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Aliens / Predator / Prometheus Universe
Alien: Echo
Named to the 2020 Hal Clement list and the 2020 ALA Rainbow ListAn original young adult novel of the Alien universeOlivia and her twin sister Viola have been dragged around the universe for as long as they can remember. Their parents, both xenobiologists, are always in high demand for their research into obscure alien biology.Just settled on a new colony world, they discover an alien threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen. And suddenly the sisters’ world is ripped apart. On the run from terrifying aliens, Olivia’s knowledge of xenobiology and determination to protect her sister are her only weapons as the colony collapses into chaos. But then a shocking family secret bursts open—one that’s as horrifying to Olivia as the aliens surrounding them.The creatures infiltrate the rich wildlife on this untouched colony world—and quickly start adapting. Olivia’s going to have to adapt, too, if she’s going to survive...An Imprint Book“An electrifying adventure ... Olivia and Kora are smart, strong young women, and their romance, born in the midst of unspeakable horror, is believable. ... A worthy and terrifying addition to a classic sci-fi/horror franchise.” —Kirkus Reviews“Mira Grant blends gritty science fiction, complex characters, and nail-biting horror in Echo! A spellbinding novel of courage and terror.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times–bestselling author of Broken Lands and editor of Bug Hunt
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2019
81 people are currently reading
4516 people want to read
About the author
Mira Grant
48 books6,110 followersMira also writes as Seanan McGuire.
Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.
Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.
Born and raised in Northern California, Mira Grant has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the Swamp Cannibals scenario remains unchallenged.
Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Mira sleeps with a machete under her bed, and highly suggests that you do the same.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
May 23, 2024
Fun, quick and gory.
Alien: Echo, I liked it. I'm pleased that I read it.
It's definitely a solid Creature Feature. If you are looking for a book with monsters, this would definitely fulfill that desire.
ALIEN monsters!
This story follows twins, Olivia and Violet, who have recently moved to a new colony on a distant planet.
Their parents are xenobiologists and they travel frequently, getting called to far off places to research new found alien life.
Violet is suffering from a debilitating illness that keeps her secluded in their home and sends Olivia out to navigate the new landscape on her own.
Attending school without her twin, Olivia is just trying to fit in and make the best of things. She has her first crush on a girl in her class, so is pretty much dealing with things any teen would deal with.
Well, maybe a little more than that. She has always wanted to be more involved in her parent's work and feels disappointed that they seem to still be treating her like a child.
When her parents receive a call to explore an abandoned ship, they again tell her she is not to participate.
Luckily for her, she doesn't. Things don't end so well for a lot of others however.
An apex predator is introduced to this colony world via the abandoned ship. Even if you aren't a xenobiologist, you probably understand that is not a good thing.
Before they know it, the girls are literally fighting for their lives trying to escape the planet.
This little book has a lot of action and a ton of graphic gore and violence. Let that fact determine whether or not this book is for you. I personally enjoyed that aspect of it.
I wasn't as crazy about the length. It was really short. I think the entirety of the book takes place in a day, or two, and therefore I never felt fully immersed.
Also, it definitely gets a bit romance heavy toward the end, in a way that was a little jarring. To me it didn't quite fit with the rest of the narrative.
Grant's writing is excellent though, there is no denying that. Overall, there was nothing outstanding about this, but it was a quick, fun read.
I think this would be an ideal book to pick up for a Readathon because of its length and it could potentially fit a lot of varying prompts.
Alien: Echo, I liked it. I'm pleased that I read it.
It's definitely a solid Creature Feature. If you are looking for a book with monsters, this would definitely fulfill that desire.
ALIEN monsters!
This story follows twins, Olivia and Violet, who have recently moved to a new colony on a distant planet.
Their parents are xenobiologists and they travel frequently, getting called to far off places to research new found alien life.
Violet is suffering from a debilitating illness that keeps her secluded in their home and sends Olivia out to navigate the new landscape on her own.
Attending school without her twin, Olivia is just trying to fit in and make the best of things. She has her first crush on a girl in her class, so is pretty much dealing with things any teen would deal with.
Well, maybe a little more than that. She has always wanted to be more involved in her parent's work and feels disappointed that they seem to still be treating her like a child.
When her parents receive a call to explore an abandoned ship, they again tell her she is not to participate.
Luckily for her, she doesn't. Things don't end so well for a lot of others however.
An apex predator is introduced to this colony world via the abandoned ship. Even if you aren't a xenobiologist, you probably understand that is not a good thing.
Before they know it, the girls are literally fighting for their lives trying to escape the planet.
This little book has a lot of action and a ton of graphic gore and violence. Let that fact determine whether or not this book is for you. I personally enjoyed that aspect of it.
I wasn't as crazy about the length. It was really short. I think the entirety of the book takes place in a day, or two, and therefore I never felt fully immersed.
Also, it definitely gets a bit romance heavy toward the end, in a way that was a little jarring. To me it didn't quite fit with the rest of the narrative.
Grant's writing is excellent though, there is no denying that. Overall, there was nothing outstanding about this, but it was a quick, fun read.
I think this would be an ideal book to pick up for a Readathon because of its length and it could potentially fit a lot of varying prompts.
Want to read
August 11, 2018i don't even like alien stuff, but if mira grant is going alien, i'm right there waiting in line for it.
February 20, 2020
Don't judge. In a universe where we're always the warm, soft fleshbags, a perfect breeding ground for natural born killers, there's GOTTA be an upside. Right?
Well, here's the formula: Get yourself all cozy with family. Develop all those characters, make them interesting. Give them flaws, give them a little, but not too much angst. Make it YA with a TON of hormones and crushing and even give them a chance to invite all the kids over for a little party out in the boonies of this colony world while the folks are called away on a special bonus mission to check out that derelict spaceship... And wait for the ovipositors, the bloodbath, and the wickedly funny physical humor that ought to be horrific but is generally just awesome.
This is an Alien novel, folks. It also happens to be written by one of my favorite authors. Maybe it accounts for why I never lost interest in the tale or why I was so smitten by the characters. Granted, I wasn't all that smitten with the love interest, but with the sisters? I would die for them. :)
This one, for all the normal horror formula, is written well enough, has enough emotional impact for me, that I might call it my favorite of the whole Alien Franchise. It helps that the biological know-how got included. As did some of the more interesting aspects of the other stories (movies or otherwise). But most importantly, there were a few minor twists that I adored and one single twist that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED.
No spoilers. But it's definitely worth the admission price.
Well, here's the formula: Get yourself all cozy with family. Develop all those characters, make them interesting. Give them flaws, give them a little, but not too much angst. Make it YA with a TON of hormones and crushing and even give them a chance to invite all the kids over for a little party out in the boonies of this colony world while the folks are called away on a special bonus mission to check out that derelict spaceship... And wait for the ovipositors, the bloodbath, and the wickedly funny physical humor that ought to be horrific but is generally just awesome.
This is an Alien novel, folks. It also happens to be written by one of my favorite authors. Maybe it accounts for why I never lost interest in the tale or why I was so smitten by the characters. Granted, I wasn't all that smitten with the love interest, but with the sisters? I would die for them. :)
This one, for all the normal horror formula, is written well enough, has enough emotional impact for me, that I might call it my favorite of the whole Alien Franchise. It helps that the biological know-how got included. As did some of the more interesting aspects of the other stories (movies or otherwise). But most importantly, there were a few minor twists that I adored and one single twist that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED.
No spoilers. But it's definitely worth the admission price.
April 23, 2019
A bit too heavy on the romance part, but otherwise a quite good YA Alien book. Not as gory as I want it to be, but actually gory enough for you know young adults. ;) There was actually a moment towards the end when I was surprised about how bloody a scene was.
I have just one complaint or something that bothered quite a lot (besides the romance part) and that was
Anyhow, it's a good book, a great audiobook to listen to and I recommend it to those that like YA scifi books with romance and deadly aliens.
