Alienation (Library Edition) (Volume 2)

C.H.A.O.S. #2

by Jon S. Lewis, Kelly Ryan Dolan (Narrator)

Earth's last line of defense against the coming alien invasion is 16-year-old surfer Colt McAlister. But before he can save the world, he has to survive the day. All Colt wants to do is return to his old life . . . where aliens don’t exist . . . where mankind hasn’t been targeted for destruction . . . and where his parents are still alive. Unfortunately life doesn’t work that way. The United States government believes Colt holds the key to our survival, so they’re sending him to the CHAOS Military Academy along with his best friends Oz and Danielle. There they’ll be trained to defend Earth against a swarm of alien shapeshifters known as the Thule. But someone is trying to eliminate Colt before he can lead that charge. Shocked to learn about key events in his past and unsure who he can trust, he is alienated and on the run. In a world of high-tech gear, shape-shifting aliens, simulated reality, and hoverboards, Colt must step into his true destiny before our world falls into chaos.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Aliens, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Adventure

Audio CD

First published January 3, 2012

About the author

Also writes as J.S. Lewis.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

More excitement, intensity, and twists and turns! I had a blast with this one!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colt, Oz, and Danielle go to the university that trains Chaos agents in this book in the series. Right now it is looking more and more like someone is trying to kill Colt, but he doesn't know why. Is he really the world's only hope against the alien invasion? But he is only 16.

When Colt finds out his grandfather knew why everyone thinks he is the worlds hope, he doesn't know who to trust anymore. Everyone lies to him - could his best friend be lying to him too?

This is a really fast paced book for young teens and anyone that likes the C.H.A.O.S. of the comic book fame. I really enjoyed this light (for me) read.

[MGGMMGGM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm

Alienation is book two in the CHAOS trilogy by Jon S. Lewis and it was as good as Invasion.

Funny thing, I’ve read Alienation before I read Invasion thinking it was book one. Lo and behold, I was wrong all along. Good thing though, Alienation can be read stand alone.

Picks up right after Invasion and continues the story as Sam, Oz and
Danielle enters as CHAOS agents. Invasion already gives us an idea that these three would be part of the prestigious agency but Alienation solidifies it. After the fall of Trident, our heroines are now faced with the duty to save Earth.

Character wise, I love the development of our heroines. From Invasion to Alienation I felt like they grew up though not much of a difference would be noticed. They just seemed a little wiser, stronger and braver than the teenagers they were in book 1.

Secondary characters were as amazing too. I wasn’t expecting too much from these characters since they are characters who come and go though serves a great purpose to the plot and character development. Some you may love and some you may hate to the core but as I said, just as amazing as our heroines. Watch our for Pierce though, I know he’ll make you irate and cringe but a very effective character altogether.

Plot was very engaging especially since there is the potential and eminent danger from Lobo who we know is Oz’s dad. I didn’t know how Lewis would write the story but I am happy with how Lewis wrote it. The plot thickens and I am seeing a clearer picture of what and where Lewis wants his trilogy to go. The plot and twists was as heart racing as it was in the prior book.

One thing I wasn’t too keen off was the bombarding off technical terminologies that made my brain fart. I get that this is a book that includes gun power and explosion but the technical deets was overflowing bordering to driving me insane. It also resulted to slightly driving the focus out of the story which I somewhat dreaded. I get that Lewis needed to prove that he knows what he’s writing about but it needed a little toning down for my taste.

The ending was phenomenal and now I am gripping my Nook with too much excitement and anticipation on reading the last book, Domination (which I already reviewed for the tour). I’d say that a lot has indeed happened from the first book to this and I couldn’t asked for a better sequel myself.

Overall, Alienation is a great pick for those science fiction quick fix. Very imaginative and descriptive story to indulge readers, young and old, truly any sci-fi buff’s delight. Alienation is a powerhouse sci-fi pick if you want all the action and suspense your heart desires complete with dangerous lifeforms that will make your toes curl. Written by the talented Jon S. Lewis, you’ll definitely love reading it from page one until the last.

[Tahlia Newland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second in a series and I didn’t read the first one, however the story included enough reference to the first book that I got the necessary background.

The story.
The story is that of a sixteen year old boy and his two friends one a boy and the other a girl computer whiz. It’s set in our world after WW3. Alien races have been discovered, and the Thule, six armed shape shifters, have used up all the resources on their home planet and have targeted earth as their next home. They’re preparing to take over earth and kill all the humans. While they prepare for their invasion, Cole and his friends go into the CHAOS academy to become the front line in the defence of the earth. (16 year olds!)

Cole discovers that he has been injected with Thule DNA as an infant and is likely the betrayer of the Thule that will save the earth according to a prophecy. He has also been touted as a likely replacement for the present head of CHAOS, (a 16 year old!) The present head sets a Thule assassin after him and the rest of the story is about Cole trying not to get killed. The story ends with the inevitable battle between him and the assassin.

My thoughts
You may have already realised the Harry Potterish theme and the parallels do take away the originality of the story. My main impression of this book are:
• It is very much a boys’ book with lots of guns.
• Although there is lots of fighting, not much happens overall. The plot is very simple and fairly predictable.
• The book is a little shallow.
• Some of it is unbelievable. Apart from the things I questioned above, the students seemed to know how to mount a mission in the training simulation without being actually taught anything. Perhaps the previous book may have provided a believable context for this however.
• Although the main characters where reasonably well fleshed out, Pierre, one of the boys at the academy was very two dimensional and his actions seemed to have little reason behind them apart from playing the ‘Draco Malfoy’ role.

