I Know What UFO Did Last Summer

What worked:
Having Marv tell the story is interesting because he’s convinced an alien invasion is imminent. In most books, characters who believe in conspiracies have minor roles, while this book makes Marv the main focus. He calls himself Gold Leader, his best friend Jace is Baller One, and his new girl neighbor Nora is named Space Cadet. Marv lets an alien-invasion guidebook control his lif,e and the book opens with an observation mission/campout atop an abandoned fire ranger tower. It’s strange to be inside Marv’s mind when he expects anything unusual to be a sign of an alien invasion. His wacky interpretations of everyday sights and events add amusement to the story. He’s frustrated when others don’t agree with his conclusions, but he’s equally unwilling to consider that he might be wrong.

Each chapter opens with an excerpt from How to Survive an Alien Invasion: Your Guidebook to an Inevitable Future. These lines are related to the events in their chapters without sounding overly serious. They cover how aliens might infiltrate society, the importance of monitoring the skies, what to do if you’re being chased by an alien, and the reluctance of the public and authorities to take action after you report a sighting. Don’t run into the streets yelling, “They’re here!” These excerpts offer consistency and cohesion to the overall story and temporary pauses in the non-stop action.

About a third of the way into the book, the plot takes a twist in a whole new direction. Nora’s just moved to the area with her father, and Marv finds all his electronic equipment suspicious. Nora’s the first one to notice a flashing light in the forest, which leads Marv, Jace, and Nora to discover a large, cylindrical “spaceship” with an “alien” dressed in a black suit wearing a helmet. Further snooping reveals Nora’s father is connected to this site, and he’s keeping a secret from his daughter. Then, Marv notices a red pickup truck slowly cruising the streets and wonders if it’s part of the alien sighting. He confronts the man and woman in the truck and is relieved to see their Department of Homeland Security badges. However, this moment is when the story heads in a new, unexpected direction.

What didn’t work as well:

There’s little character development as the story immediately jumps into Marv’s campout. Readers don’t know what made him so obsessed with the alien invasion that’s consumed his life. Amazingly, his character continues to speak of an alien invasion even after the plot takes its dramatic turn.

The final verdict:

This book will appeal to science fiction lovers who don’t mind a story that’s not overly serious (even though several characters perish). The second half of the book requires Marv and his friends to stop a potential threat to world peace. Overall, it’s a fun book, and the resolution leaves readers with an unresolved question.