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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This book really wasn't for me, and the mood I was in when I started it.
This book has lots of action and snappy snarky dialog, but not so much of the romance. It's basically Men in Black with a love interest twist. I can appreciate the world building, however, I felt that there was WAY too much telling and not so much showing. The info dumps continued throughout the whole book. The author had so many cool things that she'd thought of for her world, that even in the last chapter she couldn't resist.
So while I admire a lot of things about it, there were other things, like the info dumping dialog, that bugged me.
I'd like to see more sci-fi romance hybrids, but I don't know if I'll be continuing with this series, unless I'm feeling particularly snarky.
This book has lots of action and snappy snarky dialog, but not so much of the romance. It's basically Men in Black with a love interest twist. I can appreciate the world building, however, I felt that there was WAY too much telling and not so much showing. The info dumps continued throughout the whole book. The author had so many cool things that she'd thought of for her world, that even in the last chapter she couldn't resist.
So while I admire a lot of things about it, there were other things, like the info dumping dialog, that bugged me.
I'd like to see more sci-fi romance hybrids, but I don't know if I'll be continuing with this series, unless I'm feeling particularly snarky.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Am meisten überraschen einen doch immer die Bücher, von denen man es am wenigsten erwartet. Auf der Suche nach neuen Urban Fantasy-Romanen (oder Ähnlichem) bin ich momentan zu fast allem bereit, weil ich auf den Riesenhaufen an Young Adult auf meinem SuB einfach keine rechte Lust habe. Das ausgerechnet ein halber Science Fiction-Roman mich so total umhauen würde, habe ich allerdings nicht erwartet!
Worldbuilding
Gini Koch hat sich hier eine wirklich geniale und originelle Welt aufgebaut, die sehr wie Urban Fantasy anmutet, nur dass die übernatürlichen Kreaturen keine Vampire oder Werwölfe sondern Aliens sind.
Die beste Beschreibung für dieses ganze Setting inklusive seiner Bewohner ist eindeutig: aberwitzig. Es gibt sozusagen gute und böse Aliens. Die „Bösen“ sind Parasiten, die Menschen befallen und zu hässlichen Monstern mutieren lassen. Die „Guten“ hingegen sind menschlich aber übermenschlisch gutaussehend und vom Planeten Alpha Centauri gekommen, um den Menschen im Kampf gegen die Parasiten beizustehen. Sie sind in einer Division organisiert, in die Kitty mehr oder weniger hineinschliddert, in dem sie einen Parasiten tötet.
Handlung & Spannung
Genau mit diesem Ereignis, als Kitty einen mutierten Menschen und seinen Parasiten umbringt, um sie davon abzuhalten, die ganze Innenstadt zu pulverisieren, setzt das Buch ein. Von der ersten Seite an sind Kitty und der Leser also mittendrin in Chaos und Action. Die Medien können die AC (kurz für die „Alpha Centaurianer“) zwar manipulieren, aber Kitty hat das Monster zweifelsfrei gesehen und besiegt, ohne dafür trainiert zu sein. Darum wird in Betracht gezogen, Kitty zu einer menschlichen Agentin der Division zu machen, welche die AC zur Verstärkung dringend brauchen.
Zunächst wird Kitty auf verschiedenen Stationen bewiesen, dass es Aliens (nicht nur auf der Erde) tatsächlich gibt und während der Weltenaufbau konstruiert wird, bleibt es trotzdem äußerst spannend, weil man dabei die Charaktere kennenlernt und die Angriffe der Gegenseite schnell an Fahrt aufnehmen.
Zwischendrin erlebt Kitty einen so spannenden Kampf mit dem Gegner, dass der Showdown dagegen fast etwas matt wirkt, aber immer noch sehr actionreich ausfiel.
Charaktere
Ich habe schon lange keine so vorwitzige, sarkastische Heldin mehr getroffen. Alle paar Seiten war ich schwer am Lachen und ich habe Kitty von der ersten Seite an geliebt. Sie ist wirklich clever – an einigen Stellen jedoch beinahe etwas zu schlau, denn sie kombiniert Kleinigkeiten zu Tatsachen, auf die nicht mal Sherlock Holmes kommen würde. Da ich aber dümmliche Heldinnen nicht besonders leiden kann, die immer als letzte auf die richtige Lösung kommen, war es mir so eindeutig lieber. Klasse finde ich auch, mit welch witzigen und originellen Tricks Kitty gegen ihre Feinde ankommt, denn sie wird nicht über Nacht einfach zur Kampfmaschine.
