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The Change #1
The Silent Invasion
It's a decade from now and the human race is dying. Plants, animals and humans have been infected by spores from space and become part of a vast alien intelligence.
When 16-year-old Callie discovers her little sister Gracie has been infected, she flees with Gracie to the Zone to avoid termination by the ruthless officers of Quarantine. What Callie finds in the Zone will alter her irrevocably, and send her on a journey to the stars and beyond.
When 16-year-old Callie discovers her little sister Gracie has been infected, she flees with Gracie to the Zone to avoid termination by the ruthless officers of Quarantine. What Callie finds in the Zone will alter her irrevocably, and send her on a journey to the stars and beyond.
300 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2017
21 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
About the author
James Bradley
35 books247 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James is the author of five novels: the critically acclaimed climate change narratives, Ghost Species (Hamish Hamilton 2020) and Clade (Hamish Hamilton 2015); The Resurrectionist (Picador 2006), which explores the murky world of underground anatomists in Victorian England and was featured as one of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads in 2008; The Deep Field (Sceptre 1999), which is set in the near future and tells the story of a love affair between a photographer and a blind palaeontologist; and Wrack (Vintage 1997) about the search for a semi-mythical Portuguese wreck. He has also written The Change Trilogy for young adults. a book of poetry, Paper Nautilus, and edited two anthologies, The Penguin Book of the Ocean and Blur, a collection of stories by young Australian writers. His first book of non-fiction, Deep Water: the World in the Ocean will be published in 2024.
Twice one of The Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists, his books have won The Age Fiction Book of the Year Award, the Fellowship of Australian Writers Literature Award and the Kathleen Mitchell Award, and have been shortlisted for awards such as the Miles Franklin Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the NSW Premier's Christina Stead Award for Fiction, the Victorian Premier's Award for Fiction and the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, and have been widely translated. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines and collections, including Best Australian Stories, Best Australian Fantasy and Horror and The Penguin Century of Australian Stories, and has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards for Best Science Fiction Short Story and Best Horror Short Story.
As well as writing fiction and poetry, James writes and reviews for a wide range of Australian and international newspapers and magazines. In 2012 he won the Pascall Prize for Australia's Critic of the year.
James is the author of five novels: the critically acclaimed climate change narratives, Ghost Species (Hamish Hamilton 2020) and Clade (Hamish Hamilton 2015); The Resurrectionist (Picador 2006), which explores the murky world of underground anatomists in Victorian England and was featured as one of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads in 2008; The Deep Field (Sceptre 1999), which is set in the near future and tells the story of a love affair between a photographer and a blind palaeontologist; and Wrack (Vintage 1997) about the search for a semi-mythical Portuguese wreck. He has also written The Change Trilogy for young adults. a book of poetry, Paper Nautilus, and edited two anthologies, The Penguin Book of the Ocean and Blur, a collection of stories by young Australian writers. His first book of non-fiction, Deep Water: the World in the Ocean will be published in 2024.
Twice one of The Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists, his books have won The Age Fiction Book of the Year Award, the Fellowship of Australian Writers Literature Award and the Kathleen Mitchell Award, and have been shortlisted for awards such as the Miles Franklin Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the NSW Premier's Christina Stead Award for Fiction, the Victorian Premier's Award for Fiction and the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, and have been widely translated. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines and collections, including Best Australian Stories, Best Australian Fantasy and Horror and The Penguin Century of Australian Stories, and has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards for Best Science Fiction Short Story and Best Horror Short Story.
As well as writing fiction and poetry, James writes and reviews for a wide range of Australian and international newspapers and magazines. In 2012 he won the Pascall Prize for Australia's Critic of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
May 23, 2017
TRIGGER WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY
Umm yeah I was done at page 172 at the animal cruelty scene. A dog gets cruelly beaten repeatedly with a bat and an electrified prod and killed. The attackers did it wilfully with sick pleasure. (not the main character but the villains)
I feel sick.
The rest of the book was boring, so it really wasn't a loss. Nothing much happens except for endless travelling, cardboard cut out characters and no background story for the change.
Umm yeah I was done at page 172 at the animal cruelty scene. A dog gets cruelly beaten repeatedly with a bat and an electrified prod and killed. The attackers did it wilfully with sick pleasure. (not the main character but the villains)
I feel sick.
The rest of the book was boring, so it really wasn't a loss. Nothing much happens except for endless travelling, cardboard cut out characters and no background story for the change.
April 5, 2017
OMG WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ
Seriously such a good premise and I literally read about a girl (WHO I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE COZ SHE WASNT DESCRIBED) walking from Adelaide to Queensland.
And omg why is there a fucking love interest whyyyyyy, Im going to count how many words these two said to each other before they start saying I love you. If it's more then 5 sentences I will be shocked.
But hey by all means you may love it, please do tell me why coz I saw nothing redeeming about this boring ass book.
I will come back and write a proper review I feel this may be a bit to angry
Seriously such a good premise and I literally read about a girl (WHO I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE COZ SHE WASNT DESCRIBED) walking from Adelaide to Queensland.
And omg why is there a fucking love interest whyyyyyy, Im going to count how many words these two said to each other before they start saying I love you. If it's more then 5 sentences I will be shocked.
But hey by all means you may love it, please do tell me why coz I saw nothing redeeming about this boring ass book.
I will come back and write a proper review I feel this may be a bit to angry
April 23, 2017
I received a copy of The Silent Invasion from Pan Macmillan New Zealand to review. This is the first book in the Change trilogy.
I haven’t read a lot of alien invasion stories but the ones I have read I’ve enjoyed. So I was looking forward to reading this. The invasion in this series is completely different to anything I’ve ever read. But in a good way. I really want to know what this infection is and what it means when the things, people, animals and plants, change and what they change into… I’ll have to read the other books in the trilogy to get answers. Hopefully.
