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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A teen element to the Alien Huntress series, July 16, 2007
Phoenix is nearly 18 and has had a problem with addiction to the drug Onadyn for several years, including 2 stints to rehab, to the despair of her mother. She's trying to get her act together and make her mother proud; unfortunately, events conspire to make it appear that she's using her drug of choice again... and thus begins a new chapter in her life. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. We get to see how A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Retrieval) agents are recruited and trained, and what that entails. A few characters from the adult Alien Huntress series make an appearance as well (I won't spoil it for you). In many ways, it also reminds me of Holly Black's book Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie, book 2 in the series, which also deals with teenage alienation in a paranormal world. This book is a great addition to the Alien Huntress repertoire; my one "beef" is the issue of Phoenix's father (again, I won't reveal too much) - the events and rationale surrounding him and his actions are never made clear, which was a bit frustrating because they were/are the impetus that drives Phoenix. Blacklisted is the sequel to Red Handed, and, thankfully, releasing on the tail of the first book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous World-Building, March 7, 2009
Welcome to New Chicago, where numerous alien species are abundant, and some can get along with humans. But the ones who viciously attack must be destroyed. Enter the Alien Investigation and Removal agency. With two stints in rehab to combat her addiction to Onadyn, Phoenix Germaine is living the clean life - even when her best friend isn't, and repeatedly offers her the drug. (Some friend, eh?) A party in the woods turns chaotic when Sybilins attack and Phoenix is returned home in what appears to be an Onadyn-induced state. Her mother sends her away to what Phoenix learns to be the AIR training academy. There she and her fellow recruits undergo strict studying and prac work that will prepare them for the rigours of life as a fully fledged AIR agent. Be warned that this is a character-driven novel, not plot-driven. The story seems as if written by the pants and not plotted. Phoenix's back-story, entering the academy, learning her lessons, social interaction... There is the obligatory second stoush with the Sybilins at the climax, but it seemed like it was just thrown in there. Characterisation is kind of scattered - some work well, and others don't. While Phoenix's character is interesting enough, her obsession with Ryan distracted from an otherwise intriguing read. Allison, the designated bad girl, seems like your typical fictional nemesis, although she and Phoenix are not enemies at the end. I often got the classmates confused for one another, but by far the most fascinating character is Kitten, Phoenix's new BFF who's a Teran, a species of alien that has commonalities with felines. Note that this is a companion series of sorts to the author's Alien Huntress series for adults. Mia Snow and Mishka Le'Ace, instructors at the academy, have their own novels, as does Eden Black, whom we don't meet here but whose name is mentioned. The epilogue seems extraneous. So while RED HANDED has its flaws, it focuses on what's dearly missing in teen fiction (aliens) and showcases fabulous world-building that I can't wait to read more about.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Romance and Alien Butt Kicking, July 2, 2009
Phoenix Germaine knows she has given her mother no reason to trust her. After all the lies, the stealing, the cruel words, and the two trips to rehab, Phoenix has used up her mother's store of faith in her. So when a strange man brings her home unconscious and showing all the classic signs of Onadyn abuse, Phoenix's mom leaps to the obvious conclusion: Phoenix is using the alien drug again. For once though, her mom is wrong. Phoenix wasn't using at all, she was caught up in a battle between predatory aliens and the A.I.R. - the hardass Alien Investigation and Removal Agency. Given the lack of publicized alien aggression over the past few decades, Phoenix's mom is more than skeptical. She decides to follow the strange man's advice and send Phoenix to a tough-love boot camp for abusers and other `difficult' teens. When Phoenix arrives, she discovers she's been recruited to train for the A.I.R. Not unexpectedly, most of the A.I.R. agents don't want a former addict around any more than her mother did. If she wants to stay (and she's not entirely sure she does), Phoenix will have to work twice as hard as the other recruits. The consolation? Hot Ryan Stone is one of her instructors. That's a good thing, even if relationships between instructors and recruits are forbidden. This is definitely a book for the older teen crowd - even though the romance/sexual references are limited, they're a little mature for tweens and younger teens. That having been said, this is a great read - fun and fast-paced with interesting characters - and one fans of paranormal romance will eat up.
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