Die Crew um Jeff Martini als Kittys Love Interest habe ich unglaublich schnell lieb gewonnen, denn die Wortwechsel, die sie sich mit Kitty liefern, trugen zum Humor der Geschichte einiges bei. Jeff selbst mag es mit seinem Charme etwas übertreiben, aber irgendwo gehört das wohl zu seinem Charakter.
Ich muss allerdings zugeben, dass die Charaktere (und Geschichte) wirklich einige Klischees bedienen. Das ist mir durchaus aufgefallen, aber ich fand es so witzig und unterhaltsam, dass es mich nicht mal im geringsten gestört hat.
Fazit
„Touched by an Alien“ hat mich von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite völlig in Atem gehalten: ein origineller Weltenaufbau, den ich so bisher noch nie lesen durfte; Spannung ohne Ende; eine gute Mischung aus Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction mit Action und Paranormal Romance mit Liebe und Romantik; eine unheimlich witzige Heldin mit ihrer einmaligen Crew und eine Geschichte, die Klischees so unterhaltsam verarbeitet, dass man das Buch einfach lieben muss.
Aber Vorsicht: ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass andere Leser mit dieser Klischeehaftigkeit nichts anfangen können. Vermutlich evoziert das Buch zwei Extreme: entweder man hasst oder man liebt es.
Worldbuilding
Gini Koch hat sich hier eine wirklich geniale und originelle Welt aufgebaut, die sehr wie Urban Fantasy anmutet, nur dass die übernatürlichen Kreaturen keine Vampire oder Werwölfe sondern Aliens sind.
Die beste Beschreibung für dieses ganze Setting inklusive seiner Bewohner ist eindeutig: aberwitzig. Es gibt sozusagen gute und böse Aliens. Die „Bösen“ sind Parasiten, die Menschen befallen und zu hässlichen Monstern mutieren lassen. Die „Guten“ hingegen sind menschlich aber übermenschlisch gutaussehend und vom Planeten Alpha Centauri gekommen, um den Menschen im Kampf gegen die Parasiten beizustehen. Sie sind in einer Division organisiert, in die Kitty mehr oder weniger hineinschliddert, in dem sie einen Parasiten tötet.
Handlung & Spannung
Genau mit diesem Ereignis, als Kitty einen mutierten Menschen und seinen Parasiten umbringt, um sie davon abzuhalten, die ganze Innenstadt zu pulverisieren, setzt das Buch ein. Von der ersten Seite an sind Kitty und der Leser also mittendrin in Chaos und Action. Die Medien können die AC (kurz für die „Alpha Centaurianer“) zwar manipulieren, aber Kitty hat das Monster zweifelsfrei gesehen und besiegt, ohne dafür trainiert zu sein. Darum wird in Betracht gezogen, Kitty zu einer menschlichen Agentin der Division zu machen, welche die AC zur Verstärkung dringend brauchen.
Zunächst wird Kitty auf verschiedenen Stationen bewiesen, dass es Aliens (nicht nur auf der Erde) tatsächlich gibt und während der Weltenaufbau konstruiert wird, bleibt es trotzdem äußerst spannend, weil man dabei die Charaktere kennenlernt und die Angriffe der Gegenseite schnell an Fahrt aufnehmen.
Zwischendrin erlebt Kitty einen so spannenden Kampf mit dem Gegner, dass der Showdown dagegen fast etwas matt wirkt, aber immer noch sehr actionreich ausfiel.
Charaktere
Ich habe schon lange keine so vorwitzige, sarkastische Heldin mehr getroffen. Alle paar Seiten war ich schwer am Lachen und ich habe Kitty von der ersten Seite an geliebt. Sie ist wirklich clever – an einigen Stellen jedoch beinahe etwas zu schlau, denn sie kombiniert Kleinigkeiten zu Tatsachen, auf die nicht mal Sherlock Holmes kommen würde. Da ich aber dümmliche Heldinnen nicht besonders leiden kann, die immer als letzte auf die richtige Lösung kommen, war es mir so eindeutig lieber. Klasse finde ich auch, mit welch witzigen und originellen Tricks Kitty gegen ihre Feinde ankommt, denn sie wird nicht über Nacht einfach zur Kampfmaschine.
Die Crew um Jeff Martini als Kittys Love Interest habe ich unglaublich schnell lieb gewonnen, denn die Wortwechsel, die sie sich mit Kitty liefern, trugen zum Humor der Geschichte einiges bei. Jeff selbst mag es mit seinem Charme etwas übertreiben, aber irgendwo gehört das wohl zu seinem Charakter.