At the end of the book was an essay about comic book writing and when I read that, it explained a lot. I realised that Alienation is very much comic book stuff. I give it 3 stars and figure that boys who like comic books will probably enjoy this book.

[Julie Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ecopy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is the second installment in the C.H.A.O.S. series by Jon S. Lewis. C.H.A.O.S. stands for Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural.

From Goodreads: "After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface."

Colt, Danielle and Oz are back for more adventures! Yay! I have to say that I absolutely love this series! It may be about comic book characters, but the story is action packed and has characters that are fully fleshed out, and continue to grow from the first page to the last. Even the secondary characters are three dimensional and very individual.

In this installment Colt, Dani and Oz are all accepted to the CHAOS program and they go to live at the school. We learn a lot more about Colt's role in the survival of the human race, and why he is so important. We have some great conflict between Colt and Oz, and Dani continues to be front and center. My favorite character, Grandpa McAllister, is his same ornery self, and we get to meet lots of new characters at the kids' school.

This is a great series for boys to get into, which is always great. I have a 15 year old son who I introduced to this series, and he can't read it fast enough! There are so many books out there for teen girls, so it's really awesome when I can find one I can recommend for the boys, too!

In summary, I loved everything about this series and read it in one sitting! I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next - I just hope I don't have long to wait! Highly recommended for teens and young adults who love a good action packed story :D

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Alienation
Author: Jon S. Lewis
Series: C.H.A.O.S., 2
Format: ebook
Length: 539 pages (iPhone)
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: Earth's last line of defense against the coming alien invasion is 16-year-old surfer Colt McAlister.
But before he can save the world, he has to survive the day.
All Colt wants to do is return to his old life . . . where aliens don't exist . . . where mankind hasn't been targeted for destruction . . . and where his parents are still alive. Unfortunately life doesn't work that way.
The United States government believes Colt holds the key to our survival, so they're sending him to the CHAOS Military Academy along with his best friends Oz and Danielle. There they'll be trained to defend Earth against a swarm of alien shape shifters known as the Thule. But someone is trying to eliminate Colt before he can lead that charge. Shocked to learn about key events in his past and unsure who he can trust, he is alienated and on the run.
In a world of high-tech gear, shape-shifting aliens, simulated reality, and hover boards, Colt must step into his true destiny before our world falls into chaos.

Favourite character: Danielle
Least favourite character: Krone & Lobo

Mini-review: Good. I love the aliens and the robots. This was the only book in the trilogy I couldn't remember anything about. Looking forward to rereading the conclusion.

Fan Cast:
Colt McAllister - Ross Lynch
Oswaldo "Oz" Romero - Brandon Larracuente
Danielle Salzar - Letitia Wright
Santiago "Lobo" Romero - Diego Luna
Heinrich Krone - Numan Acar
Agent Reginald Graves - Richard E. Grant
Kristen Skoglund - Sara Rue
Captain James Starling - Eric Christian Olsen
Agent Daniel David "Gamemaster" O'Keefe - Josh Gad
Lily Westcott - Jessica Amlee
Pierce Bowen - Kodi Smit-McPhee

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next instalment in the C.H.A.O.S. series, Alienation is definitely action-packed. And with action-packed I mean PACKED. One moment we're flying around with jetpacks, trying to evade a tank-size wasp. Just moments later we're attacked by some scary shapeshifting assassin.

I had this whole nice long and thoughtful review planned out, but Goodreads decided this was a perfect moment to start some maintenance. So it was deleted. I will thus be making a nice pro-con list!

Pro:
- Tons and tons of action. If I had a little brother, I would immediately recommend this book to him
- Will appeal to lovers of super-hero stories and comic book readers
- Imaginative creatures and technologies. It has a cool futuristic feel. Who doesn't love shiny gadgets?
- It has a super cool grandpa that can kick ass
- Very clean action. There is some blood, but definitely no ripping out entrails here
- Even though the book is published by Christian literature publisher Thomas Nelson, Alienation is not preachy at all

Con:
- You get thrown into the action right away. At times I wondered what the connection was with the actual plot
- I sometimes missed an emotional connection with Colt. At times he just feels cold and distant
- I was looking forward to some character development in this book, but I wasn't completely satisfied.

All in all, Alienation is a great fast-paced book that I would recommend.

[Mary Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I have to type out this post super fast because I have to go home soon (I'm at work HAHA) and I'm too lazy to touch the laptop at home. So, let's go!

This is the second instalment to the CHAOS series. If you've seen my review of the first book, you would have known that I refer this whole series as the Agents of SHIELD book-version HAHA. Which is true. The book deals more with aliens, rather than superhumans though. So, basically, Colt has been invited to join the academy, and he's half scared but half excited too. But then, he realises that someone wants him dead because of his position. Apparently, he was chosen as the one who would replace the director of CHAOS, and that placed him in danger. When the truth about his past comes about, and he realises that someone IN CHAOS might want him dead, suddenly even his best friend could not be trusted.

This second book is amazing, as amazing as the first book. But I have to say though, the one flaw about this book is that it likes to cut off abruptly. LIKE SERIOUSLY, IT'S JUST SUPER ABRUPT. Example, when he goes into unchartered territory and someone caught him, it just stops there. Next thing you know, he wakes up the next morning, and they did not even explain what happened the night before. I mean, is he in trouble or something? It happened alot of times in this book, but thank God for the awesome storyline HAHA.

