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Katherine "Kitty" Katt #2
Alien Tango
Sci-fi action meets steamy paranormal romance in Gini Koch’s Alien novels, as Katherine “Kitty” Katt faces off against aliens, conspiracies, and deadly secrets. • “Futuristic high-jinks and gripping adventure.” — RT Reviews
For Alien Super-Being Exterminator Katherine "Kitty" Katt, anti-alien conspiracies, threats from outer space, and a couple of killer alligators are all in a day's work. It's been five months since Kitty joined Centaurion Division, working with the aliens from Alpha Centauri. She and Jeff Martini have grown closer and life looks rosy.
But when an experimental spacecraft is unexpectedly returned to the Kennedy Space Center, Kitty and the rest of Alpha Team are called on to investigate and are immediately embroiled in life-or-death situations that scream "political conspiracy."
The team must survive murderous attacks, deal with a mysterious space entity that has seized control of a group of astronauts, and evade a woman who'll do anything to eliminate the competition when she develops an obsessive crush on Kitty's old high school boyfriend. And that's all before the evil masterminds decide Kitty's extermination is vital... Alien Tango is the thrilling second installment of the Alien series.
For Alien Super-Being Exterminator Katherine "Kitty" Katt, anti-alien conspiracies, threats from outer space, and a couple of killer alligators are all in a day's work. It's been five months since Kitty joined Centaurion Division, working with the aliens from Alpha Centauri. She and Jeff Martini have grown closer and life looks rosy.
But when an experimental spacecraft is unexpectedly returned to the Kennedy Space Center, Kitty and the rest of Alpha Team are called on to investigate and are immediately embroiled in life-or-death situations that scream "political conspiracy."
The team must survive murderous attacks, deal with a mysterious space entity that has seized control of a group of astronauts, and evade a woman who'll do anything to eliminate the competition when she develops an obsessive crush on Kitty's old high school boyfriend. And that's all before the evil masterminds decide Kitty's extermination is vital... Alien Tango is the thrilling second installment of the Alien series.
440 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 2010
80 people are currently reading
1271 people want to read
About the author
Gini Koch
80 books911 followersGini Koch lives in Phoenix, Arizona and writes the bestselling fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series. Alien in the House, Book 7 in her long-running Alien series, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award as the Best Futuristic Romance of 2013. Book 14, Alien Nation, won the Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice Award for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel of 2016. Alien Education releases May 2, 2017, and DAW Books has just contracted through Book 20 in the Alien series.
As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.
In addition to her upcoming Alien Series releases, she has stories featured in a variety of anthologies available now and coming soon, writing as Gini Koch, Anita Ensal, J.C. Koch, and Jemma Chase. Writing as A.E. Stanton she will have an audiobook release in 2017, Natural Born Outlaws (The Legend of Belladonna Part 1) coming from Graphic Audio.
For full details on all releases, all the news about Gini's books, signings, events, excerpts, and more, visit her website: http://www.ginikoch.com.
As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.
In addition to her upcoming Alien Series releases, she has stories featured in a variety of anthologies available now and coming soon, writing as Gini Koch, Anita Ensal, J.C. Koch, and Jemma Chase. Writing as A.E. Stanton she will have an audiobook release in 2017, Natural Born Outlaws (The Legend of Belladonna Part 1) coming from Graphic Audio.
For full details on all releases, all the news about Gini's books, signings, events, excerpts, and more, visit her website: http://www.ginikoch.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
August 18, 2012
This review also appears on my Happy Indulgence Blog. Check it out for more reviews!
Katherine "Kitty" Katt is the Commander of the Airborne Centaurian Division, which is a group of extremely good-looking Alpha-Cetaurians (or A-C's) who use their powers to save the world. It's been five months since "Operation Fugly" and Kitty is happily dating Martini, her sexy A-C boyfriend who is also a high-ranking Commander. However, with a jealous lover after her and a host of mastermind stalkers, she's in for a ride in Alien Tango.
Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was looking forward to this one, hoping it would meet my expectations. Perhaps I set my expectations a little too high, as there were some things that irked me. I found the plot was all over place and got lost every now and then. Instead of taking the book in a single direction, we get to see glimpses of Kitty's life, like finally meeting Martini's family, and a return of an old lover from high school.
Kitty is one weird lady. She's got a quirky sense of humour (highlight of the book was when she did the kung fu horse stance to try and control a gushing pipe and when she named two alligators "Alliflash" and "Gigantagator") which I find really hilarious. She's really smart, ballsy, quick on her feet and extremely charismatic. So much so, that she's able to command a unit with relatively no experience or powers (except for her sexual prowess, if you may like to call that one).
Unfortunately, she flaunts that sexuality a little too much in this book. She reminds me of the Flirty/Heartbreaker trait in The Sims 3, who can't help but be amorous with everyone they take a fancy to. She's got many men after her, much to Martini's displeasure and a lot of the book revolves around his jealousy and insecurities. In two separate missions, Kitty actually uses her sexual prowess to assist in the mission, and although effective, I couldn't help but wonder why the two most powerful aliens on the planet couldn't help instead.
Although these things really got on my nerves whenever they appeared, there were a lot of redeeming qualities that helped me overlook those annoyances. What I really enjoyed about the book, is the sci-fi, modern day setting where aliens have integrated themselves into our world, unbeknownst to most of the human population. The descriptions about their religions, technology, and powers satisfies my inner nerd. There's also a lot of witty banter between the characters, which is really fun and enjoyable.
The humour in this series is just pure gold. I mean these aliens prefer Armani suits, have extreme stamina, and all are apparently extremely sexy. Not to mention having the greatest empath in the world as her boyfriend, who knows exactly what she's feeling without her mentioning anything. He's great in bed, has excellent stamina, rich and powerful. Sounds like the perfect guy right?
I enjoyed Alien Tango and will be looking forward to reading the next title in the series.
Katherine "Kitty" Katt is the Commander of the Airborne Centaurian Division, which is a group of extremely good-looking Alpha-Cetaurians (or A-C's) who use their powers to save the world. It's been five months since "Operation Fugly" and Kitty is happily dating Martini, her sexy A-C boyfriend who is also a high-ranking Commander. However, with a jealous lover after her and a host of mastermind stalkers, she's in for a ride in Alien Tango.
Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was looking forward to this one, hoping it would meet my expectations. Perhaps I set my expectations a little too high, as there were some things that irked me. I found the plot was all over place and got lost every now and then. Instead of taking the book in a single direction, we get to see glimpses of Kitty's life, like finally meeting Martini's family, and a return of an old lover from high school.
Kitty is one weird lady. She's got a quirky sense of humour (highlight of the book was when she did the kung fu horse stance to try and control a gushing pipe and when she named two alligators "Alliflash" and "Gigantagator") which I find really hilarious. She's really smart, ballsy, quick on her feet and extremely charismatic. So much so, that she's able to command a unit with relatively no experience or powers (except for her sexual prowess, if you may like to call that one).
Unfortunately, she flaunts that sexuality a little too much in this book. She reminds me of the Flirty/Heartbreaker trait in The Sims 3, who can't help but be amorous with everyone they take a fancy to. She's got many men after her, much to Martini's displeasure and a lot of the book revolves around his jealousy and insecurities. In two separate missions, Kitty actually uses her sexual prowess to assist in the mission, and although effective, I couldn't help but wonder why the two most powerful aliens on the planet couldn't help instead.
Although these things really got on my nerves whenever they appeared, there were a lot of redeeming qualities that helped me overlook those annoyances. What I really enjoyed about the book, is the sci-fi, modern day setting where aliens have integrated themselves into our world, unbeknownst to most of the human population. The descriptions about their religions, technology, and powers satisfies my inner nerd. There's also a lot of witty banter between the characters, which is really fun and enjoyable.
The humour in this series is just pure gold. I mean these aliens prefer Armani suits, have extreme stamina, and all are apparently extremely sexy. Not to mention having the greatest empath in the world as her boyfriend, who knows exactly what she's feeling without her mentioning anything. He's great in bed, has excellent stamina, rich and powerful. Sounds like the perfect guy right?
I enjoyed Alien Tango and will be looking forward to reading the next title in the series.
December 11, 2010
Much like its predecessor, Alien Tango is a fun, fluffy romp, complete with sexy aliens, wacky action, snarky dialogue, and a whole lot of fun.
Picking up a few months after the end of Touched By An Alien, we rejoin our unlikely heroine, Katherine “Kitty” Katt, as she settles into her job as the Airborne commander of the Centaurion Division, also known as a troupe of exiled, extremely good-looking aliens from Alpha Centauri. Things are going well between Kitty and her sexy alien boyfriend, Jeff Martini.
Of course, as we know, this is when all hell breaks loose.
Factions in the U.S. government want more control over Centaurion Division, and the team is called to Florida unexpectedly to deal with a strange occurrence on an experimental spacecraft. Along the way, they discover a plot to kill them all, and by “discover” I mean “notice something’s amiss just before boarding a plane with a bomb on it.”. On top of that, they run across another plot, this one aimed at Kitty and her high school ex-boyfriend, and Kitty gets to meet Jeff’s family, who are not all that impressed by the idea that he’s dating a human.
When summarized like that, Alien Tango sounds… well, like it has a lot going on. And it does, but Koch’s plot runs at a breakneck pace for the most part, and things do mesh together pretty well in the end. Her writing is also quite funny, and Kitty’s first-person narration is witty and sarcastic. She’s still a likable character, and her voice really helps the book. It’s much more enjoyable to figure out what the hell is going on along with Kitty as she untangles all of the plot threads.
Thankfully, Alien Tango is lighter on the infodumps; that was a major problem I had with Touched By An Alien, and I’m very grateful that there are fewer instances of people sitting around talking about what’s going on. That’s not to say there aren’t any infodumps, but it isn’t quite as irritating in this book.
Kitty’s relationship with Jeff hits some speed bumps in this book, including a resistant alien family and ex-boyfriends. I have to confess, I’m not a big fan of the über-possessive, jealous, alpha male thing. Jeff is pretty damned hot, but I hope he becomes more trusting and less likely to punch a guy’s lights out for so much as smiling at Kitty. That kind of reaction is a bit creepy to me. To each her own, though.
Even with these love problems, the book is still pretty fluffy, and I count that as a nice change. I read a lot of urban fantasy which tends to be very dark and emotionally taxing. It’s refreshing to be able to sit down with a book that will make me laugh and let me just hang on for the ride without leaving me feeling like I’ve just run the vicarious relationship gauntlet.
(Originally published at The Discriminating Fangirl.)
Picking up a few months after the end of Touched By An Alien, we rejoin our unlikely heroine, Katherine “Kitty” Katt, as she settles into her job as the Airborne commander of the Centaurion Division, also known as a troupe of exiled, extremely good-looking aliens from Alpha Centauri. Things are going well between Kitty and her sexy alien boyfriend, Jeff Martini.
Of course, as we know, this is when all hell breaks loose.
Factions in the U.S. government want more control over Centaurion Division, and the team is called to Florida unexpectedly to deal with a strange occurrence on an experimental spacecraft. Along the way, they discover a plot to kill them all, and by “discover” I mean “notice something’s amiss just before boarding a plane with a bomb on it.”. On top of that, they run across another plot, this one aimed at Kitty and her high school ex-boyfriend, and Kitty gets to meet Jeff’s family, who are not all that impressed by the idea that he’s dating a human.
When summarized like that, Alien Tango sounds… well, like it has a lot going on. And it does, but Koch’s plot runs at a breakneck pace for the most part, and things do mesh together pretty well in the end. Her writing is also quite funny, and Kitty’s first-person narration is witty and sarcastic. She’s still a likable character, and her voice really helps the book. It’s much more enjoyable to figure out what the hell is going on along with Kitty as she untangles all of the plot threads.
Thankfully, Alien Tango is lighter on the infodumps; that was a major problem I had with Touched By An Alien, and I’m very grateful that there are fewer instances of people sitting around talking about what’s going on. That’s not to say there aren’t any infodumps, but it isn’t quite as irritating in this book.
Kitty’s relationship with Jeff hits some speed bumps in this book, including a resistant alien family and ex-boyfriends. I have to confess, I’m not a big fan of the über-possessive, jealous, alpha male thing. Jeff is pretty damned hot, but I hope he becomes more trusting and less likely to punch a guy’s lights out for so much as smiling at Kitty. That kind of reaction is a bit creepy to me. To each her own, though.
Even with these love problems, the book is still pretty fluffy, and I count that as a nice change. I read a lot of urban fantasy which tends to be very dark and emotionally taxing. It’s refreshing to be able to sit down with a book that will make me laugh and let me just hang on for the ride without leaving me feeling like I’ve just run the vicarious relationship gauntlet.
(Originally published at The Discriminating Fangirl.)
January 8, 2013
This second book in the series continues in much the same way as the first, which is to say it's cheesy and not particularly good in any measurable sense of the word. Yet, I'm still reading it. I'm not sure why. It must be fulfilling some need I wasn't aware I had, because I am going to move on to the third book in the series.
Kitty continues to baffle me as a character. In my review of "Touched by an Alien" I complained that there was no basis for her archetypal behavior -- tough chick, witty, quick on her feet, brave, etc. There continues to be no basis for this behavior, although more people from her past turn out to have gone on to do interesting things related to the aliens presence on earth. (Does anyone NOT know about these aliens?) Meanwhile, Kitty hasn't even read the material she's been given that would help educate her about the aliens she's living with or help her get to know their culture/society. I guess she's supposed to be too cool for that kind of thing, but it makes her come across as stupid and arrogant, and it throws less believably into things when she has these sudden and inexpiable moments of understanding...she'll put pieces of puzzles together and come to amazing conclusions. You'd think she'd be able to do that better if she, you know, knew anything to begin with.
So why am I still reading? I confess that my reading list is a bit low right now, and I haven't read scifi (cheesy or otherwise) in too long, and I'm kind of having fun with this world and the sexy aliens. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's like one of those really bad movies you just can't stop watching even though you know you should. I don't know, but if I keep reading, maybe I'll figure it out. :)
Kitty continues to baffle me as a character. In my review of "Touched by an Alien" I complained that there was no basis for her archetypal behavior -- tough chick, witty, quick on her feet, brave, etc. There continues to be no basis for this behavior, although more people from her past turn out to have gone on to do interesting things related to the aliens presence on earth. (Does anyone NOT know about these aliens?) Meanwhile, Kitty hasn't even read the material she's been given that would help educate her about the aliens she's living with or help her get to know their culture/society. I guess she's supposed to be too cool for that kind of thing, but it makes her come across as stupid and arrogant, and it throws less believably into things when she has these sudden and inexpiable moments of understanding...she'll put pieces of puzzles together and come to amazing conclusions. You'd think she'd be able to do that better if she, you know, knew anything to begin with.
So why am I still reading? I confess that my reading list is a bit low right now, and I haven't read scifi (cheesy or otherwise) in too long, and I'm kind of having fun with this world and the sexy aliens. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's like one of those really bad movies you just can't stop watching even though you know you should. I don't know, but if I keep reading, maybe I'll figure it out. :)
February 6, 2017
J'adore!! J'adore tout, la folie de l'auteur (et donc de son héroïne), le côté WTF des histoires, la pop culture qu'elles contiennent, Kitty, Jeff, Reader ... bref tout le monde ... Et surtout (et en ce moment, on en a besoin) le message de tolérance que l'auteur distille sous le côté déluré de sa saga.
November 22, 2010
Awwwww Yeah!!! Gini Koch has done it again!
