Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences

February 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-When aliens invade Earth, it only takes them seconds to conquer the planet and neutralize most of the people. Some are left alive because of their ability to hear the telepathic commands of the aliens and that makes them prime slave material. Jesse relies on the imagined voice of his father, reminding him to never give up and to always stay alert to ways of gaining advantage over an adversary. Years of wrestling and martial-arts training come in handy when outwitting the Sanginians. When Jesse's powers of communication begin to progress and other abilities manifest themselves, he decides it's time to make a break for freedom, taking the friends he has made along with him. But how do you fight an alien invasion and find hope for a future? Jesse's down-to-earth first-person narration alternates with coldhearted communiques from the alien conqueror, Lord Vertenomous. Yansky handles a typical sci-fi theme with a sense of humor. The irreverent attitude of youth that distinguishes Jesse and his friends keeps the story from becoming morose and stereotypical. There appears to be a sequel in the making, as the book ends with a beginning.-Debra Banna, Sharon Public Library, MA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2010
Grades 9-12 Filled with thought-provoking topics, including slavery, colonization, technology, religion, and ecology, this short sci-fi read is as rewarding as it is entertaining. Using their advanced mental powers, the alien Sanginians take control of Earth in seconds, and human teen Jesses wry opening commentIt takes less time for them to conquer the world than it takes me to brush my teethsets the tone and firmly hooks the reader. Most of humanity goes quietly to sleep and never wakes, but a few people with latent telepathic gifts become slaves who are forced to remake Earth to Sanginian standards. Yansky doesnt spend much time on invasion logistics. Instead, he moves right to the aftermath of the Sanginians colonization, as seen through the eyes of Jesse, a careful observer who finds himself growing into a leader. Jesse is an appealing narrator, and while the storys events and themes are often grim, they are leavened with plenty of action, humor, and even a little romance. Great for time-crunched teens.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
Jesse is sitting in history class when most of the human race is annihilated by invading aliens. A small minority of "product" is kept alive to serve as slaves, Jesse among them. The story is action-packed, provocative, profound, and wickedly funny. Yansky takes on questions philosophical, ecological, religious, moral, and social, and the satire is right on target.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2010
Jesse is sitting in history class when most of the human race is annihilated, instantly, by invading aliens with extraordinary powers of the mind. A small minority of "product," as the aliens term their new colony's inhabitants, is kept alive to serve as slaves, Jesse among them. He and his ilk are deemed superior because they can "hear," or receive the aliens' telepathic communications. But as Jesse bands together with fellow slaves Michael, Lindsey, Lauren, and Catlin, they find that their own mental powers are increasing and make a daring plan to escape. Meanwhile, Lord Vertenomous, leader of the Sanginian invasion, is losing control of the operation (species rights organizations on his home planet are demanding an investigation, threatening a political scandal) and decides to have all hearing product destroyed. Alien Invasion is nothing if not action-packed, and yet it is provocative, profound, and wickedly funny as well. Yansky takes on questions philosophical, ecological (the Sanginians abhor machines and won't be cutting down any more rainforests; is the Earth better off?), religious, moral, and social. The satire is right on target. Toward the end Jesse encounters a rogue Sanginian anthropology professor ("America is my specialty") who shares his hilarious research-based misconceptions, including his declaration that Davy Crockett "lives on forever in the heart of every American" and his wish to find "the cereal that the great champions of your games ate" -- i.e., Wheaties. martha v. parravano

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)