Ich muss allerdings zugeben, dass die Charaktere (und Geschichte) wirklich einige Klischees bedienen. Das ist mir durchaus aufgefallen, aber ich fand es so witzig und unterhaltsam, dass es mich nicht mal im geringsten gestört hat.
Fazit
„Touched by an Alien“ hat mich von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite völlig in Atem gehalten: ein origineller Weltenaufbau, den ich so bisher noch nie lesen durfte; Spannung ohne Ende; eine gute Mischung aus Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction mit Action und Paranormal Romance mit Liebe und Romantik; eine unheimlich witzige Heldin mit ihrer einmaligen Crew und eine Geschichte, die Klischees so unterhaltsam verarbeitet, dass man das Buch einfach lieben muss.
Aber Vorsicht: ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass andere Leser mit dieser Klischeehaftigkeit nichts anfangen können. Vermutlich evoziert das Buch zwei Extreme: entweder man hasst oder man liebt es.
This was a not so great book IMO. I lead of with lots of action and information and then more information then more information. While I understand to a certain degree that in the first book you need lots of setup information this book just seem to have to much information that we did not need to know and seemed to bog down the storyline. On the love interests side it didn't do so well for me either. there where hot guys a bunch but he mushing "your so greats" got old quick. In a couple of days the leading lady goes from just meeting a new being to sleeping with him then cheating sorta to living with him sorta. Its weird to say the least.
UPDATE :First read, borrow from my friend, and then I win a signed copy of Touched by an Alien, from the author herself. Thanks, Ms Gini Koch! You're rock, like Kitty too!! =)
Actually, I'm torn to give this book between 4 and 5 stars
Let me see...
My reason why I want to give it 5 stars :
- Katherine Katt, a.k.a Kitty is my kind of heroine ===> She can kick her enemy ass and maybe yours as well! And she has a weird kind of humor. Oh, don't forget her sarcasm
- Jeff Martini -an Alpha Centaurion alien and agent too, wearing Armani suit (imagine agent in Men in Black, if you want) - is sexy, hot, alpha man, an empath that understand people's emotion. He's falling in love head over toe to Kitty. Want to marry her, want to have kids with her, care about her, get possessive over her.. ===> my new boyfriend *wink2*
- The story is full of action, fast-paced and humorous ===> I love it and laugh a lot
- Kitty's parent have a secret. And that's really-really make Kitty shock when she know it. But Kitty still love them. ===> Family theme is always the best
- May I introduce you to Christopher White. Jeff's cousin, an Alpha Centaurion alien with good looking. He seems to hate Kitty for the first time (call her princess, mock her). But be patient, after some part, you will know, Christoper's feeling to Kitty is different from what it seen, and it make Jeff-Kitty relationship got rocky! ===> The story will lack appeal, when the hero and heroine's relationship seems fine. And, oh be careful with Christoper's Glare. He has various "glare". From Glare #1 until Glare #5...
- Kitty has many way to defeat the alien. Kill the alien with ballpoint? Check! Sprout the alien with hairspray? Check! Confused the enemy with rock n roll music (especially Aerosmith)? Check, check, check! ===> forget gun, grenade, tank, jet. You can defeat Alien with simple things...
Now...
My reason, why I reduce the stars :
- The political and religious aspect, make me confused! *_* Especially from Alpha Centaurion, but maybe its the way the author used to describe the world in this book.
- There are some event when Kitty looks weak. When she supposed to be strong, and sometimes she looks annoying too. But I think that's fine.
- Some action scenes in this book make me lost when read it. Too fast maybe. And sometimes the conversation make me confused too, because there are no explanation, who is talking and who is reply..
- Lack of Martini scene!! Yes, I want more Martini, I don't care if the story just about Martini and Kitty *just kidding, lol*
So, I decided to give this book 4 stars. But don't worry, this book is good. If you agree with my reason to give this book 5 stars and you love science fiction genre and some romance too, you will enjoy this ^^
Looking forward for the second book [bc:Alien Tango|7948544|Alien Tango (Katherine "Kitty" Katt, #2)|Gini Koch|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310944832s/7948544.jpg|11556310]
And please, let this book have more Martini's scene....
Actually, I'm torn to give this book between 4 and 5 stars
Let me see...