Now, let me go home and read the next book. ;)

[Julien Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. In a world on the brink of interstellar war a teen named Colt McAlister his friends Danielle and Oz are the only ones standing in the way of an alien invasion. The aliens are called the Thule, a race of Lizard men that have six arms and jaws that can snap a man in half! These creatures come to earth through these things called gateways witch are portals to other worlds. These portals connect to about 11 other planets that have life on them. All of witch have enough power to rival with earth.
Through the story we come to learn that someone inside Chaos wants Colt dead. this new threat causes colt to not trust anyone not even his own grandfather who let the government inject alien DNA into him. Hence the title of the book Alienation. Colt feels alone and fearful for quiet some time and it was interesting to see how that played out in the story.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book, really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to read the next (and last, I think) book. Yep!

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't see that coming! Wow!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jon S. Lewis- Alienation
274 pages

Reading this book gave me some perspective on Invasion. I guess with Invasion I kept expecting to see other planets. That doesn't seem to be the goal of this series. This isn't about traveling around, it's about the impact those other places can have on Earth. I'm kind of disappointed, but the story is still good!

Alienation gives you a much broader understanding of CHAOS and their technology. Most of it was pretty interesting, some of it I couldn't understand. I don't really hold that against the book, more so against my understanding of STEM as a whole. It makes the world more appealing and definitely more dangerous.

I really like how Colt is developing as a person. He seems to be coming into his own and figuring out the kind of person he wants to be. He's starting to accept that some of the things done to him in childhood can't be changed now, and he's moving forward. This book was full of revelations for Colt, and it really pushed him to be better.

Danielle on the other hand... I'm not thrilled with her. She went from being this strong willed badass to practically cowering in the corner. Maybe the third book will change that. I really hope it does. While I understand having to give your characters flaws, they can't be perfect, that kind of personality change didn't really help move the story forward it just made me not like her so much (which is sad!).

Oz was just Oz. Throughout the course of the book he didn't really change much. It isn't a bad thing, he's kind of an awesome character. I would like to see him improve himself some in the next book, and I have a feeling he will go through the self-revelation process that Colt did in this book.

The plot was solid, though a few things didn't seem to add up. The third book might hold those answers (I'm still looking for some answers from the first book). The third book will be the last, and I feel like there is a lot of little mysteries that need to be cleared up. I wish there was a little more closure from this book, but I know why there wasn’t.

Rating
♥♥♥♥

For more reviews, click here!

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, Alienation, the sequel to Invasion. I finished this book a lot quicker than its prequel, but not because I enjoyed it more. As seen by my ratings, Alienation has three stars just like Invasion. I'd say I enjoyed this book just as much, if not a little less, than Invasion.

Alienation is set a few months after the events that took place in Invasion. Humans are now aware of the existence of aliens, but the government is doing everything they can do to prevent mass panic. What the general population doesn't know is the oncoming attack of the aliens species known as the Thule, who want to kill everybody on our planet so they can have it to themselves. CHAOS, an agency whose sole purpose is to stop things like that from happening are accepting their last batch of recruits, including Colt McAlister, Oz Romero, and Danielle Salazar. It looks like it's going to be hard for Colt and his friends to save the world when dealing with Thule assassins, conspiracies, and an ancient Thule prophecy that turns Colt's live more upside down than it already was.

Plot

The general plot is the same is it was in Invasion, Men In Black with teenagers thrown in. The change in plot comes from an ancient prophecy from the Thule, that lists one of the Thule might betray them and help defeat them, and Colt, Danielle and Oz actually getting to the CHAOS military academy. There is mention of a prophecy, but it doesn't actually push the plot forward or anything at this point in the novel. All in all, the plot is the same as the previous book (three teenagers try not to get killed by aliens), so if you liked the plot in Invasion you'll enjoy it, or be annoyed by the repeat plot.

Writing

The writing in Alienation is at the same standard it was in Invasion. It was nice, but it didn't stand out amongst other writing styles. There isn't much to say here in terms of writing that I haven't already said in my review for Invasion. The one problem I have with the writing is how aliens are handled in regards to the general population. The aliens are written like they're an afterthought, which makes the writing feel a little unrealistic.

One thing I have to applaud this book on is the training we see. Unlike in Divergent, the training seems much more realistic, which I give kudos to Lewis for.

Characters

The three main characters are the same: Colt, Danielle, and Oz. Like in my previous review, I still like Oz better and wish he was the main character over Colt. Colt's characterization has fallen a bit as it seems like he only does something when something happens to him. He's very boring and I don't much care for him. I like Danielle because she is a strong female character, though she doesn't see as much action as the did in Invasion.
Other than our three main characters, the adult characters don't much stand out. They are pretty incompetent, which isn't surprising seeing as this is the norm in YA novels. The teenagers save the day and the adults can't tell their elbow from their knees.

Things I Didn't Like

Oh, boy! The good part of this review. From the first couple of pages, there's a small comic that mentions a prophecy and that are main character is part of that prophecy. I hate prophecies! I can't stand them, especially if they aren't done very well. Alienation doesn't do prophecies well either. To me, prophecies are extremely lazy storytelling tropes that have been done to death, especially if the author doesn't put a new twist on it. The prophecy also makes this book feel like an awkward mix of sci-fi and fantasy. Those are two genres that have trouble co-existing and Lewis doesn't really make it work.

I also didn't like the fact that Colt, out of thousands of males, was the only one to accept the alien DNA. Does the book really expect us to believe that? Colt's got seven brothers with the similar DNA and they didn't accept the alien DNA? No, that is too far-fetched and unbelievable.

The lack of reaction is another thing I didn't like that was present in the previous book. The whole "aliens are coming to kill us and take our planet" seems like an afterthought. As does the fact that Colt has a six-armed trained assassin after him. The lack of strong reactions is pretty disappointing.