There was one thing that bugged me about The Silent Invasion though. I’m not into the ‘insta-love’ storylines but this came out of nowhere. One minute Callie is in a life and death situation and the next she’s apparently in love. But later it sounds like this guy is just a distraction from the fact that Callie’s sister is Changing. I get why she’d want distracting from losing the only family member she had left. But either the guy was a distraction or she loved him I’m not sure it came be both…
Aside from that I liked the story and the ending had a very surprising cliffhanger. I wanted to read the next book before I even read the ending because I had some questions about the invasion, the Change and Callie’s dad. But now I want to know what’s going on.
If you like aliens, invasions and creepy stuff that has people changing into something alien then I’d recommend giving The Silent Invasion a try.
I haven’t read a lot of alien invasion stories but the ones I have read I’ve enjoyed. So I was looking forward to reading this. The invasion in this series is completely different to anything I’ve ever read. But in a good way. I really want to know what this infection is and what it means when the things, people, animals and plants, change and what they change into… I’ll have to read the other books in the trilogy to get answers. Hopefully.
There was one thing that bugged me about The Silent Invasion though. I’m not into the ‘insta-love’ storylines but this came out of nowhere. One minute Callie is in a life and death situation and the next she’s apparently in love. But later it sounds like this guy is just a distraction from the fact that Callie’s sister is Changing. I get why she’d want distracting from losing the only family member she had left. But either the guy was a distraction or she loved him I’m not sure it came be both…
Aside from that I liked the story and the ending had a very surprising cliffhanger. I wanted to read the next book before I even read the ending because I had some questions about the invasion, the Change and Callie’s dad. But now I want to know what’s going on.
If you like aliens, invasions and creepy stuff that has people changing into something alien then I’d recommend giving The Silent Invasion a try.
September 26, 2018
I will admit I was not the biggest fan of previous work I'd read by James Bradley (Clade).. it was just okay.. but a good premise
Once again the premise of this did intrigue me so I felt I would give him another go And I did enjoy it immensely more than last time. One thing is for sure Bradley can certainly think up some great ideas for a story. I felt better executed this time.
This particular story fell right into the realms of fiction so seemed less like it was trying to deliver a message to its readers, which is why I could just sit back and enjoy the story.
It is aimed at YA so was a very quick read for me and brought to mind Tomorrow When The War Began, which any YA dystopian novel set in Australia is almost bound to do, whether or not the comparison is fair. I suspect it may even play out better as a TV movie than the book. Bradley does have a tendency to gloss over descriptive prose, descriptions that would be picked up on screen and the writing did leave the reader up to imagine a lot of it.
All in all, I do think this would really appeal to the younger audience and it wasn't a bad read. Four stars from me because.. well it was better than Clade which I gave 3 stars :)
Once again the premise of this did intrigue me so I felt I would give him another go And I did enjoy it immensely more than last time. One thing is for sure Bradley can certainly think up some great ideas for a story. I felt better executed this time.
This particular story fell right into the realms of fiction so seemed less like it was trying to deliver a message to its readers, which is why I could just sit back and enjoy the story.
It is aimed at YA so was a very quick read for me and brought to mind Tomorrow When The War Began, which any YA dystopian novel set in Australia is almost bound to do, whether or not the comparison is fair. I suspect it may even play out better as a TV movie than the book. Bradley does have a tendency to gloss over descriptive prose, descriptions that would be picked up on screen and the writing did leave the reader up to imagine a lot of it.
All in all, I do think this would really appeal to the younger audience and it wasn't a bad read. Four stars from me because.. well it was better than Clade which I gave 3 stars :)
May 29, 2017
James Bradley is a mate so it's certainly possible that my thoughts about The Silent Invasion are biased. Except I know that's not the case. I didn't love the book because James wrote it, I loved the book because it's an intense, exciting and politically aware young adult novel about the possible end of the world - at least as we know it.
Set in the near future the human race is facing extinction as large swathes of both humans and animals have been infected by spores from space. Once infected the human, or animal, goes through a change, one that... well, it's not made clear, at least in this book, what the end-state is, but the suggestion is that they become part of a hive-mind, an alien intelligence. When our protagonist, Callie, discovers that her sister, Gracie, has been infected by the spores she decides that she'd rather run away with Gracie than have her taken away (and probably killed and dissected) by the authorities. Their destination is the Zone, a quarantined place that has been subsumed (we believe) by the spores.
Generally, flee-capture-escape-flee type narratives bore me to tears. Bradley gets away with it partly because The Silent Invasion is a short novel, which mitigates the possibility for boredom - Bradley maintains the tension from go to woe and it's no certain bet that any of our heroes will survive - and partly because Bradley regularly injects a dose of world-building and politics throughout the proceedings. Some of that world-building has to do with the nature of the spores and how they infect humans, but much of it has to do with changes to society, how this invasion - bereft of the usual Hollywood pyrotechnics - has made us suspicious and fearful of the people we love and specifically those from outside the community. And while it's made clear that there's a good reason to be afraid - these spores are transforming everything they touch - the response from the authorities, mostly supported by the populace, is to become insular, close ranks, establish rules that undermine basic freedoms rather than attempt to comprehend what's going on. This death of wonder and discovery, replaced by panic and anxiety, is beautifully outlined by Callie in one of the books rare quieter moments:
"Sometime deep in the night the moon rose, and for a time I lay staring up at it and the great girdle of the Milky Way. Its brightness stretched from horizon to horizon, and I imagined myself falling upwards, leaving all of this behind and losing myself in its light. Once we had dreamed of travelling to the stars, of becoming explorers; now we scrabbled and fought to survive. What else lay out there, I found myself wondering. Were there other worlds, other possibilities? Or was this all there was, this chaos and fear and sense we were running from something we could not outrun? At some point I realised I was crying; surprised at myself, I tried to wipe my face, but the tears kept coming."
