I found Shine at FYE last month. I don't really know all that much about K-Pop. But I bought it because I felt it would be a handy book to have in a pI found Shine at FYE last month. I don't really know all that much about K-Pop. But I bought it because I felt it would be a handy book to have in a pinch. I liked it well enough. There is a sequel, called Bright. However, I'm not too sure if I would want to read it....more
By now, I've well established myself of Goodreads' resident Star Wars fan. My Star Wars Books Shelf is one of my most numerous shelves on Goodreads. IBy now, I've well established myself of Goodreads' resident Star Wars fan. My Star Wars Books Shelf is one of my most numerous shelves on Goodreads. I guess it makes sense that I would eventually go from reading books set within the Star Wars universe, to reading autobiographies written by Star Wars actors. I, like countless people all over the world most famously associate Billy Dee Williams with playing Lando Calrissian. He first originated this role in 1980's Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. He returned in 1983's Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. And most recently, he played Lando a 3rd time in 2019's Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
As I've grown older, I saw Billy Dee in more things. These included Brian's Song, Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, the 1989 Batman movie, the 1992 TV miniseries The Jackson's: An American Dream and the Lego Batman Movie. When he competed on Dancing With the Stars in 2014, I was the only person in my family who recognized him. In short, I've always admired him as an actor. But with this book, I learned that he's a wonderful writer and an incredible artist as well. This book was excellent!
P.S., in a funny turn of events, I finished this book just days ahead of Mr. Williams' birthday, on April 6th. He will be turning 87 this year. Happy Early Birthday to an absolute legend!...more
**spoiler alert** It's June, which is Pride Moth. This year marks the 1st time since 2017 that I've read a Chris Colfer book in June. (That year, the **spoiler alert** It's June, which is Pride Moth. This year marks the 1st time since 2017 that I've read a Chris Colfer book in June. (That year, the book of his that I read in June was Stranger Than Fanfiction.) Because Chris himself is famously, openly, proudly Gay, reading this book this month is perfectly fitting. Additionally 2 characters are genderless and referred to with "They/Them" pronouns.
Chris Colfer's 2 previous series, The Land of Stories and A Touch of Magic, were fantasy-based. With Roswell Johnson Saves the World, Chris Colfer enters the realm of Sci-Fi. The synopsis of the book describes it as "The Land of Stories meets Guardians of the Galaxy." That is fitting. The protagonist is a human, while all the supporting characters are aliens. And there's a found family element to it as well.
Roswell Johnson is an 11-year-old 7th Grader from Cherokee Springs, Oklahoma. (He skipped a grade.) The book opens on the day of the science fair at Roswell's school. Roswell really wants to win, because the grand prize is a trip to Rump World Family Resort on Rump Island, Florida.
This theme park is owned by the billionaire Eli Rump. Let me talk about him for a second. It's obvious he's a parody mashup of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. He's bald like Bezos, and has a penchant for potty humor like Musk. (He actually made his fortune selling toilets.) And he owns a private space travel company like the both of them. Sadly for Roswell, he looses the science fair. His project is about famous alien encounters from throughout history, including the 1947 incident in Roswell, New Mexico, for whom Roswell Johnson is named after. And it makes him the laughing stock of the whole school.
Roswell returns home to family chicken farm where he lives with his grandparents. Both of his parents are dead. His mother died when died when Roswell was too young to remember her. And his father was solider who was killed in Afghanistan. Roswell inherited his interest in UFO's and extraterrestrials from his father. The elder Johnson, named Curtis, saw a UFO himself when he was 12-years-old. And it showed up again several times throughout his life.
That night, Roswell chases one of his family's chickens, Persephone, after she escapes. Suddenly, a flying saucer appears in the night sky. Boy and chicken are both caught up in its' tractor beam. Anyone who's ever seen the 1st Guardians of the Galaxy movie knows that this is what happens to a young Peter Quill, the future Starlord. Here, tough, I think Chris Colfer was going for a sort of reverse on E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. That movie, as we all know, is about an alien who is accidentally left behind on Earth and then befriends a lonely little boy. Here, a lonely little boy is accidentally taken from Earth by aliens. (What I found funny about Roswell's abduction is that he namechecks E.T.'s director, Steven Spielberg, as it happens.) These are the Grays. And they are the genderless characters who use they/them pronouns that I mentioned earlier in this review. They have the appearance of stereotypical aliens from the public consciousness, with pale gray skin, huge egg-shaped heads, big black eyes, tiny mouths, and rail-thin torsos. The only way to tell the two creatures apart is their height difference. One is a Tall Gray named Nerp, and the other is a Small Gray named Bleep. Nerp speaks English, but Bleep can only communicate in beeping sounds, kinda like the droids R2-D2 and BB-8 from Star Wars. Nerp translates for their shorter counterpoint. That reminds me of how in Star Wars, C-3PO translates for R2 or Chewbacca, which Han Solo also does. And in another nod to Guardians of the Galaxy, the other characters also do that for Groot.
