in this series, but I won’t be continuing. I do appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC.
I know there are several other books in this series, but I won’t be continuing. I do appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC.
December 27, 2025
This is an action-packed story, detailed to enhance your vision of each scene, and entice you to wonder if it could be real. The characters are drawn with dialogue that is genuine in real life, and keeps you wondering and enjoying the antics and adventures of their lives.
Young adults who enjoy sci-fi would love this story, and it is a 3-book series, so the action could go on for a while. The book is filled with constant action, with no boring sections, and suspense to keep you wondering what will happen next.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters were interesting, well-developed, and believable. They weren't hyped up beyond normal, and talked like they would have in real life, in their situations. It was well done, even in the what-the-heck-is-going-on questioning scenes.
I have to applaud Jon; the writing was engaging and fun. All ages would enjoy this story.
Young adults who enjoy sci-fi would love this story, and it is a 3-book series, so the action could go on for a while. The book is filled with constant action, with no boring sections, and suspense to keep you wondering what will happen next.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters were interesting, well-developed, and believable. They weren't hyped up beyond normal, and talked like they would have in real life, in their situations. It was well done, even in the what-the-heck-is-going-on questioning scenes.
I have to applaud Jon; the writing was engaging and fun. All ages would enjoy this story.
July 23, 2017
Colt's parents die in a tragic car accident and Colt goes to live with his grandfather in Arizona. Oz, a boy from school, acts like he's known Colt forever, but Colt doesn't know from where. Then Colt finds an unfamiliar cell phone in his backpack and a text message saying his parents were murdered. Now he's dodging assassins and trying to figure out who is behind all of it. He's drawn into a world of aliens and other worlds that he's not quite ready for. But he'll have to catch up quickly. His and his friends' lives depend on it.
A great first in a series. Colt is a great character, lots of action, and a back story. I enjoyed it.
A great first in a series. Colt is a great character, lots of action, and a back story. I enjoyed it.
August 27, 2018
Do you read conspiracy theory on line, well this book covers them all, from lizard shape shifters to government working with aliens, to babies with mix alien DNA. The only thing is missing the moon theory.
I did enjoy this book, but more in a middle grade level read.
The characters were some what developed, and I am not very good person to judge fight scenes, but those where boring for me, that’s the only reason for the the missing star.
I did convince my 4 grader to read the series and I think he will enjoy it very much.
I did enjoy this book, but more in a middle grade level read.
The characters were some what developed, and I am not very good person to judge fight scenes, but those where boring for me, that’s the only reason for the the missing star.
I did convince my 4 grader to read the series and I think he will enjoy it very much.
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November 7, 2011This is the first book in the C.H.A.O.S. Series. Even though I am a series completionist I think this will be my last read in this series. I just didn't connect with this book at all. Perhaps it is because I'm not really in the target demographic of pre-teen boys (who I think would eat this up and ask for more), but I found all the technical problems too glaring to enjoy the book. First was the author's problem with starting the book. He jumps us into a "boot camp trial" at the CHAOS Agency where a character named Oz Romero acts as the exposition computer and our lead, Colt, experiences a little bullying for being so small but finds out that he is the seventh son in a history of alien-fighters extending back to his grandfather, who was so legendary there is a popular series of comic books based on his World War II exploits (I'd call Colt a Mary-Sue, but that would imply that there was some kind of female influence in the book which really wasn't present at all). After the military trial we skip to Colt being attacked by a tentacle monster while his parents are killed in a car wreck with a drunk driver. Colt responds to this much like he responded to the bullies at the military tryout: woodenly. He does make best friends with Danielle, who he thinks of as "the little sister he never had" but who is a "quick study" at video games (*insert sarcastic tone* extraordinary, really, since boys are much better at video games than girls, of course). It's ok, though, because she eats salad like a normal girl, and she forces him to explore his feelings (difficult to do in such an emotionless character) and other *girly* emotional things. She's nothing, though, compared to Lily, who has "playful" eyes, "golden waves" of blonde hair, and a "melodic" voice that captivates Colt even before he discovers that she smells like orange blossoms. Meanwhile Colt becomes best friends, again, with Oz (CHAOS wiped his memory of his tryout) and gets tipped off that his parents were killed because his mother was about to write a huge exposee on the Trident company's experiments with mind control.