Alien Tango has been one of my most eagerly awaited books this year; I literally jumped up and down when it arrived in my mailbox. I mean, that cover is gorgeous - it must have great things inside, right? Right!!!
It's six months after the events in Touched by an Alien (my gushing review here), and things have been relatively quiet. Kitty, or Commander Katt now, has been putting out small fires here and there but nothing big. She's been working with her new team of human pilots, and the super-hot A-C guys, when they get a call that there's big trouble brewing. They end up in Florida, which also happens to be where Martini's family lives...
OMG the action in this book is non-stop - there's aliens and alligators, human-supremacists and a stalker. People get killed, things get blown up, and there's some astronauts in quarantine who are having weird side-effects. Then Kitty meets Martini's family...and his fiancee!?!
Alien Tango was full of action, but there were some great threads running between all the action too: One recurring point throughout the book is Jeff wanting to to to Kitty's high school reunion - Kitty doesn't want to go but reluctantly agrees. I won't put up any spoilers but it doesn't go quite like she expected. We also meet Kitty's best friend, Chuckie. I mentioned in my TBAA review that I wished we'd get more of Chuckie - thank you Ms. Koch - I love him! (And the fact that Martini soooo does not love Chuckie is quite funny.)
And just when I started wanting more Kitty/Martini relationship action - bam! - Ms. Koch delivered - but not in the way I'd expected. (She's sneaky like that!)
Some of my old favorites are back: Christopher, Reader, and Kitty's parents, and now I've got new favorites - Chuckie and Martini's dad, Alfred.
I don't think it's possible to tell you how full of win this book is - the jokes are so corny they're funny. Alien Tango is like a comic book in novel format - the aliens, the action, the funny, the romance! I can't wait to see what's next in this amazing series. (BTW - are there plans for graphic novels? 'Cause I'd totally buy them!)
Alien Tango has been one of my most eagerly awaited books this year; I literally jumped up and down when it arrived in my mailbox. I mean, that cover is gorgeous - it must have great things inside, right? Right!!!
It's six months after the events in Touched by an Alien (my gushing review here), and things have been relatively quiet. Kitty, or Commander Katt now, has been putting out small fires here and there but nothing big. She's been working with her new team of human pilots, and the super-hot A-C guys, when they get a call that there's big trouble brewing. They end up in Florida, which also happens to be where Martini's family lives...
OMG the action in this book is non-stop - there's aliens and alligators, human-supremacists and a stalker. People get killed, things get blown up, and there's some astronauts in quarantine who are having weird side-effects. Then Kitty meets Martini's family...and his fiancee!?!
Alien Tango was full of action, but there were some great threads running between all the action too: One recurring point throughout the book is Jeff wanting to to to Kitty's high school reunion - Kitty doesn't want to go but reluctantly agrees. I won't put up any spoilers but it doesn't go quite like she expected. We also meet Kitty's best friend, Chuckie. I mentioned in my TBAA review that I wished we'd get more of Chuckie - thank you Ms. Koch - I love him! (And the fact that Martini soooo does not love Chuckie is quite funny.)
And just when I started wanting more Kitty/Martini relationship action - bam! - Ms. Koch delivered - but not in the way I'd expected. (She's sneaky like that!)
Some of my old favorites are back: Christopher, Reader, and Kitty's parents, and now I've got new favorites - Chuckie and Martini's dad, Alfred.
I don't think it's possible to tell you how full of win this book is - the jokes are so corny they're funny. Alien Tango is like a comic book in novel format - the aliens, the action, the funny, the romance! I can't wait to see what's next in this amazing series. (BTW - are there plans for graphic novels? 'Cause I'd totally buy them!)
June 10, 2017
Loved it! Can't wait to read book 3. Roll on the weekend.
October 15, 2020
I liked this just as much (maybe a little more?) than book 1. This didn't have Kitty's mom/dad/pets in this as much and they were missed. But, there is so much going on in the one. And it worked. The snark is still there and I really like Kitty's "voice."
This picks up a few months after book 1. Kitty is the leader of Alpha team, the human part of Centaurion Division. Her romance with Jeff is still on, hot and heavy, but she still has to meet his parents. It was nice to know that even aliens have parental issues.
There's the plot to turn Centaurion into something else by a senator (who just might have nefarious plans), take down the team, and Kitty's a target from someone who has a crush on an ex high school BF. More characters are introduced (but I don't know how much they will be a part of the series): Brian (the old BF and now astronaut), Kevin (part of the PTCU), Charles/Chuck/Chuckie (Kitty's best friend from high school), Serene (half human/half A-C), Lucinda & Alfred (Jeff's parents), Jeff's siblings (5 sisters and I don't remember their names- Maureen (I think) was one), and ACE. Might need to start a character guide. Kitty and Jeff's relationship is taken to the next level. There is a push to allow for interracial (interspecies?) relationships (between humans and A-Cs).
Not many "issues:" the A-C culture still seems to be a bit patriarchal (women do the meals/housework), men are the ones in position of power (Jeff, Christopher, Richard), women must marry and bear kids. However, they are enlightened with same-sex relationships. Kitty has a lot of people in love with her (and the "old" her): Brian and Chuckie. (And don't forget the Christopher issue from the first book).
Looking forward to the next!
This picks up a few months after book 1. Kitty is the leader of Alpha team, the human part of Centaurion Division. Her romance with Jeff is still on, hot and heavy, but she still has to meet his parents. It was nice to know that even aliens have parental issues.
There's the plot to turn Centaurion into something else by a senator (who just might have nefarious plans), take down the team, and Kitty's a target from someone who has a crush on an ex high school BF. More characters are introduced (but I don't know how much they will be a part of the series): Brian (the old BF and now astronaut), Kevin (part of the PTCU), Charles/Chuck/Chuckie (Kitty's best friend from high school), Serene (half human/half A-C), Lucinda & Alfred (Jeff's parents), Jeff's siblings (5 sisters and I don't remember their names- Maureen (I think) was one), and ACE. Might need to start a character guide. Kitty and Jeff's relationship is taken to the next level. There is a push to allow for interracial (interspecies?) relationships (between humans and A-Cs).
Not many "issues:" the A-C culture still seems to be a bit patriarchal (women do the meals/housework), men are the ones in position of power (Jeff, Christopher, Richard), women must marry and bear kids. However, they are enlightened with same-sex relationships. Kitty has a lot of people in love with her (and the "old" her): Brian and Chuckie. (And don't forget the Christopher issue from the first book).
Looking forward to the next!
March 27, 2020
The second book is the one that decides if I will continue with the series if it was murky after the first one. Happy to say this one was even better than Touched by an Alien!
LIKES:
✔ The quirky narration that I loved
✔ Heroine has the crazy complex plans that always go wrong. Or is it worse when they work as she intended? Only her team knows. The one with the crocodiles was my favorites. And yes, crocodiles appear in the plot. They are not just cover decoration. :D
✔ Love triangles cleared up.
✔ A lot of non-stop action and fun.
✔ Love the relationship between Kitty and her male BFF Reader:
"Still love you best."
"I know, same here. Working on turning straight, I swear."
"Promises, promises."
DISLIKES:
✘ Not much depth, but it's like complaining how BigMac has no vitamins. If you wanted a healthy meal, what the hell are you looking for in McDonald's?
The second book in Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, definitely earned it a permanent spot in my TBR. At least until I devour them all. xD
Recommended if you are looking fluffy and fun sf/uf romance for these tough times.
LIKES:
✔ The quirky narration that I loved
✔ Heroine has the crazy complex plans that always go wrong. Or is it worse when they work as she intended? Only her team knows. The one with the crocodiles was my favorites. And yes, crocodiles appear in the plot. They are not just cover decoration. :D
✔ Love triangles cleared up.
✔ A lot of non-stop action and fun.
✔ Love the relationship between Kitty and her male BFF Reader:
"Still love you best."
"I know, same here. Working on turning straight, I swear."
"Promises, promises."
DISLIKES:
✘ Not much depth, but it's like complaining how BigMac has no vitamins. If you wanted a healthy meal, what the hell are you looking for in McDonald's?
The second book in Katherine "Kitty" Katt series, definitely earned it a permanent spot in my TBR. At least until I devour them all. xD
Recommended if you are looking fluffy and fun sf/uf romance for these tough times.
November 17, 2010
Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life
*contain spoilers if you haven’t read Touched by an Alien
I fell utterly and absolutely in love with the world and characters that Gini Koch has created after I read Touched by an Alien. Ever since then I have been obsessed and have been drinking in each and every news about this series I could get, being it the new covers (which are AMAZING!) to the fact that Gini has actually signed a contract for a total of SIX BOOKS in the series so far.
However, I was a bit apprehensive, because of my huge expectations for this sequel and I was scared of being disappointed. I finished Alien Tango a few minutes ago and now I can positively say that I not only wasn’t disappointed, but, dare I say it, Alien Tango was even better than Touched by an Alien! I know it’s blasphemy, but bare with me. Touched by an Alien was incredible, but in Alien Tango I already knew most of the characters and it was easier to just get lost in their adventures and wackiness.
Alien Tango picks up about 5 months after the events in Touched by an Alien. Kitty is now the head of the Airborne division and part of the Alpha team. She and Martini have been dealing with the Superbeing threat all over the globe, but there seem to be less and less attacks for them to worry about. No worries there, no way things will be this easy for them, now we get a more human threat and this one is quite nasty.
Martini was just as lovable, sweet and hot as ever; but he and Kitty do run into some problems, relationship wise. I mean, it’s not easy to meet your boyfriend’s family when they come from a race that mostly doesn’t believe in interracial relationships. But this is where we can see how amazing these books are; Kitty doesn’t take ANYTHING laying down and always speaks her mind. She is by far one of the most amazing and kick-ass heroines I have ever read! I want to be her when i grow up =)
Alien Tango has everything I loved about Touched by an Alien and more! Fast paced story, tons of action and romance. Not to mention a lot of laugh out loud moments and some of the creepiest villains ever. I devoured and loved every second of it and I could not put it down for even a moment! So much goes on that half way through the book I felt like we had gone through a whole novel and I was happy to see I still had tons of more to read. I still wanted more in the end, I can never get enough Martini, Kitty and company, EVER!
Touched by an Alien was one of my favorite reads of 2010 and has definitely made its way into my favorite reads ever. Alien Tango is right up there and Gini Koch has become an absolute automatic buy for me! If you have yet to read this series, I have no idea what’s wrong with you! If you are a fan of Touched by an Alien, you will LOVE this one!
*contain spoilers if you haven’t read Touched by an Alien
I fell utterly and absolutely in love with the world and characters that Gini Koch has created after I read Touched by an Alien. Ever since then I have been obsessed and have been drinking in each and every news about this series I could get, being it the new covers (which are AMAZING!) to the fact that Gini has actually signed a contract for a total of SIX BOOKS in the series so far.
However, I was a bit apprehensive, because of my huge expectations for this sequel and I was scared of being disappointed. I finished Alien Tango a few minutes ago and now I can positively say that I not only wasn’t disappointed, but, dare I say it, Alien Tango was even better than Touched by an Alien! I know it’s blasphemy, but bare with me. Touched by an Alien was incredible, but in Alien Tango I already knew most of the characters and it was easier to just get lost in their adventures and wackiness.
Alien Tango picks up about 5 months after the events in Touched by an Alien. Kitty is now the head of the Airborne division and part of the Alpha team. She and Martini have been dealing with the Superbeing threat all over the globe, but there seem to be less and less attacks for them to worry about. No worries there, no way things will be this easy for them, now we get a more human threat and this one is quite nasty.
Martini was just as lovable, sweet and hot as ever; but he and Kitty do run into some problems, relationship wise. I mean, it’s not easy to meet your boyfriend’s family when they come from a race that mostly doesn’t believe in interracial relationships. But this is where we can see how amazing these books are; Kitty doesn’t take ANYTHING laying down and always speaks her mind. She is by far one of the most amazing and kick-ass heroines I have ever read! I want to be her when i grow up =)
Alien Tango has everything I loved about Touched by an Alien and more! Fast paced story, tons of action and romance. Not to mention a lot of laugh out loud moments and some of the creepiest villains ever. I devoured and loved every second of it and I could not put it down for even a moment! So much goes on that half way through the book I felt like we had gone through a whole novel and I was happy to see I still had tons of more to read. I still wanted more in the end, I can never get enough Martini, Kitty and company, EVER!
Touched by an Alien was one of my favorite reads of 2010 and has definitely made its way into my favorite reads ever. Alien Tango is right up there and Gini Koch has become an absolute automatic buy for me! If you have yet to read this series, I have no idea what’s wrong with you! If you are a fan of Touched by an Alien, you will LOVE this one!
May 31, 2012
Ok so this book was a whole different bunch of crazy goodness compared to the first one. Instead of this one being all about “when Alien’s attack” its more along the lines of “when humans attack”. Yup, there are not so many aliens in this book other than the good boys and girls of A-C. But there are a lot of crazy alien, marriage proposals, crazy women, and crazy intertwining plots. This one was different in many way from the first as I find me have a more scared Kitty but also a more brave Kitty in some ways because she does things even when she knows that Jeff won’t be around to save her. And of course Jeff is around a lot so that makes the book all the more appealing. I did however find all the twist and turns of this novel a little more complicated and hard to follow than the first. And really when will people start telling Kitty everything instead of just letting her find things out later on. I mean come on, she’s going to find out. Its just in her nature.
Good:
Kitty: She’s strong. She takes on ‘gators, crazy men, men that are in love with her, other things that are from out of this world, alien mothers, and a high school reunion.
Jeff: Hot as hell. I can understand Kitty’s fascination.
Christopher: Also hotter than hell. I hope they find a girl for him in the next couple of novels. He needs one.
Chuckie: Finally. We’ve heard so much about him and we finally meet and what’s that? He’s also hotter than hell.
James Reader: Still gay. Still hot. Still awesome.
Bad:
Kitty: Alright I know I listed Kitty as one of the good things in this novel but she also bothered me in some ways. Kitty gets really confused…throughout this novel. I don’t really understand why she was confused. She seems to let all the “crazy awesome sex” over take her actual brain.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall I found this one a little confusing to follow but generally when Kitty explains it to everyone you start to get the picture. Even with Kitty being, in my opinion, completely stupid in this novel it was still a good novel. I like that there was the complete 180 change from hostile aliens to hostile humans from the first to the second novel. It adds a little variety. But I will admit this book was confusing there were some things I had to re-read. However, I liked the Alligators.
View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com
Good:
Kitty: She’s strong. She takes on ‘gators, crazy men, men that are in love with her, other things that are from out of this world, alien mothers, and a high school reunion.
Jeff: Hot as hell. I can understand Kitty’s fascination.
Christopher: Also hotter than hell. I hope they find a girl for him in the next couple of novels. He needs one.
Chuckie: Finally. We’ve heard so much about him and we finally meet and what’s that? He’s also hotter than hell.
James Reader: Still gay. Still hot. Still awesome.
Bad:
Kitty: Alright I know I listed Kitty as one of the good things in this novel but she also bothered me in some ways. Kitty gets really confused…throughout this novel. I don’t really understand why she was confused. She seems to let all the “crazy awesome sex” over take her actual brain.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall I found this one a little confusing to follow but generally when Kitty explains it to everyone you start to get the picture. Even with Kitty being, in my opinion, completely stupid in this novel it was still a good novel. I like that there was the complete 180 change from hostile aliens to hostile humans from the first to the second novel. It adds a little variety. But I will admit this book was confusing there were some things I had to re-read. However, I liked the Alligators.