I have just one complaint or something that bothered quite a lot (besides the romance part) and that was
Anyhow, it's a good book, a great audiobook to listen to and I recommend it to those that like YA scifi books with romance and deadly aliens.
Want to read
April 12, 2019honestly from mermaids to aliens I literally don't care where this author takes me I just want her to take me on whatever journey she decides to write next
April 23, 2019
I wanted to love this. I really did. From the moment I found out about this book before its release I waited in anticipation and bought it the moment it came out. I am a hardcore Aliens fan and settled in for a horror story of a teenager trying to protect her sister. That is what I expected. That is not what I got. I got a YA romance novel with a dash of aliens for seasoning. The MC was much more concerned about her “maybe girlfriend” to care about anything else going on in the book. Deaths don’t effect her, she doesn’t care, so long as it isn’t the “maybe girlfriend”. Adults are useless. There is one scene where an adult is present and as soon as anything starts happening seems to vanish. Then after everything it says the person kind of shakes themselves awake. Really!? An adult just stood there and did nothing! This book seems to have very low opinions of teenagers. Maybe the author forgot what it was like to be a teenager. But I’m pretty sure that even the flakiest teenager would stop mooning over the person they like in order to survive an alien attack. I did not find the characters believable. Everyone is useless except the main character, there is no urgency for survival, no tension, no fear. Forget marines they just need to send in this girl. As I said I wanted to love it but it wasn’t what I expected at all. Want a good alien read then go read Alien: Out of Shadows.
May 31, 2019
I read this because I am a huge fan of Alien. I saw the original when it first came out and I was 10 (you see what kind of family I come from), and I have rewatched it fairly regularly. This year I watched all the Alien universe short films that came out to mark the 40th anniversary of the film, and this book went along with those pretty well.
Probably my one critique is that there was a bit too much teenage hormone crushing going on for my taste. But, I'm not going to complain about teenagers acting like teenagers, because they are, you know, teenagers. Looking at it from that perspective, it probably wasn't all that far fetched.
Not much to say about the story if you are familiar with Alien: they arrive at the colony and then there's lots of running and screaming, and girls who (we think?) survive. Honestly, Alien stories are the one place where being a woman gives you a very slight edge in terms of your chances of survival...which are never all that great.
Probably my one critique is that there was a bit too much teenage hormone crushing going on for my taste. But, I'm not going to complain about teenagers acting like teenagers, because they are, you know, teenagers. Looking at it from that perspective, it probably wasn't all that far fetched.
Not much to say about the story if you are familiar with Alien: they arrive at the colony and then there's lots of running and screaming, and girls who (we think?) survive. Honestly, Alien stories are the one place where being a woman gives you a very slight edge in terms of your chances of survival...which are never all that great.
Read
May 24, 2020
July 10, 2019
I am of the opinion that it's important to always remember that authors are people just like the rest of us, and so, even though I can quite frankly say I hate this book, I mean no ill will toward the author. This is all my opinion, and I know it's a less common one around here.
When I saw this book in the bookstore, I made an embarrassing excited sound! My favorite science fiction IP combined with my favorite book genre?
YES!!
I have read pretty much every Alien novel, watched all of the films in the franchise many times over, and played the games. Hell, I even like Alien Vs. Predator somewhat unironically!
I do not think the author of this book has done the same. Or, at the very least, I don’t think they are passionate about it.
The structure of Alien Echo does not follow any of the classic concepts or story beats of an Alien tale, and ultimately feels like the author did not do a second pass on the plot after writing it the first time. The characters are at best forgettable, and at worst annoying. This does not feel like a love letter to the Alien franchise. It feels like the Xenomorphs were used as fill in the blank monsters as opposed to using the gorgeous, vile, body horror that H.R. Giger blessed us with in the original artwork and concept. The Alien is an exploration of the dangers of human curiosity and hunger for knowledge, and this concept is nowhere to be seen in Alien Echo. It feels more like a fluffy teen dystopian romance with some slasher horror wedged in half way through.
****There will be MAJOR spoilers past this point!! Read this review to commiserate with me.****
We have a couple of important characters here. Olivia, a teen who grew up with her scientist parents who study the biology of planets. Viola, Olivia’s sickly sister who can’t do anything except stay in the house and look out at the world. The mom, who is a buff cool silent type scientist lady with a military background. The dad who is a scientist as well, and just a general dad type character. Kora, who is a character that Olivia is obsessed (really, really obsessed) with romantically speaking. Michel who is an unbelievable and unrealistic “bad guy” who behaves so cruelly that it is bizarre that the other characters, especially Kora, consider him worth hanging out with. And last but also least, a gaggle of teenagers who are pretty obviously going to be Xenomorph fodder.
Nearly every few pages we are reminded how great it is for Olivia, our main character, to pine over her love interest, Kora. One thing you have to know about this book is that the dialogue is very awkward, and the inner monologue of Olivia is prime annoying teenager voice. If I have to read one more line about her soft, soft hair or sweet, sweet kisses, I might just pull my own hair out. Kora is so perfect, and Olivia is more interested in telling us that over and over, even in the throes of grief over her two parents dying within the span of a chapter after the author suddenly remembers she has to shoehorn in a Xenomorph somewhere (or, why not two?? And let's have the classic birth of the Xenomorph happen offscreen. You know, the best part of the Alien lifecycle. The body horror and terror of the facehugger attaching, breathing for the victim while it impregnates them. The brief moment of relief for the bystanders when the facehugger detaches and dies, only to start the gutwrenching fear all over again when the seemingly alright victim has the baby Xenomorph spring from their chest like a demented jack-in-the-box.)
The book takes about half of it before it starts any action. You go from 0-100 without any anxiety or real dread before the first Xenomorph death drops.
It's teenage angst in a sci-fi world to dead parents without any of the real work toward foreshadowing or build-up I would expect from a horror title.
The "villain" of the book, a kid named Michel, is a character the Olivia keeps electing to have around her. He likes Olivia's girlfriend Kora, and early on in the book he first spreads a rumor to everyone that Olivia's sickly sister is fake and made up so her family can steal rations from the colony. Which doesn't even mean anything since her family lives away from the colony and provides for themselves anyway. Then, Michel corners Olivia in an alley and threatens bodily harm to her if she continues to see Kora. And what does Olivia do? Invite him to a party with only 5 other kids at her house. To... prove something to this insufferable teenage boy?
This kid Michel behaved so abhorrently throughout the book in a way that wasn't clever. He was willing to kill people because he was so pissed that the girl he liked was into someone else, and everyone around him is just like, "Oh, that's just Michel being Michel."
At one point, Olivia is speeding away from her dead mom in an ATV full of all of these kids, and Michel decides he wants to drive and grabs Olivia's hair. He starts yanking her around from the backseat and nearly kills the entire group in the vehicle because he just wants to be the driver. Why would anyone behave this way when they are in the process of escaping from two nightmare inducing chitinous monsters? Just let the girl drive, dude!
He starts yanking so hard that Olivia nearly kills everyone in a wreck, and her sister Viola slices his hand with a knife to stop him. He goes nuts calling Viola names, and Olivia is actually, genuinely thinking that "Oh, I should have apologized to Michel, I think I've been too harsh."
So anyway Michel leads Olivia's sister to her apparent death and Olivia's only a little upset and that's where I started flipping through the pages instead of reading properly. What is the point of an Alien story where you kill off all of the important characters first, keep the nasty mean side character around, and a bunch of nobody characters? The emotional impact of Olivia losing her father, mother, and most likely her sister within the span of 2 or so chapters in the dead center of the book is wasted and hardly developed.
Oh, and by the way, during those two chapters they also inform you that Viola is a robot. Like David from Prometheus. And also like Prometheus, the author thought it would be a good idea to rip directly from that movie and have Olivia carry around Viola's robot head just like what happens with David. I hardly think it is a "callback" just like I think it's kind of a rip-off to end the book with a transmission message identical to the ones in Alien- the message Ripley originally responded to and one she left as well at the end of the film.
It feels cheap to wait until the last few chapters to attempt to pay homage to the source material, especially when it was already done so well in my opinion in the novel Alien: Out of the Shadows.
Yet another weird plot device, Viola’s entire existence would have been far better if handled differently. The mom informs Olivia (and this gaggle of teenagers who are just. . . there. ) that Viola is a robot in several pages worth of infodump, while they are supposed to be actively running from two (TWO!!! Have you SEEN the movies? Played Alien: Isolation??) xenomorphs on their trail, in a big monologue. And then the mom dies and Olivia’s like, whatever, and all the other teen characters start calling Viola “it” instead of Viola and the whole thing is weird. The worst part about Viola is that she is based on a real twin Olivia had who died of an illness when she was 3. They made a robot with her memories and raised her like the “real” Viola never died. But they kept treating her like she was sickly!!! And they basically gave Olivia this massive looming cloud for her entire life that her sister could “die any day.” WTF? Why not just say that Viola got better and have her life a normal life? What is the point of having a robot act sickly? What is the point of having your living daughter feel immense grief and anxiety over the “fact” that her sister is a ticking timebomb? There is no explanation for this.
I could go on, and on, and on, and on about how much this book has offended me as a person who even freaking likes Alien Vs. Predator, but I have things to do today and writing this review has already filled me with enough hot coals to heat my house for the next 3 winters.
Maybe someone who has very little experience with Alien would enjoy this book, but as a huge, long-time fan of the franchise, this book has been quite the disappointment.
When I saw this book in the bookstore, I made an embarrassing excited sound! My favorite science fiction IP combined with my favorite book genre?
YES!!
I have read pretty much every Alien novel, watched all of the films in the franchise many times over, and played the games. Hell, I even like Alien Vs. Predator somewhat unironically!
I do not think the author of this book has done the same. Or, at the very least, I don’t think they are passionate about it.
The structure of Alien Echo does not follow any of the classic concepts or story beats of an Alien tale, and ultimately feels like the author did not do a second pass on the plot after writing it the first time. The characters are at best forgettable, and at worst annoying. This does not feel like a love letter to the Alien franchise. It feels like the Xenomorphs were used as fill in the blank monsters as opposed to using the gorgeous, vile, body horror that H.R. Giger blessed us with in the original artwork and concept. The Alien is an exploration of the dangers of human curiosity and hunger for knowledge, and this concept is nowhere to be seen in Alien Echo. It feels more like a fluffy teen dystopian romance with some slasher horror wedged in half way through.
****There will be MAJOR spoilers past this point!! Read this review to commiserate with me.****
We have a couple of important characters here. Olivia, a teen who grew up with her scientist parents who study the biology of planets. Viola, Olivia’s sickly sister who can’t do anything except stay in the house and look out at the world. The mom, who is a buff cool silent type scientist lady with a military background. The dad who is a scientist as well, and just a general dad type character. Kora, who is a character that Olivia is obsessed (really, really obsessed) with romantically speaking. Michel who is an unbelievable and unrealistic “bad guy” who behaves so cruelly that it is bizarre that the other characters, especially Kora, consider him worth hanging out with. And last but also least, a gaggle of teenagers who are pretty obviously going to be Xenomorph fodder.
Nearly every few pages we are reminded how great it is for Olivia, our main character, to pine over her love interest, Kora. One thing you have to know about this book is that the dialogue is very awkward, and the inner monologue of Olivia is prime annoying teenager voice. If I have to read one more line about her soft, soft hair or sweet, sweet kisses, I might just pull my own hair out. Kora is so perfect, and Olivia is more interested in telling us that over and over, even in the throes of grief over her two parents dying within the span of a chapter after the author suddenly remembers she has to shoehorn in a Xenomorph somewhere (or, why not two?? And let's have the classic birth of the Xenomorph happen offscreen. You know, the best part of the Alien lifecycle. The body horror and terror of the facehugger attaching, breathing for the victim while it impregnates them. The brief moment of relief for the bystanders when the facehugger detaches and dies, only to start the gutwrenching fear all over again when the seemingly alright victim has the baby Xenomorph spring from their chest like a demented jack-in-the-box.)
The book takes about half of it before it starts any action. You go from 0-100 without any anxiety or real dread before the first Xenomorph death drops.
It's teenage angst in a sci-fi world to dead parents without any of the real work toward foreshadowing or build-up I would expect from a horror title.
The "villain" of the book, a kid named Michel, is a character the Olivia keeps electing to have around her. He likes Olivia's girlfriend Kora, and early on in the book he first spreads a rumor to everyone that Olivia's sickly sister is fake and made up so her family can steal rations from the colony. Which doesn't even mean anything since her family lives away from the colony and provides for themselves anyway. Then, Michel corners Olivia in an alley and threatens bodily harm to her if she continues to see Kora. And what does Olivia do? Invite him to a party with only 5 other kids at her house. To... prove something to this insufferable teenage boy?
This kid Michel behaved so abhorrently throughout the book in a way that wasn't clever. He was willing to kill people because he was so pissed that the girl he liked was into someone else, and everyone around him is just like, "Oh, that's just Michel being Michel."
At one point, Olivia is speeding away from her dead mom in an ATV full of all of these kids, and Michel decides he wants to drive and grabs Olivia's hair. He starts yanking her around from the backseat and nearly kills the entire group in the vehicle because he just wants to be the driver. Why would anyone behave this way when they are in the process of escaping from two nightmare inducing chitinous monsters? Just let the girl drive, dude!
He starts yanking so hard that Olivia nearly kills everyone in a wreck, and her sister Viola slices his hand with a knife to stop him. He goes nuts calling Viola names, and Olivia is actually, genuinely thinking that "Oh, I should have apologized to Michel, I think I've been too harsh."
So anyway Michel leads Olivia's sister to her apparent death and Olivia's only a little upset and that's where I started flipping through the pages instead of reading properly. What is the point of an Alien story where you kill off all of the important characters first, keep the nasty mean side character around, and a bunch of nobody characters? The emotional impact of Olivia losing her father, mother, and most likely her sister within the span of 2 or so chapters in the dead center of the book is wasted and hardly developed.
Oh, and by the way, during those two chapters they also inform you that Viola is a robot. Like David from Prometheus. And also like Prometheus, the author thought it would be a good idea to rip directly from that movie and have Olivia carry around Viola's robot head just like what happens with David. I hardly think it is a "callback" just like I think it's kind of a rip-off to end the book with a transmission message identical to the ones in Alien- the message Ripley originally responded to and one she left as well at the end of the film.
It feels cheap to wait until the last few chapters to attempt to pay homage to the source material, especially when it was already done so well in my opinion in the novel Alien: Out of the Shadows.
Yet another weird plot device, Viola’s entire existence would have been far better if handled differently. The mom informs Olivia (and this gaggle of teenagers who are just. . . there. ) that Viola is a robot in several pages worth of infodump, while they are supposed to be actively running from two (TWO!!! Have you SEEN the movies? Played Alien: Isolation??) xenomorphs on their trail, in a big monologue. And then the mom dies and Olivia’s like, whatever, and all the other teen characters start calling Viola “it” instead of Viola and the whole thing is weird. The worst part about Viola is that she is based on a real twin Olivia had who died of an illness when she was 3. They made a robot with her memories and raised her like the “real” Viola never died. But they kept treating her like she was sickly!!! And they basically gave Olivia this massive looming cloud for her entire life that her sister could “die any day.” WTF? Why not just say that Viola got better and have her life a normal life? What is the point of having a robot act sickly? What is the point of having your living daughter feel immense grief and anxiety over the “fact” that her sister is a ticking timebomb? There is no explanation for this.
I could go on, and on, and on, and on about how much this book has offended me as a person who even freaking likes Alien Vs. Predator, but I have things to do today and writing this review has already filled me with enough hot coals to heat my house for the next 3 winters.
Maybe someone who has very little experience with Alien would enjoy this book, but as a huge, long-time fan of the franchise, this book has been quite the disappointment.
