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L. J. Monahan lives in Northern California with his wife, two sons, and a crazy dog named Luna. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in English and once fell off a roller coaster. (Spoiler alert: he survived.) The Escapers: Book One of the Alien Harvester Series is his debut novel.
When he's not writing, you might find him teaching middle schoolers history, walking his dog, or trying to find his golf ball on the course.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
The Escapers is the first book of the Alien Harvester Series by L.J. Monahan. After his parents were killed during the invasion of Earth by the Imjac, fourteen-year-old Bryce has been living with his aunt and uncle on a remote farm. However, soon Bryce finds himself and his cousin, Amanda, becoming captives of the Imjac as they round up teenagers from all over to dig up minerals they can use on their path to conquering the universe. Trapped on a remote island in the Pacific, hundreds of miles from the mainland, Bryce and Amanda find themselves enslaved with teenagers their own age struggling to survive. Determined to break out, Bryce discovers he can use Imjac tech, unlike any of his friends. After finding a potent weapon, Bryce sees his chance to escape the prison once and for all. But can he?
A captivating tale of survival under extraordinary circumstances, the Alien Harvester Series is off to a flying start with The Escapers. Author L.J. Monahan builds on a promising premise about an alien invasion that leaves Earth's inhabitants becoming sub-citizens to their extraterrestrial rulers and having children used as a labor force for the aforementioned rulers. Moving at a brisk pace, the narrative flows past without a single hitch. The characters are well-developed, and it doesn't take readers much time to start rooting for them. Bryce is a likable protagonist, and his dynamic with Amanda and the rest of his fellow prisoners provides some compelling dramatic moments. Overall, I very much enjoyed the book and looking forward to reading the sequels.