View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com
August 9, 2022
1st Re-read: 7 August 2022 - 9 August 2022
3.5 Stars
Things I am overly aware of at the moment:
• The fact that this series is growing on me at a breakneck speed.
• I finished the second book of a series while I still haven't reviewed the first one, yet again.
• The fact I will say I will review both soon-ish with the best of intentions in mind & heart, yet again.
Things You are overly aware of at the moment:
• Review to come!
3.5 Stars
Things I am overly aware of at the moment:
• The fact that this series is growing on me at a breakneck speed.
• I finished the second book of a series while I still haven't reviewed the first one, yet again.
• The fact I will say I will review both soon-ish with the best of intentions in mind & heart, yet again.
Things You are overly aware of at the moment:
• Review to come!
October 6, 2015
Aussi bon que le premier, avec de l'action, de l'humour, des personnages intéressants, et surtout, surtout, une intrigue bien fichue, et un peu complexe, et ça fait plaisir ! Hâte de lire la suite :D
May 2, 2017
Kitty is awesome!
I love Jeff for sure but I think Kitty is the real Alpha in this series, lol..
And now I'm hooked with this series too, sigh.
I love Jeff for sure but I think Kitty is the real Alpha in this series, lol..
And now I'm hooked with this series too, sigh.
May 25, 2011
Rating: 3.0 stars.
Genre: Science Fiction and Romance
Alien Tango is the second book in the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series by Gini Koch and the sequel to Touched by an Alien. It has been six months since Kitty found out that humans are not alone on this planet and there are those who aren't exactly friendly towards the human race. Kitty has had several rude encounters with Super beings from outer space, including single handedly killing one herself with a pen, then coming up with the idea that hairspray kills them.
Kitty is a former marketing manager who is now officially attached to the Centaurion Division (Alpha Centauri) as the commander for the Airborne Division. There are other humans that belong to her unit and most of them are former Navy Top Gun pilots. Also attached to her unit are James Reader, a former male supermodel who just happens to be gay and in a relationship with Paul Gower. Reader is funny and smart and works well with Kitty. Tim Crawford is the other human who is attached to the AD’s as its official driver. The AD includes two female AC scientists, Lorraine, Claudia, who absolutely love being out in the field with Kitty.
Kitty and Jeff Martini, an Alpha Centauri, are now in a steady relationship and living together on base. Jeff hasn’t formerly made his intentions clear toward Kitty, which leads to questions about why not, but his possessiveness tells others to back away. They have been all over the world running down super aliens and disposing of them.
Kitty’s first concern of the story is meeting Martini’s parents, Alfred and Lucinda, who don’t really care for the interspecies relationship. Kitty’s parents, on the other hand, are a lot more accepting after having already met Jeff and saw how he truly feels about her. Angela Katt is a former Mossad Agent, and current head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU). She continues to say that Kitty is very dense not to realize that others have loved her for a long time now and she needs to open her eyes. Truer words have never been spoken in my opinion.
I continually question the logic of keeping Jeff and Kitty together even though there have been others just as attractive as and less possessive than Jeff. Jeff is such a jealous and short tempered character, that I continually find myself yelling RUN KITTY RUN! There are better fish in the sea like Christopher and your best male friend Charles Reynolds, better known as Chuckie. I don’t even care that they have hot monkey sex 9,000 times over the course of the story. I would say the same thing to a real life couple if the female was constantly being treated as though she was object to put up on a pedestal, rather than an actual person with feelings and choices of her own.
Next, Kitty discovers an anti-alien group calling itself Club 51. Their goals are the removal of all aliens from the planet in whatever manner they can come up with including bombing an entire plane full of innocents. Somehow they find out that Kitty and the rest of Alpha team are heading towards Florida, and try to kill them. These are people include a US Congressman with very powerful ties, as well as those who work at Cape Canaveral. Kitty to the rescue along with a new character named Kevin, who just happens to work for her mother. Kevin quickly became one of my favorite sub characters, and I hope to see more of him in later releases.
The reason the team was on the way to Florida, is that a US Space Shuttle, the Valiant, somehow managed to find its way back to the launch pad but the astronauts have no memory of what happened. The astronauts, including an ex-boyfriend, appear to be possessed or had their memories erased. It is later learned that the A-C’s put a barrier around the planet in order to keep them from returning to their former world.
Kitty’s own brand of “Kittyism” (like calling a couple of alligators Alliflash, and Gigantagator), are what makes Kitty an interesting character to read about. She comes across, most of the time, as somehow who can get the job done without hesitation or fear for her safety. Then other times she doesn’t even bother reading the memos she is given on specific topics, and then runs headstrong into disasters and you wonder how exactly she is in charge of anyone.
My Dislikes: Martini’s possessiveness, jealously, overly protective behavior including grabbing her gun and leaving her unprotected against the alligators; being overly smothering and needy and clingy and thinking that Kitty is seriously cheating on him with everyone she happens to run into. Kitty has more than once saved his life, but to hear it from Martinis prospective, she is no more than a human who needs to be watched over and coddled.
New characters added: Jeff’s entire family, including all six sisters who are much older than he is, along with their children who seem to cling to Kitty when she stands up in defense of humans dating Alpha Centauri. This, to me, was one of the best parts of this story. It was fun to watch Kitty stand up for herself, as well as one of Jeff’s nieces who refuses to get involved in an arranged marriage. She, like a lot of the younger A-C’s, want to choose who they date, and marry and not rely on old fashioned religious beliefs that are out dated.
Of course, there is the stunning revelation that her best male friend Chuckie, not only loves her and has since they had a fling in Las Vegas, but, he wants to marry her. He is in charge of a CIA group called the ET Division, and a direct challenge to Martini’s authority of the Alpha Team. He even warns Martini not to mess with Kitty, or he will be sorry. Very interesting.
Final thoughts: I like this series, but at times, I find myself skimming over nonsense that isn’t anything I want to read about or interested in. The constant sex scenes, for instance, took up a lot of the book that could have been skimmed over. Instead of 400 pages, it could have easily been 320. I would have loved to read more about Chuckie, Kevin and ACE, an alien who is now part of Paul, and who is smitten with Kitty and wants to protect her.
Next in series: Alien in the Family (04/05/2011) and Alien Proliferation (12/06/2011).
Genre: Science Fiction and Romance
Alien Tango is the second book in the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series by Gini Koch and the sequel to Touched by an Alien. It has been six months since Kitty found out that humans are not alone on this planet and there are those who aren't exactly friendly towards the human race. Kitty has had several rude encounters with Super beings from outer space, including single handedly killing one herself with a pen, then coming up with the idea that hairspray kills them.
Kitty is a former marketing manager who is now officially attached to the Centaurion Division (Alpha Centauri) as the commander for the Airborne Division. There are other humans that belong to her unit and most of them are former Navy Top Gun pilots. Also attached to her unit are James Reader, a former male supermodel who just happens to be gay and in a relationship with Paul Gower. Reader is funny and smart and works well with Kitty. Tim Crawford is the other human who is attached to the AD’s as its official driver. The AD includes two female AC scientists, Lorraine, Claudia, who absolutely love being out in the field with Kitty.
Kitty and Jeff Martini, an Alpha Centauri, are now in a steady relationship and living together on base. Jeff hasn’t formerly made his intentions clear toward Kitty, which leads to questions about why not, but his possessiveness tells others to back away. They have been all over the world running down super aliens and disposing of them.
Kitty’s first concern of the story is meeting Martini’s parents, Alfred and Lucinda, who don’t really care for the interspecies relationship. Kitty’s parents, on the other hand, are a lot more accepting after having already met Jeff and saw how he truly feels about her. Angela Katt is a former Mossad Agent, and current head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU). She continues to say that Kitty is very dense not to realize that others have loved her for a long time now and she needs to open her eyes. Truer words have never been spoken in my opinion.
I continually question the logic of keeping Jeff and Kitty together even though there have been others just as attractive as and less possessive than Jeff. Jeff is such a jealous and short tempered character, that I continually find myself yelling RUN KITTY RUN! There are better fish in the sea like Christopher and your best male friend Charles Reynolds, better known as Chuckie. I don’t even care that they have hot monkey sex 9,000 times over the course of the story. I would say the same thing to a real life couple if the female was constantly being treated as though she was object to put up on a pedestal, rather than an actual person with feelings and choices of her own.
Next, Kitty discovers an anti-alien group calling itself Club 51. Their goals are the removal of all aliens from the planet in whatever manner they can come up with including bombing an entire plane full of innocents. Somehow they find out that Kitty and the rest of Alpha team are heading towards Florida, and try to kill them. These are people include a US Congressman with very powerful ties, as well as those who work at Cape Canaveral. Kitty to the rescue along with a new character named Kevin, who just happens to work for her mother. Kevin quickly became one of my favorite sub characters, and I hope to see more of him in later releases.
The reason the team was on the way to Florida, is that a US Space Shuttle, the Valiant, somehow managed to find its way back to the launch pad but the astronauts have no memory of what happened. The astronauts, including an ex-boyfriend, appear to be possessed or had their memories erased. It is later learned that the A-C’s put a barrier around the planet in order to keep them from returning to their former world.
Kitty’s own brand of “Kittyism” (like calling a couple of alligators Alliflash, and Gigantagator), are what makes Kitty an interesting character to read about. She comes across, most of the time, as somehow who can get the job done without hesitation or fear for her safety. Then other times she doesn’t even bother reading the memos she is given on specific topics, and then runs headstrong into disasters and you wonder how exactly she is in charge of anyone.
My Dislikes: Martini’s possessiveness, jealously, overly protective behavior including grabbing her gun and leaving her unprotected against the alligators; being overly smothering and needy and clingy and thinking that Kitty is seriously cheating on him with everyone she happens to run into. Kitty has more than once saved his life, but to hear it from Martinis prospective, she is no more than a human who needs to be watched over and coddled.
New characters added: Jeff’s entire family, including all six sisters who are much older than he is, along with their children who seem to cling to Kitty when she stands up in defense of humans dating Alpha Centauri. This, to me, was one of the best parts of this story. It was fun to watch Kitty stand up for herself, as well as one of Jeff’s nieces who refuses to get involved in an arranged marriage. She, like a lot of the younger A-C’s, want to choose who they date, and marry and not rely on old fashioned religious beliefs that are out dated.
Of course, there is the stunning revelation that her best male friend Chuckie, not only loves her and has since they had a fling in Las Vegas, but, he wants to marry her. He is in charge of a CIA group called the ET Division, and a direct challenge to Martini’s authority of the Alpha Team. He even warns Martini not to mess with Kitty, or he will be sorry. Very interesting.
Final thoughts: I like this series, but at times, I find myself skimming over nonsense that isn’t anything I want to read about or interested in. The constant sex scenes, for instance, took up a lot of the book that could have been skimmed over. Instead of 400 pages, it could have easily been 320. I would have loved to read more about Chuckie, Kevin and ACE, an alien who is now part of Paul, and who is smitten with Kitty and wants to protect her.
Next in series: Alien in the Family (04/05/2011) and Alien Proliferation (12/06/2011).
April 8, 2013
For the Triple K series, I may write each review in two parts. This is the second book in the series and here’s my review. In part one, I’m pretending to be the writer and my thoughts about the book will be in part two.
Part One:
You can read Part One on Silk Screen Views:
http://silkscreenviews.wordpress.com/...
Part Two:
Is it bad when killing off superbeing, bad guys are part of the norm and learning to fly a jet is standard safety? Maybe! But that’s what Kitty Katt’s life has become and she isn’t sorry for it. Not one bit! She used to be a normal person with a normal job in marketing. Then Kitty ended up rushing in to kill an alien monster with a ball point pen and everything in her life went flying out of what most would call normal. Turns out her parents aren’t exactly what she thought they were. Her Mom is the head of a anti-terrorist group that answers to the President and her Dad is really a cryptologist working for the government–the E.T. division. Crazy stuff happened, things were blown up and Kitty became a Commanding officer of the Alpha Centauri’s Airborne division. No one could have guessed that one happening in Kitty’s long term career goals!
Just when things are falling into what could be called normal, a new crisis comes up and the A Team is sent out to figure it out. Only life threatening disasters get in the way and it doesn’t really stop. Whatever is going on at the Kennedy Space Center, someone wants to keep the team away from the location and will do anything to stop them. On top of that, Kitty’s not sure how long her relationship with Jeff Martini will last with the Alpha Centauri bane on inter-species marriage. She thought they could just take it as they go but Jeff’s under pressure by his parents to drop their relationship and she can see how much it hurts him.
I was pretty excited to see what happens in book two after being vastly amused and happily surprised a few times in book one. The humor, characters and all remain my favorite parts of the story. I gotta admit that I’m never going to forget Alliflash and Gigantagator! Those two may live in complete infamy! Hahahaha! I wasn’t expecting to not enjoy this book as much as the first one. What can I say? Book one was great and it’s totally a favorite of mine! It’s true. I thought book two would hit the same mark but it didn’t.
What didn’t mesh for me started in the beginning of the story when there’s obviously something going on and not everyone who is in the know is communicating what that is with Martini or Christopher. Those two are the leaders in the field. I can’t imagine them not being informed about anything they should know before they go out to risk their lives for others. This was totally uncharacteristic behavior for the A.C.’s and made it hard to suspend belief as other events occurred. I had a very hard time believing in any of the pivotal events and actions that happened in this book. That fact detracted a good portion of my enjoyment because I felt that I was questioning elements instead of being immersed in the story.
List of LOL – Good Stuff:
- Conversations Jeff has with his parents are hilarious! Very true to form to what my best friend has to deal with her parents. Annoying as crap for her and rather funny for me!
- Kitty’s Libido: I know some people are totally turned off by this and others fall between extremes. I think it’s hilarious and totally believable because I remember how I was when I was in love with a certain someone special. However, even I have to roll my eyes at some parts because there’s no way I’m suppose to take it seriously! Come on. Kitty Katt. Right? Right. Hahahha–
- Jeff Martini: The irony of the God in Bed having the same name of an alcoholic drink that he can’t ever have–it tickles me. Just a little.
- Alliflash and Gigantagator: If you don’t like them, what’s wrong with you?!?!? They’re awesome! Just remember to have running shoes on and maybe a barrier between you and them. It’ll be fine.
- How to maim with a stiletto. I always thought this is standard info but it’s nice to get a refresher.
- Good cars are meant to be driven well and fast! Who says driving in a speedy fashion is only for guys? Not me! It’s one of the great joys in life! I can totally appreciate a vehicle that can turn on a dime.
Truth be told, I didn’t love this book as much as the first but I still had fun reading it. There are several elements of surprise in the book. I wasn’t a fan of the climax and the transitions around the end are rough but there are other parts of the story that rocked. No one is perfect and that’s very true in this series. It’s cool to see the vulnerable side of the cast. My advice is to read the story with no expectations and let your own response to it surprise you. I’m currently reading book three and it’s going well! Keep an eye out for the review. ;)
Read More Reviews at Silk Screen Views Website
Part One:
You can read Part One on Silk Screen Views:
http://silkscreenviews.wordpress.com/...
Part Two:
Is it bad when killing off superbeing, bad guys are part of the norm and learning to fly a jet is standard safety? Maybe! But that’s what Kitty Katt’s life has become and she isn’t sorry for it. Not one bit! She used to be a normal person with a normal job in marketing. Then Kitty ended up rushing in to kill an alien monster with a ball point pen and everything in her life went flying out of what most would call normal. Turns out her parents aren’t exactly what she thought they were. Her Mom is the head of a anti-terrorist group that answers to the President and her Dad is really a cryptologist working for the government–the E.T. division. Crazy stuff happened, things were blown up and Kitty became a Commanding officer of the Alpha Centauri’s Airborne division. No one could have guessed that one happening in Kitty’s long term career goals!
Just when things are falling into what could be called normal, a new crisis comes up and the A Team is sent out to figure it out. Only life threatening disasters get in the way and it doesn’t really stop. Whatever is going on at the Kennedy Space Center, someone wants to keep the team away from the location and will do anything to stop them. On top of that, Kitty’s not sure how long her relationship with Jeff Martini will last with the Alpha Centauri bane on inter-species marriage. She thought they could just take it as they go but Jeff’s under pressure by his parents to drop their relationship and she can see how much it hurts him.
I was pretty excited to see what happens in book two after being vastly amused and happily surprised a few times in book one. The humor, characters and all remain my favorite parts of the story. I gotta admit that I’m never going to forget Alliflash and Gigantagator! Those two may live in complete infamy! Hahahaha! I wasn’t expecting to not enjoy this book as much as the first one. What can I say? Book one was great and it’s totally a favorite of mine! It’s true. I thought book two would hit the same mark but it didn’t.
What didn’t mesh for me started in the beginning of the story when there’s obviously something going on and not everyone who is in the know is communicating what that is with Martini or Christopher. Those two are the leaders in the field. I can’t imagine them not being informed about anything they should know before they go out to risk their lives for others. This was totally uncharacteristic behavior for the A.C.’s and made it hard to suspend belief as other events occurred. I had a very hard time believing in any of the pivotal events and actions that happened in this book. That fact detracted a good portion of my enjoyment because I felt that I was questioning elements instead of being immersed in the story.
List of LOL – Good Stuff:
- Conversations Jeff has with his parents are hilarious! Very true to form to what my best friend has to deal with her parents. Annoying as crap for her and rather funny for me!
- Kitty’s Libido: I know some people are totally turned off by this and others fall between extremes. I think it’s hilarious and totally believable because I remember how I was when I was in love with a certain someone special. However, even I have to roll my eyes at some parts because there’s no way I’m suppose to take it seriously! Come on. Kitty Katt. Right? Right. Hahahha–
- Jeff Martini: The irony of the God in Bed having the same name of an alcoholic drink that he can’t ever have–it tickles me. Just a little.
- Alliflash and Gigantagator: If you don’t like them, what’s wrong with you?!?!? They’re awesome! Just remember to have running shoes on and maybe a barrier between you and them. It’ll be fine.
- How to maim with a stiletto. I always thought this is standard info but it’s nice to get a refresher.
- Good cars are meant to be driven well and fast! Who says driving in a speedy fashion is only for guys? Not me! It’s one of the great joys in life! I can totally appreciate a vehicle that can turn on a dime.
Truth be told, I didn’t love this book as much as the first but I still had fun reading it. There are several elements of surprise in the book. I wasn’t a fan of the climax and the transitions around the end are rough but there are other parts of the story that rocked. No one is perfect and that’s very true in this series. It’s cool to see the vulnerable side of the cast. My advice is to read the story with no expectations and let your own response to it surprise you. I’m currently reading book three and it’s going well! Keep an eye out for the review. ;)
Read More Reviews at Silk Screen Views Website
January 10, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A heroine with a quirky sense of humor that can solve anything in her crazy, outside the box style.
Opening Sentence: Aliens walk among us.
The Review:
Alien Tango is the second novel in Gini Koch’s urban fantasy Katherine “Kitty” Katt series. These books are thick but man are they action-packed and funny. If you like a main character with a crazy sense of humor who loves a rock soundtrack with her action then I would recommend giving this series a try. The aliens of this series are also worth it because who doesn’t love a bunch of drop dead aliens in Armani? I’m beginning to think I do! As an urban fantasy series, the story makes more sense if you’ve read the stories before it.
Katherine “Kitty” Katt is now the new head of the Airborne Division of Centurion. It has been only five months since she discovered that aliens are real. Now something strange is going down at Kennedy Space Center. The Centurion Division has been tasked to find out what has happened to a group of astronauts after they returned un-expectantly from space. Meanwhile, Kitty is not planning on going back to her high school reunion but Jeff is much to her chagrin. The alligators are perhaps the funniest thing in this novel. I didn’t remember them from the synopsis but I wondered why there was an alligator on the cover.
I want to repeat that there is so much going on in this novel. Kitty uncovers a group who wants nothing for the aliens but to be their slaves and they have found the ultimate weapon. Kitty also is trying to help fight the bigotry within the Alpha Centurions. Craziness just abounds in this novel and all the events take place within the span of a few days, although two weeks did pass at one point but honestly it still just felt like the span of a few days.
I love Kitty’s spunk and humor. Her humor is quite out there but it does often make me laugh out loud. Plus, you can never know what is up Kitty’s sleeve because a lot of her ideas come out of left base. These ideas seem to be what the Alpha Centurions need though because they hadn’t been able to fight off the bad guys for years until Kitty came along. The only thing I don’t like is that Kitty is a little too emotional at times and cries quite a bit.
Kitty does have one thing that reminds me of one of my used to be favorite series… all the males in the novel seem to have the hots for her. At least three proposed or planned on proposing, one keeps threatening to turn straight (which is hilarious by the way), and the many flirtatious meetings with different men (while in life or death situations).
Jeff Martini is sexy as hell but he is moody in this novel, not as funny as book one. I almost wanted Kitty to at least take up one of the other offers. This book isn’t all fun and games. There are times when I do get a little lost in the dialogue and can’t quite comprehend some of the more technical issues that the characters are talking about when they are bouncing ideas quickly off of each other.
Overall, I do have some minor issues with the book but in the end it is an entertaining world that I have enjoyed immersing myself in with the strange but crazy hot aliens. I can’t wait to unveil what is next for Kitty and Jeff.
Notable Scene:
“You people really are the scum of the Earth, aren’t you?”
“This is our world. They don’t belong here. If they’re going to stay, then they’re going to do what they should.”
“Be your weapons?”
“Be our slaves.”
He meant it. This wasn’t just a bid for power, this was Hitler all over again. I had to hand it to the little goosestepper—he’d tapped into what appeared to be a universal goal of megalomaniacs everywhere: purity of the race and death or enslavement of any not considered good enough.
FTC Advisory: DAW/Penguin provided me with a copy of Alien Tango. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A heroine with a quirky sense of humor that can solve anything in her crazy, outside the box style.
Opening Sentence: Aliens walk among us.
The Review:
Alien Tango is the second novel in Gini Koch’s urban fantasy Katherine “Kitty” Katt series. These books are thick but man are they action-packed and funny. If you like a main character with a crazy sense of humor who loves a rock soundtrack with her action then I would recommend giving this series a try. The aliens of this series are also worth it because who doesn’t love a bunch of drop dead aliens in Armani? I’m beginning to think I do! As an urban fantasy series, the story makes more sense if you’ve read the stories before it.
Katherine “Kitty” Katt is now the new head of the Airborne Division of Centurion. It has been only five months since she discovered that aliens are real. Now something strange is going down at Kennedy Space Center. The Centurion Division has been tasked to find out what has happened to a group of astronauts after they returned un-expectantly from space. Meanwhile, Kitty is not planning on going back to her high school reunion but Jeff is much to her chagrin. The alligators are perhaps the funniest thing in this novel. I didn’t remember them from the synopsis but I wondered why there was an alligator on the cover.
I want to repeat that there is so much going on in this novel. Kitty uncovers a group who wants nothing for the aliens but to be their slaves and they have found the ultimate weapon. Kitty also is trying to help fight the bigotry within the Alpha Centurions. Craziness just abounds in this novel and all the events take place within the span of a few days, although two weeks did pass at one point but honestly it still just felt like the span of a few days.
I love Kitty’s spunk and humor. Her humor is quite out there but it does often make me laugh out loud. Plus, you can never know what is up Kitty’s sleeve because a lot of her ideas come out of left base. These ideas seem to be what the Alpha Centurions need though because they hadn’t been able to fight off the bad guys for years until Kitty came along. The only thing I don’t like is that Kitty is a little too emotional at times and cries quite a bit.
Kitty does have one thing that reminds me of one of my used to be favorite series… all the males in the novel seem to have the hots for her. At least three proposed or planned on proposing, one keeps threatening to turn straight (which is hilarious by the way), and the many flirtatious meetings with different men (while in life or death situations).
Jeff Martini is sexy as hell but he is moody in this novel, not as funny as book one. I almost wanted Kitty to at least take up one of the other offers. This book isn’t all fun and games. There are times when I do get a little lost in the dialogue and can’t quite comprehend some of the more technical issues that the characters are talking about when they are bouncing ideas quickly off of each other.
Overall, I do have some minor issues with the book but in the end it is an entertaining world that I have enjoyed immersing myself in with the strange but crazy hot aliens. I can’t wait to unveil what is next for Kitty and Jeff.
Notable Scene:
“You people really are the scum of the Earth, aren’t you?”
“This is our world. They don’t belong here. If they’re going to stay, then they’re going to do what they should.”
“Be your weapons?”
“Be our slaves.”
He meant it. This wasn’t just a bid for power, this was Hitler all over again. I had to hand it to the little goosestepper—he’d tapped into what appeared to be a universal goal of megalomaniacs everywhere: purity of the race and death or enslavement of any not considered good enough.
FTC Advisory: DAW/Penguin provided me with a copy of Alien Tango. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
April 21, 2011
I sat down to write this review and just sat here. And sat. And sat a bit more. I stared at the screen of my computer and thought “Nikki, (yes I say my name in my head), what can we say about this book? How can we get across the very strong emotion I am feeling after reading it?” Well….the only thing I can think of is:
READ THIS BOOK!! IT’S MADE OF ALL THINGS AWESOME! IT WILL ROCK YOUR DAMN SOCKS OFF! ARRRGGGGGGG!
There really is no way for me to say how much I loved this book. How much I have decided that Gini Koch is a friggin genius. How much I am in love with a fictional character. Nope, no way. But, *sigh* I shall at least try to act professional in this review. What? That scenario is already blown. Oh. Well, I will try anyway. It’s my blog after all. Heh.
Kitty is back and it’s been 5 months since her and Martini and the gang took down the big fugly alien hell bent on taking over the earth. All in a days work. Martini and Kitty have settled into a routine of him living with her and she telling herself he doesn’t actually live there. Things are good. Things are calm. Pretty much.
A cluster of alien activity is never a good thing and when it coincides with some big governmental secrets, well, shit is about to hit the proverbial fan. Something is brewing. Something that the government bigwigs don’t want the Alpha Centuri’s to find out. Add in an obsessive wannabe girlfriend for Kitty’s ex, an attempted arranged marriage for Martini, a bodyless space entity and a group of skinhead alien haters…ooooo and alligators..freakily fast alligators, Kitty and Martini and the rest of the Alpha Centuri’s have their hands full. There’s no rest for the wicked….
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I enjoyed the banter of all the characters. They act like a big family, well I guess they are since all the aliens are related, but you know what I mean. Kitty was back with her quick thinking mind and her overly sarcastic mouth. Showing up the guys constantly. That woman takes absolutely no crap from anyone. I loved her take charge attitude and her overly emotional adrenalin let down where she burst into tears. Martini was always there to dry her tears though, and pick up the pieces. Even when he was being an ass about it.
Reader, the gay human friend who works with the aliens as well, was a great addition. He provided comic relief in dire situations and his ability to connect with Kitty on a different level was very well wrote. He provides a friendship that is completely different then those Kitty has with the other Alpha Centuri’s, even the women.
The underlying prejudice storyline really helped move the book along quite nicely. Gini shows us things from both sides. She includes a skinhead type group who hate aliens and wants them wiped out. Then she shows you an old school family that doesn’t want their extremely powerful empath son/nephew to even think about marrying a human and mixing blood. Having both sides shown gives you the unique opportunity to hear both arguments.
Christopher still hasn’t gotten any booty…and honestly…the man needs to. He scowls way too much. I’m holding out hope that he gets some action soon.
Gini Koch has forever changed what I think about Sci Fi. She has made me want to broaden my reading horizons. If this book was a movie, it would be one of those blockbuster, bajillion dollar grossing, films. In fact, I hold out hope that someday, some extremely smart movie maker will take these to the screen. Because the only thing better than me trying to use my imagination to locate the level of heat Gini brings to the pages, would be me experiencing it on screen…where the male actors would be hotter and uh bigger then life!
READ THIS BOOK!! IT’S MADE OF ALL THINGS AWESOME! IT WILL ROCK YOUR DAMN SOCKS OFF! ARRRGGGGGGG!
There really is no way for me to say how much I loved this book. How much I have decided that Gini Koch is a friggin genius. How much I am in love with a fictional character. Nope, no way. But, *sigh* I shall at least try to act professional in this review. What? That scenario is already blown. Oh. Well, I will try anyway. It’s my blog after all. Heh.
Kitty is back and it’s been 5 months since her and Martini and the gang took down the big fugly alien hell bent on taking over the earth. All in a days work. Martini and Kitty have settled into a routine of him living with her and she telling herself he doesn’t actually live there. Things are good. Things are calm. Pretty much.
A cluster of alien activity is never a good thing and when it coincides with some big governmental secrets, well, shit is about to hit the proverbial fan. Something is brewing. Something that the government bigwigs don’t want the Alpha Centuri’s to find out. Add in an obsessive wannabe girlfriend for Kitty’s ex, an attempted arranged marriage for Martini, a bodyless space entity and a group of skinhead alien haters…ooooo and alligators..freakily fast alligators, Kitty and Martini and the rest of the Alpha Centuri’s have their hands full. There’s no rest for the wicked….
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I enjoyed the banter of all the characters. They act like a big family, well I guess they are since all the aliens are related, but you know what I mean. Kitty was back with her quick thinking mind and her overly sarcastic mouth. Showing up the guys constantly. That woman takes absolutely no crap from anyone. I loved her take charge attitude and her overly emotional adrenalin let down where she burst into tears. Martini was always there to dry her tears though, and pick up the pieces. Even when he was being an ass about it.
Reader, the gay human friend who works with the aliens as well, was a great addition. He provided comic relief in dire situations and his ability to connect with Kitty on a different level was very well wrote. He provides a friendship that is completely different then those Kitty has with the other Alpha Centuri’s, even the women.
The underlying prejudice storyline really helped move the book along quite nicely. Gini shows us things from both sides. She includes a skinhead type group who hate aliens and wants them wiped out. Then she shows you an old school family that doesn’t want their extremely powerful empath son/nephew to even think about marrying a human and mixing blood. Having both sides shown gives you the unique opportunity to hear both arguments.
Christopher still hasn’t gotten any booty…and honestly…the man needs to. He scowls way too much. I’m holding out hope that he gets some action soon.
Gini Koch has forever changed what I think about Sci Fi. She has made me want to broaden my reading horizons. If this book was a movie, it would be one of those blockbuster, bajillion dollar grossing, films. In fact, I hold out hope that someday, some extremely smart movie maker will take these to the screen. Because the only thing better than me trying to use my imagination to locate the level of heat Gini brings to the pages, would be me experiencing it on screen…where the male actors would be hotter and uh bigger then life!
March 8, 2015
Touched by an Alien was one of my favourite reads of the year so far so I couldn't wait to get started on Alien Tango. I have totally fallen in love with this series and am so glad I already have my copy of Alien in the Family to devour next. I said in my previous review that I don't read a lot of science fiction but I'm thinking I really need to try more, I still love my vampire and shifter stories but I definitely now have a soft spot for aliens too. I really do think this series will appeal to fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy as well as science fiction lovers.