February 27, 2022
Olivia and Viola are the twin daughters of some of the galaxy’s most renowned xenobiologists, and they’ve been hauled from planet to planet for as long as they can remember to study new ecosystems. Viola’s illness keeps her mostly bedridden, and Olivia is determined to save enough money to take her back to Earth for proper treatment when they turn eighteen. When a sketchy career opportunity opens up for their father, he unwittingly helps unleash a horrifying new species onto the planet Zagreus. As the colony rapidly descends into chaos, Olivia will have to rely on herself and her knowledge of the planet’s natural defenses to save herself and her sister. Trigger warnings: character death (graphic, on-page), parent/child/sibling death, body horror, bug horror, gore, severe injury, violence, guns, discrimination, slurs, bullying.
I’ve seen a smattering of Alien movies but have never been all that invested in the franchise, and I only picked this up because it’s Mira Grant. Many of the things I enjoy about her writing are present here, but ultimately–and it pains me to say it because I love the genre–I think the novel is hamstrung by being YA. The things I enjoyed about it are severely limited by it being for younger audiences, and the things I didn’t enjoy are very much tropes of YA as a whole. It’s unfortunate, but I accept that I’m well outside the target audience, and I hope it reaches the readers it’s actually meant for. If it leads new readers to Grant’s other novels, so much the better!
Grant excels at writing mad biology, and the details of her new alien world, Zagreus, were my favorite parts of the book. She’s in her element when she’s describing the various plants and wildlife, and it’s especially interesting to see her trying to ascribe actual biological reasons for why the Xenomorphs are made the way they are. It’s fascinating, effective, and probably difficult, given the writers back in 1979 probably weren’t thinking ‘Why would a creature evolve this way?’ so much as 'How do we make this thing as terrifying as possible?’ There’s not as much of that as I’d like, and it’s certainly not comparable to the mad mermaid biology in her adult novel, Into the Drowning Deep.
Olivia is a strong main character, and I like the way she’s forced to rely on her brains and her surroundings in order to escape the Xenomorphs, since she doesn’t have weapons or brute strength on her side. She feels realistically desperate for a teenager facing things that have easily wiped out entire populations, and it’s often luck and quick thinking that save her from a gory death. I like the idea of Viola, but she’s more of a plot device than a character, and we don’t get a lot of page-time with her. Olivia’s love interest, Kora, is… fine, but you know how I am about love interests. There’s entirely too much pining, kissing, and thinking about kissing for my tastes, and I don’t think she brings much to the table other than that. The ending is a bit vague, and after spending so much time with these characters, I would have preferred to wrap things up more conclusively. Thanks to Roberta at Offbeat YA for another wonderful buddy read!
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I’ve seen a smattering of Alien movies but have never been all that invested in the franchise, and I only picked this up because it’s Mira Grant. Many of the things I enjoy about her writing are present here, but ultimately–and it pains me to say it because I love the genre–I think the novel is hamstrung by being YA. The things I enjoyed about it are severely limited by it being for younger audiences, and the things I didn’t enjoy are very much tropes of YA as a whole. It’s unfortunate, but I accept that I’m well outside the target audience, and I hope it reaches the readers it’s actually meant for. If it leads new readers to Grant’s other novels, so much the better!
Grant excels at writing mad biology, and the details of her new alien world, Zagreus, were my favorite parts of the book. She’s in her element when she’s describing the various plants and wildlife, and it’s especially interesting to see her trying to ascribe actual biological reasons for why the Xenomorphs are made the way they are. It’s fascinating, effective, and probably difficult, given the writers back in 1979 probably weren’t thinking ‘Why would a creature evolve this way?’ so much as 'How do we make this thing as terrifying as possible?’ There’s not as much of that as I’d like, and it’s certainly not comparable to the mad mermaid biology in her adult novel, Into the Drowning Deep.
Olivia is a strong main character, and I like the way she’s forced to rely on her brains and her surroundings in order to escape the Xenomorphs, since she doesn’t have weapons or brute strength on her side. She feels realistically desperate for a teenager facing things that have easily wiped out entire populations, and it’s often luck and quick thinking that save her from a gory death. I like the idea of Viola, but she’s more of a plot device than a character, and we don’t get a lot of page-time with her. Olivia’s love interest, Kora, is… fine, but you know how I am about love interests. There’s entirely too much pining, kissing, and thinking about kissing for my tastes, and I don’t think she brings much to the table other than that. The ending is a bit vague, and after spending so much time with these characters, I would have preferred to wrap things up more conclusively. Thanks to Roberta at Offbeat YA for another wonderful buddy read!
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
November 17, 2022
Overall Ratings : C
"No ones going to mourn us when we're gone."
This did not give what it promised to give.
"No ones going to mourn us when we're gone."
This did not give what it promised to give.
June 19, 2021
book #2 for The Reading Rush - read a book that matches your birthstone (peridot)
No puedo decir que leí ni vi cosas de la franquicia Alien porque lo único que vi fue la película de Michael Fassbender solo porque estaba él y me pareció muy mala. Cuando la terminé me enteré que debía haber visto todas las anteriores antes??? Y bueno, pues no lo hice. Nadie le avisa de estas cosas a los no fans(?) Anyway, cero idea de esta franquicia y cero idea de cosas relacionadas a aliens porque nunca había leído algo así antes, por lo que solo empecé a leer este libro pura y exclusivamente por ser de Mira Grant (yeah, parece que tiendo a hacer estas cosas yo).
.
Olivia y su hermana melliza, Viola, son hijas de dos xenobiólogos por lo que siempre han estado viajando por toda la galaxia ya que sus padres siempre están investigando nueva biología extraterrestre.
En su colonia acaban de descubrir una amenaza alienígena diferente a todo lo que hayan visto. Huyendo de los terroríficos alienígenas, el conocimiento de Olivia de la xenobiología y la determinación de proteger a su hermana son sus únicas armas mientras la colonia se derrumba en el caos. Pero entonces sale a la luz un estremecedor secreto familiar, uno que es tan horrible para Olivia como los alienígenas que los rodean.
Como acabo de mencionar, esta novela está ubicada en el universo Alien, pero se puede leer completamente independiente. O sea, si alguien como yo que tiene 0 idea al respecto la pudo leer y disfrutar igual, ustedes pueden hacerlo también.
Lo que sí siento que hay que aclarar, sobre todo para los ya fans de la autora, es que es un libro juvenil. Yo entré con bastante miedo al respecto por esto -y era algo que debía repetirme continuamente para recordármelo y así, bajar mis expectativas- ya que Seanan McGuire bajo Mira Grant lo que más escribe es ciencia ficción de terror para adultos. Y, sinceramente, era tan raro estar leyendo algo con un tono más… tranquilo de parte de ella.
Y este aspecto juvenil trajo sus consecuencias. Así que, vamos con los aspectos negativos primero.
Si bien el comienzo lo sentí acelerado en el buen sentido y llegó a enganchar un montón a tal punto que me estaba gustando mucho, luego la historia comenzó a aburrirme bastante y empecé a tener problemas con la escritura. Vi en reseñas que se quejaban de Mira/Seanan usando la misma frase o palabra 500 veces en sus obras (dando ejemplos) y la verdad que en sus otras obras no me ha llegado a molestar, pero acá lo de “primer” y “subprimer” un poco sí 😅 Era una clase de slang para decir qué estaba “cool” y qué no, y we get it, Mira, tus adolescentes son re cool, perdón re “prime” dfhgkdf.
Sumado a esto, los adultos, UGH, los adultos. Como en toda novela juvenil, los adultos son i👏nex👏is👏ten👏tes. Son unos personajes tan poco creíbles...hasta los adolescententes en la novela se me hicieron más reales.
Ahora, pasemos a los aspectos positivos: (hice una listita porque soy así)
× tiene acción tras acción
x el aspecto alienígena era bien asqueroso y tenebroso; no podía esperar menos de la autora👌🤩
x PASTO NARANJA CARNÍVORO !!! I MEAN !!!
x escenas bien asquerosas y creepies bien al estilo de las pocas películas de aliens que he visto
× leones-gusanos!!
