CLOVER

by Alexander R. Egan

Clover is not your average stray cat. He is, in fact, a Gnuan. An alien from another solar system. He's been dispatched as a scout in search of something vital to his fellow Gnuans. Bradley is an emotionally unstable young man living in Philadelphia along with a small group of misfit friends. He is riddled with physical issues, mental illness, and his love of sports has led him to severe gambling problems. He also loves to care for the stray cats in his neighborhood. When Clover's search collides with Bradley and his friends, things begin to happen which endanger the humans and could put an end to an entire population of Gnuans no one knew existed.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2020

Reviews

[Sara C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this novel has to be squeezed into any genre, I would claim it to be "sci-fi"—a genre which has, truthfully, never appealed to me. When I hear "aliens" I'm skeptical and tend to avoid that piece of media, because it's just not my cup of tea. However, I can truly say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Clover. First of all, growing up as a huge fan of the Warriors Cats series (by Erin Hunter) for years, the main character of this novel being a "cat" made me feel a bit nostalgic. It was a cool experience, as an adult, to get to read an adult novel that left me reminiscing on my favorite novels growing up. Telling the story from the point of view of an "animal" was an interesting but well-executed decision by the author, Egan. I also found the plot to be very well done; the pace and action scenes all kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down many times. There were so many plot twists I wasn't expecting at all! I found it very easy to sucked into this story for the world, as well. I definitely think that the world-building was another strength of this book; Egan introduced the world of Clover in a way that felt natural, not overwhelming or confusing, as I've experienced with other books.

In the most complimentary way, Clover is an easy and enjoyable read. If you are one of those readers who tends to avoid self-published works, I strongly urge you to look past that and give Clover a chance. The writing was excellent, especially for a first-time author, and the characters were strong and realistic, endearing for their imperfections, even when you have to hate them. It is a unique novel that I'd certainly recommend to fans of a variety of genres.

[Rich Maybaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! At first I wasn't sure about an alien cat story but the characters and story draw you in before you know it. I feel I really got to know the characters and didn't want to put the book down. Brings the story home real well!
Real enjoyable read!