Diversity

The diversity in Alienation is slightly better than Invasion in terms of race. There are more black characters, even if they are background ones, and there is even a boy from Thailand. On the LGBTQIAP+ front, however, there is the same amount of representation there was last book; none. Everybody was cisgender and heterosexual. The only arguable disabled character is in the form of an alien who needs a water tank to breath on land, but I don't think he really counts. So, once again, the overall diversity in Alienation is extremely low.

Overall

I didn't like Alienation quite as much as Invasion, but that's only because of the prophecy. I finished this book in three days, though I could have finished in two. The lack of diversity is still a problem, but I would still recommend this book like I did its prequel. It's a very easy read and worth checking out.

[(Katie) Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished the second book in the C.H.A.O.S sci-fi series. I really enjoyed it. Not as much as the first, but still recommend if you love fun alien stories. I can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy. I love finding clean and easy reads to just get lost in and have fun imagining a different world.

[Tyler Hetland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a middle book. It was actually a good transition from the battle in the first book to the eventual battle sure to come in the conclusion of the trilogy. Intelligent use of conspiracy and suspense while not explaining everything. Fight scenes were tastefully descriptive so that I could picture them in my head without being bored with the details. On to book 3!

[Dick Humphries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of 3. I found it fun. Although for a teen readers it has been a good read. Fast paced and keeps your interest.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good middle book of the trilogy.

[Amloid Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story, a worthy continuation of the C.H.A.O.S. saga bring on the next.

[Rebecca (Unbound Pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review also on The Library Canary!

I really liked the first book in this series, Invasion, so I was looking forward to reading this one. But I was kind of disappointed. It was okay. There was a ton of action just like the first book, but I had a hard time believing certain things and connecting with the characters.

For Colt, it’s one thing after another. Every time it seems like he is out of the woods, something else happens. This poor kid cannot catch a break. However, there were parts that I thought were just too easy. Like the solutions to his problems were a little too convenient, you know what I mean? Throughout this book, Colt begrudgingly begins to embrace his destiny. He discovers secrets that have been kept hidden from him his whole life and must decide whether or not to hold onto his anger over it or put it aside and face what’s coming next. His character is enjoyable, though not loveable. I didn’t fall in love with who he is or what he was trying to do. In the first book, his love interest is Lily, a girl he goes to high school with. In this book, he is transferring to the CHAOS military academy so he basically just completely stops talking to her. She was in one scene at the very beginning, but then she is just a memory. I didn’t like this aspect. It made me feel as if her character had served no purpose in the first book or the small role she played in this one and was just there so that Colt could have a crush on someone.

Oz is still a fun character and I would have to say that he is my favorite, the one that I connected with the most. He is serious and funny at the same time. Colt and Oz’s friendship hits a speed bump in this book. If I had been in Oz’s position, I would have been angry with Colt. However, Oz seems to kind of just ignore the conflict and doesn’t really get upset at all. They go a few days without talking to each other and then it’s like nothing ever happened. It just wasn’t real to me. This isn’t how humans interact with each other and I felt like more should have happened between the two.

Danielle is a great character. She is extremely intelligent. I didn’t understand how she magically got an invitation to go to the CHAOS military academy though. Both Oz and Colt had to go to a sort of prescreening day in the first book to even be considered for an invite, but then Danielle just magically gets an invitation in the mail. Once again, seemed unrealistic. In addition, in the first book, she and Oz have somewhat of a romantic relationship going on and that seemed to just completely disappear in this book. What? How do they have feelings for each other one day and the next just completely turn it off? This is really nitpicky of me, but another thing that bugged me was that in the first book, Colt refers to Danielle by a nickname, Dani, and in this book he calls her Danielle the entire time. They have known each other since they were little kids and I just did not understand what would make him start using her full name randomly.

Our antagonist in this book is Krone, a Thule (evil aliens that want to take over the world) villain. He was a great villain and quite honestly, I enjoyed his character the most this time around. He is dark, mysterious and extremely dangerous. There were holes in his character as well though. Let’s just say he’s really good at what he does according to his past history, but then fails multiple times on his current assignment. That’s all I’ll say, don’t want to give away any spoilers.

Overall, this book was okay. There was a lot of action that kept me interested enough to continue to turn the pages. My biggest complaint was the characters. There were so many holes in their personalities and relationships with each other that just bugged me throughout the entire book. Because of this, I had a hard time connecting with any of them. The ending is kind of a cliffhanger, but I feel so passive about this book that I’m not dying to read the next one. I’ll probably pick it up eventually just to see how the series ends, but I’m certainly not losing sleep over wondering what is going to happen next. I hope in the final book, Domination, we connect with the characters more. Happy reading all!

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two in the C.H.A.O.S trilogy (Alienation) exceeds all expectations, with its intense plot full of twists and turns and much suspense that leaves you breathless. Cyber attacks, alien invasions and flying spaceships this science-fiction extravaganza will delight fans both young and old who enjoy this genre, and are looking to read something original and new. Each chapter ends on a dramatic cliffhanger that makes you want to read on hence this book is so engrossing from beginning to end, maintaining the thrilling momentum throughout. Mixing high school, space aliens and conspiracy theories Jon S Lewis’ first novel in the C.H.A.O.S series (I am number four) 2010, was targeted towards the younger reader hence with the coming of book two older young adults and mature readers will appreciate the step up in age and style of writing. Jon S Lewis is a master of comic books where he adorns the first few pages of this wonderful book with illustrations that will enchant many young readers, as it helps to bring the story to life. Alongside the mechanical spiders, jet packs and Nazi alien alliances runs an undercurrent of teen romance that makes this story more realistic and captivating to read, as one is moved and touched by the distinctive characters.

