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Overview
He didn't ask to be a hero, but now all that stands between us and chaos . . . is Colt.
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.
He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.
But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?
Vowing to uncover truth, Colt is drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible getaways.
The invasion has begun.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Flying motorcycles, shape-shifting aliens, comic book superscience, and mind-control technology all have their parts to play in this sometimes convoluted thriller from Lewis (coauthor of the Grey Griffins books), which launches the CHAOS series. After a drunk driver kills his parents, 16-year-old Colt McAlister is sent to live with his grandfather, who was the adventurer/comic book star known as the Phantom Flyer back in the '40s. After learning that his parents were murdered for digging into the secrets of Trident, a company specializing in biotechnology, Colt and his friends do some investigating of their own. Soon, they're caught in the middle of a secret war, fighting things they thought only existed in comics and teaming up with the secret Men in Black–style organization of CHAOS to thwart an alien invasion. While it's a fun read, this action-packed story suffers from awkward pacing, uneven secondary character development, and a "kitchen sink" feeling, leading to a sense of overload along the way. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)VOYA -
Colt has been invited to tour a prestigious prep school, where he learns that the world is not as it appears. The fictional world and his world blend when he discovers that WWII comic books are actually based in truth. Aliens exist and even walk among us. They come from other worlds with portals to the earth. When his parents die in a suspicious car crash, someone informs Colt that they were murdered. His mother was in the process of writing an article exposing a very powerful and influential business and its shady dealings. As Colt pokes around, it is not long before he and his two friends become targets of the company themselves. Lewis starts a new series featuring a character similar to Alex Rider, but older. Invasion incorporates aliens and advanced technology, giving the book a science fiction twist. Colt seeks justice for the murders of his family. He overcomes danger, hacks into computer systems, and battles strange creatures and robot machines. The technology, in the form of jet packs and robotic spiders that double as killing machines, will remind readers of Iron Man. The unique plot device, mixing comic books with reality, will attract teen readers. Reviewer: Jennifer RummelVOYA -
One theme of Invasion is courage—the courage to overcome grief and the courage to help your friends. This shows throughout Colt's adventures, keeping the reader engaged. Many scenarios, particularly the ending, are disappointing. There is a collision of otherworldly monsters and monsters of this world, making it a novel of dystopia and history. Aliens and wonderful humor will grip the minds of young readers, invoking respect for history and understanding of courage. 4Q,4P. Reviewer: Sabrina Bedford, Teen ReviewerKirkus Reviews
Comic Book Characters Come to Life! Really: Events told in comic books are found to have been based on real events and people in this game but improbable series opener. Colt has recently moved in with his World War II–hero grandfather in Arizona following his parents' sudden death in a suspicious car accident. This neatly lays the groundwork for a light romance with country-music aficionado Lily, but it just so happens that this is also the home of evil Trident Industries! And aliens are trying to take over the earth! Teen heroes Colt, Oz and Dani research the comics for clues on how to proceed against the alien threat rather than ask Colt's Grandpa, who is the stories' inspiration and should know. But really, given what narrator Colt is reporting on, logic is not required.Brisk pace, aliens and jet-packs and other cool-but-unlikely gizmos provide appeal if not coherence. Lewis is a veteran of the comic-book industry, and his plot is a domestic read-alike of Alex Rider. Fine for breakneck-adventure addicts but not so wonderful if readers expect real characters and emotion.(Thriller. 10-15)