Alien Hunters: Discovery

by R.G. Cordiner

A lethal game of hide and seek ... with aliens. Want to play? In 1968 an alien spacecraft crash landed on Earth. There were survivors. Today, they walk amongst us, invisible in plain sight. They could be your teacher, your friend or even .... YOU. Everyone sees them as human. Everyone, except two children. Thomas and Katie were unaware that they could detect aliens until they were contacted by a secret organisation. The Alien Hunters. For years they have been training for this moment. Now their fate is in the hands of two children who are faced with intense training, secret missions, some very freaky weapons and lots of slime. Let the hunt begin. "Hunting them doesn't bother me. Finding a giant, slime filled alien? Yeh, now that bit bothers me." ALIEN HUNTERS: DISCOVERY is suitable for all readers aged 8 and above.

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

R.G. Cordiner is a primary teacher and author residing in Australia. Reading the works of Roald Dahl and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were early inspirations for his writing. Treasure Lost was his first book. He has subsequently released Candy Wars: The Tooth Fairies vs The Candy King, Bug Island, Alien Hunters: Discovery, Candy Wars II: Sweet Revenge and Treasure Lost II: Treasure Found. He is currently writing Return of the Elementals. He is married with two step-children, one psychotic cat and a dog. For more information go to cordiner.wordpress.com

Reviews

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with Cordiner’s other books, "Alien Hunters: Discovery" puts the main characters (always close in age to the target audience) in an adventurous situation and adds some fantastical elements to fuel the reader’s imagination. Although they take place in a contemporary setting, he has aliens (what kid doesn’t love a good alien story?) and some science fiction elements. It’s an entertaining adventure, which is something you’d expect a middle grade reader to want in a book.

Cordiner’s books also have something parents might be looking for in a book for their children, a subtle lesson. What that was (and whether it is even intended) wasn’t as clear for me in "Alien Hunters: Discovery" as it was in Cordiner’s previous books. However, when I thought about it, I realized his protagonists are always normal kids, in that they aren’t perfect, but they’re also good examples. They might stretch the rules at times, like most kids, but when there is a big decision with serious consequences, they make the right choice, and in that decision is often a lesson. For this book, the lesson I saw is that part of growing up is experiencing new things that might stretch our comfort zones and that sometimes a decision needs to be made based on altruistic reasons, on what is best for the most people rather than easiest for us.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Shahrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won my copy of this book through GoodReads First Reads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review, so here goes...

This is a book my nine year old nephew would love. There is just the right mix of realism, fantasy and science fiction to capture the imagination and create a great journey.