× rep (L)GBT+
x relación sáfica
x al menos entretiene un rato(?
No sé si el tópico aliens es de mi agrado, la verdad😅 al menos aliens macroscópicos (i'm a sucker for microorganismos extraterrestres), así que creo que no llegué a disfrutar esto al 100%, o tanto como lo esperaba.
No sé, creo que entré con altas expectativas aunque traté de convencerme de lo contrario (por lo juvenil y los aliens) pero who am i kidding? Es Mira y es obvio que esperaba algo glorioso de ella. No es una mala novela, para nada. Solo que en algún punto la historia decayó, o más bien nunca llegaba a remontar del todo😅
En resumen, un gran comienzo, decae un poco en el medio, al menos para mi, pero por suerte siempre tiene mucha acción y es fast-paced por lo que de alguna forma logra mantener enganchado al lector. Es una historia entretenida, no me encantó pero me entretuvo y me causó algo de asco; esto es lo importante.
--- Reseña en mi bookstagram: Libros con(té)
"Humans may be the only intelligent life in the universe, or at least the only intelligent life we've been able to find so far, but biological superiority? That's not something we get to claim."
No puedo decir que leí ni vi cosas de la franquicia Alien porque lo único que vi fue la película de Michael Fassbender solo porque estaba él y me pareció muy mala. Cuando la terminé me enteré que debía haber visto todas las anteriores antes??? Y bueno, pues no lo hice. Nadie le avisa de estas cosas a los no fans(?) Anyway, cero idea de esta franquicia y cero idea de cosas relacionadas a aliens porque nunca había leído algo así antes, por lo que solo empecé a leer este libro pura y exclusivamente por ser de Mira Grant (yeah, parece que tiendo a hacer estas cosas yo).
.
Olivia y su hermana melliza, Viola, son hijas de dos xenobiólogos por lo que siempre han estado viajando por toda la galaxia ya que sus padres siempre están investigando nueva biología extraterrestre.
En su colonia acaban de descubrir una amenaza alienígena diferente a todo lo que hayan visto. Huyendo de los terroríficos alienígenas, el conocimiento de Olivia de la xenobiología y la determinación de proteger a su hermana son sus únicas armas mientras la colonia se derrumba en el caos. Pero entonces sale a la luz un estremecedor secreto familiar, uno que es tan horrible para Olivia como los alienígenas que los rodean.
Como acabo de mencionar, esta novela está ubicada en el universo Alien, pero se puede leer completamente independiente. O sea, si alguien como yo que tiene 0 idea al respecto la pudo leer y disfrutar igual, ustedes pueden hacerlo también.
Lo que sí siento que hay que aclarar, sobre todo para los ya fans de la autora, es que es un libro juvenil. Yo entré con bastante miedo al respecto por esto -y era algo que debía repetirme continuamente para recordármelo y así, bajar mis expectativas- ya que Seanan McGuire bajo Mira Grant lo que más escribe es ciencia ficción de terror para adultos. Y, sinceramente, era tan raro estar leyendo algo con un tono más… tranquilo de parte de ella.
Y este aspecto juvenil trajo sus consecuencias. Así que, vamos con los aspectos negativos primero.
"Unless these new apex predators decide to devour them all, which seems suddenly very possible. Maybe these were sort of genetically engineered pest control gone terribly wrong. People sure do love creating life. They forget that life, once created, carries no innate obligation toward whoever made it. Life does what it wants, and screw anyone who gets in its way."
Si bien el comienzo lo sentí acelerado en el buen sentido y llegó a enganchar un montón a tal punto que me estaba gustando mucho, luego la historia comenzó a aburrirme bastante y empecé a tener problemas con la escritura. Vi en reseñas que se quejaban de Mira/Seanan usando la misma frase o palabra 500 veces en sus obras (dando ejemplos) y la verdad que en sus otras obras no me ha llegado a molestar, pero acá lo de “primer” y “subprimer” un poco sí 😅 Era una clase de slang para decir qué estaba “cool” y qué no, y we get it, Mira, tus adolescentes son re cool, perdón re “prime” dfhgkdf.
Sumado a esto, los adultos, UGH, los adultos. Como en toda novela juvenil, los adultos son i👏nex👏is👏ten👏tes. Son unos personajes tan poco creíbles...hasta los adolescententes en la novela se me hicieron más reales.
Ahora, pasemos a los aspectos positivos: (hice una listita porque soy así)
× tiene acción tras acción
x el aspecto alienígena era bien asqueroso y tenebroso; no podía esperar menos de la autora👌🤩
x PASTO NARANJA CARNÍVORO !!! I MEAN !!!
x escenas bien asquerosas y creepies bien al estilo de las pocas películas de aliens que he visto
× leones-gusanos!!
× rep (L)GBT+
x relación sáfica
x al menos entretiene un rato(?
"Everything is biology, and biology is war."
No sé si el tópico aliens es de mi agrado, la verdad😅 al menos aliens macroscópicos (i'm a sucker for microorganismos extraterrestres), así que creo que no llegué a disfrutar esto al 100%, o tanto como lo esperaba.
No sé, creo que entré con altas expectativas aunque traté de convencerme de lo contrario (por lo juvenil y los aliens) pero who am i kidding? Es Mira y es obvio que esperaba algo glorioso de ella. No es una mala novela, para nada. Solo que en algún punto la historia decayó, o más bien nunca llegaba a remontar del todo😅
En resumen, un gran comienzo, decae un poco en el medio, al menos para mi, pero por suerte siempre tiene mucha acción y es fast-paced por lo que de alguna forma logra mantener enganchado al lector. Es una historia entretenida, no me encantó pero me entretuvo y me causó algo de asco; esto es lo importante.
--- Reseña en mi bookstagram: Libros con(té)
April 14, 2019
People sure do love creating life. They forget that life, once created, carries no innate obligation toward whoever made it. Life does what it wants, and screw anyone who gets in its way.
Loved this! And this is coming from someone's whose entire sum experience of the Alien universe comes from a vague feeling that I surely must have seen the original movie at some point in time and also a handful of viewings of Prometheus because screw you I find it entertaining. So basically what I'm saying is that you don't actually need anything more than a vague cultural knowledge of the Alien franchise to read this book. I'm sure there's a few Easter Eggs hidden in there for the die-hard fans, but I didn't feel lost at all while reading and I'm pretty sure the only things you need to know are generally what the aliens look like and also that they will mess you UP.
Anyway, this was absolutely the perfect book for Seanan/Mira to write. It combines her love of aliens, horror, SCIENCE, and final girls into a single novel and because her amazingness truly knows no bounds we also get a LESBIAN PROTAG! Overall just a very fun and also insightful read, and as usual I think I had such a good time reading it in part because it is obvious that she had such a good time writing it. Would definitely recommend it to fans of her work, even if you haven't previously read/watched anything in the Alien franchise.
Loved this! And this is coming from someone's whose entire sum experience of the Alien universe comes from a vague feeling that I surely must have seen the original movie at some point in time and also a handful of viewings of Prometheus because screw you I find it entertaining. So basically what I'm saying is that you don't actually need anything more than a vague cultural knowledge of the Alien franchise to read this book. I'm sure there's a few Easter Eggs hidden in there for the die-hard fans, but I didn't feel lost at all while reading and I'm pretty sure the only things you need to know are generally what the aliens look like and also that they will mess you UP.
Anyway, this was absolutely the perfect book for Seanan/Mira to write. It combines her love of aliens, horror, SCIENCE, and final girls into a single novel and because her amazingness truly knows no bounds we also get a LESBIAN PROTAG! Overall just a very fun and also insightful read, and as usual I think I had such a good time reading it in part because it is obvious that she had such a good time writing it. Would definitely recommend it to fans of her work, even if you haven't previously read/watched anything in the Alien franchise.