Earth has only one last defense against the coming mighty alien invasion, in the form of a school boy and sixteen year old surfer Colt McAlister. Regardless of an entire race pinning their hopes on this one individual all Colt dreams of is returning to a normal existence without Aliens or anything unexpected and where mankind is not prey to destruction. With the death of his parents his determination to rid the planet of these vengeful creatures is never stronger, as the United States government put their trust behind Colt hence relying and depending on him to succeed. Best friends Oz and Danielle accompany Colt to the C.H.A.O.S military academy where they are ultimately trained to defend planet Earth against a swarm of alien shapeshifters called the Thule. Until Colt can defeat these mysterious and deadly creatures he has to look back into his past to be able to see clearly all that surrounds him, as there is something more than initially meets the eye; as all is not quite right. It is time for Colt to fulfill his destiny in a world of shape-shifting aliens, high-tech gear and gadgets, stimulated reality and hoverboards before all is lost.
This beautiful book caught my eye instantly with its striking and imaginative red cover that is quite glorious, and also contains other extras such as; an introduction to the story, a C.H.A.O.S sketchpad, how to make a comic, a comic book script and a reading group guide. Reading this book is like opening a chocolate box of delights with a face full of as much glee as a child who has just walked into a sweet shop that is more exciting with the turning of each new page. I cannot wait to read Invasion which is a continuation of the C.H.A.O.S trilogy in a luminous emerald cover, that I am sure is just as fantastic as Alienation. Jon S Lewis has created a novel that is original and creatively imaginative, new and unique which not only amazed me but also left me sitting on the edge of my seat with chills down my spine after realizing that I had just read something quite extraordinary. This intense and exciting story is one that I shall remember for a long time as being something most engaging, being something that you will never forget. I had goosbumps and chills running down my spine as I sat tense on the edge of my seat in suspence throughout, reading quicker whilst loosing myself within the pages feeling a part of Colt’s story as I wanted to know the outcome of this saga. I cannot commend Jon S Lewis enough as he really has put himself, his passion and skill, blood sweat and tears into these pages that are a delight to read. Etched within my memory now forever I shall not hesitate in placing this volume at the very top of the bookshelf, alongside other books that have deservedly received great critical acclaim. If you are a fan of the science-fiction or fantasy genres or you love Young Adult novels, then I would highly recommend that you look out for this outstanding trilogy.

[Victor Gentile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon S. Lewis in his new book “Alienation” Book Two in the C. H.A. O. S. series published by Thomas Nelson returns us to the future world preparing against an alien invasion.

From The Back Cover: Earth’s last line of defense against the coming alien invasion is 16-year-old surfer Colt McAlister.

But before he can save the world, he has to survive the day.

All Colt wants to do is return to his old life . . . where aliens don’t exist . . . where mankind hasn’t been targeted for destruction . . . and where his parents are still alive. Unfortunately life doesn’t work that way.

The United States government believes Colt holds the key to our survival, so they’re sending him to the CHAOS Military Academy along with his best friends Oz and Danielle. There they’ll be trained to defend Earth against a swarm of alien shapeshifters known as the Thule. But someone is trying to eliminate Colt before he can lead that charge. Shocked to learn about key events in his past and unsure who he can trust, Colt is alienated and on the run.

In a world of high-tech gear, shape-shifting aliens, simulated reality, and hoverboards, Colt must step into his true destiny before our world falls into chaos.

“Alienation” is an action-packed thrill ride full of conspiracies, danger, and of course, aliens. Jon S. Lewis gives us a cyber-tech retelling of the story of David and parallels Saul’s attempts on David’s life, the tension Jonathon faces between his father and his best friend, and the joining of the Mighty Men. This is meant to be a young adult novel, which means it is meant for teenagers, but anyone who like science fiction will enjoy this book. Mr. Lewis provides enough adrenaline spiked action to keep everyone on the edge of their seats and the theme of faith and God in action is more than worth the price of admission. “Alienation” is an exciting book and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!

The invasion was only the beginning! Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!

One thrill-seeker will receive:

iPad2 with Wi-Fi
Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don’t miss a second of the intrigue!

Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Alexis Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The adventures of orphaned surfer teen Colt McAlister continue as he and his two best friends--hacker prodigy Danielle and uber-buff warrior-to-be Oz--prepare for their training at the super secret C.H.A.O.S. academy. Which would be more than enough to keep these teenagers busy without the near-fatal 'accidents' that seem to dog Colt's steps everywhere he goes. Is someone out to kill him? Who? And why? Can Colt solve the mystery before it's too late?

In this sequel, Lewis wisely returns to the most interesting plot thread in Invasion--the super secret training school. Sadly, most of the book is focused on simply preparing to go there. The characters don't actually arrive at the academy until Chapter 28 (more than 130 pages into this 250 page book), and the climax occurs mere days after their arrival, so we still don't really know what super secret spy school is really like.

Not that it takes 130 pages for the action to start--during that time, Colt endures giant viper wasps, rogue combat robots, jellyfish monsters, a shape-shifting alien assassin, high speed car chases, and more in his never-ending quest to simply survive. Then, too, he discovers some rather unwelcome and surprising information about his own past.

