Earthfall [Paperback]

This is a book that gets you hooked from the first page. Sam is desperately evading alien robots who have invaded earth. There are only a handful of free thinking humans left - the others have been turned into mindless drone slaves. It is a daily fight to avoid capture and find food, until Sam discovers he is not alone in surviving. It is a well written, fast paced book, perfect for the teenage market. The characters are likeable with lots of humourous banter. It has elements from many similiarly themed sci-fi movies but also has some original ideas that make it a 5 star read. There was nothing disturbing in the contents that you wouldn't want your child to read, and edge of seat excitement most of the way through. I like happy endings and this book ticked all the boxes.

Wow, this was a book that gripped me by the throat and dragged me into the pages as soon as I started reading. If you're not a YA reading this (like me; I'm the parent of a YA), it might be helpful to have one of these around when you, as there are certain terms that I had to look up.

Nicely descriptive with a skillful balance of gore, terror and a smidgen of dark humour. I must admit that I had to re-read a couple of sections to make sure I grasped some of the 'tech-speak' but then again, I am slightly older than the 'target' audience - I struggle with the instructions for my mobile phone!

Overall a good engaging read. Bring on the next one!

4¼ Out of 5
It started off as a signal. Then they came and enslaved humanity.
In the world of Sam Riley, there is danger everywhere: alien ships, Drones, mindless human slaves. To make everything worse, supplies are running low and after an almost fatal run-in with a Drone, Sam has a seriously infected wound.
All alone, Sam doesn't know why he's immune to the mind-enslaving signal or whether he's the last free-willed human left.
Until he's rescued by a band of teen survivors just like him - also immune to the signal. It's only then that he discovers the truth behind the invasion and how it started.
And starts to fight back...
A book for fans of V and Falling Skies, Earthfall sucked me in from the word go. I love all of the H.I.V.E. books so couldn't wait to get my hands on Earthfall! It didn't disappoint! There was alien action, mind control, a group of teen rebels and constant suspense and action; I just sped through the book, unable to put it down. It may not have been the most complex book, but it was an addictive, suspenseful, utterly enjoyable read that I loved to pieces. I think H.I.V.E. and alien-post-apocalyptic-world lovers will love this just as much as I did!
I loved all the characters because they were all unique and really real. I loved Sam, who was brave and practical and very relatable (unlike Otto from H.I.V.E., who's a freakin' genius). Sam was a natural leader, a boy just trying to survive in a broken world. I really liked Rachel, `cause she was kickbutt, snarky and an ace with a gun! Jay was brilliant too, with his snark and cheekiness and funniness - also, you just gotta love the Jay Plans! I really loved was the band of rebels, how they stuck together and how they teased each other. The relationship between the scavengers (or "reclamation technicians") Kate and Adam really made me laugh! I really liked Jack as well - he was funny. Jackson and Starling were both brilliant and wonderfully padded out characters too - Jackson in particular I loved.
The book started with our hero getting chased down by an alien Drone, which is soon joined by others, and from there the action and suspense just grew and grew! I loved how initially we didn't know exactly how the invasion went down and how a flashback of Sam's revealed the start. It wasn't the most original overall or the most complex plot, but Walden sure did throw in some curve balls! I officially cannot wait for Earthfall II to land! As with all Walden's books, the writing was amazing. I felt like I really got into Sam's head and could see it all. Also, the action scenes were wonderfully written and adrenalin fuelled! There was so much suspense - I was constantly on the edge of my seat! My only qualm was that the names of the aliens kept changing - from "Drones" to "Hunters", "The Threat" to "Voidborn". Speaking of the aliens, the world itself was terrifying! Alien Drones, huge ships, alien-controlled-humans, known as Walkers, and their masters too, sucking up all food and weapons and medicines. The zombie people creeped the heck outta me, as did the huge, absolutely terrifying Grendels. Eek! I loved how we slowly learnt more about the Threat and their reasons for coming to Earth.
Y'know, if you ask me YA/MG literature is seriously lacking in TV-worthy alien-post-apocalyptic world books. Which is a shame, 'cause I do love me some Fallen Skies and Luke to pieces and I know kids would love books just like this too. So thank god for Earthfall
With an alien invasion, brainwashed humans, a band of rebels and one boy in the middle of it all... Earthfall was action packed, fast paced, addictive and suspenseful. Ok, so this book was very, very Sci-fi, which isn't a genre I instantly go for. But what I loved about this one was that even though it's Sci-fi and aliens, it also has loads of post-apocalyptic action and was a teeny bit dystopia-esque. These genres combined with kick-butt characters, nonstop action and suspense and an underground rebellion made for an addictive, super fun book I couldn't put down! It did have some similarities to other alien TV shows, but I absolutely loved the characters, writing and plot, and I just know that kids and teens will love it just as much!
How can you resist Sci-fi-dystopia-post-apocalyptic?! Yay!