Invasion

Flying motorcycles, shape-shifting aliens, comic book superscience, and mind-control technology all have their parts to play in this sometimes convoluted thriller from Lewis (coauthor of the Grey Griffins books), which launches the CHAOS series. After a drunk driver kills his parents, 16-year-old Colt McAlister is sent to live with his grandfather, who was the adventurer/comic book star known as the Phantom Flyer back in the '40s. After learning that his parents were murdered for digging into the secrets of Trident, a company specializing in biotechnology, Colt and his friends do some investigating of their own. Soon, they're caught in the middle of a secret war, fighting things they thought only existed in comics and teaming up with the secret Men in Black–style organization of CHAOS to thwart an alien invasion. While it's a fun read, this action-packed story suffers from awkward pacing, uneven secondary character development, and a "kitchen sink" feeling, leading to a sense of overload along the way. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)