They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but surely I'm not the only one who gets pulled in by a stunning design? I rarely read science fiction novels, and if I do they're more on the post-apocalyptic / dystopian side of things, they almost never are about alien invasions. But the striking red cross on top of the otherwise monochrome cover art was so eye-catching that from the moment I saw I Am Traitor, I was bought in and it was calling me from my to-read shelves so much that it magically made its way to the top of my to-read pile just days after I got my copy.
There are a lot of books about looming alien invasions and while they can be good if done well, they have been done SO much already that it can be hard to distinguish one from the other. I Am Traitor while also dealing with the alien invasion concept arrives smack-down in the middle of the action, which is a much more exciting concept. Aliens are here, they're taking teenagers from across the globe and they seem to know exactly how many teenagers live in each home so they can pick them off one by one...
Amy's brother Andrew is already taken, but she isn't because the aliens mistakenly took her friend Matilda instead who was staying with them. This gives Amy the chance to find the Resistance and team up with them so when she does get taken by the Visitors she has a plan to fight back and help save humanity. But when she too is taken on board of one of the alien ships and she's about to execute her plans, nothing is quite like she thought it was.
There is a Resistance among the Visitors too - but which side is telling the truth? And can Amy even save humanity or is it too late to begin with?
I have to admit, I picked this book up on a whim based on its excellent cover art. Sci-fi novels, and especially those dealing with alien invasions, aren't typically top of my to-read list, but the blurb to this one made it sound very intriguing indeed and I am so glad that I ended up picking it up. Once I'd opened the first page I flew through the entire story as it was hugely gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Interestingly, I wasn't a huge fan of any of the characters depicted within the pages, not even protagonist Amy, but the epic story they'd landed in was plenty to keep me hooked from start to finish. Author Sif Sigmarsdóttir's depictions of the Visitors and on board their ship was tantalisingly eerie and it wasn't difficult to envision the desolate version of London following the invasion; the bleakness of the city just one misinformed cross-planet treaty away from becoming a reality.
I Am Traitor was consistently exciting and surprising, beyond the alien invasion concept it was wholly unique and with a very fascinating cast of characters, from kick-ass teens to traitors. As I said, I don't tend to read much sci-fi, but if all alien novels are as original and well-written as this one I'll have to dip my toes into the genre much more often from now on!
I Am Traitor will be published by Hodder Children's Books on 7 September 2017 and you can pre-order your copy now from Foyles or your own preferred retailer.
What an unusual book - I've certainly been guilty of picking up a book because of an intruiging cover before!
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