This book is so full of action and suspense that it's hard to know where to start with a review, I don't want to go into too much detail and give anything away because I really think you need to experience the story for yourself. The story picks up 5 months after the ending of Touched by an Alien and Kitty is settling into her role as commander of the airborn division. Her relationship with Jeff Martini has been going from strength to strength and they are more in love than ever but she is yet to meet his parents who really don't seem to approve of them being together. Martini is jealous of her best friend Chuckie and is determined to make Kitty go to her high school reunion so he can show Chuckie who Kitty belongs to. Throw into the mix political intrigue, alien politics, Kitty's ex boyfriend and his crazy stalker and Martini and Kitty are sure to be in for a bumpy ride.
Martini stole my heart in Touched by an Alien and I'm even more in love with him now than ever. He and Kitty are scorching hot together and I can't get enough of them, they are right up there with Cat & Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series as one of my favourite fictional couples - high praise indeed from me because I adore Bones! Alien Tango was just so much fun to read, the snarky humor from the previous book is back and again I was laughing out loud as I was reading the book. I really think this is a series I shouldn't read in public unless I want to get a lot of funny looks. When Kitty finally gets to meet Martini's family sparks fly and I was cheering Kitty along the whole way, she certainly took no prisoners and I'm sure a lot of people out there wish they were as outspoken with their in-laws as she is (I definitely could have done with some tips from her to deal with my ex's family!).
Just like in the first book we are still treated to a strong cast of secondary characters. I would have liked to see a little more of Christopher but hopefully he'll have a bigger role in the next installment. I loved getting to see more of Reader and it was great to finally meet Chuckie who we heard a lot about in the first book but didn't actually see until this one. With some of the revelations made in Alien Tango I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. Kitty's mother still has some surprises up her sleeve and you can see where Kitty gets a lot of her strength from.
If you haven't yet discovered this series I really can't recommend it highly enough, it's been a long time since an adult series captured me as hard and fast as this one did and I can't wait to see what Gini Koch has in store for us next. If you enjoyed the first book in the series then you're going to love Alien Tango even more, now I'm off to get started on Alien in the Family!
This book is so full of action and suspense that it's hard to know where to start with a review, I don't want to go into too much detail and give anything away because I really think you need to experience the story for yourself. The story picks up 5 months after the ending of Touched by an Alien and Kitty is settling into her role as commander of the airborn division. Her relationship with Jeff Martini has been going from strength to strength and they are more in love than ever but she is yet to meet his parents who really don't seem to approve of them being together. Martini is jealous of her best friend Chuckie and is determined to make Kitty go to her high school reunion so he can show Chuckie who Kitty belongs to. Throw into the mix political intrigue, alien politics, Kitty's ex boyfriend and his crazy stalker and Martini and Kitty are sure to be in for a bumpy ride.
Martini stole my heart in Touched by an Alien and I'm even more in love with him now than ever. He and Kitty are scorching hot together and I can't get enough of them, they are right up there with Cat & Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series as one of my favourite fictional couples - high praise indeed from me because I adore Bones! Alien Tango was just so much fun to read, the snarky humor from the previous book is back and again I was laughing out loud as I was reading the book. I really think this is a series I shouldn't read in public unless I want to get a lot of funny looks. When Kitty finally gets to meet Martini's family sparks fly and I was cheering Kitty along the whole way, she certainly took no prisoners and I'm sure a lot of people out there wish they were as outspoken with their in-laws as she is (I definitely could have done with some tips from her to deal with my ex's family!).
Just like in the first book we are still treated to a strong cast of secondary characters. I would have liked to see a little more of Christopher but hopefully he'll have a bigger role in the next installment. I loved getting to see more of Reader and it was great to finally meet Chuckie who we heard a lot about in the first book but didn't actually see until this one. With some of the revelations made in Alien Tango I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. Kitty's mother still has some surprises up her sleeve and you can see where Kitty gets a lot of her strength from.
If you haven't yet discovered this series I really can't recommend it highly enough, it's been a long time since an adult series captured me as hard and fast as this one did and I can't wait to see what Gini Koch has in store for us next. If you enjoyed the first book in the series then you're going to love Alien Tango even more, now I'm off to get started on Alien in the Family!
Read
October 4, 2011Read entire review at Smash Attack Reads! http://www.smashattackreads.com/2011/...
Where ever do I start? I can always tell when I’m really enjoying a book because I don’t have a lot of notes written down. Yes, I’m one of those readers. Well, if you could see my notes page, you would either go “What the bleep?” or laugh at how ridiculous it is that I take notes. Ok, let me make my point.
See, not a whole lot to go on. Which me brings me back to my point: Gini Koch knows how to deliver one hell of an entertaining read. And If you couldn’t tell by the title of this post, this book delivers laughs of ginormous proportions. I think I scared my cats a time or two from the abrupt cacophony of guffaws known as my laugh. Did I really just write that sentence? I found the humor to be better than the first book, which was hard to top, people!
There is so much happening in this book! Kitty is faced with not-so-crazy-about-her soon-to-be in-laws, which proves to be hilarious. However, Kitty doesn’t take shit from anyone, and she shuts up an entire house full of A-Cs. She commands respect and it’s one of her best qualities. She also dodges a murderous stalker and two alligators who Kitty aptly names Gigantigator and Alliflash! A couple of Kitty’s ex-boyfriends add drama to her love life, and she confronts tradition in the name of individual rights. Plus a whole lot more. Overall, I loved the outcome of all of these plotlines, as well as the addition of new characters. ACE is pretty amazing and I look forward to his role in future books.
I loved that Gini wove real-life issues into this story, such as arranged marriages and marrying someone of a different race / culture / religion. It’s hard to remember the difficulties that Jeff and Kitty face as a couple because they are so perfect for each other, but their relationship has never been easy, and it’s mainly due to outside influence. If it were up to them, I think they’d spend 90% of their time in the shower together, and 10% kicking ass and taking names.
I love Gini Koch’s “voice” as an author. Her work is an absolute joy to read, not just because she is hysterical, but because when I read her books, I feel like I’m getting to know her personally. And let me tell you, I would definitely enjoy a drink or two with this woman. It would turn into a party before happy hour was over!
Where ever do I start? I can always tell when I’m really enjoying a book because I don’t have a lot of notes written down. Yes, I’m one of those readers. Well, if you could see my notes page, you would either go “What the bleep?” or laugh at how ridiculous it is that I take notes. Ok, let me make my point.
See, not a whole lot to go on. Which me brings me back to my point: Gini Koch knows how to deliver one hell of an entertaining read. And If you couldn’t tell by the title of this post, this book delivers laughs of ginormous proportions. I think I scared my cats a time or two from the abrupt cacophony of guffaws known as my laugh. Did I really just write that sentence? I found the humor to be better than the first book, which was hard to top, people!
There is so much happening in this book! Kitty is faced with not-so-crazy-about-her soon-to-be in-laws, which proves to be hilarious. However, Kitty doesn’t take shit from anyone, and she shuts up an entire house full of A-Cs. She commands respect and it’s one of her best qualities. She also dodges a murderous stalker and two alligators who Kitty aptly names Gigantigator and Alliflash! A couple of Kitty’s ex-boyfriends add drama to her love life, and she confronts tradition in the name of individual rights. Plus a whole lot more. Overall, I loved the outcome of all of these plotlines, as well as the addition of new characters. ACE is pretty amazing and I look forward to his role in future books.
I loved that Gini wove real-life issues into this story, such as arranged marriages and marrying someone of a different race / culture / religion. It’s hard to remember the difficulties that Jeff and Kitty face as a couple because they are so perfect for each other, but their relationship has never been easy, and it’s mainly due to outside influence. If it were up to them, I think they’d spend 90% of their time in the shower together, and 10% kicking ass and taking names.
I love Gini Koch’s “voice” as an author. Her work is an absolute joy to read, not just because she is hysterical, but because when I read her books, I feel like I’m getting to know her personally. And let me tell you, I would definitely enjoy a drink or two with this woman. It would turn into a party before happy hour was over!
October 6, 2011
I'm going to be honest here: The alligators made the book. I mean, alligators! ALLIGATORS! And they have great names like "Alliflash" and "Gigantigator". Come on! You know I can't resist randomness like that!
There's also that Martini guy. Mr. I'm a Firecracker in Bed. Rawrrrr! Yep, I like guys that know how to take care of their ladies, too. I also like purses big enough to store weaponry in, cars that fit more people than a clown car (but no clowns, please. Clowns scare me) and main characters who like their rock a little on the hard side.
My only complaint with these books is that sometimes the action hits so hard and so fast that I feel like I've missed something. I would occasionally backtrack and reread whole chunks just to make sure I got all the pertinent details. I mean, there's not a lot of downtime here. Bad things happen, they kick butt, sex, more bad things happen, explosion, explosion, face punch, explosion, sex, fistfight, more sex, unmask the bad guys (They would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for that meddling Kitty!), sex, sex, truimphant return to civilization.
Okay, that recap was totally not to scale. I'm sure I got the order of explosions wrong. Or possibly the sex. Still, the action is suitably action-y and Kitty gets to make her random jumps of logic. We see a little more of the social structure of the aliens and, oh yeah, could Kitty have any more people coming out of the woodwork to declare their undying love for her? The girl is like a total dude magnet. I'm impressed. Very impressed. Of course, I'm 100% Team Martini, so yeah. Way to go with the conquering of the men, Kitty!
- Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
There's also that Martini guy. Mr. I'm a Firecracker in Bed. Rawrrrr! Yep, I like guys that know how to take care of their ladies, too. I also like purses big enough to store weaponry in, cars that fit more people than a clown car (but no clowns, please. Clowns scare me) and main characters who like their rock a little on the hard side.
My only complaint with these books is that sometimes the action hits so hard and so fast that I feel like I've missed something. I would occasionally backtrack and reread whole chunks just to make sure I got all the pertinent details. I mean, there's not a lot of downtime here. Bad things happen, they kick butt, sex, more bad things happen, explosion, explosion, face punch, explosion, sex, fistfight, more sex, unmask the bad guys (They would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for that meddling Kitty!), sex, sex, truimphant return to civilization.
Okay, that recap was totally not to scale. I'm sure I got the order of explosions wrong. Or possibly the sex. Still, the action is suitably action-y and Kitty gets to make her random jumps of logic. We see a little more of the social structure of the aliens and, oh yeah, could Kitty have any more people coming out of the woodwork to declare their undying love for her? The girl is like a total dude magnet. I'm impressed. Very impressed. Of course, I'm 100% Team Martini, so yeah. Way to go with the conquering of the men, Kitty!
- Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
November 30, 2011
alright so this book was pretty entertaining.
i had some problems with kitty at the start were she spent most of the intro whining but once we got passed that she was pretty awesome, so awesome apparently that everyone loves her and wants to marry her and if you hate or dislike her you must be insane or on drugs then you'll get beaten up by one of her admirers, lol.
the story was really wacky but fun and i really enjoyed the characters even if there all in love with kitty, i like ACE and Reader prob the most. sugertits, lol.
i had a major problem with jeff about his jealousy and rage especially towards the end but ACE took him down a peg which was great. but im worried that kitty forgave jeff so easily im starting to agree with her mum that there are other people out there and she should think long and hard before saying yes to jeff, maybe that will happen in the next book maybe not.
also who is attracted to that many potential stalkers?? weird, lol.
i had some problems with kitty at the start were she spent most of the intro whining but once we got passed that she was pretty awesome, so awesome apparently that everyone loves her and wants to marry her and if you hate or dislike her you must be insane or on drugs then you'll get beaten up by one of her admirers, lol.
the story was really wacky but fun and i really enjoyed the characters even if there all in love with kitty, i like ACE and Reader prob the most. sugertits, lol.
i had a major problem with jeff about his jealousy and rage especially towards the end but ACE took him down a peg which was great. but im worried that kitty forgave jeff so easily im starting to agree with her mum that there are other people out there and she should think long and hard before saying yes to jeff, maybe that will happen in the next book maybe not.
also who is attracted to that many potential stalkers?? weird, lol.
April 16, 2011
A great sequel to Touched by an Alien.
Kitty can't seem to catch a break. Only five months since she destroyed the most powerful superbeing, she finds herself in the middle of 3 evil plans. Lucky for us she is up to it.
I just love Kitty's plans. They are all so insane but they actually work, even if there are some side effects. Like the plan with the alligators. :-)
We also meet Kitty's high school boyfriend, Brian. And her best friend Chuckie. That means we have Jeff acting all jealous and possessive and yummy.
More of the crew, I like all of the characters which is quite a miracle.
And the action was easier to follow than in the first book. Or I just got used to the writing style.
Rating:
4.5 stars
Kitty can't seem to catch a break. Only five months since she destroyed the most powerful superbeing, she finds herself in the middle of 3 evil plans. Lucky for us she is up to it.
I just love Kitty's plans. They are all so insane but they actually work, even if there are some side effects. Like the plan with the alligators. :-)
We also meet Kitty's high school boyfriend, Brian. And her best friend Chuckie. That means we have Jeff acting all jealous and possessive and yummy.
More of the crew, I like all of the characters which is quite a miracle.
And the action was easier to follow than in the first book. Or I just got used to the writing style.
Rating:
4.5 stars
December 12, 2010
A joint review by myself and Has from www.thebookpushers.com
Where did you get the book: ARC from author/Bought
What Publisher: Daw
Release date: Out now
Has: I have been looking forward to the sequel to Touched by an Alien I thought this was a great followup.
MinnChica: I thought it was a great sophomore book as well. I’ve been looking forward to this sequel for awhile now, and have to say that it felt like Gini really delivered!
Has: Yes! The premise/setting gave the plot a tighter and more cohesive pace. I also liked how the focus wasn’t on the fuglies but the political and social ramifications about the AC’s and humans. I really felt that this expanded the world more realistically as well.
MinnChica: Absolutely. I loved getting a glimpse into the AC structure and seeing exactly where everyone’s place was. It really did expand the world and series more robustly.
Has: And there was more time spent on exploring that, especially the personal aspects of Martini and Christopher’s family. I loved that scene when Kitty met the parents, it was humorous and serious at the same time and it gave some interesting insights on how rigid the AC’s can be about social norms and mores.
MinnChica: I really liked that scene as well. It was great to see Kitty struggle with the thoughts of Martini’s parents not liking her, and then getting to see how it all played out. It was great!
Has: Yeah. In this book – and like the title states – it showed why she was always flitting around from one relationship to another like a dancer at a ball. But Jeff was the one who knew figuratively what type of dance she wanted and I thought that was a clever metaphor.
MinnChica: It really was! I have to say though, my favorite parts were the scenes with the gators! I was absolutely in stitches as my mind created a video of all the hilarity that ensued!
Has: And the Gator bombs! I had to try to keep quiet because I was laughing out loud at 1.00 am and I didn’t want to wake my family . But when I came across the VW clown car scene, IT was so side-splittingly funny. I think this was hands down the most hilarious scene I have read EVAH.
MinnChica: That was a pretty good one as well! I have to say the thought of poor Reader having to go from driving SUVs to a little bug while cramming in so many others, Priceless!
Has: With their legs sticking out LOL. And these are big men. Just thinking about this makes me crack up. And this is why the Alien/AC books are so good; the humour with the crazy action - it works so well and it doesn’t feel forced or contrived.