We might not be facing civilisation ending spores, but that same sense of the inevitable - whether it be climate change, the rise of isolationism and the alt-right or a move away from science and rationality - has me often considering whether we've already lost. That's a depressing note to end this review on, but then Bradley doesn't sugar coat. This is young adult fiction that's astutely honest about the world we live in. Roll on book two.
Set in the near future the human race is facing extinction as large swathes of both humans and animals have been infected by spores from space. Once infected the human, or animal, goes through a change, one that... well, it's not made clear, at least in this book, what the end-state is, but the suggestion is that they become part of a hive-mind, an alien intelligence. When our protagonist, Callie, discovers that her sister, Gracie, has been infected by the spores she decides that she'd rather run away with Gracie than have her taken away (and probably killed and dissected) by the authorities. Their destination is the Zone, a quarantined place that has been subsumed (we believe) by the spores.
Generally, flee-capture-escape-flee type narratives bore me to tears. Bradley gets away with it partly because The Silent Invasion is a short novel, which mitigates the possibility for boredom - Bradley maintains the tension from go to woe and it's no certain bet that any of our heroes will survive - and partly because Bradley regularly injects a dose of world-building and politics throughout the proceedings. Some of that world-building has to do with the nature of the spores and how they infect humans, but much of it has to do with changes to society, how this invasion - bereft of the usual Hollywood pyrotechnics - has made us suspicious and fearful of the people we love and specifically those from outside the community. And while it's made clear that there's a good reason to be afraid - these spores are transforming everything they touch - the response from the authorities, mostly supported by the populace, is to become insular, close ranks, establish rules that undermine basic freedoms rather than attempt to comprehend what's going on. This death of wonder and discovery, replaced by panic and anxiety, is beautifully outlined by Callie in one of the books rare quieter moments:
"Sometime deep in the night the moon rose, and for a time I lay staring up at it and the great girdle of the Milky Way. Its brightness stretched from horizon to horizon, and I imagined myself falling upwards, leaving all of this behind and losing myself in its light. Once we had dreamed of travelling to the stars, of becoming explorers; now we scrabbled and fought to survive. What else lay out there, I found myself wondering. Were there other worlds, other possibilities? Or was this all there was, this chaos and fear and sense we were running from something we could not outrun? At some point I realised I was crying; surprised at myself, I tried to wipe my face, but the tears kept coming."
We might not be facing civilisation ending spores, but that same sense of the inevitable - whether it be climate change, the rise of isolationism and the alt-right or a move away from science and rationality - has me often considering whether we've already lost. That's a depressing note to end this review on, but then Bradley doesn't sugar coat. This is young adult fiction that's astutely honest about the world we live in. Roll on book two.
April 15, 2017
I rate this 4.5 stars, this was an epic read that does have you on the edge of your seat. While reading this, I had a "Tomorrow when the war Began" meets "The Hunger Games" vibe. This story is set in real world Australia at a time where Australia has been the victim of a "silent invasion" - a bacteria.. or spores.. has attacked the earth killing plants and living things and has taken over mankind to which cities are now under martial law and Quarantine officers are authorised to capture those who have been infected causing them to "Change". Callie is the protagonist in this story who will stop at nothing to save her little sister from being captured by Quarantine once she was in contact with the bacteria and has been on the run ever since. Their journey is a heart pounding one that really keeps you turning the page as they don't know who to trust and are running through places that were once known as suburbia, but now known as "zone" - going through places where walls have been put up to keep some in and some out to deal with this invasion. Although this is fiction, I couldn't help but think, this is actually possible with strains of flu getting worse/stronger each year who knows if Australia will be subject to this sort of Quarantine. Like the Tomorrow Series by John Marsden, this book is suitable to readers young and old alike and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy YA dystopia - or like me, who are a fan of the Tomorrow Series!!! Many thanks to Pan Macmillan Publishers for approaching me to be part of this reading/review tour and for sending me an advanced review copy in exchange for my review. Blog will be posted very soon!!
May 10, 2017
This book pretty much met the expectations I went into it with. Definitely not the most ground breaking new story I've ever read but I did enjoy it as a nice quick read! Also I've never read a scifi that's set in Australia and it was really cool to read about them travelling through so many familiar places 😊
August 7, 2017
actual rating: 2.5
this story was ok, it was like an australian take on the fifth wave, with an alien invasion and strange sickness that takes over people.
I'm not sure on how what to say or how to rate this book, because i enjoyed the story and the characters they were all strong but i think some of the things that happened is what really influenced me in my decision to rate this so low.
Trigger Warning: Animal Abuse
Oh i love animals and the most hated scene that i had to get through is when the dog was beaten by the enemy and the enemy had the sheer pleasure in doing so. I felt sick and couldn't continue reading that scene on i had to skip it because i had the scene playing in my head and i just couldn't do it. So if you don't like animal cruelty, i'm warning you that it's in the book so id say skip over it.
Plot:
The plot was strong for the most point of this book and some plot points were a little to predictable and i guessed then before they even happened. I don't like books where something is so obvious you guess something way before it happened and for me this story did just that. Most things in this story reminded me of the fifth wave and how similar these stories are to each other.. i feel like it was lacking in something. The only thing i wasn't expecting was the ending because it threw me way off and i honestly had no idea it was coming, but i will say that the last 50 pages of this story is where things really started to pick up and i didn't want it to end.
Characters:
Callie: I enjoyed this character for the most part, she didn't annoy me at all and i could actually invest myself into her story. I did feel like her clouded judgement towards Matt did put her in some situations that could have ended her life so easily, she was confused for most of the book about him she didn't know whether or not she had feelings or not which is like any normal teenager but this isn't a normal setting. I can't wait to see where this character goes in the next book if theres going to be a second one because this characters has a lot of improvement to develop and change.
