Unplugged and unpopular

Gr 4--7--In the not-so-distant future, technology is so ingrained in everyday life that nobody has noticed furry little aliens have slowly been kidnapping and brainwashing humans. Anyone who doesn't engage in screen time will become aware of the creatures. Like Erin Song, who notices these beings after she is grounded and prohibited from using her devices for a month. To defeat these otherworldly creatures, Erin teams up with an unlikely group: quirky twin librarians Joe and Charlie, and her grandmother. The characters are stereotypical--the tween characters are overly attached to their phones and obsess over their popularity; older people are described as weird and boring. However, these over-the-top characterizations might appeal to younger readers and to parents, teachers, and other adults who wish their children spent less time on their devices. The art is equally exaggerated, with vibrant colors and tons of movement. VERDICT With engaging illustrations, this is a great pick for fans of silly reads with a sci-fi twist.--Shazia Naderi, Bethpage Public Library, NY

In the near future, a young girl and her friends fend off fuzzy purple extraterrestrials intent on domination.Erin Song lives in a world dependent on smartphones and the internet, devoid of handwriting, bookstores, and DVDs. Erin's quest for popularity leads her to help the most popular girl in school cheat on a test. Inevitably, the scheme quickly falls apart. Erin's outraged boredom at her revoked technology privileges turns to panic when she realizes Culver City has been invaded by ETs using computers, smartphones, and TVs to transmit false information and erase any memory of the humans they abductincluding Erin's older brother. Can Erin and a gang of elderly Luddites defeat the aliens? Divided into five long chapters, this humorous, intergenerational story relies heavily on the digitally inked, full-color illustrations. Expressive characters, enticing layouts, and a pastel color scheme add comedic flair. Although there are a few plot points that get lost amid the sequential panels, overall the visual storytelling is clear. Unfortunately, top-notch illustrations cannot overcome a predictable plotline, underdeveloped characters, and a heavy-handed message. The final battle is awash with fun gadgets, but victory is disappointingly swift, too easily won. The illustrations depict Erin as mixed-race (white mother, Asian father) and show a realistically diverse community, yet the text fails to develop the supporting characters. Finally, lacking nuance, the beware-of-too-much-technology moral drags down the story.Fast-paced, full-color fluff appealing to voracious sci-fi comic fans but few others. (Graphic science fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.