Nerp and Bleep want to erase Roswell's memories of them before they return him to Earth, as is protocol. But it turns out they can't do that, because Roswell's name is in the Galactic Registry. Now I feel that I should describe the governmental structure of the galaxy in this book. The ruling body is called the Great Universal Alliance. All planets within the Alliance are grouped into 1 of 3 stages. A Stage 1 planet hosts non-intelligent lifeforms, like bacteria and small insects. A Stage 2 planet hosts semi-intelligent lifeforms like animals and humans. And a Stage 3 planet hosts ultra-intelligent lifeforms, like the Grays. Stage 2 planets can evolve into State 3 planets, where there invited to join its' local Alliance. Earth is a Stage 2 planet but it can't become a Stage 3 planet or join the Milky Way Galactic Alliance. This is because it doesn't meet all the qualifications, including being peaceful and self-sustaining and being able to travel to their local Alliance. Also, the aliens believe in something called the Source. Let me just say that it sounds a lot like the Force from Star Wars.
When Nerp and Bleep find out about Roswell's name, they're surprised. Because it was actually members of their species who crashed and died in the Roswell incident. To figure out why Roswell's name is in the Galactic Registry, Nerp and Bleep agree to to him to their homeworld of Grayton. but before that can happen the fly saucer is intercepted by a ship belonging to an alien species called the Reptoids. They are our villains. Their leader is called Repteiliz Supreme Reek VII. He's like this book's Emperor Palpatine. His 2nd-in-command is called General Xelic. Based on my comparing the Reptiliz to Palptine, you might be think General Xelic is like Darth Vader. But I felt that he was more like Grand Moff Tarkin or Director Krennic.
Rosswell, Nerp and Bleep are imprisoned on the Reptoids' ship. There they meet a Cyborg called R08-36119, (Known as "Rob.") A Mantis named Mank and a Furgarian named Cassiopeia Furbotton, or Cassi for short. Rob takes things liteally. Mank is a germophobe. And Cassi reminded me of Red Riding Hood from The Land of Stories series, in that she starts off of narcissistic, shallow and self-observed, but ultimately proves to be goodhearted. If you want a vizulation her, she's shorter than a Wookiee, but taller than an Ewok, with an underbite and a pink bow. The new friends find out that the Reptoids are planning to invade Earth. And when Roswell is brought before the Reptiliz, he further discovers that the Reptoiids have teamed up with Eli Rump to pull off the invasion. (Oh, come on. Admit it. If Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos contacted aliens, they would totally ally with the evil ones to screw over Earth.)
Roswell is rescued by a Pleiadean named Stella Stargaze. She and Roswell develop a telepathic link. Now joined by Stella, Roswell, Nerp, Bleep, Rob, Mank and Cassi escape from the Reptoid ship. While taking a respite at a restaurant called Allen Astro's, the group decides that in order to save Earth, they will need the signatures of the leaders of 5 stage 3 planets, which will then be brought before the Milky Way Galactic Alliance. The aliens come up with a plan to visit each of their own planets. (Grayton for Nerp and Bleep; Pleiades for Stella; Furgaria for Cassie, the Cyborg Station for Rob and the Insectia Moon for Mank.) After completing a specific task on each planet, they get the respective leader's signatures. Along the way they're hunted by General Xelic, who tries to sabotage them at every turn. But they're always saved at the last second by a mysterious figure flying a boomerang-shaped spaceship.
Eventually they do make it to the headquarters of the Milky Way Galactic Alliance. I forgot to mention it earlier, but this was Rob's destination before the Reptoids captured him. He'd been going there to lobby for Cyborg rights. Roswell allows him to go first. Rob makes and impassioned plea, and Cyborgs are granted full rights. But when Roswell tries to get to Council to help Earth, he is refused. Roswell refuses to give up. Taking the Grays' flaying saucer, he returns to Earth to try and stop the invasion. And he discovers that his friends have come to help out. A huge battle in Earth's atmosphere ensues. Roswell, who is now piloting an escape pod from the Gray's flying saucer crashes it into Eli Rump launch pad in order to thwart the launch.
When he comes to, Roswell thinks he's died and gone to Heaven. Because his father is there. Here's the twist. Curtis Johnson has been alive this whole time! It was he who saved his son's life and brought him to a base on the moon. He was the one in the boomerang-shaped ship, which is the same type of craft he'd been seeing all his own life. You see, Johnson Sr. is an SPC (Space Program Commander) for the USSSP (United States Secret Space Program.) The program was created in 1954 in a secret meeting between the Milky Way Galactic Alliance and President Eisenhower. Roswell asked his dad if he put his name on the Galactic Registry, but he didn't. The father is just as confused as the son. Roswell also discovers that his interference at the Rump Rockets launch has created a whole host of new conspiracy theories.
The book ends with Roswell and his dad returning home to the family farm in Oklahoma. Nerp, Bleep, Stella, Cassie, Rob and Mank are already there. They introduced themselves to Roswell's grandparents. When Roswell and Curtis arrive, Gram and Pop are thrilled to have both their grandson AND their son home. Roswell then bids farewell to his new alien friends, but not before Bleep says their first words, "Bye, Roswell."
The front flap says that Roswell Johnson Saves the World is the 1st book in a new series from Chris Colfer. I really look forward to reading future installments. Because this was a very good series opener. I'd say it looks like Chris Colfer has another winning series on his hands.
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