April 7, 2019
Man, I read this thing in two sittings. It's sensational.
I feel many feels toward this tiny novel, but the overwhelming one is its statement on sci-fi and diversity. This pulse-pounding, grip-the-cover-so-tight-you-warp-it novel stars a young lesbian and her WOC girlfriend, with characters of various nationalities appearing throughout. The original two Alien films--the two that count!--were groundbreaking in that Ellen Ripley broke the mold for what a heroine could be. Going on forty years later, 'Alien: Echo' realizes that Ripley can easily be critiqued as the dreaded White Feminist heroine, and so the title makes an effort to diversify its cast. Hell, one of the underlying conflicts is the nature of humanity, and what makes a person 'real'.
...And this is all while it's being the Alien franchise at its best. You can do a checklist of all the Alien sequences you'd want, and they're here: there're Xenomorphs creeping around silently outside your hideout, there're several chase sequences, there are shoot-em-up moments, there's the requisite jaunt into the Xenomorph hive, there's the walk through the abandoned, bloodied, and defeated human stronghold, there's the final log transmission of doomed characters, there are tons of jump-scares...the only thing we *don't* get is a full-on chestburster scene. And in a YA novel, that's understandable.
On the topic of 'Alien: Echo' as a YA novel! I tried reading one of the recent Alien tie-in novels, specifically the one focusing on Newt. I couldn't do it. That book focused almost all of its time on characters that were doomed from page one, the titular beasts didn't show up until the last third, and the technobabble was a bit much. 'Alien: Echo' plays to the strengths of YA literature: we follow one teenager, through first-person present tense, and her supporting characters are all given plenty of time to develop. The Xenomorphs show up roughly 3/4ths of the way in, and all the good action happens at the half-way mark. It ends up being a deeply emotional, deeply human romp through the Alien universe. In all honesty, the pacing feels more akin to the Netflix Lost In Space than a by-the-numbers YA sci-fi novel.
Lastly, I commend it for being easy on newcomers. The novel makes exactly ONE mention of Weyland-Yutani, and NO mention WHATSOEVER about LV-426, or the Sulaco crew, colonial marines are nowhere to be seen, and the narration doesn't even call the titular beasts Xenomorphs. We older nerds, who are familiar with the franchise, will be able to fill in the blanks (ie. when Olivia's mom talks about a shady megacorp on Earth, we know exactly who she means), but it amounts to non-intrusive continuity porn. You can hand it to a teen and tell them "so, there's a franchise about a space alien, called Alien." That's all you gotta know.
I'm so mad I didn't purchase this for my library's collection. It's just so damn fun.
I feel many feels toward this tiny novel, but the overwhelming one is its statement on sci-fi and diversity. This pulse-pounding, grip-the-cover-so-tight-you-warp-it novel stars a young lesbian and her WOC girlfriend, with characters of various nationalities appearing throughout. The original two Alien films--the two that count!--were groundbreaking in that Ellen Ripley broke the mold for what a heroine could be. Going on forty years later, 'Alien: Echo' realizes that Ripley can easily be critiqued as the dreaded White Feminist heroine, and so the title makes an effort to diversify its cast. Hell, one of the underlying conflicts is the nature of humanity, and what makes a person 'real'.
...And this is all while it's being the Alien franchise at its best. You can do a checklist of all the Alien sequences you'd want, and they're here: there're Xenomorphs creeping around silently outside your hideout, there're several chase sequences, there are shoot-em-up moments, there's the requisite jaunt into the Xenomorph hive, there's the walk through the abandoned, bloodied, and defeated human stronghold, there's the final log transmission of doomed characters, there are tons of jump-scares...the only thing we *don't* get is a full-on chestburster scene. And in a YA novel, that's understandable.
On the topic of 'Alien: Echo' as a YA novel! I tried reading one of the recent Alien tie-in novels, specifically the one focusing on Newt. I couldn't do it. That book focused almost all of its time on characters that were doomed from page one, the titular beasts didn't show up until the last third, and the technobabble was a bit much. 'Alien: Echo' plays to the strengths of YA literature: we follow one teenager, through first-person present tense, and her supporting characters are all given plenty of time to develop. The Xenomorphs show up roughly 3/4ths of the way in, and all the good action happens at the half-way mark. It ends up being a deeply emotional, deeply human romp through the Alien universe. In all honesty, the pacing feels more akin to the Netflix Lost In Space than a by-the-numbers YA sci-fi novel.
Lastly, I commend it for being easy on newcomers. The novel makes exactly ONE mention of Weyland-Yutani, and NO mention WHATSOEVER about LV-426, or the Sulaco crew, colonial marines are nowhere to be seen, and the narration doesn't even call the titular beasts Xenomorphs. We older nerds, who are familiar with the franchise, will be able to fill in the blanks (ie. when Olivia's mom talks about a shady megacorp on Earth, we know exactly who she means), but it amounts to non-intrusive continuity porn. You can hand it to a teen and tell them "so, there's a franchise about a space alien, called Alien." That's all you gotta know.
I'm so mad I didn't purchase this for my library's collection. It's just so damn fun.
September 16, 2019
Alien: Echo is a YA novel set in the Alien universe, which is such an odd concept that I read it out of curiosity. I've also been meaning to read a Mira Grant (AKA Seanan McGuire) for some time, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.
Alien: Echo is about Olivia and her twin sister and echo Viola. Olivia and Viola (get it?) are the daughters of Xenobiologists who have traveled to a small planet to research the natural life on that planet, the most dangerous of which is a burrowing worm. Olivia attends the local high-school, but her sister has some vague space autoimmune disease and can't leave the house for very long. The first third of the book is mostly spent with Olivia interacting with her family, attempting to impress her crush, and studying the local wildlife. This is interrupted when her father takes a job salvaging a derelict space ship, wiped out in mysterious circumstances. Anyone familiar with the Alien franchise knows how well that's going to go.
How much you like Alien: Echo is going to rely on how much tolerance you have for teen romantic angst in the middle of your sci-fi horror. Olivia is very self-aware and understand that she shouldn't be more worried about dates than aliens, but she still is more worried about her dating life. I didn't mind it, but it's really going to annoy some people.
I'm curious about how this would play-out for people who aren't familiar with the Alien franchise; I assume it's meant primarily for the uninitiated seeing as how its aimed at a teenage crowd, and the franchise typically isn't. The aliens are written well, and the perspective of an adolescent xenobiologist is an interesting perspective to see this world from.
Overall the book is fine. I'm not convinced the twist worked though.
It basically is what it says on the tin; do you want to read an alien novel from the point of view of a lovesick teenager? If that sounds intriguing then go for it. If that sounds infuriating then maybe read something else.
Alien: Echo is about Olivia and her twin sister and echo Viola. Olivia and Viola (get it?) are the daughters of Xenobiologists who have traveled to a small planet to research the natural life on that planet, the most dangerous of which is a burrowing worm. Olivia attends the local high-school, but her sister has some vague space autoimmune disease and can't leave the house for very long. The first third of the book is mostly spent with Olivia interacting with her family, attempting to impress her crush, and studying the local wildlife. This is interrupted when her father takes a job salvaging a derelict space ship, wiped out in mysterious circumstances. Anyone familiar with the Alien franchise knows how well that's going to go.
How much you like Alien: Echo is going to rely on how much tolerance you have for teen romantic angst in the middle of your sci-fi horror. Olivia is very self-aware and understand that she shouldn't be more worried about dates than aliens, but she still is more worried about her dating life. I didn't mind it, but it's really going to annoy some people.
I'm curious about how this would play-out for people who aren't familiar with the Alien franchise; I assume it's meant primarily for the uninitiated seeing as how its aimed at a teenage crowd, and the franchise typically isn't. The aliens are written well, and the perspective of an adolescent xenobiologist is an interesting perspective to see this world from.
Overall the book is fine. I'm not convinced the twist worked though.
It basically is what it says on the tin; do you want to read an alien novel from the point of view of a lovesick teenager? If that sounds intriguing then go for it. If that sounds infuriating then maybe read something else.