Matt: I had mixed feelings on this character and i honestly don't know why i just feel like he was very angry and couldn't make his mind up in any situation that was handed to him. He clouded Callie's judgement throughout most of the book because one moment he would be totally invested in her than the next minute he would be going off on some wild tangent. I hope this character isn't dead and i don't think he is dead because i would like to see where this character goes if this first book gets another book.
Gracie: This character was cute and reminded me of all the sweet things in this world, but this character wasn't a real much of an addition to the plot or story progression. For the most part all this character did was sleep or complain how tired she was which is pretty much my daily life struggle, so i can relate to this character on so many levels. I have a feeling that Gracie might me the cure for this disease or 'change' that is currently happening i hope i'm proven wrong.
I really enjoyed that this book was set in Australia because i don't read a lot of books that are set in my country unless it's an australian author. The beginning of the book was even set in my state of Adelaide which was really cool thing to read.
I thought this story was ok but it does have room for improvement but i will say that i will definitely by the second book if it gets one because i would love to see where the story and characters go.
this story was ok, it was like an australian take on the fifth wave, with an alien invasion and strange sickness that takes over people.
I'm not sure on how what to say or how to rate this book, because i enjoyed the story and the characters they were all strong but i think some of the things that happened is what really influenced me in my decision to rate this so low.
Trigger Warning: Animal Abuse
Oh i love animals and the most hated scene that i had to get through is when the dog was beaten by the enemy and the enemy had the sheer pleasure in doing so. I felt sick and couldn't continue reading that scene on i had to skip it because i had the scene playing in my head and i just couldn't do it. So if you don't like animal cruelty, i'm warning you that it's in the book so id say skip over it.
Plot:
The plot was strong for the most point of this book and some plot points were a little to predictable and i guessed then before they even happened. I don't like books where something is so obvious you guess something way before it happened and for me this story did just that. Most things in this story reminded me of the fifth wave and how similar these stories are to each other.. i feel like it was lacking in something. The only thing i wasn't expecting was the ending because it threw me way off and i honestly had no idea it was coming, but i will say that the last 50 pages of this story is where things really started to pick up and i didn't want it to end.
Characters:
Callie: I enjoyed this character for the most part, she didn't annoy me at all and i could actually invest myself into her story. I did feel like her clouded judgement towards Matt did put her in some situations that could have ended her life so easily, she was confused for most of the book about him she didn't know whether or not she had feelings or not which is like any normal teenager but this isn't a normal setting. I can't wait to see where this character goes in the next book if theres going to be a second one because this characters has a lot of improvement to develop and change.
Matt: I had mixed feelings on this character and i honestly don't know why i just feel like he was very angry and couldn't make his mind up in any situation that was handed to him. He clouded Callie's judgement throughout most of the book because one moment he would be totally invested in her than the next minute he would be going off on some wild tangent. I hope this character isn't dead and i don't think he is dead because i would like to see where this character goes if this first book gets another book.
Gracie: This character was cute and reminded me of all the sweet things in this world, but this character wasn't a real much of an addition to the plot or story progression. For the most part all this character did was sleep or complain how tired she was which is pretty much my daily life struggle, so i can relate to this character on so many levels. I have a feeling that Gracie might me the cure for this disease or 'change' that is currently happening i hope i'm proven wrong.
I really enjoyed that this book was set in Australia because i don't read a lot of books that are set in my country unless it's an australian author. The beginning of the book was even set in my state of Adelaide which was really cool thing to read.
I thought this story was ok but it does have room for improvement but i will say that i will definitely by the second book if it gets one because i would love to see where the story and characters go.
April 27, 2017
Actual Rating: 3
Edit: Upon reflection, I've knocked a star off my initial rating.
When I first heard about The Silent Invasion, I was both excited yet uncertain. My biggest concern was that it sounded very much like The 5th Wave. Now, this book was nowhere near perfect. The story was painstakingly slow at times (ahem, most of the time) and the characters felt hollow and dull, yet I found myself completely drawn in nonetheless. But with me being the complete sucker that I am for anything to do with anything extra-terrestrial, I got a great deal of enjoyment out of this one.
The Change started years ago when spores from outer space spread across the earth, changing the biology of plants and animals alike. But it wasn't long before they started affecting human life too, turning living beings into something.. other.
Callie's younger sister Gracie can be a handful at times, and Callie often wishes she wasn't the one having to always look after her. But when Gracie begins to show signs of the Change, Callie will do anything to keep Gracie safe, and won't let the Quarantine officers take her away. So with little more than the clothes on their backs, Callie and Gracie escape their small town and make their way north to seek refuge in The Zone.
I think that if anything, the thing that reminded me most of The Fifth Wave was the setting. I mean, it's a post-apocalyptic world where extra-terrestrial interference has changed life on earth. The fact that the story takes place in Australia really helped me connect more than I probably would have if it was set overseas. From South Australia to Queensland, it was great to see mention of many places that I'm actually familiar with. Add this to the scenery that reminded me a lot of The Last of Us, and I was completely sucked in.
But, every coin has two sides, and whilst the setting was amazing, the story was not. It was drawn out, and painstakingly slow, so basically not a whole lot happens. Usually, I am pretty turned-off by stories that drag on, but I couldn't seem to put this one down. I think I was holding onto the hope that it might get better. And it did, but only within maybe the last hundred pages or so. The way it ended is one of the biggest reasons that I wish to continue on with this series.
Edit: Upon reflection, I've knocked a star off my initial rating.
When I first heard about The Silent Invasion, I was both excited yet uncertain. My biggest concern was that it sounded very much like The 5th Wave. Now, this book was nowhere near perfect. The story was painstakingly slow at times (ahem, most of the time) and the characters felt hollow and dull, yet I found myself completely drawn in nonetheless. But with me being the complete sucker that I am for anything to do with anything extra-terrestrial, I got a great deal of enjoyment out of this one.
The Change started years ago when spores from outer space spread across the earth, changing the biology of plants and animals alike. But it wasn't long before they started affecting human life too, turning living beings into something.. other.
Callie's younger sister Gracie can be a handful at times, and Callie often wishes she wasn't the one having to always look after her. But when Gracie begins to show signs of the Change, Callie will do anything to keep Gracie safe, and won't let the Quarantine officers take her away. So with little more than the clothes on their backs, Callie and Gracie escape their small town and make their way north to seek refuge in The Zone.
I think that if anything, the thing that reminded me most of The Fifth Wave was the setting. I mean, it's a post-apocalyptic world where extra-terrestrial interference has changed life on earth. The fact that the story takes place in Australia really helped me connect more than I probably would have if it was set overseas. From South Australia to Queensland, it was great to see mention of many places that I'm actually familiar with. Add this to the scenery that reminded me a lot of The Last of Us, and I was completely sucked in.
But, every coin has two sides, and whilst the setting was amazing, the story was not. It was drawn out, and painstakingly slow, so basically not a whole lot happens. Usually, I am pretty turned-off by stories that drag on, but I couldn't seem to put this one down. I think I was holding onto the hope that it might get better. And it did, but only within maybe the last hundred pages or so. The way it ended is one of the biggest reasons that I wish to continue on with this series.
Thank you Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
February 13, 2017
I do want to support Aussie authors, but sadly I cannot say a single good thing about this book.
December 19, 2017
Trigger warnings: graphic animal cruelty, violence, descriptions of physical injuries.
I bought this book back in...March? April, maybe?? And I've put off reading it ever since. Honestly, the only reason I even bought it is that it was only $10, which is basically unheard of for a new release book in Australia. And look, it wasn't terrible. I'll probably donate my copy to work when I'm back next year. But it also wasn't fantastic.
I feel like it's heavily influenced by The Day of the Triffids in the set up, what with the green meteor-esque shower and life changing forever as a result of it. And yet it lacked the tension and the political terror and the brilliance of The Day of the Triffids.
I kind of ended up with the feeling that Bradley wrote one book which was originally twice the length, and the publisher was like "Nah, chum. We can turn this into a trilogy!", which would definitely explain the ending.
(Also, the romance was 100% shoehorned into the story and was totally unnecessary, especially seeing as it was almost entirely lacking in chemistry.)
At least the story features a protagonist of colour??
So I dunno that I'll bother reading the next book in the series when it comes out. Although given how fast-paced and easy to read this was, it wouldn't take me long to read it, so...who knows.
I bought this book back in...March? April, maybe?? And I've put off reading it ever since. Honestly, the only reason I even bought it is that it was only $10, which is basically unheard of for a new release book in Australia. And look, it wasn't terrible. I'll probably donate my copy to work when I'm back next year. But it also wasn't fantastic.
I feel like it's heavily influenced by The Day of the Triffids in the set up, what with the green meteor-esque shower and life changing forever as a result of it. And yet it lacked the tension and the political terror and the brilliance of The Day of the Triffids.
I kind of ended up with the feeling that Bradley wrote one book which was originally twice the length, and the publisher was like "Nah, chum. We can turn this into a trilogy!", which would definitely explain the ending.
(Also, the romance was 100% shoehorned into the story and was totally unnecessary, especially seeing as it was almost entirely lacking in chemistry.)
At least the story features a protagonist of colour??
So I dunno that I'll bother reading the next book in the series when it comes out. Although given how fast-paced and easy to read this was, it wouldn't take me long to read it, so...who knows.
May 19, 2017
Set in Australia in the near future where climate change is worsening, and where an alien contaminant is randomly changing the DNA of any life form that comes in contact with it, the story follows the quest of sixteen year old Callie, who is determined to save her infected younger sister from being imprisoned by Quarantine Control. As the two flee across thousands of kilometres hoping to seek refuge in the mysterious Zone beyond a heavily guarded wall, they must quickly learn who they can and cannot trust.
I enjoyed the fast pace, but by the end, I felt as if I had barely scratched the surface of what the trilogy was about. The world building is fascinating, entirely believable, and analogous to the here and now where fear and ignorance can result in the "Other" being treated as less than human. I did, however, find it difficult to suspend my disbelief when a major plot point was solved by what seemed a convenient coincidence. Even so, I am waiting in anticipation for Book 2.
19/5/17 edit: I am a judge for the 2017 Aurealis Awards. This review is my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinators, or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I enjoyed the fast pace, but by the end, I felt as if I had barely scratched the surface of what the trilogy was about. The world building is fascinating, entirely believable, and analogous to the here and now where fear and ignorance can result in the "Other" being treated as less than human. I did, however, find it difficult to suspend my disbelief when a major plot point was solved by what seemed a convenient coincidence. Even so, I am waiting in anticipation for Book 2.
19/5/17 edit: I am a judge for the 2017 Aurealis Awards. This review is my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinators, or the Aurealis Awards management team.
April 21, 2017
This is James Bradley’s first effort at writing young adult fiction. We loved Clade so were very excited to see what he could do writing for younger audiences. Bradley’s skill in writing post-apocalyptic fiction is that he constructs future worlds that have enough familiarity for the reader – they are not quite our world but there are enough similarities that we recognise what is going on. Set in the future Callie, her little sister Gracie, and her new travelling companion Matt that she meets on the way are travelling in secret and hiding on a perilous journey from Adelaide to QLD. Ten years before the story begins mysterious spores landed on Earth and infected plants and humans. People infected by spores are removed by the Quarantine Police and never seen again. Gracie shows signs of infection and Callie must run with her. On their way they meet helpful people and people with evil intentions. They encounter physical, emotional and mental hardships as Callie tries to keep her sister alive. This is book one in the trilogy and will appeal to upper middle age readers of dystopic fiction, particularly in year 9.
