Invasion

(A C.H.A.O.S. Novel)

by
Jon S. Lewis

Thomas Nelson, January 2011, 330 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-59554-753-8

Genre: Young Reader
Subgenres: Science Fiction / Aliens
Reviewed: 2/2/2011

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Excerpt

It should have taken Oz twenty minutes to get from his house to Grandpa's McAlister's. Instead, he was there in a little over ten.

"Where's your grandpa?" Oz asked after Colt answered the door.

"At the grocery store."

"Good. Basil agreed to help us."

"What about CHOAS?"

"I'll get to that in a minute." Oz walked into the kitchen where he pulled out his phone, pressed a few buttons, and set it on the table. A three-dimensional hologram of the Trident Biotech campus shot out from the display, hovering in the air. Each building, tree, and road was perfectly scaled, glowing in bright shades of green.

"Wait, can my phone do that too?"

"Focus, McAlister," Oz said. "Basil has people inside Trident, and they're going to help us break in so we can find Danielle."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I went through the front door and gave them my phone?"

"Yeah, if you both want to die. Look, they aren't going to let either one of you walk. You're liabilities because you know too much."

"Then why not let CHOAS agents go in and get her? They're more qualified than I'll ever be."

"Remember what Basil said? Trident executives have friends in high places, and my dad isn't going to storm their fortress without permission from the board of directors. And they aren't going to do anything without talking to the president and the joint chiefs."

"That's ridiculous."

Oz shrugged. "He's not going to hack off the people who sign his paycheck, and he doesn't want the U.S. government breathing down his neck--especially since they're his biggest client."

Cold took a deep breath. "What about my grandpa?"

"We can't tell him either . . . at least not yet."

"So what are you thinking?"

"Trident's security system is as advanced as it gets," Oz said. "They have cameras, dogs, motion and heat sensors, and armed guards. For all we know they have missile systems and a nuclear bomb too. There's only one way to get in without being detected."

"Do I want to hear it?"

"Basil found some old records in the city archives. Apparently they built their corporate offices on top of what used to be a military installation. There's a series of tunnels and bunkers under the entire campus. The only problem is that they're flooded."

"So how are we supposed to get in?"

"Do you scuba dive?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"There's an entry point outside the wall here," Oz said, tapping a small building. It lit up, showing a trapdoor that led down to one of the bunkers.

"That's a taco shop," Colt said.

"They close at three."

"If it's underground, we won't be able to see where we're going."

"I brought flashlights."

"It doesn't sound very safe."

"We're breaking into a company owned by aliens who want to wipe humans off the map. It's not supposed to be safe."

"I guess you have a point."

"So are you in?"

"Let's do it."

Synopsis

Sixteen year old Colt McAlister is visiting Washington D.C. with his father for his summer vacation. His father takes Colt to a top-secret facility where Colt spends the day training with other possible recruits. Colt meets a boy his age named Romero, who is the son of the director of the CHOAS Agency, the agency that protects the world from alien invasions. Colt is amazed that the agency is real because he has been reading comic books about the Phantom Flyer and the CHAOS Agency all his life. He thought the agency was just a comic book, not something real. At the end of his stay, Colt's memory of his time training is wiped and he is returned to his father.

Colt lives in San Diego and is about to start his sophomore year at Scripps Ranch High School. On the last Friday of summer, Colts hops on his surfboard for a day of surfing. While riding a big wave, he is grabbed off his board by an octopus-like tentacle. Because he hit hit head on his board when he fell, Colt is unsure as to what he sees next. The creatures that grabbed him looks like it has a human body with octopus tentacles for arms. Colt is able to fight the strange creature off and swim back to the beach.

Returning home after a quick visit to the urgent care facility, Colt is worried what he is going to tell his parents about the gash on his head and the sucker marks on his skins. There is a knock on the door. The police officer informs Colt that both of his parents will killed by a drunk driver. Colt, stunned by the news, just cannot believe that his parents are dead.

Colt's seven brothers return home for the service and Colt is comforted by his best friend, Danielle "Dani" Salazar. She is there for the funeral, as her parents were close friends of Colt's parents. Dani moved a way a few years ago and she and her folks live in the suburbs outside of Phoenix. Colt learns that he will be going to live with his grandpa in Arizona and that he will be going to Chandler High School with Dani.

