Invasion: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel    by Jon S. Lewis Order:  USA  Can Thomas Nelson, 2011 (2011) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Melissa Parcel Unknown to him, sixteen-year-old Colt McAllister is a part of something huge. He is taken to visit an elite military academy, one that his brothers, father, and grandfather apparently all attended in the past. His experiences there are mind-blowing. Colt meets other potential students and they take part in high tech training. Colt learns that the academy exists to safeguard the earth from life on other planets, in other universes. There are tears in the fabric of this world that can allow creatures to pass through, some of whom want to destroy humans and take over the earth for themselves. The organization, called C.H.A.O.S. (Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural) acts to keep the world secure. Colt enjoys his day, but is given a serum after it is over to make him forget everything he saw and did. Then Colt's parents are killed in a suspicious accident. He is warned that his mother was going to expose a large corporation and they were murdered. Colt moves to Arizona to live with his grandfather, and meets two new friends at his high school: Oz and Danielle. As Colt begins to disclose some of the things he's learning about what happened to his parents, Oz reveals secrets of his own and the three teens band together to save themselves - and maybe even humanity. Almost like a comic book, Invasion is the first in Jon S. Lewis's C.H.A.O.S. series. The breakneck pace begins in the first paragraph and doesn't let up until the end. Science fiction and fantasy fans, as well as those who enjoy comic book adventures, will love this action packed story. It's easy to relate to Colt's character - he has tough times, yet he also learns how to trust his remaining family and friends to provide support and help. Oz and Danielle are excellent supporting characters, and this first book sets up some potential boy-girl attraction, but leaves it to be resolved in future installments. There are alien fighting matches, bigfoot as a teacher, robots and scanners and futuristic modes of transportation. Invasion will ignite imagination as well as providing supreme entertainment. Although this novel will primarily appeal to boys, girls will find it funny and enjoyable as well. As an adult, I had to suspend disbelief, because the teens in this story seem to accept everything with a slight shrug of the shoulders because they had read about these adventures in a comic book. I expected a little surprise and awe at what they were seeing, but other than that, I just buckled up and went along the ride. Invasion is an excellent start to a fun adventure series - readers will be clamoring for another to be released to see what these teens will face next. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews