It's 2027, and ever since she can remember, Callie lives in a world where all life form on earth are slowly being targeted by alien spores.
The Quarantine immediately detect who has been infected and take them away – most likely to be terminated.
Callie's dad was taken away by The Quarantine when she was young, leaving Callie and her beloved half sister, five-year-old Gracie, to be raised by Callie's stepmother and her new family.
Gracie is the only real family Callie has and when she begins to show signs that she is 'Changing', and has been infected, Callie knows she'll do anything to protect her. She snatches Gracie and they run.
With information from her Dad's trusted colleague, Callie knows her only hope is to take Gracie to the Exclusion Zone jut beyond the Queensland border hundreds of kilometres away from her home in Adelaide.
What follows is a race against time as Gracie continues to change and a race to get to The Zone without being detected by The Quarantine. Callie, a resilient, strong, driven 16 year-old, will do anything to protect Gracie. Her skills and strength get tested in unimaginable ways as she pushes on through hunger, dehydration and unexpected impediments. Matt, also travelling to Queensland, joins them and the three of them battle the elements and unforeseen obstacles through the harsh and unforgiving terrain.
This is a gripping read mainly because the reader feels like they're out there in the harsh interminable wilderness with Callie and Gracie who keep going because there is no alternative. A few chapters in particular, when an enemy threatens the success of their journey are so well written and utterly gripping, I was riveted. And the ending? What a cliffhanger! Can't wait for the next book.
Title: The Silent Invasion
Author: James Bradley
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $9.99
Publication Date: 28 March 2017
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978174359896
For ages: 12+
Type: Young Adult