Playing Horseshoes With Aliens


Fiction - Humor/Comedy
195 Pages
Reviewed on 07/09/2022
Buy on Amazon

    Book Review

Reviewed by Astrid Iustulin for Readers' Favorite

Finn and Jackie are two seniors who met while playing bingo, but they soon find themselves living an adventure that will bring them into contact with aliens. Together with Dale, another senior, they will compete in an intergalactic contest, but for what purpose? John Parker will explain it to you in Playing Horseshoes With Aliens. This book will entertain you a lot thanks to its humor, some romance, and unforgettable characters, such as the Gnome Cowboy (the miniature host) with his banjo, and Otis, who claims to have planted a bomb in a frozen cow to blow up the aliens.

Playing Horseshoes With Aliens is not a book about aliens like the ones you may have read so far. First of all, there is an intergalactic contest (and what a contest!), which already makes it a compelling read. I always get excited when I can follow characters on adventures like these, and I am sure it will captivate many other readers, too. There is a bit of romance, which is always a pleasure. What I like the most is John Parker's sense of humor. The scenes are very well described, and he portrays the characters hilariously. Apart from the three protagonists, I must say that I enjoyed reading about Otis and his eccentricity (who else do you know that plants explosives in a frozen cow?). This is a book that I recommend to anyone who loves fun reading and is looking for unpredictable characters and situations.

Mariam Tijani

In Playing Horseshoes With Aliens by John Parker, we learn that for Finn, it was just another day of playing games in a bingo hall. That day was going to be more than the norm, as Finn couldn't have guessed that he was going to meet the woman he would eventually fall in love with. Jackie was his type. She shared his sense of humor and they got along well. Jackie soon finds out that Finn is interested in UFOs and aliens. Finn, Jackie, and Dale get into an alien contest with lots of crazy challenges. It is said that the winners would get a prize to benefit mankind or they could lose the valuable award to a group of thugs who would use it for evil reasons. Will the trio succeed in the contest?

The book is interesting and entertaining. I loved the author's sense of humor and the characters seemed to be getting along very well. The story is amusing and will put a smile on your face. The characters were original and each one had unique traits that make it easy to identify with them. My favorite was Jackie. I loved her carefree spirit and brilliance and I commend the author's storytelling skills. Every scene in the book was described so vividly that I could imagine myself in them. Although written as a humorous novel, the author illustrates the importance of teamwork. The plot is easy to follow, it is a quick read and the word choice is not complex. I did enjoy reading this book and I'll look out for others by John Parker. I suggest you get a copy of Playing Horseshoes With Aliens for yourself or a friend, especially if you love reading about aliens.

Manik Chaturmutha

Playing Horseshoes With Aliens is a comedy novel by John Parker. Finn was alone in the bingo hall, celebrating his sixtieth birthday, when he saw a stunning woman named Jackie. Soon they start to bond over friendly conversation but are interrupted by Finn's friend, Dale. Suddenly, a guy with a big black cowboy hat and a banjo strapped to his back grabs the mike and starts playing the instrument. Dale starts dancing and the crowd begins laughing and clapping loudly. Amidst all the fun, when a loud bang and a puff of white smoke happen, Dale stands alone on the stage. When he looks down at his hand, he finds a mysterious address imprinted on his palm. Filled with enthusiasm, he travels to the address with Finn and Jackie. But there, they unexpectedly find themselves in a crazy alien contest fighting against shadow thugs. Surprisingly, the guy playing the banjo in the bingo hall is their astrophysical host, striving to make the challenges far more exciting. If they win, the prize will aid mankind's existence; if not, the thugs will use it for their dark agenda.

This book has a humorous tone throughout, which is contagious. The plot, with its authentic feel, describes the hilarious adventures of three senior citizens while they take part in a crazy alien contest, aspiring to win the prize to aid mankind. The sci-fi elements of the plot make it all the more interesting, and the names of the games, like finding horseshoes and lizard run, are hilarious. Moreover, the situational comedy scenes from Dale using a pungent-smelling cologne to repel the aliens to Jackie and Dale discussing long-distance space relationships makes the plot gripping and more enjoyable. Amidst the ongoing comic exchanges, the protagonists evolve to test their limits until the end of the adventurous journey, raising the level of suspense. The book has well-developed characters. I recommend this book for the author's authenticity in storytelling and the exciting suspense and sci-fi elements. Playing Horseshoes With Aliens by John Parker is a light, enjoyable, and entertaining read.

Pikasho Deka

Playing Horseshoes With Aliens is a sci-fi adventure novel by John Parker. UFO hunters and decades-long friends Finn and Dale prepare themselves for a wacky adventure alongside Jackie, a charismatic woman, in the mysterious town of Lizard Run, the local hub for crazed UFO hunters. But their fun hunt becomes all too real when they run into shadow thugs and land themselves in a game of horseshoes with aliens, overseen by Gnome Cowboy, an alien with a penchant for intergalactic banjo tunes. Things become increasingly chaotic as the three seniors find themselves in the midst of a cat and mouse chase with the thugs for the attainment of horseshoes, upon which depends the future of humanity itself. Will our unlikely heroes prevail? Who will come out on top?

If you're a fan of stories involving UFOs, aliens, and quirky characters on a quest, Playing Horseshoes With Aliens is just the book for you. Author John Parker weaves a fast-paced sci-fi tale that is an absolute blast to read from start to finish. Parker drops the reader into the midst of things from the get-go, and it's a non-stop wild rollercoaster of a ride from that point on. The characters are colorful and vibrant. Their distinct idiosyncracies pop out of the pages, making the story all the more enjoyable to read. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between the main trio and their interactions with the other wacky characters. Overall, I had a wonderful time reading Playing Horseshoes With Aliens. Recommended to sci-fi lovers.

Vincent Dublado

Playing Horseshoes With Aliens by John Parker is an amusing adventure featuring old folks who have the right stuff to pull off a feat that may be too unbelievable for their frailty. Finn and Jackie meet at a bingo game, and Finn’s buddy, Dale, is pleased that his friend would show up with a woman in his establishment, the Coffee and Tunes café. They live in a world filled with UFO buffs and sightings where a mysterious town called Lizard Run is the local hub for crazed UFO hunters. They encounter men in black at Dale’s establishment that Dale decides to talk to. These are shadow thugs who warn Dale to stay out of Lizard Run. Soon thereafter, some hooded thugs assault them and they find themselves participating in an alien contest where the fate of mankind is at stake.

Great moments in Playing Horseshoes With Aliens are constructed from tropes that you may already expect, but you will still tag along with the three seniors because you want to know how they will pull it off. The stuff about the game, however, is unexpected, so a surprise is waiting for you. John Parker injects humor in the right places with a narrative strongly driven by dialogue. There is an abundance of charm in the three senior characters. Perhaps it has something to do with the reverence rightfully reserved for elders and the thought that they have their moments of cool, too. Playing Horseshoes With Aliens has the urgency of a fast-paced story but with a structure that takes its time to build and develop its characters as the storyline unfolds. You will finish reading with a satisfying smile on your face—a smile that will likely not go away anytime soon.