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Zoe Hearty And The Space Invaders

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What would you do if your other half is a real monster? And I do mean real...
Zoe Hearty is a serial killer. Even Netflix says so. Well—either that or aliens are real, they invaded Earth and possessed her husband (cheating scum), kids, and God knows who else and Zoe had no choice but to become a killer to stop them and save the world.

At least, that is what Zoe says.

But no one wants to hear *that* story.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2022

30 people are currently reading
36 people want to read

About the author

T.E. Norris

3 books1 follower

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5 stars
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13 (28%)
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8 (17%)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for A Mac.
1,637 reviews225 followers
July 3, 2022
Zoe is happily married with two kids – or at least, mostly happily married. But when her husband starts acting odd and hiding even more from her than usual, she knows it’s time to do something about it. She’s expecting to find out about another affair, but instead stumbles across something much more bizarre and sinister, something that makes her question her sanity.

I liked the premise of this work and the promise of a sarcastic, kick-a** heroine with a good deal of humor. But this work ended up being dark, including rape, abuse, and multiple murders. But the tone of the work fluctuated between what I was expecting and as dark as the events that occurred, which made it feel awkward, like the author couldn’t quite settle on what tone to use.

The characters were lacking in any real depth, development, or growth. Zoe was the only character that had some development, but it wasn’t that much. She and the rest of the characters came across as bland and unrelatable, making it difficult to become invested in their stories and struggles.

On a more technical note, I don’t think that this work underwent any editing. The number of errors encountered throughout the work was unacceptable, ranging from missing punctuation to incorrect punctuation to misspellings to names not being capitalized – the list could go on. Similarly, the dialogue was stilted throughout the entire work, which made it even more difficult to connect to the characters or to really become immersed in the story. The author also overutilized heavy-handed foreshadowing (really just spoilers) through the exposition, which in many instances completely took away from any buildup or tension. For example, the author used this technique to let the reader know a character was going to die, but the death didn’t happen for another four or five chapters; I lost any investment in the character or their actions because I already knew they weren’t going to make it out alive.

Unfortunately, this work fell short of my expectations. If it underwent a thorough editing, I would be willing to increase my rating.

I received a complimentary copy of this work. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Profile Image for Barb.
942 reviews57 followers
July 3, 2022
This was well written but I expected it to be more fun! The title and description had me expecting Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Zombieland with a hint of Hitchikers Guide. So the entire time I was reading I was waiting for the main character to say 'Hasta la vista, baby! ' or something. It was a good story but more depressing than fun and there was action but I wouldn’t call it an alien slaying extravaganza.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Alan.
1,697 reviews108 followers
July 4, 2022
This review is for an ARC copy received through NetGalley.
I'll start my review with positive notes. The narrative was a fairly solid one, the writing mostly decent. It's a reasonably enjoyable book. However, the title is deceiving and the official synopsis utterly off the mark. I downloaded this from NetGalley due to the title and synopsis which led me to believe it would be (at least somewhat) a more lighthearted tale along the lines of Jason Pargin, Yahtzee Croshaw, etc. In fact, there was nothing lighthearted about it at all - it was a serious AF Sci-Fi/horror tale about a woman who endures her husband being seduced/taken over by an alien society trying to infiltrate humanity, forcing her to eventually fight and kill to stop them. If that's the type of story you're looking for, it's successful in those regards, but if you're looking for laughs, you won't find them. My other issue with the book is the fact that most of the book is told in the first person, but neither the narrator nor anyone who's quoted in the story uses contractions. Whether the author was just trying to pad his word count or is just completely out of touch with how people converse, I don't know - he's especially afraid of the word "can't;" everybody says "cannot" and that's not how people talk - but the consistency of characters speaking stiffly and robotic took me out of the story.
Profile Image for Jennell Brown.
Author 27 books51 followers
September 24, 2022
The Perfect Trio: Sci-Fi Thriller, Suspense, Action

These characters will consume you and keep you locked in their world. No You will be sucked into the story as the protagonist, Zoe, starts her journey to discover the truth. 