Suitable for 13+ - some suggested sexual content, violence, assault, imprisonment, dystopic themes
Suitable for 13+ - some suggested sexual content, violence, assault, imprisonment, dystopic themes
April 17, 2017
Really a 3.5/5 but rounded up because it's by an Australian author AND set in Australia 😊
Cool premise, good characters however little world building and the story moved too quickly for my liking leading to a lack of description. Still quite a good book.
Cool premise, good characters however little world building and the story moved too quickly for my liking leading to a lack of description. Still quite a good book.
July 5, 2017
(I've only given this novel 3 stars, but the ending is a definite 4.5!)
Ever since strange spores covered Earth, leaving web-like threads, humankind has battled The Change. Anybody who shows the symptoms of luminescence on their skin, or strange lights in their irises, are taken from their families, never to be seen again.
Callie is not about to let that happen to her 5 yr old half-sister Gracie. They have already lost their father to The Change, and Callie can't face losing Gracie too. Against the strict Quarantine laws, Callie flees across Australia to The Zone - a place said to be a safe haven for The Changed.
But their journey is full of danger, vicious dogs with hate-filled owners, drones on the look-out and determined Quarantine officers. Will they get to The Zone and is it what they've been told or is it something not of this world?
I quickly became attached to determined, resourceful Callie and her love for her little sister. The tension never lets up on their journey and it culminates in a shocking finale. A trilogy I will definitely be following!
Ever since strange spores covered Earth, leaving web-like threads, humankind has battled The Change. Anybody who shows the symptoms of luminescence on their skin, or strange lights in their irises, are taken from their families, never to be seen again.
Callie is not about to let that happen to her 5 yr old half-sister Gracie. They have already lost their father to The Change, and Callie can't face losing Gracie too. Against the strict Quarantine laws, Callie flees across Australia to The Zone - a place said to be a safe haven for The Changed.
But their journey is full of danger, vicious dogs with hate-filled owners, drones on the look-out and determined Quarantine officers. Will they get to The Zone and is it what they've been told or is it something not of this world?
I quickly became attached to determined, resourceful Callie and her love for her little sister. The tension never lets up on their journey and it culminates in a shocking finale. A trilogy I will definitely be following!
July 1, 2017
I wanted to like this book as it is set in Australia- but I found it boring and really hard to like. Too much walking. Things did not make sense. Super easy escapes and avoidance of capture made the plot difficult to take seriously. If you want dystopian book for young people in an Australian setting, stick with Victor Kellehar's 'Taronga'.
June 17, 2017
Great idea, but poorly executed. Very rare for me to not finish a book, the plot was disjointed and the characters were boring, hello this book should have been a 5 star read for me. I love books where the characters are fighting to survive and being hunted. Instead I was bored -huge waste of time.
January 19, 2023
Tja… wat moet je anders op de camping in Shark Bay
June 14, 2017
So I'd read a few bad reviews of this book, but I try not let that stop me, especially when it only costs $9.99. Also, I saw a fifty year old truck driver reading it the other day and he told me he was enjoying it. Nothing like reader's envy to get you reading!
I liked the basic 'Australianess' of this book. Utes, Vegemite etc. I just didn't really get the whole traveling thing. They go from Adelaide to Sydney to then head to Queensland. Maybe no trucks go anywhere on the Broken Hill road anywhere? Just to Sydney, I imagine using the Renmark/Mildura/Hay etc road, during which most trucks pull up, but it was almost like the truck didn't stop until it got to Sydney and they ran out. Just seemed weird. The trucks would at least stop at Hay for fuel etc. I just couldn't get my brain around the times/maps etc. Probably over thinking it, or I've driven to Adelaide from Bathurst and back too many times haha.
Speaking of times, when exactly did Matt and Callie decide to fall in lust. Was that his motivation all along? Because he was kind of convenient, appearing like that in the truck and then caring for a kid he knew nothing about. It was just a weird connection that moved way too fast for me. Nothing like a walk in the bush to get you horny, I guess haha.
Also, don't really expect any kind of information in book one. Nope, that will appear in sequels. -Sigh- I *may* read them, but not rushing on that front. I liked aspects of this, but I also disliked some. Kind of an average book for me. Three stars.
I liked the basic 'Australianess' of this book. Utes, Vegemite etc. I just didn't really get the whole traveling thing. They go from Adelaide to Sydney to then head to Queensland. Maybe no trucks go anywhere on the Broken Hill road anywhere? Just to Sydney, I imagine using the Renmark/Mildura/Hay etc road, during which most trucks pull up, but it was almost like the truck didn't stop until it got to Sydney and they ran out. Just seemed weird. The trucks would at least stop at Hay for fuel etc. I just couldn't get my brain around the times/maps etc. Probably over thinking it, or I've driven to Adelaide from Bathurst and back too many times haha.
Speaking of times, when exactly did Matt and Callie decide to fall in lust. Was that his motivation all along? Because he was kind of convenient, appearing like that in the truck and then caring for a kid he knew nothing about. It was just a weird connection that moved way too fast for me. Nothing like a walk in the bush to get you horny, I guess haha.
Also, don't really expect any kind of information in book one. Nope, that will appear in sequels. -Sigh- I *may* read them, but not rushing on that front. I liked aspects of this, but I also disliked some. Kind of an average book for me. Three stars.
June 2, 2017
Ok, well, I just finished this book, and I need the sequel... NOW!!! (I also need tissues but let me just do a quick little review).
I picked up this book when I was at Sydney Writers Festival and I got to meet James Bradley, and as soon as I could, I started this book, and OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I got addicted to this book!! It is so amazingly good! And yes, it can be a bit cheesy at times but I really liked it! The whole plot of this book was so well thought out and the whole time I just had to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next, and when I reached the end of the book I was actually screaming "IM MISSING PAGES THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE PAGES". The cliffhanger has me on edge and i don't think i can wait for the second one!!!! But it was so amazing and I definitely recommend this book! I will be doing a review (hopefully) on my YouTube Channel (I'm 'Just Kendall' on YouTube, if you want to check it out). Thank you!