April 17, 2019
I normally like this author and her alter ego, Seanan McGuire, however this one wasn't the best for me. I didn't care for Olivia, she was too girl crazy and a bit too cocky for me. Cora never really came off as somebody worth Olivia's effort, she had to work too hard to get any place and I hated that Cora really didn't believe Olivia about her sister.
Now the sister, Viola, was more interesting, especially when her secret was revealed. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Part of me thinks that the parents did a good thing, part of me thinks the parents should have let things be. In the end the made the choice they did, everyone living their lives. The one thing you can't argue was how devoted the two sisters were to each other.
Now the parents, I feel like they were irresponsible dragging the girls with them on their jobs. They were going to dangerous places where bad things could happen. This was proved when the drama started up in this book. From here things were a comedy of errors, all of them bumbling around and many many people dying at every turn. Things were left on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I found I was indifferent about it because by then I was just glad to be done with the book.
Now the sister, Viola, was more interesting, especially when her secret was revealed. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Part of me thinks that the parents did a good thing, part of me thinks the parents should have let things be. In the end the made the choice they did, everyone living their lives. The one thing you can't argue was how devoted the two sisters were to each other.
Now the parents, I feel like they were irresponsible dragging the girls with them on their jobs. They were going to dangerous places where bad things could happen. This was proved when the drama started up in this book. From here things were a comedy of errors, all of them bumbling around and many many people dying at every turn. Things were left on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I found I was indifferent about it because by then I was just glad to be done with the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2019
I loved this. Mira Grant struck the perfect balance between sci-fi and horror with this YA novel set in the Alien universe. Fans of Ridley Scott's classic space horror series will find lots to like here as Grant hits key moments from the films. The suspense and tension were perfect - I was on the edge of my seat and read it in one sitting. This is slightly lighter on body horror - you don't actually see the face huggers for instance - but this is just as heavy on body count as the films and there is plenty of gore, so be warned.
The book starts with MC Olivia Shipp taking a field trip outside her family's residence. Oliva's parents are xenobiologists who have lived a nomadic existence across the universe, charting the ecostystems of newly settled planets. Olivia and her twin sister, Viola, have had little choice but to travel with them. Olivia is most concerned with finally seeing earth with her sister when she hits 18, and whether or not the hot colonial girls she has a crush on, likes her back. Things take a sudden horrific turn after her father is sent to check out a derelict ship orbiting the planet which the colonials want to cannibalise. There's something on the ship. Something which defies known biology...
This was such a great read. If you like diverse SFF with a kick ass character who manages to not be a final girl, then this is for you. I'm surprised this isn't getting more hype. It was awesome.
The book starts with MC Olivia Shipp taking a field trip outside her family's residence. Oliva's parents are xenobiologists who have lived a nomadic existence across the universe, charting the ecostystems of newly settled planets. Olivia and her twin sister, Viola, have had little choice but to travel with them. Olivia is most concerned with finally seeing earth with her sister when she hits 18, and whether or not the hot colonial girls she has a crush on, likes her back. Things take a sudden horrific turn after her father is sent to check out a derelict ship orbiting the planet which the colonials want to cannibalise. There's something on the ship. Something which defies known biology...
This was such a great read. If you like diverse SFF with a kick ass character who manages to not be a final girl, then this is for you. I'm surprised this isn't getting more hype. It was awesome.
April 19, 2019
It was interesting to see the franchise through the eyes of someone else and to see how some of the staples of the series were revealed in this installment. One of those reveals initially bothered me because it seemed as if it should have changed reactions to that person, but almost immediately I realized how beautiful that acceptance was and should just be a real world thing. I was also initially bummed when Olivia got hand-wavy about biology because it was uncool parent stuff since I LOVE alien ecologies and all. However, apparently the daughter of a biologist can't help but soak up all that science, so she let it all out and I got my world building. :D
As for fright level -- I'm more a creeping horror type of horror person, so it didn't get my hackles raised. It was more an exciting adventure with suspense worrying about the characters you care about. (except for one over the top awful character) And that's what I wanted -- the discovery of the xenomorphs, what they can do, and the cat and mouse games played afterwards. It's great to have an intelligent protagonist, as well!
As for fright level -- I'm more a creeping horror type of horror person, so it didn't get my hackles raised. It was more an exciting adventure with suspense worrying about the characters you care about. (except for one over the top awful character) And that's what I wanted -- the discovery of the xenomorphs, what they can do, and the cat and mouse games played afterwards. It's great to have an intelligent protagonist, as well!
February 7, 2021
I picked this up because I was excited about YA Mira Grant and I SHOULD have noticed that this was an Alien property because it says it ALL over the book and there are alien eggs on the cover and still I did not realize until I was well into the story because I am a dope. Anyway, I (predictably) loved this so much.
I think Mira Grant does monster stories so well and her books give me the same feels as reading Jurassic Park as a 12-year-old and this is no exception. It's gory and gross and there are infuriating characters and loveable characters and, like, almost everybody dies because this is an Alien property and I enjoyed it so so so much. Even if you know nothing about Alien, I think this still works as an excellent sci-fi mystery/thriller with a queer protagonist and a nuanced sisterly relationship.
I think Mira Grant does monster stories so well and her books give me the same feels as reading Jurassic Park as a 12-year-old and this is no exception. It's gory and gross and there are infuriating characters and loveable characters and, like, almost everybody dies because this is an Alien property and I enjoyed it so so so much. Even if you know nothing about Alien, I think this still works as an excellent sci-fi mystery/thriller with a queer protagonist and a nuanced sisterly relationship.
September 10, 2024
This is one of my favorite Seanan McGuire novels, and just to clarify, Mira Grant is one of her pen names. You do not need to read the other books in the Alien franchise series to understand this novel, and it's not based on any film or comic book. It stands completely on its own. If you know the Alien book series, it will only enhance the dramatic irony of one of the conflicts, but it's not in any way necessary for overall comprehension.
I loved the strong presence of the young female protagonist. Seanan McGuire's classic wit and irony are at their best in her protagonist's voice. And I loved her friendship with the young woman she initially sets out to save. I loved the slow build of conflict--not that this is a slow paced read--quite the opposite. I finished in only a few hours. But the actual conflict with the aliens begins rather slowly, and the characters have no idea what is happening at first. The colony at stake is truly beautiful, and the author's imagery of the world where the colonists have been living is gorgeous to imagine. Naturally once the action really begins rising, the beauty of the world is in contrast to that devastation.
Seanan McGuire is such a beautiful writer--I'm always impressed by her work. I read this largely because I was having withdraw from her Wayward Children series and eagerly awaiting the next installment. I'm so glad I did!
I loved the strong presence of the young female protagonist. Seanan McGuire's classic wit and irony are at their best in her protagonist's voice. And I loved her friendship with the young woman she initially sets out to save. I loved the slow build of conflict--not that this is a slow paced read--quite the opposite. I finished in only a few hours. But the actual conflict with the aliens begins rather slowly, and the characters have no idea what is happening at first. The colony at stake is truly beautiful, and the author's imagery of the world where the colonists have been living is gorgeous to imagine. Naturally once the action really begins rising, the beauty of the world is in contrast to that devastation.
Seanan McGuire is such a beautiful writer--I'm always impressed by her work. I read this largely because I was having withdraw from her Wayward Children series and eagerly awaiting the next installment. I'm so glad I did!
March 17, 2022
Mini blurb: Two twin sisters with a family secret, brought by their xenobiologist parents to a planet full of deadly fauna and flora, find themselves on the run after a tragic incident (along with the love interest of one of them) and have to fight an even deadlier alien monster from outer space.
***
Sort-of-disclaimer: I've never seen a single Alien movie - I can only tolerate my horror on paper, especially if there are, basically, giant bugs involved 😅 - so I don't know how much of this story is canon (though of course the author got guidelines to do licensed work), but my friend Carrie helped me get my bearings 🙂.