Zoe was just a normal woman studying to be an accountant when she met Jimmy. After an affair, she falls pregnant, and Jimmy proposes. They had their first child, Sarah, and later on had their son, Sean. Zoe was a great mother, and she was dedicated to her family. Unfortunately, Jimmy came from a messed-up family, and so he himself was a little messed up. 

Looking for a change, they move to a town called Temple. One day on the way home, Zoe notices a bright light following their car, and not only that, the temperature in the car dropped. It was a weird experience, especially since they were the only ones who saw the light. A few days later, her husband started acting strange. He would leave for hours and then return home angry and red-eyed. Curious to know what's going on she follows up and is led to a place called Gray Eclipse. With a search to Google, she found out that Gray Eclipse was an alien religion.

I really don’t want to get into the story because that is not fair to the author or you. Read the book and enjoy the story for yourself. I will say that Zoe is hilarious, and it’s hard not to root for her as she tries to stop an alien invasion.

This book had me hanging off its pages. I just had to read this book in a day, I couldn’t stay away. I had to finish chapter after chapter after chapter. There was nothing predictable in this book.  I love the grittiness of this story and the twist and turns. I really enjoyed it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves aliens and Sci-fi Thrillers. 
Profile Image for Stacy Charles.
199 reviews5 followers
July 28, 2022
Zoe Hearty and the Space Invaders is an action packed, suspense-filled, paranormal thriller. From the first prologue readers will begin to sink themselves into the plot only to experience a shift as the author provides a second prologue. At that point there is a desire to know what happens next. Zoe and her family have a paranormal experience, a bright light that appears to be following them on their way home. Apart from the light, there’s an icy chill, the insides of their car becomes cold, icy lips, and cold hands. All of which is strange and difficult to explain. After her husband Jimmy appears to be obsessed and involved in some form of cult, Zoe goes undercover to investigate to uncover the truth about the Grey Eclipse. Her husband has changed and she is almost crippled by fear.

As the book progresses to part two readers will be shocked as the plot twists and turns but the book exposes the dark side of marriage. Alcoholism, physical abuse, and a woman that has had enough and is trying to escape with her children. The main resolution is not quickly disclosed, a reader has to dive head deep into this thriller. The author weaves an intricate plot and produces a story with twists and turns that will keep readers on edge and perplexed as they try to anticipate outcomes.
Profile Image for David Cameron.
Author 16 books22 followers
July 15, 2022
They Are Here

Zoe Hearty, an admitted killer, locked away, but never having faced a court, has a story that even she can’t believe. Through her eyes, we experience her life, from her marriage, her slow decay, her children, her hopes, her dreams and then her nightmare. The man she married was no longer the man she lived with. No, really! And she starts a journey to discover the truth.

The secrets of the Gray Eclipse lead her deeper into danger in a tale that is part science fiction and part thriller.

This is a great read, easy, absorbing and frightening. It has all the elements to keep you reading and asks the question of what would you do? I thoroughly recommend this book to those who enjoy science fiction with a throwback to the era of The Twilight Zone. You will want to know, you will care, and you will look at your partner with a new questioning insight! Do you really know them? Can you be sure?

My only criticism is the title. It is far too jaunty when They are here!
Profile Image for Review  Board.
24 reviews3 followers
July 7, 2022
Zoe Hearty and the Space Invaders is a fast paced heart stopping thriller. It isn’t often that a book can keep me on my toes as much as this one did! It’s easy to fall in love with Norris’s main character Zoe, especially as you travel down the terrifying rabbit hole that becomes her life after discovering her husband Jimmy well - isn’t her husband Jimmy anymore.

If you’re looking for suspense, adventure, emotional drama, angst, romance and a touch of horror - this book is for you whether you like sci-fi or not. The pervasive slow burn of the alien invasion is harrowing when seen through the eyes of Zoe, who’s simply trying to the best with what she’s got.