My reason why I want to give it 5 stars :
- Katherine Katt, a.k.a Kitty is my kind of heroine ===> She can kick her enemy ass and maybe yours as well! And she has a weird kind of humor. Oh, don't forget her sarcasm
- Jeff Martini -an Alpha Centaurion alien and agent too, wearing Armani suit (imagine agent in Men in Black, if you want) - is sexy, hot, alpha man, an empath that understand people's emotion. He's falling in love head over toe to Kitty. Want to marry her, want to have kids with her, care about her, get possessive over her.. ===> my new boyfriend *wink2*
- The story is full of action, fast-paced and humorous ===> I love it and laugh a lot
- Kitty's parent have a secret. And that's really-really make Kitty shock when she know it. But Kitty still love them. ===> Family theme is always the best
- May I introduce you to Christopher White. Jeff's cousin, an Alpha Centaurion alien with good looking. He seems to hate Kitty for the first time (call her princess, mock her). But be patient, after some part, you will know, Christoper's feeling to Kitty is different from what it seen, and it make Jeff-Kitty relationship got rocky! ===> The story will lack appeal, when the hero and heroine's relationship seems fine. And, oh be careful with Christoper's Glare. He has various "glare". From Glare #1 until Glare #5...
- Kitty has many way to defeat the alien. Kill the alien with ballpoint? Check! Sprout the alien with hairspray? Check! Confused the enemy with rock n roll music (especially Aerosmith)? Check, check, check! ===> forget gun, grenade, tank, jet. You can defeat Alien with simple things...
Now...
My reason, why I reduce the stars :
- The political and religious aspect, make me confused! *_* Especially from Alpha Centaurion, but maybe its the way the author used to describe the world in this book.
- There are some event when Kitty looks weak. When she supposed to be strong, and sometimes she looks annoying too. But I think that's fine.
- Some action scenes in this book make me lost when read it. Too fast maybe. And sometimes the conversation make me confused too, because there are no explanation, who is talking and who is reply..
- Lack of Martini scene!! Yes, I want more Martini, I don't care if the story just about Martini and Kitty *just kidding, lol*
So, I decided to give this book 4 stars. But don't worry, this book is good. If you agree with my reason to give this book 5 stars and you love science fiction genre and some romance too, you will enjoy this ^^
Looking forward for the second book [bc:Alien Tango|7948544|Alien Tango (Katherine "Kitty" Katt, #2)|Gini Koch|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310944832s/7948544.jpg|11556310]
And please, let this book have more Martini's scene....
Katherine "Kitty" Katt is a marketing consultant who has just finished jury duty early, is leaving the courthouse, and witnesses a domestic dispute gone horribly wrong. The husband doesn't just yell at his wife; he sprouts wings and horns and starts shooting blades at the unfortunate wife and passers by. Horrified, but not immobilized, Kitty pulls a pen from her purse (a character in its own right), sprints and hurdles and drives that pen into a pink and pulsating thing at the base of the monster's wings, killing it.
Her courage and rapid action draws the immediate attention of intergalactic hot bodies, who recruit her to join their team in exterminating "superbeings" like the one she just killed. Throw in parents with professional secrets, humans and aliens battling together against another invading alien force, and some slightly bizarre excursions into interplanetary religion and ethnic cleansing, and it all makes for an exciting week for Miss Kitty Katt (and yes, she's heard every variation on the joke).
I'd really like to rate this one higher. The concept was interesting, the characters were engaging, and it was mostly pretty good. However, the author thinks something isn't romantic unless it's pornographically explicit, and I can't go there with her. I actually wonder if she wrote the book without it, and someone told her to stick it in to keep it interesting. Or, maybe, she just likes being nasty.
Also, if my husband ever called me "baby" in an effort to show affection or sincerity of feeling, I'd probably laugh in his face and tell to come up with a different pet name. "Baby" just doesn't work for me, and everytime the couple of focus used it I rolled my eyes.
Her courage and rapid action draws the immediate attention of intergalactic hot bodies, who recruit her to join their team in exterminating "superbeings" like the one she just killed. Throw in parents with professional secrets, humans and aliens battling together against another invading alien force, and some slightly bizarre excursions into interplanetary religion and ethnic cleansing, and it all makes for an exciting week for Miss Kitty Katt (and yes, she's heard every variation on the joke).
I'd really like to rate this one higher. The concept was interesting, the characters were engaging, and it was mostly pretty good. However, the author thinks something isn't romantic unless it's pornographically explicit, and I can't go there with her. I actually wonder if she wrote the book without it, and someone told her to stick it in to keep it interesting. Or, maybe, she just likes being nasty.
Also, if my husband ever called me "baby" in an effort to show affection or sincerity of feeling, I'd probably laugh in his face and tell to come up with a different pet name. "Baby" just doesn't work for me, and everytime the couple of focus used it I rolled my eyes.
I LOVE this cover! I a huge Daniel dos Santos fan after he did all the Mercy Thompson series covers and this is an awesome one. I’m glad to say that the content is just as good as the cover.