MinnChica: I know, it really is great! The one thing that somewhat bothered me about this one (and really it was the ONLY thing) was the fact that so many men from Kitty’s past came forward professing their undying love for her.
Has: Yes! I found that was too much of a coincidence especially since they both ended up working in the same kind of work Kitty ended up doing. I didn’t have an issue with Chuckie, her best friend, because I think that will bring interesting tension and development in later books. But I do think the thing with Brian, who was her first boyfriend, was a bit of a stretch because of him being hung up on her since he was 16 years old. But I got a feeling that there is something more to Kitty on why she attracts so many men because although I know the series does have a few coincidences, this feels like its leading to something. But in general this is not a trope I like with a heroine who attracts so many attractive men. It makes the heroine too perfect in my eyes and that is not Kitty.
MinnChica: Agreed! I have no idea what goes on in the crazy mind of Gini, so who knows if this will play into something more down the story line.
Has: I think it will be a twisty twist! I really liked how the focus on the plot was concentrated on the human/alien side of the politics. I actually found it hard to guess what was going on. Especially how the side plots with infected astronauts and infiltration in the Space centre was linked, but at the same time it wasn’t. The plot kept me guessing right till the end!
MinnChica: Agreed! There was a lot going on in this book, and I was actually somewhat surprised that Kitty was the only one who had a bad feeling that things weren’t over when everyone else thought they were.
Has: Yeah, but I think like I said earlier there is more to Kitty that meets the eye, and I think this was a little clue about her insights.
MinnChica: Very true. I was really glad to see the whole gang back again, and really liked some of the new characters that were introduced, ACE in particular. I saw an interview with Gini where she mentioned that one of the characters Martini wouldn’t like is here to stay. Any ideas? I know who I would pick!
Has: I think its either Chuckie or Michael. Both didn’t have a great reaction from Martini! Hee . I also loved the new characters that were introduced, like the unhinged Serene and her love for astronut Brian. Kevin was a cool dude too, and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.
MinnChica: Oh, I was thinking it would be Kevin that is going to keep popping up. We’ll just have to see. There is definitely a great collection of cast members in these books. I adored Martini’s family, especially all his nieces.
Has: Kimmie was a cutie! I think his family and their beliefs – as well as the political fallout over the rebelling AC’s – will be very interesting to see how it plays out in the next few books.
MinnChica: All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was an incredible follow up to the first in the series, really moved the overall plot along well, developed the characters nicely, and set up some really interesting ideas for the future. I adore Kitty and this series is a must read! I give Alien Tango a B+
Has: Alien Tango was a very enjoyable and a great followup to the first book. This was a character focused book that really developed the main protagonists, especially Martini and Kitty and their romance as well as being fast paced with full blown high gator action! I don’t think you will come across a series that combines these elements – as well as being hilariously funny which should have a ‘You will pee yourself’ warning sticker on the cover. I give Alien Tango a B
Where did you get the book: ARC from author/Bought
What Publisher: Daw
Release date: Out now
Has: I have been looking forward to the sequel to Touched by an Alien I thought this was a great followup.
MinnChica: I thought it was a great sophomore book as well. I’ve been looking forward to this sequel for awhile now, and have to say that it felt like Gini really delivered!
Has: Yes! The premise/setting gave the plot a tighter and more cohesive pace. I also liked how the focus wasn’t on the fuglies but the political and social ramifications about the AC’s and humans. I really felt that this expanded the world more realistically as well.
MinnChica: Absolutely. I loved getting a glimpse into the AC structure and seeing exactly where everyone’s place was. It really did expand the world and series more robustly.
Has: And there was more time spent on exploring that, especially the personal aspects of Martini and Christopher’s family. I loved that scene when Kitty met the parents, it was humorous and serious at the same time and it gave some interesting insights on how rigid the AC’s can be about social norms and mores.
MinnChica: I really liked that scene as well. It was great to see Kitty struggle with the thoughts of Martini’s parents not liking her, and then getting to see how it all played out. It was great!
Has: Yeah. In this book – and like the title states – it showed why she was always flitting around from one relationship to another like a dancer at a ball. But Jeff was the one who knew figuratively what type of dance she wanted and I thought that was a clever metaphor.
MinnChica: It really was! I have to say though, my favorite parts were the scenes with the gators! I was absolutely in stitches as my mind created a video of all the hilarity that ensued!
Has: And the Gator bombs! I had to try to keep quiet because I was laughing out loud at 1.00 am and I didn’t want to wake my family . But when I came across the VW clown car scene, IT was so side-splittingly funny. I think this was hands down the most hilarious scene I have read EVAH.
MinnChica: That was a pretty good one as well! I have to say the thought of poor Reader having to go from driving SUVs to a little bug while cramming in so many others, Priceless!
Has: With their legs sticking out LOL. And these are big men. Just thinking about this makes me crack up. And this is why the Alien/AC books are so good; the humour with the crazy action - it works so well and it doesn’t feel forced or contrived.
MinnChica: I know, it really is great! The one thing that somewhat bothered me about this one (and really it was the ONLY thing) was the fact that so many men from Kitty’s past came forward professing their undying love for her.
Has: Yes! I found that was too much of a coincidence especially since they both ended up working in the same kind of work Kitty ended up doing. I didn’t have an issue with Chuckie, her best friend, because I think that will bring interesting tension and development in later books. But I do think the thing with Brian, who was her first boyfriend, was a bit of a stretch because of him being hung up on her since he was 16 years old. But I got a feeling that there is something more to Kitty on why she attracts so many men because although I know the series does have a few coincidences, this feels like its leading to something. But in general this is not a trope I like with a heroine who attracts so many attractive men. It makes the heroine too perfect in my eyes and that is not Kitty.
MinnChica: Agreed! I have no idea what goes on in the crazy mind of Gini, so who knows if this will play into something more down the story line.
Has: I think it will be a twisty twist! I really liked how the focus on the plot was concentrated on the human/alien side of the politics. I actually found it hard to guess what was going on. Especially how the side plots with infected astronauts and infiltration in the Space centre was linked, but at the same time it wasn’t. The plot kept me guessing right till the end!
MinnChica: Agreed! There was a lot going on in this book, and I was actually somewhat surprised that Kitty was the only one who had a bad feeling that things weren’t over when everyone else thought they were.
Has: Yeah, but I think like I said earlier there is more to Kitty that meets the eye, and I think this was a little clue about her insights.
MinnChica: Very true. I was really glad to see the whole gang back again, and really liked some of the new characters that were introduced, ACE in particular. I saw an interview with Gini where she mentioned that one of the characters Martini wouldn’t like is here to stay. Any ideas? I know who I would pick!
Has: I think its either Chuckie or Michael. Both didn’t have a great reaction from Martini! Hee . I also loved the new characters that were introduced, like the unhinged Serene and her love for astronut Brian. Kevin was a cool dude too, and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.
MinnChica: Oh, I was thinking it would be Kevin that is going to keep popping up. We’ll just have to see. There is definitely a great collection of cast members in these books. I adored Martini’s family, especially all his nieces.
Has: Kimmie was a cutie! I think his family and their beliefs – as well as the political fallout over the rebelling AC’s – will be very interesting to see how it plays out in the next few books.
MinnChica: All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was an incredible follow up to the first in the series, really moved the overall plot along well, developed the characters nicely, and set up some really interesting ideas for the future. I adore Kitty and this series is a must read! I give Alien Tango a B+
Has: Alien Tango was a very enjoyable and a great followup to the first book. This was a character focused book that really developed the main protagonists, especially Martini and Kitty and their romance as well as being fast paced with full blown high gator action! I don’t think you will come across a series that combines these elements – as well as being hilariously funny which should have a ‘You will pee yourself’ warning sticker on the cover. I give Alien Tango a B
December 17, 2011
It's been five months since Katharine "Kitty" Katt's fast and crazy introduction to the reality of aliens on Earth, five months of being Commander of Airborne in Centaurion Division and enjoying explosive sex with her gorgeous alien boyfriend and head of Field, Jeff Martini. Her high school reunion is coming up and both Jeff and her longtime best friend, Chuckie Reynolds, are encouraging her to go.
Then news arrives that a shuttle and its three astronauts had returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida under suspicious circumstances, and that they brought something alien back with them. But getting to Florida is suddenly a contentious issue, and there's pressure on the Alpha Centuari (A-C) aliens to appear more "normal", which means taking a commercial flight. From the very beginning, Kitty is clear that something's up, and it's not good. In fact, the whole Florida trip is one death-defying disaster after another, with anti-alien terrorists, bombs going off, a crazy A-C woman threatening Kitty over a man Kitty hadn't seen in ten years, and a couple of very determined alligators - not to mention a thrilling and scary high-speed car chase, a meet-the-parents Incident with a capital "I" and some very sexy tangoing on top of three marriage proposals. This is Kitty's life now, and it's time to bring out the big guns.
Fun fun FUN! I absolutely loved this, was glued to the page and reluctant to put it down. High adrenaline, heart-pounding, hair-raising exhilaration. The first book, Touched by an Alien , was lots of fun and definitely made me keen to read more, but it also suffered a bit from having to introduce A LOT of new info to Kitty and us, all crammed into two days (now I'm more familiar with the world, I'm amazed that it wasn't more messy and confusing than it was). Alien Tango builds on it, reinforces what we new, and doesn't overwhelm us with lots of new info, which means you can really dig in and enjoy the ride.
And what a ride! Again, the story takes place pretty much over just a couple of days, with a two-week interlude between the main action and the final showdown. The plot was just as all-over-the-place as the first book, if not more because here we have three distinct plots that are all interrelated: the Club 51 alien-haters, their political connection and their big Plan; the astronauts and the entity they brought back with them; and the nutjob A-C intent on hurting Kitty. There're lots of side-plots too, but I never once felt overwhelmed like I did in the first book.
Part of the fresh genius of this new favourite series of mine is Kitty herself. She brings new meaning to the adjective, "kick-arse", literally: she knows some kung-fu, races to the rescue of her new alien friends even though they're stronger and faster, and has the best brainwaves I've ever had the thrill of reading. I mean, c'mon, alligators? Brilliant. Kitty is fantastic. So often this type of heroine (predominant in urban fantasy and paranormal romance) is just plain obnoxious and infuriating, but Koch has got exactly the right recipe here for a heroine I can love and really cheer for. I don't have much in common with her, but that doesn't put me off. I really like that she doesn't do lots of introspective thinking and re-thinking like some protagonists do - she doesn't overdo it (yes, I am thinking of Sirantha Jax right now). She's just right.
I felt sorry for Jeff - Chuckie too, yes, but Jeff had established himself with me well before so I side with him. Aside from the attempts on his life and everything, he just didn't seem as relaxed and easy-going as he did in the first book. He was often angry and stressed and I really missed the Martini who could laugh with Kitty. I mean, he's still there, and when the two of them are alone together he's the Martini we all fell in love with in the first book, but when anyone else is around he's so much more tense than I remembered him being (and having started the third book already, I can say this stressed-out Martini continues - the guy really needs a holiday).
I felt bad for Chuckie too, but honestly, his fault for not making a move sooner. This is one love triangle (Christopher's interest isn't really a problem anymore) that is quite fun, and doesn't feel at all contrived. There's a big fat clue at the beginning of the story as to who Chuckie is these days, so the whole book I was just waiting for that meeting - at the reunion - when the three would be brought together. Didn't happen at all like I expected/predicted, which was great. It was better!
With a wonderful supporting cast of aliens and humans alike - yes, including Martini's mother - this is a world I'm quickly falling in love with. It's detailed, intensely fleshed out, and exciting. Alongside all the excitement and people trying to kill them are some really sweet moments and some pertinent questions around race and xenophobia.
Overall, Alien Tango takes all that made Touched by an Alien great and amplifies it, and isn't bogged down by the things that made the latter sometimes slow and confusing. Alien Tango has as many comic moments to fill you with glee as it has thrills, chills and steaming sex. In a word: AWESOME!
Then news arrives that a shuttle and its three astronauts had returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida under suspicious circumstances, and that they brought something alien back with them. But getting to Florida is suddenly a contentious issue, and there's pressure on the Alpha Centuari (A-C) aliens to appear more "normal", which means taking a commercial flight. From the very beginning, Kitty is clear that something's up, and it's not good. In fact, the whole Florida trip is one death-defying disaster after another, with anti-alien terrorists, bombs going off, a crazy A-C woman threatening Kitty over a man Kitty hadn't seen in ten years, and a couple of very determined alligators - not to mention a thrilling and scary high-speed car chase, a meet-the-parents Incident with a capital "I" and some very sexy tangoing on top of three marriage proposals. This is Kitty's life now, and it's time to bring out the big guns.
Fun fun FUN! I absolutely loved this, was glued to the page and reluctant to put it down. High adrenaline, heart-pounding, hair-raising exhilaration. The first book, Touched by an Alien , was lots of fun and definitely made me keen to read more, but it also suffered a bit from having to introduce A LOT of new info to Kitty and us, all crammed into two days (now I'm more familiar with the world, I'm amazed that it wasn't more messy and confusing than it was). Alien Tango builds on it, reinforces what we new, and doesn't overwhelm us with lots of new info, which means you can really dig in and enjoy the ride.
And what a ride! Again, the story takes place pretty much over just a couple of days, with a two-week interlude between the main action and the final showdown. The plot was just as all-over-the-place as the first book, if not more because here we have three distinct plots that are all interrelated: the Club 51 alien-haters, their political connection and their big Plan; the astronauts and the entity they brought back with them; and the nutjob A-C intent on hurting Kitty. There're lots of side-plots too, but I never once felt overwhelmed like I did in the first book.
Part of the fresh genius of this new favourite series of mine is Kitty herself. She brings new meaning to the adjective, "kick-arse", literally: she knows some kung-fu, races to the rescue of her new alien friends even though they're stronger and faster, and has the best brainwaves I've ever had the thrill of reading. I mean, c'mon, alligators? Brilliant. Kitty is fantastic. So often this type of heroine (predominant in urban fantasy and paranormal romance) is just plain obnoxious and infuriating, but Koch has got exactly the right recipe here for a heroine I can love and really cheer for. I don't have much in common with her, but that doesn't put me off. I really like that she doesn't do lots of introspective thinking and re-thinking like some protagonists do - she doesn't overdo it (yes, I am thinking of Sirantha Jax right now). She's just right.
I felt sorry for Jeff - Chuckie too, yes, but Jeff had established himself with me well before so I side with him. Aside from the attempts on his life and everything, he just didn't seem as relaxed and easy-going as he did in the first book. He was often angry and stressed and I really missed the Martini who could laugh with Kitty. I mean, he's still there, and when the two of them are alone together he's the Martini we all fell in love with in the first book, but when anyone else is around he's so much more tense than I remembered him being (and having started the third book already, I can say this stressed-out Martini continues - the guy really needs a holiday).
I felt bad for Chuckie too, but honestly, his fault for not making a move sooner. This is one love triangle (Christopher's interest isn't really a problem anymore) that is quite fun, and doesn't feel at all contrived. There's a big fat clue at the beginning of the story as to who Chuckie is these days, so the whole book I was just waiting for that meeting - at the reunion - when the three would be brought together. Didn't happen at all like I expected/predicted, which was great. It was better!
With a wonderful supporting cast of aliens and humans alike - yes, including Martini's mother - this is a world I'm quickly falling in love with. It's detailed, intensely fleshed out, and exciting. Alongside all the excitement and people trying to kill them are some really sweet moments and some pertinent questions around race and xenophobia.