Transformation is a powerful theme that Norris weaves throughout the book, as well as resiliency in the face of overwhelming odds. While I won’t spoil the ending for you, prepare to laugh, cry, and curse, I did all three.
Profile Image for Vittoria's Readings.
335 reviews22 followers
August 25, 2022
2.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“My name is Zoe Hearty, and I am a killer, but I am not a monster. ”

I was expecting a different book, reading the first pages I thought the protagonist was a badass ready to exterminate a host of aliens. I expected it to be gory and ironic.
Instead I found myself with a desperate housewife because of her husband's behavior, scared and looking for her children.
So my doubts arose when the book started to get really depressing due to some topics such as domestic violence, rape and kidnapping of children. I generally have no problem reading about these issues if they are handled in the right way.
The central part was really boring. I gave 2.5 stars for the ending which was the busiest part of the whole book.
I expected much more, I was a little disappointed.
Profile Image for Ivan M.
838 reviews22 followers
August 2, 2022
Zoe Hearty and the Space Invaders is a novel that does honor the title. In this book, written by TE Norris, the reader follows the story of Zoe Hearty, a regular person who discovers that his husband, children, and many other people in her community have become possessed by aliens, and she sadly becomes a killer in order to stop the invasion.

After killing her husband, there are not many people who can actually believe her, so her job is even harder: prove her innocence and at the same time, stop the invasion.

In my opinion, it is a great work from Mr. Norris, the plot is fun but at the same time contains emotions and critics about society that made me pretty content about the outcome. I loved Zoe and her approach to this difficult situation, a great well rounded main character.
Profile Image for Susan B.
495 reviews10 followers
December 2, 2022
I have always asked questions like do Aliens really exist? And if they do - what would they look like? Where would they live? Would they be conscious beings? And what would happen if they find us? These questions are all unanswered in this great work of science fiction. The unexpected and expected
coexist and the author has been able to thread both things together in a neat way.
Well-written, the tale walks us through a lot of action that ends up with a great end. The characters are all amazing and Norris has put them together in such a way that they even feel like real people. They even feel close to us. I loved this book way too much.
Profile Image for Aneley Sánchez.
988 reviews24 followers
December 5, 2022
A great story.

It is a book that the reader will definitely be entertained with. It made me enjoy, have fun, speculate and think a lot.
Zoe Hearty And The Space Invaders by TE Norris is a blend of sci-fi and psychological thriller that follows Zoe Hearty and her peculiar actions. She is a killer and openly admits it, but claims to have very, very different reasons than what everyone thinks. People call her trash, crazy, and a killer… She claims to be the savior, and she's sure she did the right thing.
This story invites us to dive deep into a dark and interesting world. The amazing writing style of the author keeps us engaged throughout the plot. It is simply great!!
Profile Image for Mia C..
1,093 reviews25 followers
December 13, 2022
Zoe Hearty And The Space Invaders written by author Norris is a novel that at first sight may seem one more of its kind but trust me when I say it isn’t. It is fresh, new and with different kinds of space invaders. Zoe’s character is special, interesting and not the typical main character, I must say. But this is what hooked me the most.
The story has a mixture of thriller, science fiction and intrigue which makes the book unputdownable. I would undoubtedly recommend reading it. I was hooked from beginning to end and now that I finished reading it, I would love to see what the author has to offer.
117 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2022
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought, based on the title and the cover, that this would be a comedic romp through space, but it definitely is not. Overall it wasn't terrible, but the author spends a lot of time establishing that Zoe is a powerless housewife only to suddenly reverse that at the very end. I think the final surprise would make more sense if the housewife section had been shorter and her character development more drawn out in the end. TW for rape and domestic violence, just fyi.
Profile Image for Mary.
349 reviews13 followers
August 3, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book as it was something different.

Trying to think how to leave this review without any spoilers…

So, Jimmy and Zoe's relationship was captured so well, as were they in their individuality.

The story moved along nicely, more at a jog than at a run, but I think that worked well as it had this slow-burn feel to it.

Overall, good characters, good story, interesting plot lines, some unforeseen twists.

Well worth the read if you like this genre.
Profile Image for Jessica.
2,332 reviews23 followers
August 7, 2022
Satire maybe?

