Shockwave: The Battle For Earth by Hammer Trollkin is a sci-fi novel. The world has been in crisis for a long time with humans fighting against humans and the environment deteriorating globally. They are about to face their greatest challenge yet. An alien race of insect-like extraterrestrials has invaded earth. They’ve watched humanity for a long time and expected little resistance when they finally attacked. Through their strategic attack on a top-secret DARPA lab, they unintentionally create a special force that could ultimately destroy them. Shockwave is a group made up of four teens, a spider monkey, and their scientist Grandpa. With their special abilities gained in the explosion, they could be Earth's last hope. Their abilities could even the odds against advanced alien tech.

Hammer Trollkin tells Shockwave as a journal record kept by Elizabeth, one of the two female members of the special team. Embued with superpowers like mind reading, invisibility, and super smarts, the Shockwave team is just what humanity needs to save them. I liked this team not just because they are heroes but because they are such a diverse group. There were some really funny scenes where the team is gelling and learning more about their powers. Shockwave is a team you’ll find yourself cheering on as they embark on a quest to save Earth. The author has merged the old ideas of invasion with totally new things that enriched the story. Shockwave is just the beginning of what promises to be a great science fiction series. Fans of Starship Troopers will love this book.

Shockwave: The Battle for Earth by Hammer Trollkin is Journal One in an exciting new series. Aliens have invaded earth and only one special team can fight them. At the center of the events is a special unit that consists of gifted individuals who must band together to use their abilities to fight off deadly aliens. Viz documents everything as the days of invasion lead to a terrifying turn of events that could mean interstellar war and a dangerous fight that pushes the team to their limits.

Hammer Trollkin delivers a unique alien invasion tale that’s told through the style of a journal with Viz as the primary voice that gives recaps of events, her personal thoughts, and breakdowns of the science and alien technology they use with recordings and a well-organized timeline to draw you into the events as they happen. The style makes it so she’s directly talking to you with a voice that has a little attitude, some humor, and fits that the story is documented from a teenager’s perspective. Viz is a not-so-ordinary teenager as she’s part of this elite group and has the special ability to turn invisible. The characters are seen through how Viz sees them which includes quirky codenames, their abilities, and their personalities. She often picks at the others in a loving voice that shows the bond she has with them and builds them up as strong and endearing characters. Through Viz’s thoughts you get all the vivid details of the team, the invasion, and the events that lead them toward a bigger battle then they expected.

Other than the alien invasion elements of the story, the plot revolves around Viz and her team which gives the story a fun superhero quirkiness that mixes well with the science and alien technology that Trollkin delves into as the story progresses. The primary focus of the plot is rooted in the teenagers with extraordinary abilities and the invasion but, as the fight unfolds, more about the world is revealed and how it was already in crisis when the aliens arrived. Shockwave is an action-packed battle against alien invaders with a special team of heroes, a humorous voice, delightful characters, dangerous missions, and fun use of technology and science.