Overall, Alien Tango takes all that made Touched by an Alien great and amplifies it, and isn't bogged down by the things that made the latter sometimes slow and confusing. Alien Tango has as many comic moments to fill you with glee as it has thrills, chills and steaming sex. In a word: AWESOME!
July 30, 2021
Absurdism as the Healing Forces of Love and Hope Against the Madness of the World in Alien Tango
For my next version of Wallace Stevens’ Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird as Ways of Looking at Gini Koch, I take as my subject her unifying theme of the absurdity of life as a source of humor and renewal, a sustaining function which allows resilience in the face of life disruptive events, a balance to the darkness of our terror of being; the grief of loss, the despair of meaninglessness, the torment of loneliness, the guilt of survivorship, the flaws of our humanity and the brokenness of the world; for hers is a universe like that of Camus wherein true heroism is possible, hope can conquer fear, and the redemptive power of love can heal the divisions of exclusionary otherness and hierarchies of elite belonging from which our modern pathology of disconnectedness arises, and can reimagine and transform our possibilities of becoming human.
How shall I characterize the wild humor of Gini Koch?
This is aliens science fiction and superhero comics parody and tribute, and like an ouroboros swallowing its tail is recursive and protean, an infinite Moebius Loop which like Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Melville’s Moby Dick satirizes the folly and sin of pride of a teleological framing of time which as a form of Manifest Destiny drives us to become more than we are, only for this Nietzschean will to power and to become supermen fail and collapse like our economy of limitless growth from the mechanical failures of its internal contradictions, and those who would enslave us fall like Icarus from the heavens.
As such it is richly imaged by an author alive to the nuances of meaning in her sources and references, as if Hélène Cixous and Roland Barthes wrote fanfiction from a trove of pirated scraps of text assembled by Kathy Acker and brought to glorious and absurd life by Andy Warhol.
Monet said; “Man has two eyes through which he sees the world; one looks outward, the other looks inward, and it is the juxtaposition of these two images which creates the world that we see.” Warhol took this literally as a manifesto and compositional method, shifting the Platonic and Aristotelian worlds slightly off center to interrogate the boundaries and empty spaces of our differences, wherein all things become possible, the places of unknowns marked Here Be Dragons on our maps of human being, meaning, and value. This is the great work carried forward by Gini Koch like a Torch of Liberty, both enacted and concealed as misdirection by her sparkling wit and ambush humor.
Gini Koch has a cinematic imagination, and like all her works Alien Tango is designed like the storyboard of a film or a graphic novel, the two sources she references and pokes fun at from her strange angle of view.
A film, then; but what kind of film is it?
Imagine Mystery Science Theatre as narrated by Camille Paglia, Rocky Horror Picture Show hybridized and intercut with Young Frankenstein and Giraffes on Horseback Salad, Salvador Dalí's script for a Marx Brothers movie, as directed by Tim Burton and with David Bowie’s persona as Ziggy Stardust playing the lead, with themes which echo those of William S. Burroughs’ conspiracy of Venusian insects against humankind and the psychotic surrealism of Philip K. Dick.
There are two primary sources of her Absurdism which are pivotal to her themes and merit signposting here; the theatre of Eugene Ionesco and the fiction of Nikolai Gogol.
When Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceroses is performed, we enact a magical ritual to bind and redirect the dark energies of Fascism and tyrannical authority, of assimilation, falsification, commodification, dehumanization, and the theft of the soul.
Exit the King is at once a Freudian death transcendence and a conjuration against nothingness and entropic winding down, a hymn to the goddesses of life and a spell against death and meaninglessness. Writing it helped him control and recover from his illness and the terror of death; as a healing rite it echoes the dream incubation methods of the classical temples of Asclepius. Last and greatest of his plays featuring Berenger as the protagonist, it references Shakespeare's The Tempest as an initiation cycle; but is also a political allegory of the fall of a Platonic Republic to atavistic barbarism and authoritarian tyranny which directly compares the rise of fascism to what Schiller called the desacralization of the world.
Of Nikolai Gogol, who can fail to laugh when the dogs start writing letters in Diary of a Madman? More importantly, who because of that laughter can fail to place themselves in the shoes of the befuddled, oppressed narrator, a bureaucrat caught in the wheels of the paperwork machine he operates, dreaming of escape and pining for the vacuous and narcissistic boss' daughter, like so many things just beyond his grasp?
Diary of a Madman compares with Ionesco's play The Rhinoceroses as both political and social satire and in the use of an idiosyncratic symbolism and the themes of identity and the interdependence of reality with dreams; in which madness is a flight to freedom from a fallen world wherein a demonic Authority has stolen its soul.
The works of Gini Koch may also be a therapy journal, like those of her sources Gogol and Ionesco, in which she acts as a hierosgamos and guide of the soul on a path to wholeness and healing. This interpretation places her within the ars poetica of Surrealism, a subject beyond the scope of this essay.
There are also elements of Romantic Idealism to be considered, in multilayered references to Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, and Milton’s rebel angel. For now it is enough to identify her Big Bad as both monster and tyrant which reimagines Goya’s interpretation of a parallel myth in Saturn Devouring His Children. Her humor is a negotiation with the twin terrors of dehumanization and subjugation, drawing on sources in Freud, Lacan, Marx, Sartre, and in the context of patriarchy and authorized identities of sex and gender on Judith Butler and Anne Fausto-Sterling.
Humor in the works of Gini Koch is a string which when pulled unfolds myriads of hidden other stories, each nested within the others like a set of Russian dolls, or a secret world parallel with our own like that of Akutagawa’s Kappa. Her laughter is a siren call which beckons to us from unknown places, saying “Come and find me”, an Ariadne’s Thread which guides us to the monster that waits for us at the heart of the labyrinth, a fearsome chthonic figure of our darkness which becomes a guardian if we can but embrace it, as modeled by her heroine’s many transformations of enemies into allies through the redemptive power of love and metaphors of sexual transgression.
We must claim our monstrosity, and say of this secret twin who knows no limits and is free as Prospero says of Caliban in Act V, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare ’s The Tempest; "This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine."
Her episodes, versions of William S Burrough’s use of vaudeville turns as a principle of narrative organization, are also ritual enactments which like the crimes of Jean Genet are designed to set us free.
Her stories bear transformative power because they harness joy and laughter to the cause of healing; above all hers is a theatre of satire and farce, witty repartee like that of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, polished aphorisms like those of Oscar Wilde and referred to as Kittyisms after the name of her heroine, typological names like those in medieval morality plays used as means to reveal character, assign roles and symbols, and to establish relationships as her protagonist in naming others asserts dominance and ownership in the claiming of them, as in Adam naming the beasts, and the bizarre Gordian Knots of plot and character merely the setup for the jokes.
But within the delightful confection of her humor hides the Absurd and Surreal, a sly subversion of authority and a Foucaultian truth telling or parrhesia like that of the Jester of King Lear, a poetic vision of witness embodied in our time by Greta Thunberg as a figure of the girl who called out “the Emperor has no clothes”.
If we are to classify the humor of Gini Koch as Swiftian satire and a sacred calling to pursue the truth, which draws for its sources on Gogol and Ionesco, we have a ready model for her art of comedy in Charlie Chaplin, whose great film The Factory reimagines Gogol’s Diary of a Madman, and whose masterpiece The Dictator references Ionesco's Rhinoceroses. Together these works face Janus like the twin evils of our world, dehumanization and subjugation, illnesses of wealth and power in the forms of capitalism and fascist tyranny; so also with the witness and songs of liberty of Gini Koch.
https://youtu.be/6n9ESFJTnHs
https://youtu.be/sq2SdsfZ7cY
For my next version of Wallace Stevens’ Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird as Ways of Looking at Gini Koch, I take as my subject her unifying theme of the absurdity of life as a source of humor and renewal, a sustaining function which allows resilience in the face of life disruptive events, a balance to the darkness of our terror of being; the grief of loss, the despair of meaninglessness, the torment of loneliness, the guilt of survivorship, the flaws of our humanity and the brokenness of the world; for hers is a universe like that of Camus wherein true heroism is possible, hope can conquer fear, and the redemptive power of love can heal the divisions of exclusionary otherness and hierarchies of elite belonging from which our modern pathology of disconnectedness arises, and can reimagine and transform our possibilities of becoming human.
How shall I characterize the wild humor of Gini Koch?
This is aliens science fiction and superhero comics parody and tribute, and like an ouroboros swallowing its tail is recursive and protean, an infinite Moebius Loop which like Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Melville’s Moby Dick satirizes the folly and sin of pride of a teleological framing of time which as a form of Manifest Destiny drives us to become more than we are, only for this Nietzschean will to power and to become supermen fail and collapse like our economy of limitless growth from the mechanical failures of its internal contradictions, and those who would enslave us fall like Icarus from the heavens.
As such it is richly imaged by an author alive to the nuances of meaning in her sources and references, as if Hélène Cixous and Roland Barthes wrote fanfiction from a trove of pirated scraps of text assembled by Kathy Acker and brought to glorious and absurd life by Andy Warhol.
Monet said; “Man has two eyes through which he sees the world; one looks outward, the other looks inward, and it is the juxtaposition of these two images which creates the world that we see.” Warhol took this literally as a manifesto and compositional method, shifting the Platonic and Aristotelian worlds slightly off center to interrogate the boundaries and empty spaces of our differences, wherein all things become possible, the places of unknowns marked Here Be Dragons on our maps of human being, meaning, and value. This is the great work carried forward by Gini Koch like a Torch of Liberty, both enacted and concealed as misdirection by her sparkling wit and ambush humor.
Gini Koch has a cinematic imagination, and like all her works Alien Tango is designed like the storyboard of a film or a graphic novel, the two sources she references and pokes fun at from her strange angle of view.
A film, then; but what kind of film is it?
Imagine Mystery Science Theatre as narrated by Camille Paglia, Rocky Horror Picture Show hybridized and intercut with Young Frankenstein and Giraffes on Horseback Salad, Salvador Dalí's script for a Marx Brothers movie, as directed by Tim Burton and with David Bowie’s persona as Ziggy Stardust playing the lead, with themes which echo those of William S. Burroughs’ conspiracy of Venusian insects against humankind and the psychotic surrealism of Philip K. Dick.
There are two primary sources of her Absurdism which are pivotal to her themes and merit signposting here; the theatre of Eugene Ionesco and the fiction of Nikolai Gogol.
When Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceroses is performed, we enact a magical ritual to bind and redirect the dark energies of Fascism and tyrannical authority, of assimilation, falsification, commodification, dehumanization, and the theft of the soul.
Exit the King is at once a Freudian death transcendence and a conjuration against nothingness and entropic winding down, a hymn to the goddesses of life and a spell against death and meaninglessness. Writing it helped him control and recover from his illness and the terror of death; as a healing rite it echoes the dream incubation methods of the classical temples of Asclepius. Last and greatest of his plays featuring Berenger as the protagonist, it references Shakespeare's The Tempest as an initiation cycle; but is also a political allegory of the fall of a Platonic Republic to atavistic barbarism and authoritarian tyranny which directly compares the rise of fascism to what Schiller called the desacralization of the world.
Of Nikolai Gogol, who can fail to laugh when the dogs start writing letters in Diary of a Madman? More importantly, who because of that laughter can fail to place themselves in the shoes of the befuddled, oppressed narrator, a bureaucrat caught in the wheels of the paperwork machine he operates, dreaming of escape and pining for the vacuous and narcissistic boss' daughter, like so many things just beyond his grasp?
Diary of a Madman compares with Ionesco's play The Rhinoceroses as both political and social satire and in the use of an idiosyncratic symbolism and the themes of identity and the interdependence of reality with dreams; in which madness is a flight to freedom from a fallen world wherein a demonic Authority has stolen its soul.
The works of Gini Koch may also be a therapy journal, like those of her sources Gogol and Ionesco, in which she acts as a hierosgamos and guide of the soul on a path to wholeness and healing. This interpretation places her within the ars poetica of Surrealism, a subject beyond the scope of this essay.
There are also elements of Romantic Idealism to be considered, in multilayered references to Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, and Milton’s rebel angel. For now it is enough to identify her Big Bad as both monster and tyrant which reimagines Goya’s interpretation of a parallel myth in Saturn Devouring His Children. Her humor is a negotiation with the twin terrors of dehumanization and subjugation, drawing on sources in Freud, Lacan, Marx, Sartre, and in the context of patriarchy and authorized identities of sex and gender on Judith Butler and Anne Fausto-Sterling.
Humor in the works of Gini Koch is a string which when pulled unfolds myriads of hidden other stories, each nested within the others like a set of Russian dolls, or a secret world parallel with our own like that of Akutagawa’s Kappa. Her laughter is a siren call which beckons to us from unknown places, saying “Come and find me”, an Ariadne’s Thread which guides us to the monster that waits for us at the heart of the labyrinth, a fearsome chthonic figure of our darkness which becomes a guardian if we can but embrace it, as modeled by her heroine’s many transformations of enemies into allies through the redemptive power of love and metaphors of sexual transgression.
We must claim our monstrosity, and say of this secret twin who knows no limits and is free as Prospero says of Caliban in Act V, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare ’s The Tempest; "This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine."
Her episodes, versions of William S Burrough’s use of vaudeville turns as a principle of narrative organization, are also ritual enactments which like the crimes of Jean Genet are designed to set us free.
Her stories bear transformative power because they harness joy and laughter to the cause of healing; above all hers is a theatre of satire and farce, witty repartee like that of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, polished aphorisms like those of Oscar Wilde and referred to as Kittyisms after the name of her heroine, typological names like those in medieval morality plays used as means to reveal character, assign roles and symbols, and to establish relationships as her protagonist in naming others asserts dominance and ownership in the claiming of them, as in Adam naming the beasts, and the bizarre Gordian Knots of plot and character merely the setup for the jokes.
But within the delightful confection of her humor hides the Absurd and Surreal, a sly subversion of authority and a Foucaultian truth telling or parrhesia like that of the Jester of King Lear, a poetic vision of witness embodied in our time by Greta Thunberg as a figure of the girl who called out “the Emperor has no clothes”.
If we are to classify the humor of Gini Koch as Swiftian satire and a sacred calling to pursue the truth, which draws for its sources on Gogol and Ionesco, we have a ready model for her art of comedy in Charlie Chaplin, whose great film The Factory reimagines Gogol’s Diary of a Madman, and whose masterpiece The Dictator references Ionesco's Rhinoceroses. Together these works face Janus like the twin evils of our world, dehumanization and subjugation, illnesses of wealth and power in the forms of capitalism and fascist tyranny; so also with the witness and songs of liberty of Gini Koch.
https://youtu.be/6n9ESFJTnHs
https://youtu.be/sq2SdsfZ7cY
February 3, 2011
Things are going great for Kitty and Martini. Work is good, their relationship is good, Jeff just won't let Kitty meet his family. Oh, and it's against his religion to marry a human. Kitty isn't in a hurry to marry, she can be patient. Unfortunately, Martini's parents aren't willing to give them the time. There's also some pressure on the government to use the A-C's as weapons (one step away from slavery). In the midst of this, a NASA space shuttle is returned to earth - right back to it's launching pad- and something is in the astronaut. The alpha team agrees to go to NASA to help out, but their trip is tangled by human politics, an anti-alien hate group, and strained family relations.
I liked Touched By An Alien, but Kitty kind of got on my nerves in Alien Tango. For someone who isn't as good looking as the Dazzlers (the A-C women), she seems to have almost every male falling over themselves for her. It got old. And dude!, she and Martini have had sex in almost every airport in the world. These two have sex all the time. Great, I'm happy for you, but when do you find time to do anything else? There was also one bit close to the end when things are going badly and I kept thinking if I could figure out what was wrong, Kitty should also. Sorry that's not very descriptive, I'm trying hard to leave out spoilers. It's not a long list of complaints, but these negatives have colored my feelings toward Alien Tango.
