Contact

A great follow up to Invasion? Now, on to [book:Colonization 25390305].

Contact, the second book in the Alien Invasion series, continues the narrative with the same lukewarm approach that characterized its predecessor. It's a sci-fi tale that seems content to hover just above the baseline of mediocrity.

The book attempts to expand the alien invasion storyline, but struggles to inject real excitement or originality into the premise. Platt maintains a steady pace, but the narrative lacks the kind of compelling tension that would truly grab a reader's attention. Characters continue to feel more like plot devices than fully realized individuals, moving through the story with a predictability that undermines any potential suspense.

For those invested in the series, there are enough plot threads to keep you marginally interested. But for readers hoping for a breakthrough in the alien invasion genre, Contact falls short. It's the literary equivalent of a made-for-TV sci-fi movie - watchable, but hardly memorable.

The three-star rating feels generous - it's a book that exists more as a bridge between more interesting plot points than as a standalone compelling narrative. If you're committed to the series, you'll read it. If you're looking for innovative science fiction, you might want to look elsewhere.

Another so-so entry that neither impresses nor completely disappoints - just another stop on a seemingly endless alien invasion journey.

The characters are established, the stakes begin to get framed up, and contact seems right over the horizon. The series continues to build on past events and what we know of the aliens is evolving.