The Invasion by William Meikle

Target Audience: Adults
Genre: Apocalyptic Fiction/Aliens


I haven't read many alien novels in my time but there was something about this one that caught my attention. The title for one. It was short and snappy and summed it up nicely. The cover too expressed the sheer scale of the invasion by simply showing the earth.  Sometimes simplicity is all is needed to make an impact on a prospective reader and catch enough attention to get them to read it.

In summary, The Invasion starts with a strange green rain/snow that has the PH of strong acid, destroying wildlife and people alike. This however is only the beginning, and things soon progress even further and as the death rate rises steadily, the survivors are forced to band together.  Set at various points across the world, the invasion unravels at a steady pace, yet with frightening affect throughout.

Frankly, i am going to be honest and say that this book gave me nightmares, which hasn't happened in a long time with any book. There is no edging into the horror and next to no babble. The invasion starts within the first few pages of the book and it gripped me there and then and didn't let go. Yet despite being left open mouthed and horrified by some of the initial events i continued reading.

The problem with a lot of apocalyptic novels is that there's often a lack of personalisation and you find that the emphasis is based on the disaster and not on the people. This novel didn't suffer any such problem and i found myself attached to each and everyone of the characters, following there steps through the disaster as it unfolded.
By the second half the novel when things had settled and the invasion was at a more steady state, the plot shifted to the survivors and there attempts to save the world.
Now although there was less focus on the effects on the world, the action did not abate but shifted pace. Instead there was more focus on one of the main characters in particular as she finds out she has a particular gift. And the geeks and nerds become the heroes of the novel. Which i totally loved!

The ending itself was really good and there was enough resolution for it to be classed as a closed ending. However, that is not to say there weren't a few loose ends, and my impression was that we should not underestimate the power of the individual. It's difficult to explain without posting spoilers so i'll leave it at that and tell you to read this brilliant book. Truly, truly, amazing!