Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences

Synopsis

It’s just another ordinary day in Jesse’s high school existence when the aliens invade. In ten seconds, 90-some percent of the human race is dead, and Jesse’s bad day is about to get a whole lot worse. Enslaved by the little green men (yes, really) who have taken over the planet, Jesse must perform menial labor with a small collection of other surviving humans. One thing they all have in common? Jesse and the other survivors can “hear”—meaning they can exercise some kind of telepathic powers. And it’s this power of hearing that quickly convinces Jesse that their conquerors may not be as powerful as they think they are. >Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences manages to weave together sci-fi trappings and teenage drama into a humorous, fast-paced story about finding the courage to stand up for—and defend—who you are.

Behind the Scenes

Adults are always telling you to “be yourself,” right? Probably easier said than done—especially in high school. But ESPECIALLY easier said than done after an alien invasion. Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences by Brian Yansky tells you all about that.

The worst day of Jesse’s life isn’t the day he embarrasses himself in front of a cute girl, or even the day when his wrestling coach screws up Jesse’s chances for winning. No, the worst day of Jesse’s life is the day the aliens invade. Ten seconds later, 90-some percent of earth’s population is dead, and Jesse is a slave.

But Jesse has an ability which the aliens have underestimated—the ability to mind-read, and to communicate telepathically. Soon he’s leading a group of teen rebels, who use their newly-discovered mental powers to break free from the aliens’ clutches … at least temporarily.

Plain and simple, Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences is, as you may have guessed from the title, extremely entertaining. It’s droll, it’s funny, and the aliens are polite when they kill people so the death part of the book doesn’t become a downer. Perhaps most fun of all is this story’s slightly-fluffy take on what it means to be yourself—and the power of defending your right to be yourself no matter what.