Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds by Dale Kutzera is about another attempted invasion of the earth by extra terrestrials. This time the invasion fleet picks a suburb of Seattle inhabited by the McBeans.

The initial invasion is an all at once thing with lots of destruction, a surprising detail for a children's science fiction. And then it's up to Andy and the other kids he rescues to stop the invading force from their dastardly plans.

But after the initial punch of the invasion and destruction, the book loses its pace. There's a lot of exploring and arguing and by the numbers planning to save the town. It ends up feeling more like Scooby Doo meets the Aliens than a modern day science fiction adventure story. ( )

Inspired by War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds actually brings the aliens to Earth. The action is fast. Andy and his friends are easy to like and fun to watch as they travel by foot. The story is believable, though Andy has several lucky escapes from the aliens (great fun!). Been’Tok is a cute, three-eyed monster with a heart and soul. He loves collecting the odd artifacts he finds while vaporizing various planets for the water his planet desperately needs. He disagrees with his commander, believing humans are significant, especially after Andy saves his life.

The cuteness of Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds reminded me of E. T., even though the two are different types of stories. Until the end, it is not clear whether Been’Tok wants to return home. He enjoys the company of Andy and . . . [continue reading at Kid Lit Reviews: http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2015/03/27/661-andy-mcbean-and-the-war-of-the-worlds-... ( )

The “boy who had cancer,” Andy McBean, lives in the damp and soggy Pacific Northwest and plays Zoink with “the boy who played clarinet.” Meanwhile Been’Tok is a rather bored underling Worker, mining water from Mars. And the worlds are filled with misfits.

Author Dale Kutzera creates a convincing modern day school, peopled with band-players, goths, school nurses, and more, adding dialog with just the right touch, “barf-face” “Dweeb” and “Geek” bandied around between teens. The only problems are bullies and girls until something mysterious flies overhead. Then Andy McBean gets involved in a War of Worlds.

Echoes of the novel’s more famous predecessor ring through the pages of this fast-told tale. Scenes come to life with immediately practical details, such as whether to leave a note after drinking a neighbor’s milk, and the pleasing humor of an alien’s misconceptions of human life keep the tone light and fun. Of course, boy and girl have plenty of misconceptions about each other’s interests too—they might almost be alien as well!

Once the action starts, this tale’s a page-turner of death-defying excitement, friendship, honor and trust; a thoroughly enjoyable middle-grade/young adult tale which truly offers something for everyone.

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I offer my honest review. ( )