Valiant by Merrie Destefano

Valiant by Merrie Destefano is a YA SciFi story of a brutal alien invasion and the quest to save her brother, and possibly, save the world..

“The Valiant was supposed to save us. Instead, it triggered the end of the world.

Earth is in shambles. Everyone, even the poorest among us, invested in the Valiant’s space mining mission in the hopes we’d be saved from ourselves. But the second the ship leaves Earth’s atmosphere, our fate is sealed. The alien invasion begins. They pour into cities around the world through time portals, possessing humans, forcing us to kill one another.

And for whatever reason, my brother is their number one target.

Now the fate of the world lies in the hands of me, a seventeen-year-old girl, but with the help of my best friend, Justin―who’s suddenly starting to feel like more―maybe if we save my brother, we can save us all…“

This was a brutal story, and not in a bad way.

I was instantly in this story from chapter one. There are parts to this world that take a few more chapters to really wrap your head around it, but overall, I was hooked!

And I was really surprised with the time travel elements. We are thrown into this crazy, completely brutal alien invasion where the main character is approached by rebels. Their mission for her is to repeat the invasion until she is able to successfully save her brother until the next morning, when the rest of the world is supposed to be saved.

And when I say brutal, I mean it. There are eye-popping ways that the aliens control the humans, leading them to kill, shoot, or run over. Literally, it’s like the Walking Dead meets Independence Day. And I can say that it really hooked me into the story!

The world building is given quickly to us, but I couldn’t get enough of it. We have a run-down Earth leading to an apparent ‘Second Depression’ and the Valiant mission was supposed to bring a new era to their world. That is, until the very last thing they thought would crush the planet ends up possessing each other, and they are all after her.

I read this book in one day. It was a quick thriller that I think is perfect for readers who love dooms-day catastrophes, crazy aliens out to get you, or unique time-travel stories. I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars.

And, if you love a hint of romance in your adventures, this book won’t disappoint.

I will say that the ending brings the idea of a sequel. I was left with a ton of questions that I hope become answered soon!

Published: 4 December 2018

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 304

How I Read It: eARC from Entangled Teen

*Disclaimer: I requested a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my book reviews contain my honest opinion only and are not influenced in any way.*

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