This new information helps explain why Colt is expected to be such a prodigy (and his rather unlikely survival in the face of danger). And since Oz's father runs C.H.A.O.S. and has been training his son since birth, it's hardly surprising that Oz is such a capable fighter. Danielle remains a mystery, though--her computer skills are impossibly convenient. Somehow, this high-schooler is able to hack the most sophisticated defense systems in the country . . . and just happens to be friends with a pseudo messiah and one of the toughest fighters around. Fortunately, there are a few things Danielle can't do, hacker-wise, but she's still enough of a genius to be unsettling. Perhaps the next volume will explain away the coincidence of their friendship (as well as finally showing us what it's really like at super secret spy and alien school).

The characters continue to be rather two-dimensional (possibly a result of the author's background in comic book writing), but the plot holds up better, even if the villain's motivation is a bit underwhelming. Having established that a super-competent alien assassin is after Colt (with specific instructions to make the death look accidental), Lewis is free to come up with a variety of creative life-threatening sequences for Colt and his friends. The end result is a much more cohesive product than the previous volume, though there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Bottom Line: Better than the first book, but still mostly just something fun and clean for kids.

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”]

[Vanya D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Alienation" was an amazing journey comprising many blood-curdling adventures. It was full with striking creativity, high-tech gadgets and of course - more aliens. The characters we met in "Invasion" have grown from the careless teenagers, into responsible young adults. They're now able to put themselves, and their own needs in second place, leaving #1 position for the protection of our world against the alien invasion of the Thule lizardmen.

Friendships were broken and rebuilt in this installment of C.H.A.O.S. New characters emerged, new opportunities came to prove one's worth and new challenges for trust and truth had to be met.

Dread settled in my heart, as I read about the experiments the Government had conducted on six-year old Colt, and I wondered when and how the results would manifest themselves. I didn't have to wait long to find out.

The battle against the aliens wasn't the only front that our trio - Colt, Danielle, and Oz - had to face. A plot to assassinate several very important people is blooming, who knows what the next target will be?

The Characters:
*Colt has definitely begun to grow out of his childish, spoiled-baby-son habits. Little by little, he accepts his place in the world, and the great scheme of things. I saw his boy side, and his man side and loved them both. Sometimes he was reckless, sometimes he was brave, but whatever he did, somehow he always managed to pull the strings into his advantage. The only thing I didn't like about him was how he treated Lily. I know that with everything that was going on, perhaps it was better this way, but still. A guy needs to be a guy, not a jerk.

*Danielle began this book as the unsure girl, who didn't quite realize the risks of being a CHAOS agent. But in the end, she was already becoming a hardcore chick who knew what she was doing. She's the smart high-tech genius, who can hack even the CHAOS network in no time. I couldn't hide my admiration for her. I can't wait to see more of her in book 3.

*Oz wasn't all that present in this book. I kind of missed him, his smart-ass comments, and his know-it-all attitude. He kind of managed to win my admiration and he really grew on me. I want more Oz!!!

*Grandpa McAllister aka the Phantom Flyer is such an awesome old man. I loved every bit of him, including his weird habits and his super secret contacts and his mysterious personality.

A couple of Quotes that I want to share are:
One:
"You heard about the incident, right?"
Cold hadn't, but that wasn't unusual. Oz had access to information the rest of the world didn't know existed. His dad was the director of an organization called CHAOS - Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural. They were a bit like the CIA or the FBI, but instead of going after drug cartels or spying on the Russians, they protected the world from nightmares like bioengineered monsters, alien life forms, and sparkling vampires.

Two:
"Is that what our uniform looks like?"
"Yes, but we'll get to that in a minute," the SVC-9 unit said as it stopped at what looked like a closet door. "Please disrobe."
"Here?"
"Your modesty is admirable, but I can assure you that there are no female specimens anywhere in the room."

[Brenten Gilbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 2010-2011, aliens seemed to be making a huge impression on the pop culture psyche. In the movies, the studios released Skyline, Cowboys and Aliens, Transformers, I Am Number Four, Battle: Los Angeles, and even Mars Needs Moms. On television, shows like Flashforward, The Event, and Falling Skies constantly reminded us that an alien invasion was all but imminent. Given this media attention, the ground was certainly fertile for an Christian alien book series. And that's exactly what we've got here... but is it any good?

NOTE: This is book 2 of the series.

In Alienation, the momentum and excitement of Invasion begins to unravel, and not in a good way. The story line becomes a little muddled and rather than a clear overarching plot, we have a collection of disjointed events cobbled loosely together by outlandish action sequences in efforts to keep the reader engaged. It feels like cheap thrills and erodes the fictitious reality established earlier. Also suffering, character development is pushed aside and all but ignored as the main characters dissolve into stock character wallpaper, making it difficult to truly care what happens to them.

This installment finds the trio (Colt, Oz, and Danielle) heading off to join the CHAOS training program at a secret headquarters. We've also learned that Colt is special, in that he was injected with alien DNA as a young child and he may or may not be turning into an alien. He certainly has unique capabilities, such as super strength, but he can't completely control when they are enacted, giving him a Dr. Banner/Hulk complex (no, it's not directly stated as such). Because of his condition, however, he's supposed to be the only one who can save the world from an alien invasion. Unfortunately, he's also on a secret hit list, targeted by the director of CHAOS, who happens to be Oz's father (hello, Peter Parker and Harry Osborn), who is simply trying to save his job.

There's a lot of insecurity, strained love sickness, and confusion portrayed here as the characters - particularly Colt - tries to identify his purpose in life. Lewis even takes a shot at diversity training as Colt grapples with the notion that aliens are people, too. Well, not people, but at least not automatically an enemy worthy of killing mercilessly. But Colt comes off as whiny more often than not and the moral lessons appear as billboards on the side of the road as we zoom by, propelled (or at least distracted) by jet packs and hover boards.