I picked up this book when I was at Sydney Writers Festival and I got to meet James Bradley, and as soon as I could, I started this book, and OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I got addicted to this book!! It is so amazingly good! And yes, it can be a bit cheesy at times but I really liked it! The whole plot of this book was so well thought out and the whole time I just had to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next, and when I reached the end of the book I was actually screaming "IM MISSING PAGES THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE PAGES". The cliffhanger has me on edge and i don't think i can wait for the second one!!!! But it was so amazing and I definitely recommend this book! I will be doing a review (hopefully) on my YouTube Channel (I'm 'Just Kendall' on YouTube, if you want to check it out). Thank you!
September 27, 2017
'For as long as I could remember, the Zone had been the place where meaning ran out, where the map ended and uncertainty took over.' pg 254
Sixteen year old Callie races across an almost unrecognisable Australia, dodging brutal vigilantes and the harsh outback in a desperate attempt to save her little sister Gracie from the Quarantine. As resourceful and courageous as Callie is, she can't stop the Change; the metamorphosis slowly transforming her sister into something not quite human. As it did her father.
The Silent Invasion is the first installment of the The Change Trilogy from award winning author James Bradley. It's an exciting coming of age drama in the midst of science fiction classic - highly recommend.
Sixteen year old Callie races across an almost unrecognisable Australia, dodging brutal vigilantes and the harsh outback in a desperate attempt to save her little sister Gracie from the Quarantine. As resourceful and courageous as Callie is, she can't stop the Change; the metamorphosis slowly transforming her sister into something not quite human. As it did her father.
The Silent Invasion is the first installment of the The Change Trilogy from award winning author James Bradley. It's an exciting coming of age drama in the midst of science fiction classic - highly recommend.
Read
May 3, 2017I much preferred James Bradley's stunning novel Clade, but this gets 4 stars as my 10 year old devoured it in a night and loved it. And given it is a YA novel, he is probably more the intended audience than me :).
July 29, 2018
This dystopian sci fi book falls into the YA category but it’s definitely a page turner for adults too. If you’re after a break from ‘adult literature’ this is a great choice. You can get through it in a day & then grab the next in the trilogy ‘The Buried Ark’.
November 6, 2018
3.5 Stars. I enjoyed it on the whole but had a few issues.
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April 9, 2021I honestly don't remember anything about this book.
May 19, 2017
Halfway through, I was struggling to continue reading this book, mainly because of the author's annoying habit of starting every third sentence with 'as': As we approached... As I spoke... As we went further... As we moved on... As I watched... In one two-page stretch I counted nine sentences starting with or using this wording!
So the going was tough to begin with. But when I got to the part where one of the characters starts torturing a dog I threw the book away. Sorry, but I have no desire to put images like that in my head.
I will read nothing more by this author.
So the going was tough to begin with. But when I got to the part where one of the characters starts torturing a dog I threw the book away. Sorry, but I have no desire to put images like that in my head.
I will read nothing more by this author.
May 9, 2017
The premise for this book is intriguing - the notion of an infection which alters human personality and behaviour is a fascinating one. The prospect of the Earth's ecosystem being altered by the introduction of alien bioluminescent organisms seemed like a promising scenario for a dystopian novel.
Unfortunately, the first novel in the trilogy was disappointing. There are a few interesting ideas buried in this story, but in order to find them you have to wade through a couple of hundred pages of tedious and somewhat cliched narrative of a young girl running away and making a perilous journey in order to save her younger sister from being detained by the authorities tasked with preventing the spread of the infection.
This novel is really a road story, a tale of a teenager leaving her home and traveling through unfamiliar territory towards an unknown future. For the adolescent reader (the target audience being "young adult") this theme is probably an appealing one. But for older readers, its all too familiar and predictable.
There is very little in this book about the alien life forms or their influence on the people infected by them. I'm sure they will be explored in the second and third volumes in the trilogy, and I would hope that the later installments in the story demonstrate the intrigue and imagination that I was anticipating when I picked up the first volume.
The sad thing about this book is that it is so boring, that many readers will not bother to read the second book in the series, yet that is where I would expect the story to get interesting, since it takes place after the protagonist has reached "the Zone", where the infected people are held in isolation from the rest of the population.
I think it would have been preferable if the three parts of this novel were published in a single volume, and the editors had cut the length of the chapters relating the story of the heroine's escape with her sister. This first volume merely hints at the story that might emerge from the later chapters.
Publishing novels aimed at the Young Adult market in multi-volume format has become standard practice in recent years. But for this particular story, the introductory chapters just do not work as a stand alone novella.
Unfortunately, the first novel in the trilogy was disappointing. There are a few interesting ideas buried in this story, but in order to find them you have to wade through a couple of hundred pages of tedious and somewhat cliched narrative of a young girl running away and making a perilous journey in order to save her younger sister from being detained by the authorities tasked with preventing the spread of the infection.
This novel is really a road story, a tale of a teenager leaving her home and traveling through unfamiliar territory towards an unknown future. For the adolescent reader (the target audience being "young adult") this theme is probably an appealing one. But for older readers, its all too familiar and predictable.
There is very little in this book about the alien life forms or their influence on the people infected by them. I'm sure they will be explored in the second and third volumes in the trilogy, and I would hope that the later installments in the story demonstrate the intrigue and imagination that I was anticipating when I picked up the first volume.
The sad thing about this book is that it is so boring, that many readers will not bother to read the second book in the series, yet that is where I would expect the story to get interesting, since it takes place after the protagonist has reached "the Zone", where the infected people are held in isolation from the rest of the population.
I think it would have been preferable if the three parts of this novel were published in a single volume, and the editors had cut the length of the chapters relating the story of the heroine's escape with her sister. This first volume merely hints at the story that might emerge from the later chapters.
Publishing novels aimed at the Young Adult market in multi-volume format has become standard practice in recent years. But for this particular story, the introductory chapters just do not work as a stand alone novella.
