Alien Survival Guide | Musings of the Monster Librarian

Book Review: The Band From Another World (Alien Survival Guide #3) by Kevin Garone

The Band From Another World (Alien Survival Guide #3), by Kevin Garone

Temor Press, 2026 (pre-order out September 8)

ISBN: 9798991328470

Available: Hardcover, paperback, ebook edition

The teenaged scallywags of Kevin Garone’s Alien Survival Guide series return for their third (and unfortunately, final) adventure, and like the last two, this doesn’t disappoint. This series should not be missed by young readers (and young-at-heart adults), and it deserves recognition in its genre for how good it is.

The team of Marv, Jace, Kenji, Nora, and their new member, Liv (code name: Alien Lover) manage to get into trouble in the first few pages while investigating an abandoned cabin in the woods. There they find instruments that somehow enable them to play better than the band Dream Theatre, which leads to possession and a homing signal, which leads to a school battle of the bands… and in the end, finally resolves whether Marv’s unshaking belief in alien invaders was justified, or a delusional waste of time.

As with the previous volumes, these work so well because, as much as they are adventure stories for young readers, Garone manages to throw in some pretty heartfelt material from time to time that adult readers are sure to appreciate. The conversation between Marv and Liv later in the book is a prime example. It’s about finding your big interest when young, and how kids just want something that makes them stand out and be unique from the other kids, even if it is something silly, such as preparing for alien invasions. The conversation is a good example of using simple, straightforward writing to convey some pretty heady ideas. Young readers will relate, and it will certainly make adult readers think back. Didn’t we all have something we wanted to be our own thing, that no one else had?

Although there is some touching material, at heart this is a thrill ride of aliens vs. humans, and the author keeps the story moving at a quick pace, right up to the final page of the story, as mankind will finally be saved, or ended. It’s worth noting that the author has always shown an ability to introduce new characters as good as the originals in each book, which helps keep the story from getting predictable, and this is no exception. In the last book it was Kenji, the flame-wielding maniac; this time it’s alien-obsessed Liz, an utterly charming character. Where Marv’s take on potential aliens resembles the mentality of Independence Day or Mars Attacks, Liv is from the Close Encounters of the Third Kind school of thought, that aliens must be benevolent. Her character is an excellent contrast to Marv, and together they learn something important: you can be friends, even if some of your ideas are diametrically opposed, a lesson adults in this day would do well to remember.

Bottom line is, this series is a fantastic trilogy of YA fiction, and the final volume proves to be a fitting capstone to the series. Keep an eye out for what the author writes next, he’s very good and worth noticing. Definitely recommended!

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Book Review: Night of the Living Toilet Paper (Alien Survival Guide #2) by Kevin Garone

Night of the Living Toilet Paper bookcover

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

Temor Press, 2025

ISBN: 9788991328449

Available: Hardcover, paperback, ebook edition (pre-order)

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

The irresistible, alien-chasing young scamps are back! Thankfully, author Garone thought his prior book, I Know What UFO Did Last Summer, was good enough to continue the story. Night, while a bit different in scope, has all the charm and enchantment of the original.

In Night, original members Marvin (code name: Gold Leader), Jace (code name: Baller One) and Nora (code name: Space Cadet) all return, and they have expanded their ranks to include Kenji Kowahara (code name: Pyro). You can guess what his specialty/obsession is!

The story finds the four of them trying to destroy a giant animated mass of toilet paper, which is under control of a Sleech, one of the creatures from the first book. It’s a good story and written as well as the first: it’s just a bit smaller/more focused in scope. The first book had the team in a few different places, (woods, a super secret lab) and tackling a few different related problems. This time, it’s pretty much the team vs. the paper monster in their neighborhood: that’s the crux of almost all the story. Does it work? Yes, very well, it just isn’t as broad of a plot. Think of it as a smaller version of the original, but just as good (kind of like those downloadable expansions they do for video games these days).

There are some good modifications from the first book. For one, the kids really don’t get any help this time. It’s up to them alone to use their ingenuity and make the right decisions to outwit the creature, and that’s what makes the characters and their specialties stand out. Marvin and Jace are still good as team leader and tactics officer, respectively, but Nora’s character plays a bigger role this time, with her developing abilities as a backyard mechanic proving critical to the team. Kenji also has a big part, as his fire obsession comes in very handy when the team is on the defensive against the TP monster. As before, it’s the comradeship between them all that carries the story. The author may be planning ahead, as there are some very slight hints that the kids may be starting to mature. They have to deal with the actual loss of a person– a minor character– but a loss nevertheless, and there are a couple other subtle hints.

Bottom line is, if you liked the first one, you don’t want to miss this. It has all the characteristics that made the first one such a pleasant surprise. Whether they are trying to use an inflatable mattress as a boat, or riding motorcycles while spitting flames, it’s hard to avoid loving the antics of Marvin and his team. Certainly recommended!

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson