Review of The Survivors

[Susan Kihleng]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Survivors" by Kenneth Kidd.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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At forty-two years of age, Lyman Shore is at the peak of his career as a deputy US Marshal when his life is turned upside down by an early morning break-in at his condo. While Shore is certain the prowler is more than a common burglary gone wrong, nothing could prepare him for the nefarious conspiracy he will uncover. Along with his good friend Drake Borden, the two unravel a decades-long plot to take over earth by distant aliens from a dying planet. It is not long before Shore and Borden learn that anyone could be an alien in disguise, no matter how high up the authority chain in world government.

The Survivors by Ken Kidd is a well-written science fiction novel that reads more like a fast-paced crime novel. I could easily see this storyline as a crime television series. As the story progresses, more characters join the plot as the FBI and Interpol join forces with the US Marshal to uncover the alien plot. Assisted by DNA specialist Dr. Emmons and oceanographer Linda Clift, the team determined that the aliens are responsible for the rapidly depleting ozone layer resulting in global warming. They are alarmed to learn that the human inhabitants of earth most likely have less than two years left to live unless they stop the plot they’ve uncovered.

I must admit I was not expecting the science fiction aspect of this book. It was listed under crime thrillers, and the description made no mention of aliens or planetary takeovers. Had it done so, I doubt I would have selected this book as I don’t ordinarily choose science fiction. However, after my initial shock of learning that the conspiracy in the book involved aliens, I was pleasantly surprised at the storyline. The author wrote in a way that nearly made the story seem believable.

As I already mentioned, the book was fast-paced, leaving little room for character development. While I appreciate a plot that is straightforward and to the point, I would like to have seen some more character development and depth in the main characters. I also felt the book contained too many characters for such a short novel.

Though The Survivors was well-written and intriguing, for the reasons mentioned above, I am rating this book three out of four stars. I would recommend The Survivors to science-fiction fans. Due to the occasional profanity and violence, I would not recommend this book to children. I found no errors in this book and believe it to be exceptionally edited.

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The Survivors
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[Abeymayor]

The Survivors by Kenneth Kidd, is a book that deals with the exposure of the high level of criminal acts from the least expected personality. Just like the way things are taking the other way round in our present days

[Joyce Nwaogazie]

I love books with science fiction incorporated, it is always fascinating to me. I'll look forward to adding this book to my bookshelf. Awesome review.

[Aneeka Shamnaz]

Aliens in disguise, that's a new idea. It starts off with a simple quite normal robbery and ends up with uncovering an old plot that could be quite the shock for anyone. Science-fiction with a bit of crime and thriller, well you know its going to be interesting. Looking forward to more stories such as this,