August 17, 2024
3.5/5
Read this for school in year 11 and have been dying to reread ever since and I finally own the second book. Definitely made me realise I’m not a sci-fi girly and it wasn’t as good as I remember it. Still such an intriguing ending and I defs almost cried, holding out hope for the second book🙏
Read this for school in year 11 and have been dying to reread ever since and I finally own the second book. Definitely made me realise I’m not a sci-fi girly and it wasn’t as good as I remember it. Still such an intriguing ending and I defs almost cried, holding out hope for the second book🙏
September 20, 2017
There aren't many post-apocalyptic / dystopian novels set in Australia. I can think of 2 others besides this one and only this one is YA. That is one of the main reason I was interested in this book.
We were told that people disappear. They disappear because they're sick and will have to be quarantined. Callie's dad 'disappeared' a long time ago but now her little sister, Gracie, seems to be falling sick. Gracie is basically the only family Callie has left and she wasn't going to let Gracie go just like that despite what everyone says and so began her journey to find sanctuary for them both.
Callie is one amazing character. She was so strong and courageous yet very gentle with Gracie. The landscape was frightening as people are losing hopes and yet, there are still pockets of humanity. I'm still conflicted about the love interest though despite liking Matt and enjoying the romance, I think this story can stand on its own. I think Callie can stand on her own. The ending was tense but I'm surprised that I wasn't actually surprised with that last word...
Despite being un-surprised, I'd love to get onto the next book as The Silent Invasion was quite an adventure and I'd like some closure too! In the meantime, if you know & liked any other post-apocalyptic / dystopian set in Australia, I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for copy of book in exchange of honest review
We were told that people disappear. They disappear because they're sick and will have to be quarantined. Callie's dad 'disappeared' a long time ago but now her little sister, Gracie, seems to be falling sick. Gracie is basically the only family Callie has left and she wasn't going to let Gracie go just like that despite what everyone says and so began her journey to find sanctuary for them both.
Callie is one amazing character. She was so strong and courageous yet very gentle with Gracie. The landscape was frightening as people are losing hopes and yet, there are still pockets of humanity. I'm still conflicted about the love interest though despite liking Matt and enjoying the romance, I think this story can stand on its own. I think Callie can stand on her own. The ending was tense but I'm surprised that I wasn't actually surprised with that last word...
Despite being un-surprised, I'd love to get onto the next book as The Silent Invasion was quite an adventure and I'd like some closure too! In the meantime, if you know & liked any other post-apocalyptic / dystopian set in Australia, I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for copy of book in exchange of honest review
October 27, 2018
The Silent Invasion: Futuristic.. and.. Possible!!
Set approx. 10-20 years from today in real world Land Down Under (Australia), where Australia has fallen victim to the silent invasion of a bacteria.. or spores from space that has choked the earth killing plants and living things and has taken over mankind. In response to this invasion, cities are now in lockdown under martial law and Quarantine officers are authorised to capture those who have been infected and are going through the “Change”.
Callie is the protagonist in this story who will stop at nothing to save her little sister from being captured by Quarantine once she was in contact with the spores and has been on the run ever since. Their journey is a heart pounding one that really keeps you turning the page as they are fugitives of Quarantine, in hiding from their own family trying to get to a safe zone and have no idea who to trust. They are running through places that were once known as suburbia, but now known as “zones” facing walls and blockages upon every turn and having to throw themselves into hiding every time they see a drone hover nearby.
While reading this, I had a “Tomorrow when the war Began” meets “The Hunger Games” vibe and like the time I read John Marsden’s Tomorrow series, I couldn’t help but keep thinking “what if???” Yes.. I was thinking.. this sort of silent invasion is actually possible but as in a silent invasion of strains of flu getting worse/stronger each year or new diseases that appear out of nowhere as though someone has re-opened Pandora’s box. Who knows if Australia will end up like that and be subject to this sort of Quarantine.
The book is written very well and keeps you hanging for more especially with the twist right at the end!!! This book is suitable to readers young and old alike and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy YA dystopia – or like me, who are a fan of the Tomorrow Series too!!! I really hope the sequel wont take too long to be released now…
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan Publishers for approaching me to be part of this reading/review tour and for sending me an advanced review copy in exchange for my review.
- Annie
Set approx. 10-20 years from today in real world Land Down Under (Australia), where Australia has fallen victim to the silent invasion of a bacteria.. or spores from space that has choked the earth killing plants and living things and has taken over mankind. In response to this invasion, cities are now in lockdown under martial law and Quarantine officers are authorised to capture those who have been infected and are going through the “Change”.
Callie is the protagonist in this story who will stop at nothing to save her little sister from being captured by Quarantine once she was in contact with the spores and has been on the run ever since. Their journey is a heart pounding one that really keeps you turning the page as they are fugitives of Quarantine, in hiding from their own family trying to get to a safe zone and have no idea who to trust. They are running through places that were once known as suburbia, but now known as “zones” facing walls and blockages upon every turn and having to throw themselves into hiding every time they see a drone hover nearby.
While reading this, I had a “Tomorrow when the war Began” meets “The Hunger Games” vibe and like the time I read John Marsden’s Tomorrow series, I couldn’t help but keep thinking “what if???” Yes.. I was thinking.. this sort of silent invasion is actually possible but as in a silent invasion of strains of flu getting worse/stronger each year or new diseases that appear out of nowhere as though someone has re-opened Pandora’s box. Who knows if Australia will end up like that and be subject to this sort of Quarantine.
The book is written very well and keeps you hanging for more especially with the twist right at the end!!! This book is suitable to readers young and old alike and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy YA dystopia – or like me, who are a fan of the Tomorrow Series too!!! I really hope the sequel wont take too long to be released now…
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan Publishers for approaching me to be part of this reading/review tour and for sending me an advanced review copy in exchange for my review.
- Annie
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