Possibly the most predictable book I've ever read. As my husband said (we listened to it on a car trip): this is the first book I've read where I actually know what the character is going to do and say as soon as they are introduced. Every character was a caricature, the plot was perfectly predictable, and the only question I have left is: did the "artifact-phone-home" light zap into deep space mean there's going to be a sequel? Yikes! ( )

Well... this book is hard to rate because it's like a B movie. If you like B movies, you'd probably think this story deserves a 4, and if you don't like B movies, you'd probably give it a 2.

It's not science fiction as I'd normally think of science fiction - it's more like an alien invasion type thing (think Independence Day but very low budget). The "reality" of the book is current day, not future, so, if the "alien" was from another country instead of another planet, this would be military fiction, not science fiction.

For example, the author describes, in detail, the type of ammunition used, the weight capacities of helicopters, the nature of nuclear fusion, etc... which is good if you like that stuff, but it's not really science fiction, more like science fact (and no I have no idea how accurate the info is because I don't really do much research into how many rounds a specific weapon can hold - so it may not even be science fact).

Lots of stereotypes: genius boy in a wheelchair, cop with dysfunctional relationship, spinster librarian... you name it, the stereotype is in here.

Given all that... the story is definitely finish-able and, while a bit predictable, it has a nice pace. ( )