Scan barcode
theartolater's review
First contact for YA! I really enjoyed this read about a girl who lives with her father, a NASA engineer, and end up near a UFO crash. The aliens offer an interesting take on the genre, and the book balances being a great entry in this subgenre and being appropriate for an age group severely lacking in good first contact tales. Absolutely a good read.
mljohnson2698's review
4.0
I almost want to give this book 5 stars because it surprised me that much. But it's not a 5 star book in my opinion. So it's a solid 4.5. And I'm shocked that it is. Not going to lie, I had super low expectations for this book. I had read Robison Wells other books and was not a fan. I recently read some Dan Wells and didn't love it. But this book blew my expectations away! Alice was the best female character either Wells bro has written. She went a little flat here and there but overall, she was quite good. The romance was a little silly, but since it didn't overshadow the story, I didn't mind. Sure his National Park that has colorful counters theory is a little flawed (just go there, they'll tell you), it was a fun idea. I am quite pleased with this book. I recommend it to anybody who wants a fun sci-fi read or who wants their low expectations blown out of the water.
lulukubo's review
4.0
Alien invasion done as only Robison Wells can do it. I really enjoyed this quick read. The romance was light, not at all gooey, and the violence was a bit heavier but not gruesome. Some of the plot twists were easy to see coming, others, not so much.
airfan10's review
3.0
2.5 stars, rounded up. You can't expect to have a good story by introducing one set of aliens, fleshing them out properly, then introducing another set of aliens, all within under 200 pages. Felt really half-baked and short. A real let-down.
nej's review
2.0
I dunno. Parts of this was really good-I liked Alice's interactions with her dad, and I appreciate the author attempted to be respectful (I read that he scaled certain parts of the book back that described Navajo culture because it was too sacred to disclose). Kurt was fun, and I liked how friendships developed between everyone. But it still felt a little racist to me. Suski was a little too much of the 'stoic warrior'. Some of the situations felt a little too close to history, and the sneaky DNA test should have actually been condemed later on. I think if he had edited it a little more thoroughly, maybe it would have worked better.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a great alien story! So enjoyable, I loved Alice's narration, and yeah, just a really great book!
ki4eva's review
4.0
This was a love - hate book. Loved the beginning and the end, the middle was a little slow.
jurassicreader's review against another edition
3.0
A bit far-fetched but its certainly interesting and original.
blujade's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. One of my favorites. Highly recommend if you like YA sci-fi. I really like how there is romance but it doesn't take center stage (They are in the middle of an alien invasion after all) I also loved the side characters and the friendships.
Look forward to reading more by this author.
Look forward to reading more by this author.
shell_s's review
5.0
Ever since picking up Variant I have been eager to read more speculative science fiction by Robison Wells, and I loved this book's characters and situations on their own merits.
As a Star Trek fan to an almost obsessive degree, the premise alone would have grabbed me had it not been Wells' book. Reserved aliens and curious teens are shunted together in a private school as part of an ambassadorial effort, with ominous mysteries surrounding their rough landing...and what or who might follow next...
I am not the sort of reader to snag on questions like "Wouldn't there have been more red tape and a longer quarantine period or something from the traditionally...let's be generous and say 'suspicious' U.S. authorities?" Nope, I am along for the ride and eager to get to the alien encounters portion of our story, thanks!
I loved Alice for being funny and open-minded, and rebellious without being self-destructive about it. The banter with her father and friends and the aliens (and of course the occasionally exasperated school personnel) amused me greatly.
The alien teen characters were all the more intriguing for their silence and slowness to trust, and the more they revealed about themselves the more I came to care deeply about them, too. And unlike with some of my beloved Star Trek universe aliens constrained by a costume and special effects budget, there was an EXCELLENT reason these "visitors" looked so familiar...
The spaceship exploration scenes were tense and eerie. And later there were chase scenes I enjoyed more than I usually might because I was invested in the characters.
No spoilers here but I found the ending thrilling and satisfying. Over too soon, or was I just enjoying myself too much to let go, either way I was pleased. I would enjoy another story in this universe and with these characters, but the ending didn't demand it.
And speaking of demands...or really a suggestion...
WHEN YOU LOVE A STORY, SPEAK UP--BOOST THE SIGNAL!
As a Star Trek fan to an almost obsessive degree, the premise alone would have grabbed me had it not been Wells' book. Reserved aliens and curious teens are shunted together in a private school as part of an ambassadorial effort, with ominous mysteries surrounding their rough landing...and what or who might follow next...
I am not the sort of reader to snag on questions like "Wouldn't there have been more red tape and a longer quarantine period or something from the traditionally...let's be generous and say 'suspicious' U.S. authorities?" Nope, I am along for the ride and eager to get to the alien encounters portion of our story, thanks!
I loved Alice for being funny and open-minded, and rebellious without being self-destructive about it. The banter with her father and friends and the aliens (and of course the occasionally exasperated school personnel) amused me greatly.
The alien teen characters were all the more intriguing for their silence and slowness to trust, and the more they revealed about themselves the more I came to care deeply about them, too. And unlike with some of my beloved Star Trek universe aliens constrained by a costume and special effects budget, there was an EXCELLENT reason these "visitors" looked so familiar...
The spaceship exploration scenes were tense and eerie. And later there were chase scenes I enjoyed more than I usually might because I was invested in the characters.
No spoilers here but I found the ending thrilling and satisfying. Over too soon, or was I just enjoying myself too much to let go, either way I was pleased. I would enjoy another story in this universe and with these characters, but the ending didn't demand it.
And speaking of demands...or really a suggestion...
WHEN YOU LOVE A STORY, SPEAK UP--BOOST THE SIGNAL!