I think one of the strangest things about this book, though, are the details. It is as if the author felt that he should flesh out the story by making interesting details, but they're so unrelated to what's going on that they read like filler. His male characters get strange names like Colt, Oswaldo, and Aristotle. He wastes half a page on Colt and Danielle arguing over who should pay for gas (he does, of course), and another paragraph on the color of sheet they use to cover up Colt's stolen motorbike/plane (because pink is icky). Some of these details are downright misogynistic. Danielle evades capture in a high-speed car chase but looses the laptop her pursuers were after because she leaves it in her car as she goes for ice-cream (because although she eats salad like a good girl she needs to follow up high-speed pursuit with a triple chocolate sundae). And the most concerning part of being chased by robots to Danielle is worrying about whether or not the robot recorded any close-ups where her makeup is smudged. Even the robots are gendered: the killer ones are male and the servant/waitress ones are obviously "made to look and sound like a female". The cliched sentences even start to contradict themselves. Danielle warns Colt that "if you really care about her like I think you do, you need to protect her" while on the next page Colt thinks to himself that Lily "wasn't wearing a ring on her finger" (because lots of 16 year old girls are?) "that meant she was fair game" to Oz, but Colt is torn because he "didn't want to reduce Lily to some kind of a prize that went to the winner."
The other major issue is Colt's Mary Sue tendencies. He steals a motorbike/plane to escape from trained military assassins and easily outruns them. He outfights a mind-controlled superhuman programmed to capture him. He is the seventh son of a seventh son . . . (okay, the first is true but the second is not - although I wouldn't be surprised). He's also implied to be psychic: he knew *somehow* that Trident was behind his parents' deaths, and that Oz knows more about Trident than he lets on. He has the highest test scores in the history of CHAOS, and he's hand-picked to lead the organization before he even starts attending their academy (and while he's still 16). He has a girl sidekick (the scatterbrained Danielle, mentioned above) who "gets computers" well enough to hack into an alien corporation's top secret network and a guy sidekick who is probably the only person under the age of 20 who knows all about alien planets and has connections on all of them. And, to top it all off, he plays guitar just enough so that he can accompany the future-country-star Lily as she sings in church.
In all, I think this book shows its roots too much. It reads rather like a comic book without the pictures, complete with stilted dialogue and cookie-cutter plotting. It also is way too sexist, even when it is trying not to be (another major problem I have with much of the comic industry). I don't think I could recommend this book to anyone, even the pre-teen boys who might enjoy it, because I would worry that it would give them bad ideas about girls and gender.
I was provided with a free copy of this book through netgalley, however, I felt guilty getting such a book for free and declined the review and bought a copy so that I could do what I thought of as a proper review.
I think one of the strangest things about this book, though, are the details. It is as if the author felt that he should flesh out the story by making interesting details, but they're so unrelated to what's going on that they read like filler. His male characters get strange names like Colt, Oswaldo, and Aristotle. He wastes half a page on Colt and Danielle arguing over who should pay for gas (he does, of course), and another paragraph on the color of sheet they use to cover up Colt's stolen motorbike/plane (because pink is icky). Some of these details are downright misogynistic. Danielle evades capture in a high-speed car chase but looses the laptop her pursuers were after because she leaves it in her car as she goes for ice-cream (because although she eats salad like a good girl she needs to follow up high-speed pursuit with a triple chocolate sundae). And the most concerning part of being chased by robots to Danielle is worrying about whether or not the robot recorded any close-ups where her makeup is smudged. Even the robots are gendered: the killer ones are male and the servant/waitress ones are obviously "made to look and sound like a female". The cliched sentences even start to contradict themselves. Danielle warns Colt that "if you really care about her like I think you do, you need to protect her" while on the next page Colt thinks to himself that Lily "wasn't wearing a ring on her finger" (because lots of 16 year old girls are?) "that meant she was fair game" to Oz, but Colt is torn because he "didn't want to reduce Lily to some kind of a prize that went to the winner."
The other major issue is Colt's Mary Sue tendencies. He steals a motorbike/plane to escape from trained military assassins and easily outruns them. He outfights a mind-controlled superhuman programmed to capture him. He is the seventh son of a seventh son . . . (okay, the first is true but the second is not - although I wouldn't be surprised). He's also implied to be psychic: he knew *somehow* that Trident was behind his parents' deaths, and that Oz knows more about Trident than he lets on. He has the highest test scores in the history of CHAOS, and he's hand-picked to lead the organization before he even starts attending their academy (and while he's still 16). He has a girl sidekick (the scatterbrained Danielle, mentioned above) who "gets computers" well enough to hack into an alien corporation's top secret network and a guy sidekick who is probably the only person under the age of 20 who knows all about alien planets and has connections on all of them. And, to top it all off, he plays guitar just enough so that he can accompany the future-country-star Lily as she sings in church.
In all, I think this book shows its roots too much. It reads rather like a comic book without the pictures, complete with stilted dialogue and cookie-cutter plotting. It also is way too sexist, even when it is trying not to be (another major problem I have with much of the comic industry). I don't think I could recommend this book to anyone, even the pre-teen boys who might enjoy it, because I would worry that it would give them bad ideas about girls and gender.
I was provided with a free copy of this book through netgalley, however, I felt guilty getting such a book for free and declined the review and bought a copy so that I could do what I thought of as a proper review.
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