I love McGuire/Grant, and I love YA, and I love sci-fi/horror - but I guess even your favourite ingredients may not necessarily belong together or produce a masterpiece.
I was surprised by how juvenile this book sounded, despite the amount of horror/carnage and fight-for-your-life scenes (mind you - THOSE were very well done. No surprise here, given the author's track record). Olivia (the main character) is as resourceful and brave as they come, and she could have made for an interesting perspective (also as a budding xenobiologist), had she not spent half the time kissing her maybe-girlfriend or fantasising about it, even with deadlier-than-deadly monsters on her tail and ahead and some HUGE stuff to process (no spoilers). Kora (Olivia's love interest) vacillates between being tough and interesting on her own and making poor choices that should alienate Olivia, and yet..."Oh, but she's beautiful" 🙄 (to be fair, she apologises later - BUT). Viola (Olivia's twin) is basically reduced to a pawn in the grand scheme of things (though she makes for some dark comedy if that's your jam). The family secret doesn't make sense, and I can't comprehend how it even managed to remain a secret for so long - not to mention WHY. The side characters are either inconsequential or infuriating. The ending is...eh...a bit too vague, even for me. Lastly, I couldn't wrap my head around the lazy editing (I've never seen so many word reiterations, even in the same paragraph, in a single book).
BUT! If you like alien worlds with lots of potentially intriguing wildlife (if not dwelt upon enough), pulse-pounding action (if frequently punctuated by kisses), top-notch horror and resourceful badass girls, this one will entertain you, at the very least.
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
***
Sort-of-disclaimer: I've never seen a single Alien movie - I can only tolerate my horror on paper, especially if there are, basically, giant bugs involved 😅 - so I don't know how much of this story is canon (though of course the author got guidelines to do licensed work), but my friend Carrie helped me get my bearings 🙂.
I love McGuire/Grant, and I love YA, and I love sci-fi/horror - but I guess even your favourite ingredients may not necessarily belong together or produce a masterpiece.
I was surprised by how juvenile this book sounded, despite the amount of horror/carnage and fight-for-your-life scenes (mind you - THOSE were very well done. No surprise here, given the author's track record). Olivia (the main character) is as resourceful and brave as they come, and she could have made for an interesting perspective (also as a budding xenobiologist), had she not spent half the time kissing her maybe-girlfriend or fantasising about it, even with deadlier-than-deadly monsters on her tail and ahead and some HUGE stuff to process (no spoilers). Kora (Olivia's love interest) vacillates between being tough and interesting on her own and making poor choices that should alienate Olivia, and yet..."Oh, but she's beautiful" 🙄 (to be fair, she apologises later - BUT). Viola (Olivia's twin) is basically reduced to a pawn in the grand scheme of things (though she makes for some dark comedy if that's your jam). The family secret doesn't make sense, and I can't comprehend how it even managed to remain a secret for so long - not to mention WHY. The side characters are either inconsequential or infuriating. The ending is...eh...a bit too vague, even for me. Lastly, I couldn't wrap my head around the lazy editing (I've never seen so many word reiterations, even in the same paragraph, in a single book).
BUT! If you like alien worlds with lots of potentially intriguing wildlife (if not dwelt upon enough), pulse-pounding action (if frequently punctuated by kisses), top-notch horror and resourceful badass girls, this one will entertain you, at the very least.
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
October 8, 2021
Didn't really like MC. She was obsessed with Kora and her kisses, ugh, even when her family died. Just didn't really work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2019
The only reason why I’m giving this novel four stars is because I’m really happy to see Alien being introduced to a new generation and also because of the fact that the main character, Olivia Shipp, is gay. Representation is super important, especially in today’s political climate. Also there was some pretty gory scenes near the end that will satisfy Alien and horror fans if you are really wanting to pick this up.
Otherwise, I’d be giving this novel three stars.
Alien: Echo was such a disappointment. I know it’s intended for a young adult audience but there were moments that were so juvenile that it was almost cringe worthy. The dialogue, and the characters actions—even from the adult characters—throughout were so stupid that I sometimes didn’t want to continue reading. Especially near the beginning of the novel. I forced myself to keep reading because I knew as soon as the beloved aliens were introduced that it would get better. And it definitely did improve, though unfortunately not enough for me to recommend this to any die-hard Alien fans out there.
Too much unnecessary romance, slow start, ridiculous creatures that should have just been scrapped from the storyline, and not enough Xenomorph carnage that comes from any Alien/Prometheus storyline. I’ve read a lot of young adult novels, some that have had graphic scenes and much more mature characterization, that this could have been epic. Grant really let me down with this one, especially considering her experience with the horror genre.
Otherwise, I’d be giving this novel three stars.
Alien: Echo was such a disappointment. I know it’s intended for a young adult audience but there were moments that were so juvenile that it was almost cringe worthy. The dialogue, and the characters actions—even from the adult characters—throughout were so stupid that I sometimes didn’t want to continue reading. Especially near the beginning of the novel. I forced myself to keep reading because I knew as soon as the beloved aliens were introduced that it would get better. And it definitely did improve, though unfortunately not enough for me to recommend this to any die-hard Alien fans out there.
Too much unnecessary romance, slow start, ridiculous creatures that should have just been scrapped from the storyline, and not enough Xenomorph carnage that comes from any Alien/Prometheus storyline. I’ve read a lot of young adult novels, some that have had graphic scenes and much more mature characterization, that this could have been epic. Grant really let me down with this one, especially considering her experience with the horror genre.
August 4, 2019
This is well-written, fast-paced YA horror on a colony planet. I’ve never seen any of the Alien movies. So I have no idea whether Grant did a good job with those particular aliens. But I thought she did a great job with the various plants and animals native to the planet. Our heroine, whose parents are xenobiologists, wants to be one when she grows up. So, on her first date with the girl she has a crush on, she takes her out to the wild to see the cool flora and fauna. They walk into carnivorous grass and are attacked by lion-worms. Best first date ever. Then the aliens from the movies show up, and everyone starts dying in various gruesome ways. There is this bizarre part where a hybrid Alien/lion-worm attacks. That seems entirely implausible so I imagine that came from the movie franchise. I thought at first that this was a movie tie-in novel. But having a 17-year-old lesbian as the heroine doesn’t seem like a Hollywood choice. The relationship between the heroine and her twin sister was the most interesting part of the novel. I won’t spoil the story by saying whether any humans survive.
October 22, 2019
This is a good, fun y.a. entry in the Alien universe... it's not a particularly terrific Mira Grant novel, but it's a fast-paced (despite more romance than I recall in any prior Alien story) franchise adventure. My only real complaint is that the protagonist is supposed to be an intelligent, experienced, well-educated student of biology... and yet she doesn't notice something rather important about her twin sister, with whom she spends most of her time.... and why is the sister even pretending to be something she no longer is, anyway? Read it quick and don't ask such questions and go with it.... Remember, as Jones tried to teach us, in space no one can hear you nit-pick plot points.
July 17, 2019
2 🌟
Sorry wasn't for me. Just meh. The world building sucks.
I was hoping for more.
Twins....on a planet with parents when an unknown ship crashes with aliens aboard.
Twin Oliva on the run to save her twin sister and a girl she's interested in. While they trying to find answers they are prey.
Just meh.
Sorry wasn't for me. Just meh. The world building sucks.
I was hoping for more.
Twins....on a planet with parents when an unknown ship crashes with aliens aboard.
Twin Oliva on the run to save her twin sister and a girl she's interested in. While they trying to find answers they are prey.
Just meh.
May 14, 2019
I'll read the next book, the potential for character growth is intriguing. I liked the main character and found the colony and research fascinating. The teenage point of view was well done, but my personal preference for YA novels is to not marginalize the adult characters.
April 13, 2019
I’m conflicted.
August 2, 2019
It's a decent Alien book, it's a fast read but don't start it unless you have time to finish it! I was up too late!
February 20, 2020
Fun read. Reminds me of how much I like the Alien films.
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