A scifi story with a twist and some (for me) satire and black humor along the way. Zoe is self admittedly a killer but no monster. When she realizes that everyone around her is acting strangely, she decides that aliens have invaded and sets out to become out saviour.
This book for me was a wierd mesh between invasion of the body snatchers and a kill bill movie. Not to say it wasnt good, but it will take a special kind of sci fi lover to appreciate this book in it's full glory.
Profile Image for Santiago Flores.
1,044 reviews11 followers
August 11, 2022
A great story

Zoe Hearty And The Space Invaders by TE Norris is a middle length science fiction thriller with psychological action that is a must read.
This is not the typical alien story, it has a great twist that makes it special and engaging. What would you do if your spouse is possessed by an alien? Well, it is a difficult question and it is what happens to Zoe with her husband.
I liked the characters and how they were built, and also, I liked the scenes because they were descriptive and left nothing to chance. I would recommend reading this book.
287 reviews1 follower
August 17, 2022
Incredible! A rare find!

This book was wholly original in an incredibly crowded genre. That's an amazing feat! But the writing.....Gods. The writing. It's so very very good. Excellent. Beyond compare. This author has style. I loved the first person narration and the dark, gothic style descriptions. Our fmc is such a realistic character. She is literally you or me, A basic, regular person. And she's one of my all time favorite fmc's ever. This is Zoe's story and its one of the best you'll ever hear.
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,402 reviews140 followers
July 14, 2022
Zoe hearty and the space invaders by TE Norris.
What would you do if your other half is a real monster? And I do mean real...
Zoe Hearty is a serial killer. Even Netflix says so. Well—either that or aliens are real, they invaded Earth and possessed her husband (cheating scum), kids, and God knows who else and Zoe had no choice but to become a killer to stop them and save the world.At least, that is what Zoe says.
But no one wants to hear *that* story.
Really enjoyable read. Loved zoe. 4*.
Profile Image for Janis.
567 reviews12 followers
August 4, 2022
An interesting book - you are never quite sure if she is a serial killer or is telling the truth. The tale is a bit convoluted but otherwise well developed. You keep rooting for her until the end - how does she convince others to risk their necks to set her free?! Hopefully, she finds what she is seeking. Interesting characters.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Sam.
2,565 reviews42 followers
September 18, 2022
I did enjoy this interesting, psychological thriller and adventure! Something a little different, aliens or the main character loosing her mind? It is well written & has some great ideas, I liked the plot but there is a fair amount of angst through out the book. So some parts for me where a little heavy or slow going. Over all a reasonable pace & it did keep my interest through out the story. New writer for me so I will keep my eyes peeled for more.
Profile Image for Billie.
5,784 reviews71 followers
October 31, 2022
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
1,181 reviews35 followers
July 11, 2022
Zoe Hearty believes that her husband has been taken over by Aliens, and she has saved us all. But is she manic, psychotic or are Aliens real? Read the book and find out. Thank you to Norris Publications and NetGalley for the ARC. The views published are all mine, freely given.
Profile Image for Annalise Clark.
Author 42 books43 followers
April 17, 2023
Such a fun book! It was not what I expected, but delivered 100%
Profile Image for Dan Bechtold.
93 reviews
June 27, 2022
This high flying adventure full of suspense didn’t let me down as I couldn’t put the book down until I was done. Is Zoe a serial killer, is there a monster inside or is just simple a alien? The book is packed and hope you enjoy the read as much as I did to find out the real story - recommend this book.
Profile Image for Dani Savante.
804 reviews24 followers
December 11, 2022
Zoe Hearty And The Space Invaders is a science fiction novel with a story that I found very original.
It is about a man who is possessed by aliens, but the person who first realizes it and is in serious danger of life is his wife. This is the main event in this story but there are many tense moments, suspense and conflicts. The outcome of the novel becomes thrilling when the brave protagonist has to make a decision to save the world and keep herself and her family out of danger.
I really recommend this read, it is very captivating and easy to read. The characters are well defined.
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,943 reviews113 followers
September 8, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & BooksGoSocial for a copy.
This was a quick read and a decent first book by the author.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style or characters, but it will appeal to others. It was also less thrilling/horrifying than I thought it would be, so reader beware.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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