It’s just another ordinary day in Kitty’s life when out of nowhere a man comes out of his car in the middle of the street and transforms into a Fugly creature and starts attacking people.
Without no thought or reason Kitty just springs into action and kills the monster with nothing less than a Mont Blanc pen. From that moment on our heroine’s life is changed forever.
A group of extremely good looking men show up and introduce her to a world that she never new existed. They are from the “Agency”, a group of Humans and Alpha Centauri Aliens that work together to protect our planet.
Touched by an Alien is none stop action and some awesome funny moments that got me laughing out loud like crazy. Some very funny and silly moments, I might add =)
"Relax, we're not taking you out here to kill you and bury your body off the beaten track."
"It's just stop two on the UFO tour," Martini added. Most women want to marry the first alien they've met after seeing the crash site."
"I killed the first alien I met," I reminde d him.
"Nope, that was a superbeing," Martini corrected cheerfully. |None of us A-C are superbeings, other than in the sack."
I also loved the romance in this book. Right from the second Jeff Martini meets our heroine, Kitty, he decided she is the woman for him. That might sound weird but he is an alien and they do tend to be a bit different hehe. Their interactions are some of the best in the book and I can’t wait for more Martini and Kitty.
"As an example, I can make love fore twelve hours straight," Martini offered. "However, I've never tried to make it go faster, so maybe that's not a good examble."
"But, so far, your most winning argument."
The secondary characters are just as amusing as well, all the “Agency” mebers and Kitty’s family as well, just got me cracking up.
He Grinned. "I'd like lots of kids," he said to Mom. "But we're still discussing it."
She sighed. "Ask her how often she has to get new fish before you make a final decision."
Touched by an Alien is fun from start to finish and definitely my list of the Top Reads of 2010. The first person narration is very well written and the action is gripping and the most fun I’ve had with a book in a while!
If you’ve got a funny bone and likes a great Sci-Fi read with a lot of action and a great romance, you need to check out Touched by an Alien!
It’s just another ordinary day in Kitty’s life when out of nowhere a man comes out of his car in the middle of the street and transforms into a Fugly creature and starts attacking people.
Without no thought or reason Kitty just springs into action and kills the monster with nothing less than a Mont Blanc pen. From that moment on our heroine’s life is changed forever.
A group of extremely good looking men show up and introduce her to a world that she never new existed. They are from the “Agency”, a group of Humans and Alpha Centauri Aliens that work together to protect our planet.
Touched by an Alien is none stop action and some awesome funny moments that got me laughing out loud like crazy. Some very funny and silly moments, I might add =)
"Relax, we're not taking you out here to kill you and bury your body off the beaten track."
"It's just stop two on the UFO tour," Martini added. Most women want to marry the first alien they've met after seeing the crash site."
"I killed the first alien I met," I reminde d him.
"Nope, that was a superbeing," Martini corrected cheerfully. |None of us A-C are superbeings, other than in the sack."
I also loved the romance in this book. Right from the second Jeff Martini meets our heroine, Kitty, he decided she is the woman for him. That might sound weird but he is an alien and they do tend to be a bit different hehe. Their interactions are some of the best in the book and I can’t wait for more Martini and Kitty.
"As an example, I can make love fore twelve hours straight," Martini offered. "However, I've never tried to make it go faster, so maybe that's not a good examble."
"But, so far, your most winning argument."
The secondary characters are just as amusing as well, all the “Agency” mebers and Kitty’s family as well, just got me cracking up.
He Grinned. "I'd like lots of kids," he said to Mom. "But we're still discussing it."
She sighed. "Ask her how often she has to get new fish before you make a final decision."
Touched by an Alien is fun from start to finish and definitely my list of the Top Reads of 2010. The first person narration is very well written and the action is gripping and the most fun I’ve had with a book in a while!
If you’ve got a funny bone and likes a great Sci-Fi read with a lot of action and a great romance, you need to check out Touched by an Alien!
So, Men in Black meets amateur Lara Croft. I loved the plot and the details that were around every turn; you never knew what twist was going to happen next. Caveat: way steamy.
3.5* Overall an enjoyable book. The writing was clever and the dialog witty, but as the book progressed, the author seemed to get a little too enamored of her snappy lines. I enjoyed the story, especially the relationship(s), and there was plenty to smile about. But if I'm getting nit-picky, I'd have to say this author needs to watch being a little too cute and a little too wordy. Also, there were some plot holes and some mental leaps I couldn't follow. However, like a good action movie I found it easy to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the ride. This isn't a book to read for realism. It's a book to read when you want love, aliens and mayhem all in one place. I plan to read the next one, Alien Tango, as soon as it's released.