A Review of Invasion by Jon S. Lewis

After his parents die in a head-on collision, sixteen-year-old Colt McAlister has been thrust into a world where deadly and freakish creatures are very real. A world where hidden gateways all over the world connect to other worlds where creatures such as Big Foot come through to inhabit our world. Most people don't realize what goes on underneath their noses because a top secret organization known as CHAOS protests the world from violent alien invasions.

But something is coming. Colt's parents weren't killed, they were murdered. And someone is hunting Colt and his friends for the information that his parents died to protect. Will Colt survive the mounting war between creature and humanity, even as he tries to live a normal life of going to school and falling in love?

Jon S. Lewis has written a gripping, fast-paced, and adventurous young adult novel with INVASION. The science fiction element lessened the appeal of the novel for me at first, but the storyline drew me in quickly, and Lewis handles it in a way that keeps it interesting. Though it's obviously a major element, the story is really reminiscent of a comic book hero's journey. In fact, I read that Lewis is a writer for DC Comics, so comic book lovers will probably enjoy this story.

The main characters of the story are enjoyable, and you really feel like you get to know them. I'm especially interested to see more of Colt's journey as a hero. Lewis does a pretty good job of taking us into the world of a high school student. One area of improvement that I noticed was the lack of emotional depth that Colt seems to experience as a result of his parents' death. It was also odd that Danielle as a sixteen-year-old conveniently knew how to hack into the computer system of a major company. The reader will have to suspend disbelief on that part.

Overall, INVASION is a fun novel to read and a great introduction to an even bigger story that will be continued in Lewis' followup ALIENATION.

I received this book for free for review from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze.com