3 stars
What did I just read, Reader? Touched by an Alien was absolutely absurd.
Here’s the synopsis from Goodreads.
Marketing manager Katherine “Kitty” Katt had just finished a day on jury duty. When she stepped out of the Pueblo Caliente courthouse, all she was thinking about was the work she had to get caught up on. Then her attention was caught by a fight between a couple that looked like it was about to turn ugly. But ugly didn’t even begin to cover it when the “man” suddenly transformed into a huge, winged monster right out of a grade Z science fiction movie and went on a deadly killing spree. In hindsight, Kitty realized she probably should have panicked and run screaming the way everyone around her was doing. Instead she sprinted into action to take down the alien.
In the middle of all the screeching and the ensuing chaos, a hunk in an Armani suit suddenly appeared beside her, introduced himself as Jeff Martini with “the agency,” and then insisted on leading her to a nearby limo to talk to his “boss.” And that was how Kitty’s new life among the aliens began…Touched by an Alien is the thrilling first installment of the Alien novels.
Touched by an Alien is “urban science fiction” in that it’s all of the elements of urban fantasy, but with aliens rather than magical creatures, which bleeds it over into science fiction. I’d also probably slot it into “Paranormal Romance” And it was ABSURD and over the top.
This is one of those books where I just don’t know how I feel about it at the end. On the one hand, I enjoyed the plot and thought the writing was reasonably well done.
But there was an ever growing list of things that I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes over:
- Kitty Katt (seriously, what a name)
- Mary Sue, I mean Kitty Katt is just an average marketing manager but somehow manages to be a great shot, excellent military strategist, and like The Most Clever Ever, learns flying on the literal fly, code breaker and somehow manages to be better than people who have been doing this their whole lives – all in two days!
- Hunky, overly-aggressive, possessive dude love triangle
- Newsflash, it’s not hot when dudes are that insecure, no matter the backstory
- It’s rape when a woman says no and a dude keeps going. That’s not hot, thanks.
- Thanks for all the opportunities to roll my eyes at the male characters
- Overdone sex scenes that go on for pages – which I skipped over
- Conveniently the book really is all about her, despite what it appears at the beginning
- Conveniently there’s a vague description of how the “science” works
- Conveniently her parents ALSO have relevant skills
- Too many instances of “conveniently”
- Overuse of the word “baby in reference to Kitty or Martini
- Overuse of the word “girlfriend” from a gay character in reference to Kitty
But, despite all that, I’m seriously thinking about requesting the second book from the library. When I finished, I texted my best friend “I just read the most ridiculous book. I need you to read it and laugh at it with me.” It was a fun and silly read. Sometimes a Mary Sue story is a nice refreshing break. Brain candy can be a treat sometimes. This book definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. I have the feeling that Gini Koch wrote the whole thing half-seriously, half-satirically.
Anyway, Touched by an Alien is the first in the “Kitty Katt” series by Gini Koch and was published April 6, 2010.
Alex Can Read 