When I have to wrestle a book out of my son’s hands and hide it so that I can read it before him, you know that you’re onto a winner. And that is exactly what happened when SkyWake Invasion arrived!
An exciting and original debut sci-fi adventure trilogy for the gaming generation, from a screenwriter, film critic and gamer.
Fifteen-year-old girl gamer Casey Henderson is obsessed with smash-hit game SkyWake – and she’s good at it, too. Little does she realize it’s actually an alien training tool created by an evil extra-terrestrial race. When the aliens swoop down on a national gaming tournament, Casey and her teammates discover they’re abducting the best gamers to fight in a distant alien war across the galaxy. And they’ve got her brother. Casey’s gaming skills are her best hope of stopping the aliens – but first she and her online teammates must learn to work together in real life…
If you know someone who loves gaming, or Sci-Fi, or epic action-packed adventures, they are going to absolutely love the SkyWake series. That’s right – series! The gaming element is perfect for hooking in reluctant readers, whilst the adrenaline-fuelled action will draw in anybody. Russell’s experience as a screen writer shines through as this book draws on some of the Sci-Fi greats and plays out like a block buster movie.
It’s not all pumping action though. Running in the background of the story is a very light bereavement storyline with the main character, Casey, having lost her bomb disposal expert father. It also explores the dynamics between Casey and her little brother, Pete, who is resentful of Carey’s relationship with their father and her prowess as a gamer.
Written in part as a tribute to his daughters, SkyWake features a powerful, decisive female lead in the form of Casey and addresses the sexist attitudes encountered by by female gamers in parts of the online world. At the start of the story, Casey feels the need to hide her true identity from the rest of her gaming crew. It’s only as the story unfolds and Casey needs to find her inner courage to rescue her brother, that she becomes more comfortable in her own skin and can take control of the situation. It’s a great message for other female gamers and also to make children aware of the fact that people online might not be who they say they are.
Right, you lucky lot! I have an opening chapter to blow your minds! Grab your plasma guns and buckle up – you’re in for one heck of a ride!
You want to read the rest now, don’t you?!
This is a totally engrossing, fast-paced blast of a book for readers aged 9+. If you want any more gaming-based recommendations, click HERE.
Library Girl.
*Many thanks to Walker Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*
Library Girl and Book Boy 