At his new school, Colt meets Oswaldo "Oz" Romero and they become fast friends. Colt doesn't remember Oz from his time at the CHAOS Agency, but Oz remembers him. Colt is struck dumb when he sees Lily Wescott, a pretty girl that is in his class. All of the girls in school seem to be interested in Colt because he looks like a surfer dude from Cali, which he is, but he doesn't seem to notice. He only has eyes for Lily.

Colt has never trusted Trident Industries, a very powerful company that seems to have eyes everywhere. He had overhead his brothers talking at the funeral that they thought that their parents were murdered, but they didn't have proof yet. Colt soon learns that Trident Industries has been inserting a device in people that have Parkinson's Disease that lets Trident take over their minds and control them. Colt learns that the man who rammed his car into his parents car was controlled by one of these devices. It seems that his mother had evidence of what Trident Industries was up to and was about to expose the evil corporation. Trident Industries put a stop to her story by killing her, Colt's father being collateral damage.

When Colt is attacked and almost killed, Oz lets him know about himself and the CHOAS Agency. Colt also learns that the Phantom Flyer comic books were based upon a real man who fought the Nazi's during World War II. He is shocked to find that his 85 year old grandfather is the real Phantom Flyer the books were written about. Colt's grandfather begins training Colt so he can defend himself.

All Colt really wants to do is make the people who killed his parents pay. Little does he know that Trident Industries is run by aliens who are determined to wipe out the humans. Why? Their planet is dying and they want this planet all to themselves. Colt and his friends band together to put a stop to the alien invasion.

Invasion is the first thrilling book in the Science Fiction C.H.A.O.S. series written by Jon S. Lewis. This book is intended for young readers 12 and up.

Review

Right from the first chapter, I knew that I was really going to get a kick out of Invasion. The main character was instantly likable and the premise of the story really grabbed my attention. After all, who wouldn't want to become a recruit in a secret government agency that fights off alien invasions? I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat!

The story by Jon S. Lewis is fast-paced, full of danger, and extremely entertaining. Sure, there were a couple of things that seemed a little far-fetched, but they didn't bother me too much. I read some comments of reviews on Amazon.com and feel that I have to comment on something. Some of the reviewers didn't give this book very high ratings because they said it felt like it was written for Young Readers. Excuse me? This book IS written for Young Readers. It is not a piece of adult Science Fiction. The book is perfectly suited for the younger audience it is aimed at, and kids will love this one. Reviewers should get their facts right before they publish bogus ratings.

I really enjoyed all of the nasty and exciting situations that Colt finds thrust into. I am very happy that Invasion is the first book in a Science Fiction series aimed at Young Readers. I just don't run across many of Science Fiction books aimed at Young Readers. As for the main characters, we have the tried and true formula that was used in the Harry Potter books: two boys and a girl . . . not that there is anything wrong with that. I quite enjoyed getting to know all of the main characters.

Since the book is Science Fiction, and I really enjoy a great Science Fiction story, here are some of the things I really made this book stand out for me: flying motorcycles, comics books based upon facts, jet packs, battles in the air, evil shape-shifting aliens, good aliens, portals to other worlds, mind-control, friendship, and some teen romance, although the last two have nothing to do with Science Fiction, they still make the story entertaining.

I grew up reading a lot of comic books in my youth and as an adult. As I kid, I enjoyed titles like Richie Rich, Archie, Peanuts, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Hot Stuff, and other fairly light titles. While I was in my early twenties and working at SEGA as a video game tester, I started reading Superman, The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Green Lantern, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and all of the newly formed Image Comics titles. Finally, it got too expensive and I was forced to quit. Still, my love for superhero books has never waned and I absolutely love all of the movies that are coming out these days. I see the influence that comic books has had on the author and I highly appreciate him creating a comic book-like novel for me and others to read. In other words, I absolutely loved this book.

Overall, Invasion is an excellent beginning to a rip-roarin' Science Fiction series that had me sitting on the edge of my seat flipping pages late into the night. If I could, I would hop into the pages of this book and help Cody and his friend fight off those evil aliens. Besides, I wouldn't mind meeting some nice aliens and traveling to their homeworlds. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book in the C.H.A.O.S. series. I bet it will be a wild ride.

I rated this book a 9 out of 10.