Review: Left
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A Sci-Fi Satire of Alien Espionage, Southern Charm & Chaos on Earth!
First-time novelist Paul McGrath delivers a sharp, witty, and wildly entertaining sci-fi satire that asks: What if an alien held up a mirror to America—and we didn’t like what we saw?
Anton-7—aka Roy McDonald—was supposed to observe Earth, not get stuck on it. But after missing his ride back to planet Xylodon, he decides to make the most of his exile in Hernando, Mississippi. Breaking the number-one rule of alien espionage—never interfere—he dives headfirst into human affairs, finding friendship, romance, and the simple joys of a good cup of coffee and a highly anticipated trip to Buc-ee's.
But when tragedy strikes, Anton-7 takes matters into his own hands, setting off a whirlwind of chaos that shakes both Earth and Xylodon.
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I wasn’t sure what to expect when I asked to review Paul McGrath’s Left. The synopsis sounded fun and intriguing…and that’s exactly what I found when I read it!
Anton-7 is on Earth to observe humans - and he finds them to be interesting beings and in doing so…misses his ride back home. The more time he has to spend on Earth means he finds himself becoming a bit more attached than expected to certain humans, namely Ezra, an older man, and Ellie, a local school teacher.
McGrath did an awesome job in giving the reader an “outsider’s” look on humanity - with all the humor and action that entails. I found Left to be filled with some classic sci-fi themes while still placing itself on its own level. I very much enjoyed that, through Anton, we are shown ourselves - a true social commentary from a being that can be considered an outsider but still an appreciator of the human race.
Although I am not usually a reader of books with science fiction themes, I found Left to be quite enjoyable and I think it would be a great read for those who would like to dip their toes into the genre.
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