Review of "Jenny Dean: The Secret of the Invisible City," by Dale Carlson

Review of

Jenny Dean: The Secret of the Invisible City, by Dale Carlson ISBN 0448190044


Three out of five stars

 This is fundamentally a juvenile adventure book with the main character a girl and having a plot based on a science fiction premise. While it is interesting to read an adventure book where the main character is a teenage female, the premise is weak.

Jenny is in Kansas and Thanksgiving is fast approaching. There is a sudden, massive cyclone that passes through, totally out of character with the fall season. After it is over, Jenny is out riding a horse when she encounters an invisible barrier. It is the border of a city called Krishna-La and it is populated by space aliens. The cyclone was just the manifestation of their landing on Earth.

 The aliens prove to be very adept at manipulating the thoughts and emotions of humans, starting with Jenny. When her friends and family encounter unusual manifestations such as a Masai warrior, Jenny begins to suspect that the aliens are laying the foundation for a takeover of Earth. While the issue is resolved, it is not done with great style or flair.  Another character is Mike, Jenny’s juvenile love interest, his presence does not advance the plot a great deal.

 With such a weak premise and lackluster writing, this is a book that you will read and enjoy a bit. After that you will likely forget about it.