Action sequences pop up throughout the story and eventually the narrative ends exactly as you might expect. With the characters poised for book three and the reader somewhat uncertain of what they've signed on for.

- from TRudATmusic[dot]com[slash]raw (5/22/13)

[Kaylea · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Colt McAlister, life changed dramatically when his parents were killed in a car accident - which wasn't quite the accident people initially thought.

Through a series of events, Colt learns of a world that he never imagined - filled with jet packs, flying motorcycles and a grandfather who was the "Flying Phantom" during World War II.

Colt wants to be normal, but normal is no longer an option.

Instead he finds himself in the midst of a epic battle to save his life - and attend school at a top secret training center for C.H.A.O.S. - the Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural.

Ultimately, Colt has to decide who he can trust - and what friendship truly means.

What I Thought
I thought this book was well written and filled with intrigue and suspense. You can tell how writing for D.C. Comics has played a role in the development of Jon Lewis' writing style, because his words seem to come alive due to his vivid descriptions and wording.

This novel - and ultimately the series - plays on Lewis' writing strengths as he creates an alternative universe, where aliens and humans can come into contact, and people can ride around on flying motorcycles and use jet packs to fly.

It was interesting and fun to watch Lewis unfold Colt's character, as he not only learns to be with- and understand - his grandfather. He is also left maintaining his new and sometimes fledgling friendship with Oz and Danielle.

Because it's the second book in the series, readers may find it easier to "track" what is happening if they read the first book - Invasion. I know I found myself understanding Alienation more, once I went back and explored the first novel.

In Alienation, Lewis uses an allegory to structure his manuscript - drawing inspiration from the story of David, Jonathan and Saul. The parallels between Jonathan and David, and Oz and Colt are striking. This allegory added an interesting rhythm and strength to the story line - and truly served as the backbone of the novel.

Ultimately, this novel is written for young readers - but like most well written young adult fiction, this novel (and series) will appeal to readers of all ages.

However, unlike many young adult novels in today's marketplace, this book (and series) is not dark and depressing. It does deal with some strong themes, but somehow Lewis keeps it from being too harsh.

On the scale of one to five, with five being the highest, I give it a four. From reading the ending, I'm guessing there's at least one more book - because Lewis closed with a cliffhanger. I'm really hoping my 11-year-old nephew will dig into this series - so I have an excuse to check out the next book in the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alienation (C.H.A.O.S. Series #2)

by. Jon S. Lewis

4 Star Rating


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781595547545
Publisher: Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date: 1/3/2012
Pages: 288
Sales rank: 86,672
Age range: 11 – 15 Years
Series: C.H.A.O.S. Series , #2
Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.50 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Summary: We catch up with Colt, Danielle, and Oz as they are getting ready to go to the CHAOS military academy. The boys are practicing obstacle courses with their jet packs when an alien wasp comes out of nowhere to attack them. Colt and Oz do some quick thinking to defend themselves, but this is the first of many odd occurrences that seem to be focused purely on Colt. Colt gets some information that leads him to believe that the director of CHAOS has hired an assassin to kill him. This is why he keeps being attacked by aliens, robots, and the like. Who can he trust? Oz is the director’s son, is he in on it? Should Colt head to the CHAOS academy or will he let this keep him away from his seeming destiny? Also, Colt finds out a surprising secret that his family has kept from him. Knowing this changes everything that Colt has ever known about himself. For such a small book, there really is a ton of things that happen.

My thoughts: I’ve enjoyed these books and look forward to the next installment. They are extremely quick reads. Part of this is that the chapters of very short, but part of it is that the action never ceases. From beginning to end, there is heart pumping, barely escapable situations that you can’t help but root Colt through. Danielle is also a lovely character. She reminds me of Velma from Scooby Doo. She knows too much for her own good, shares her wisdom, but also is a loyal, caring friend that dishes out the best advice. There is distance between Colt and Oz throughout this novel because of the plot to kill Colt, which was distracting to me. I think it was the only downside of the novel. I like Colt and Oz’s friendship. I could logically see what the author was trying to do and the tension he was trying to build, but I just didn’t feel it. It fell flat. I couldn’t tell enough of a change in their friendship to feel anything other than an uninterested, busy teenage life. All in all, this is perfect for a quick adventure and highly recommend for our reluctant teen boy readers.

[Jonas S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read Alienation of The Chaos Trilogy it’s the second story of three. It started with Invasion and ends with Domination. I didn’t read the first one so I didn’t know what was happening at first but when I got into it, it made more sense like what happened in the first one. This book is really different from almost all other novels the only ones that it’s close to is the other books in the trilogy. The story is mainly about two characters Oz the son of the Lobo director of the Chaos agency, and Clot a friend of Oz that could replace Lobo. The Chaos agency is Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural. Their job is like the CIA or FBI but they protect people from bio-engineered creatures, and alien lifeforms, they do the weird stuff that has to get done. Lobo isn’t the guys real name but everyone called him that. It’s Spanish for wolf there were a lot of stories about how he got the name but it fit because he was cunning, strong, and ruthless. Oz his son was trained basically from birth to be part of the agency, he was in great shape, well trained with all guns, and was a great flier on a jet pack, and well trained in different martial arts. Colt was a friend of Oz that wanted to join the Chaos agency had some skill but not as much as Oz. The main conflict is how to stop the aliens and trying to make it in the Chaos agency. Colt wants to be in the agency but has problems with not as much skill as Oz who is highly trained. Also when Colt makes it into the agency he is put through a lot of dangerous test as a child but had his memory erased of it all which gave him the skill and why he was one of the people considered to takeover as director of the agency and not Oz. But his family knew that his memory was erased and they never told him when he found out he felt betrayed. Colt wants to be the hero and save people but he feels out of place because he doesn’t know who he is and why his family lied to him, and the agency will lie and cheat to do what they have to do and don’t care about anything else. Which leaves Colt uncertain of what he should do. I give this book 3 stars because it has good characters with good story line and enough twists and turns.

[Kristin (Blood,Sweat and Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:

Alienation is the 2nd book in the C.H.A.O.S. trilogy and picks up shortly after Invasion left off. I'm just going to say it, I love this series!! It really just keeps getting better and better! I was so concerned Alienation would suffer middle book syndrome. So I was definitely pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.

One of my favorite things about Alienation was its perfect pacing. My focus remain glued to the page, my mind never having a chance to wander. I read Alienation in one sitting, laundry and pangs of hunger ignored just so I could keep reading. I was actually surprised when it ended as I wasn't quite ready for it to be over. Yes, it was that darn good!

Secondly, I love these characters. One of my only problems with the first book was the characters felt younger than intended. Thankfully, this wasn't the case in Alienation. Oz, Danielle and of course Colt definitely matured. Of course I still love Colt's Grandfather he is just adorable. If he was ever cast in real life I could picture Clint Eastwood in the role. The part is perfect suited for him. I was also happy to see Lohr back as well as Ms. Skoglund. Out of the new characters introduced I can't wait to see more of Giru Ba!

While Alienation had some terrific fight scenes, I still think one of my favorite aspects of this book and the series in general is the absolute kick-butt weaponry and futuristic technology. The nanotech fabric, ugh Where can I get some?? Seriously it is cool! I also like the Hoverboards. Yeah they felt very Back To The Future but they also made perfect sense since Colt is a surfer.

Overall, I really have no complaints with Alienation. Action, Adventure, Espionage and of course Aliens combine together to create a thrilling ride that frankly I don't want to get off of! In fact, I started book 3 Domination immediately after Alienation. I have no doubt it will be just as, if not even more incredible than the first two. In the end I highly recommend picking this one up and of course book 1 Invasion if you haven't already. Doesn't matter if you're young or old this book has something for everyone. That being said, I will be rating Alienation by Jon S. Lewis ★★★★★.

[E.A. West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Colt McAlister is back for another exciting adventure full of aliens and intrigue. This time, however, someone is determined to kill him. Thanks to the government’s belief that Colt is the one who will save the world from an invasion of six-armed, shapeshifting aliens, he must survive multiple attempts on his life. His friends Danielle and Oz are determined to help him in any way they can, but can he truly trust them? Can he trust anyone?

The second book in the C.H.A.O.S. Trilogy, Alienation is an action-packed thrill ride full of conspiracies, danger, and of course, aliens. From hoverboards and nanotechnology to robots and jet packs, this book embodies any geek’s dream world. Although fictional, the technology is described in such a way that it is fully believable and undeniably awesome. Colt, Danielle, and Oz continue to develop their close friendship as their characters grow in strength and depth. When the three friends arrive at the CHAOS Military Academy, they work together and separately to stop the plot to eliminate Colt. Through the wild, life-threatening events, Colt learns who he can trust and what friendship really means.

Yet again, Jon Lewis has done a wonderful job of writing a book that will hold the interest of both teens and adults until the very last page. Alienation shows the importance of thinking for yourself, as well as knowing when to rely on others. Teens are sure to love the adrenaline-laced adventures Colt and his friends experience, and parents will appreciate the thread of faith skillfully woven into the tale. With all of the questionable role models out there, Colt McAlister and his friends provide a welcome change with their determination to help others and do the right thing, no matter the personal cost.

I highly recommend Alienation, and the rest of the C.H.A.O.S. Trilogy, to anyone who loves science fiction, adventure, and high-tech toys. These books will not disappoint.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This review and the opinions expressed in it are my own and based solely on the contents of the book and my experience reading it.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second volume in a fun little series about teenagers who are The Only Hope for Earth's resistance to alien invasion. No, that doesn't make much sense, but, really, it doesn't have to. Lewis gives us an engaging group of teenage friends, a secret government agency that's supposed to be the main line of defense but may be compromised, secret heroes and villains, and a fast pace with neat stuff happening on nearly every page.

The intended audience is young adult readers, but if you can let go and enjoy the ride, it's entertaining for older readers, too.

Colt McAllister is the youngest of a large family of boys, and in the previous volume, his parents were killed right around the time he got accepted to the same Virginia military high school all his brothers attended. He's now living with his grandfather, a World War II veteran, while waiting to go off to that academy--which is the school for the secret force which is fighting the aliens. While he's waiting, he's hooked up with a few friends who'll also be going off to the academy.

It's not a quiet, restful time, though. Colt is, for various reasons, a Major Threat to the aliens, and they're out to get him before he can be trained and groomed for his destined role. Colt and his friends spend the time avoiding assassination attempts, which is really tricky because the aliens are shapeshifters and have a dandy little multinational medical devices corporation at their disposal. Of course, the teens also have access to some cool stuff; Colt's grandfather, World War II vet, is really the Phantom Flyer, a World War II hero who is believed to be just a comic book superhero. Colt and his friends get to practice with old, out-of-date versions of the modern equipment they'll be using at the school, and it's a good thing: it helps them keep Colt alive.

When they get to school, things get even more dangerous, as they discover that they can't assume anyone is trustworthy, because they can't assume anyone is who he seems to be.

Call it a guilty pleasure, call it light entertainment, but it's a lot of fun.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley from the publisher via NetGalley.