But it's not all doom and gloom people, there were things I like. The humor, as usual, was great - pop culture laden quirkiness at its best. Jeff Martini continues to get better. I felt bad that he and his family had this huge disconnect. It's quickly and realistically explained why Jeff has a hard time figuring out his family, and while I sympathize with the Martini clan, they've had almost 30 years to figure things out and they couldn't do it. I hope to see more of this evolving relationship in book 3, Alien In The Family. There were a lot of things going on in this book, but it wasn't hard to keep track of the different plot threads. The plot twists were pretty good, though one resolution seemed a bit silly (i.e. Gower). And boy, Koch can write a great crazy lady (I'm hoping this is not from experience). We also get lots of Reader, I love him, and Christopher is a much more likable character this go around. There's also a scene towards the end where Kitty is by herself with the bad guy and things are going badly. I felt this had the right amount of "heaviness" for such a humorous book.
Oh, and another plus, Martini looks so much better in this cover (but what happened to Kitty's hair color?).
Verdict:
Once again Koch has delivered a fast paced story with great humor and well explained science fiction elements. I still think this is a great series for those who don't typically read science fiction but want to try it out. The sci-fi elements are not overwhelming and flow well with the story - it doesn't get tedious. It also has humor, romance, action, and mystery, a little something for everyone. Unfortunately, what sticks the most with me is how tired I got of all these different guys being in love with Kitty (and arguing over her). And to be fair, it wasn't every male character, but it did start to feel like that after awhile.
I liked Touched By An Alien better, and I will still be buying Alien In The Family, but I give Alien Tango 3 out of 6 stars.
I liked Touched By An Alien, but Kitty kind of got on my nerves in Alien Tango. For someone who isn't as good looking as the Dazzlers (the A-C women), she seems to have almost every male falling over themselves for her. It got old. And dude!, she and Martini have had sex in almost every airport in the world. These two have sex all the time. Great, I'm happy for you, but when do you find time to do anything else? There was also one bit close to the end when things are going badly and I kept thinking if I could figure out what was wrong, Kitty should also. Sorry that's not very descriptive, I'm trying hard to leave out spoilers. It's not a long list of complaints, but these negatives have colored my feelings toward Alien Tango.
But it's not all doom and gloom people, there were things I like. The humor, as usual, was great - pop culture laden quirkiness at its best. Jeff Martini continues to get better. I felt bad that he and his family had this huge disconnect. It's quickly and realistically explained why Jeff has a hard time figuring out his family, and while I sympathize with the Martini clan, they've had almost 30 years to figure things out and they couldn't do it. I hope to see more of this evolving relationship in book 3, Alien In The Family. There were a lot of things going on in this book, but it wasn't hard to keep track of the different plot threads. The plot twists were pretty good, though one resolution seemed a bit silly (i.e. Gower). And boy, Koch can write a great crazy lady (I'm hoping this is not from experience). We also get lots of Reader, I love him, and Christopher is a much more likable character this go around. There's also a scene towards the end where Kitty is by herself with the bad guy and things are going badly. I felt this had the right amount of "heaviness" for such a humorous book.
Oh, and another plus, Martini looks so much better in this cover (but what happened to Kitty's hair color?).
Verdict:
Once again Koch has delivered a fast paced story with great humor and well explained science fiction elements. I still think this is a great series for those who don't typically read science fiction but want to try it out. The sci-fi elements are not overwhelming and flow well with the story - it doesn't get tedious. It also has humor, romance, action, and mystery, a little something for everyone. Unfortunately, what sticks the most with me is how tired I got of all these different guys being in love with Kitty (and arguing over her). And to be fair, it wasn't every male character, but it did start to feel like that after awhile.
I liked Touched By An Alien better, and I will still be buying Alien In The Family, but I give Alien Tango 3 out of 6 stars.
March 2, 2017
Astronauts heading out to deep space are returned mysteriously back to Earth. Kitty Kat and her Alpha Centauran teammates go to investigate. They run into alien hate groups and the extremely jealous girlfriend of one of Kitty's ex-boyfriends. Fast paced and fun with alligator chases, romance, and layered conspiracies.
December 19, 2010
I have a new favorite author, and her name is Gini Koch. Her books will have you laughing out loud, grinning from ear to ear and chuckling your way through them. Martini will have you drooling and Kitty will have you cheering. Martini and Kitty are the best hero/heroine combo to come around in a very long time. They have spunk, charisma, and a sizzle that will leave you wanting more. Martini is one of the few nice guy heroes that I adore, and he's in the running for the book boyfriend of the year award. I even named a meter after him I love him so much! Kitty is one of my favorite heroines because she saves the day and has the funniest Kittyism's...I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud while reading a book. In fact, I was laughing so hard while at my parents that my mom was like: "What are you reading?" and I swear that the dog was even giving me weird looks. It was worth it though!
Alien Tango is full of non stop action. It takes place six months after Touched By an Alien ends, and it seems like Kitty can't stay out of trouble for long. The refreshing thing about this series is that while trouble finds Kitty and Jeff (Martini) again, it's totally different then the trouble that found them in Touched. This time around it's crazy in laws, some crazy chasing alligators, a stalker crazy girl and an ex who thinks he's still in love with Kitty. Oh yes, she also saves an all power entity, helps the women of A C battle the tradition of arranged marriages, finds trouble at her high school reunion and battles the alien hating group Club 51 who'd be more then happy to see all the aliens disappear.
While some of my favorite characters from the first book-Christopher, (will he ever get a girlfriend?) Reader and Gower return, some new characters are added to the mix that I loved equally as much as my old favorites: Kevin, Ace, and Martini's dad. There were also some great villains added in the mix. I really liked the fact that while I was laughing my way through the book, Kitty and Martini had some real issues to deal with like religion, old traditions and dating someone who isn't from your race or in this case, planet. The issues were woven into the story with care and didn't distract from the light heartiness of the book, but it was nice to see that they weren't ignored since Kitty and Jeff have such different backgrounds. I think that my favorite thing about this book, well really the entire series is that there is an actual romance occurring in the book-none of this fight until the last 50 pages of the book then realize that they are perfect for each other crap that you find so often in romances. Even though Kitty and Jeff don't have the love-hate thing going on, there is enough drama happening that their romance doesn't get old.
This is one of my favorite new series of the year, and Gini Koch has become an auto buy author for me. I can't wait for Alien in the Family to come out in April! Martini has catapulted to the top of my book boyfriend list and Kitty is one of my favorite heroines. She just doesn't take any crap from those boys!
Alien Tango is full of non stop action. It takes place six months after Touched By an Alien ends, and it seems like Kitty can't stay out of trouble for long. The refreshing thing about this series is that while trouble finds Kitty and Jeff (Martini) again, it's totally different then the trouble that found them in Touched. This time around it's crazy in laws, some crazy chasing alligators, a stalker crazy girl and an ex who thinks he's still in love with Kitty. Oh yes, she also saves an all power entity, helps the women of A C battle the tradition of arranged marriages, finds trouble at her high school reunion and battles the alien hating group Club 51 who'd be more then happy to see all the aliens disappear.
While some of my favorite characters from the first book-Christopher, (will he ever get a girlfriend?) Reader and Gower return, some new characters are added to the mix that I loved equally as much as my old favorites: Kevin, Ace, and Martini's dad. There were also some great villains added in the mix. I really liked the fact that while I was laughing my way through the book, Kitty and Martini had some real issues to deal with like religion, old traditions and dating someone who isn't from your race or in this case, planet. The issues were woven into the story with care and didn't distract from the light heartiness of the book, but it was nice to see that they weren't ignored since Kitty and Jeff have such different backgrounds. I think that my favorite thing about this book, well really the entire series is that there is an actual romance occurring in the book-none of this fight until the last 50 pages of the book then realize that they are perfect for each other crap that you find so often in romances. Even though Kitty and Jeff don't have the love-hate thing going on, there is enough drama happening that their romance doesn't get old.
This is one of my favorite new series of the year, and Gini Koch has become an auto buy author for me. I can't wait for Alien in the Family to come out in April! Martini has catapulted to the top of my book boyfriend list and Kitty is one of my favorite heroines. She just doesn't take any crap from those boys!
January 2, 2012
I absolutely loved the first book in the series, “Touched by an Alien,” and was a little worried that “Alien Tango” would be unable to live up to the high expectations I had for it. It turns out I had nothing to fear.
“Alien Tango” picks up about five months after the events of TBAA. Kitty is more comfortable in her role as commander of Airborne Division, she has the perfect relationship with Alpha Centaurion Jeff Martini, and the alien parasite problem seems to be on the decline. It’s the proverbial quiet before the storm as Kitty and the gang get wrapped up in a government power-play, discover a new group of bad guys, and discover an ex-boyfriend who still carries a big torch for Kitty. On top of all that, Kitty gets to face the biggest challenge of them all – finally meeting Jeff’s parents.
The Martini family was a welcome addition to the storyline and I hope they continue to pop up in the future. Jeff’s dad, Alfred, was my personal favorite and it was interesting to see how father and son interacted together. The two are definitely cut from the same cloth but there’s truth to the old philosophy about being too close to a situation to be able to see the big picture. Jeff’s mom, Lucinda, is the type of person that makes you wonder how two people got together in the first place. Alfred is funny, warm, and always ready to pick on people. Lucinda seems to be the exact opposite. To say her first meeting with Kitty has a significant effect on the dynamics of Alpha Centauri life would be a profound understatement.
The Martini family isn’t the only set of new characters we’re introduced to. We meet P.T.C.U. agent Kevin, who previously worked with Kitty’s mom, and we finally get to meet Conspiracy Chuckie. We’ve been hearing Chuck’s voice on the phone since TBAA and he finally gets to step out of the background this time. I was very happy to see how he was worked into the story because everything makes perfect sense. We’re also introduced to ACE. Unfortunately, I can’t say too much about this particular character because there are too many spoilers attached, but ACE is truly unforgettable.
If the gator on the cover has enticed your curiosity, I can promise that it’s not there just because awesome artist Daniel Dos Santos decided to put it there. One word – Alliflash. You’ll have to read the book to find out more. Be ready to have your nerves stretched thin because this is one tense scene.
If you loved TBAA then you should definitely get “Alien Tango” because the Kitty Kat series continues to be a defining force in sci-fi for women, as well as for those who don’t normally like the sci-fi genre.
“Alien Tango” picks up about five months after the events of TBAA. Kitty is more comfortable in her role as commander of Airborne Division, she has the perfect relationship with Alpha Centaurion Jeff Martini, and the alien parasite problem seems to be on the decline. It’s the proverbial quiet before the storm as Kitty and the gang get wrapped up in a government power-play, discover a new group of bad guys, and discover an ex-boyfriend who still carries a big torch for Kitty. On top of all that, Kitty gets to face the biggest challenge of them all – finally meeting Jeff’s parents.
The Martini family was a welcome addition to the storyline and I hope they continue to pop up in the future. Jeff’s dad, Alfred, was my personal favorite and it was interesting to see how father and son interacted together. The two are definitely cut from the same cloth but there’s truth to the old philosophy about being too close to a situation to be able to see the big picture. Jeff’s mom, Lucinda, is the type of person that makes you wonder how two people got together in the first place. Alfred is funny, warm, and always ready to pick on people. Lucinda seems to be the exact opposite. To say her first meeting with Kitty has a significant effect on the dynamics of Alpha Centauri life would be a profound understatement.
The Martini family isn’t the only set of new characters we’re introduced to. We meet P.T.C.U. agent Kevin, who previously worked with Kitty’s mom, and we finally get to meet Conspiracy Chuckie. We’ve been hearing Chuck’s voice on the phone since TBAA and he finally gets to step out of the background this time. I was very happy to see how he was worked into the story because everything makes perfect sense. We’re also introduced to ACE. Unfortunately, I can’t say too much about this particular character because there are too many spoilers attached, but ACE is truly unforgettable.
If the gator on the cover has enticed your curiosity, I can promise that it’s not there just because awesome artist Daniel Dos Santos decided to put it there. One word – Alliflash. You’ll have to read the book to find out more. Be ready to have your nerves stretched thin because this is one tense scene.
If you loved TBAA then you should definitely get “Alien Tango” because the Kitty Kat series continues to be a defining force in sci-fi for women, as well as for those who don’t normally like the sci-fi genre.
March 31, 2025
It's been five months since Katherine "Kitty" Katt discovered that aliens are for real and that they live among humans on earth. She is in a relationship with Jeffrey Martini, the strongest empath ever seen on earth and their home planet Alpha Centauri even though aliens are not allowed to marry humans. Jeff is having a hard time with his slightly estranged parents because they want him to marry an A-C as they call themselves. Their relationship is tense and being an empath doesn't make it any better.
When a space shuttle unexpectedly returns to earth after being hit by something unknown, Jeff, Kitty and their Alpha Team are called in for help by Jeff's father Alfred who works at Kennedy Space Center. But since it is never easy, there are again more than one enemy at work here and after some attempts to kill our Alpha Team, Kitty is busy figuring out who and why and when Jeff starts behaving strange, she has to hurry because she might loose the love of her life..
After having read this book five times, I thought I might rewrite my review. There was so much going on in this book.. the many attempts to kill either Kitty or her team or both, the crazy girl who was harassing and threatening Kitty because she was in love with one of Kitty's ex-lovers, the political thread to get A-C under control to use them as a weapon, the lunatics from Club 51.. and Jeff's family and the old habit to marry their children of without their consent. Of course they never saw Kitty coming! Boy, that was funny.. For two chapters I really feared there will be a change in the storyline when Chuckie made an entrance but thankfully Jeff came to his senses just in time.
I can't praise this series enough times as it still makes me laughing and crying and giggling the whole time again and again. Kitty is a funny character. A comic nerd, mouthy and a little bit crazy but a loyal friend. New characters were introduced and a new villain discovered - and boy, this one was a nutjob! But there always seems to be more of them and the crazies never stop.
Funny, interesting and very entertaining - even for the fifth time. 5 stars still!
When a space shuttle unexpectedly returns to earth after being hit by something unknown, Jeff, Kitty and their Alpha Team are called in for help by Jeff's father Alfred who works at Kennedy Space Center. But since it is never easy, there are again more than one enemy at work here and after some attempts to kill our Alpha Team, Kitty is busy figuring out who and why and when Jeff starts behaving strange, she has to hurry because she might loose the love of her life..
After having read this book five times, I thought I might rewrite my review. There was so much going on in this book.. the many attempts to kill either Kitty or her team or both, the crazy girl who was harassing and threatening Kitty because she was in love with one of Kitty's ex-lovers, the political thread to get A-C under control to use them as a weapon, the lunatics from Club 51.. and Jeff's family and the old habit to marry their children of without their consent. Of course they never saw Kitty coming! Boy, that was funny.. For two chapters I really feared there will be a change in the storyline when Chuckie made an entrance but thankfully Jeff came to his senses just in time.
I can't praise this series enough times as it still makes me laughing and crying and giggling the whole time again and again. Kitty is a funny character. A comic nerd, mouthy and a little bit crazy but a loyal friend. New characters were introduced and a new villain discovered - and boy, this one was a nutjob! But there always seems to be more of them and the crazies never stop.
Funny, interesting and very entertaining - even for the fifth time. 5 stars still!
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