Night of the Living Toilet Paper (Alien Survival Guide 2) by Kevin Garone

What worked:

Jace (Baller One) and Nora (Space Cadet) are friends of the main character, Marv “the weirdo”. Readers need to know that Marv is obsessed with the possibility (likelihood) of UFOs and an alien invasion. Pretty much everything he sees must be connected to an alien conspiracy, and the first book convinced him that Nora and her father are aliens. Marv doesn’t believe in the paranormal because the possibility of ghosts is just crazy. The book opens with Marv witnessing a motorcycle driving by itself, so it must be driven by an alien with a personal cloaking device or using remote controls. Jace and Nora are reluctant to believe him at first, but they eventually witness things that are hard to explain. Also, Marv manages to convert a family skeptic into a believer in his rantings when the plot reaches its climax.

Book one involved slug-like creatures the kids called Sleeches, and another one returns for this adventure. However, it has abilities the kids didn’t experience last time, and a paranormal expert has been chasing them across the country. The topic of toilet paper arises from Marv’s stash that he’s hidden in his fort in case of an alien invasion. The toilet paper actually becomes animated when the Sleech takes control of it. The team is joined by another boy who is given the nickname Pyro. In addition to his infatuation with fire, his ultimate goal is to cover the school with the most epic TP attack ever. Marv and his friends usually avoid interacting with the strange kid, but they realize he has knowledge and skills they might need.

The story is told from Marv’s point of view, allowing readers to follow his unusual thinking and reasoning while inside his head. Readers will be amused when Marv looks at normal situations and translates them into alien explanations. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from the handbook, How to Survive an Alien Invasion: Your Guidebook to an Inevitable Future. These sentences are relevant to what’s happening in the story, and prepare readers for what’s to come. Some of them talk about how difficult it will be to find people willing to believe you, because it’s so hard to collect any evidence of aliens. Others relate how aliens are way more intelligent and resourceful than expected, so readers should be on their guard. Some excerpts even warn readers of dangerous encounters that will probably result in their deaths. The introduction to each chapter provides quick background knowledge to help readers connect with events in the story.

What didn’t work as well:

The book has strange things going on, which makes Marv’s imagination seem less wacky. The first book has Nora’s father working on a top-secret transporter project, so the contrast with Marv’s alien conspiracies isn’t very clear. Are the Sleeches alien lifeforms, paranormal, or something else? The humorous effect of his far-fetched perceptions of “normal” occurrences is diminished.

The final verdict:

This series is fun for young readers, and I suggest you start with the first book. Marv’s wild ideas are humorous, and the author creates a good deal of action in the adventure, especially during the climactic confrontation. Overall, I recommend you try this book for yourself.