I Am the Walrus (The N.O.A.H. Files #1)

What worked:
Readers immediately realize there’s something different about Noah but the author merely offers clues to entice them. He’s had several near-death experiences where he somehow miraculously survives. Afterward, Noah has impressions of what happened but he can’t remember exactly the details of how he stayed alive. Readers may notice a pattern between Noah’s bizarre incidents and behaviors before the author reveals what’s actually going on. The plot takes an unexpected turn when he realizes he’s been targeted for death by aliens. However, he has no idea why and the characters helping him are forbidden from sharing any details. This “serious” storyline is the backdrop of a plot that’s embellished in unexpected ways.
A good deal of humor runs throughout the story and it’s often provided by Noah’s best friend Ogden. Ogden seems to know everything as his logic usually results in spot-on hypotheses. That’s a good word to use because Ogden is likely to test out his ideas in strange, and sometimes dangerous, ways. Locking Noah in a meat freezer is a good example. Androids, aliens, and holograms are part of the story too, and they don’t have a very good sense of human culture. Misunderstandings of human behavior, the English language, and figures of speech contribute to amusing dialogue and incidents. The opening pages find Noah trying to explain the volcano that popped up in the middle of town, monsters crawling out of the pond, and why he’s wearing caveman furs. Zaniness might be an appropriate word to use when describing some parts of the story.
The plot is told from different points of view which seemed unnecessary in the beginning. However, there are a couple of characters working independently of each other with different interests in Noah. Mr. Kratz is one of his teachers but he used to work for a secret government scientific agency until he was disgraced and fired from his position. He’s prone to misinterpret what he sees so readers can expect comedic relief from his character. Apparently, the group frowns upon employees who add extra body parts to their colleagues. Noah’s other pursuers are an alien and her partner with recent, failed missions in their past. Their motive seems obvious but readers will discover there’s much more to it.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot contains a lot of strange humor, perhaps too much. Except for Noah and Sahara, pretty much all the other characters have silly, funny facets to their characters. The conflict would direr with additional seriousness added to the plot.
The Final Verdict:
This book will appeal to lovers of aliens and absurdity as it presents a funny tone to the plot. Of course, having the survival of the human race at risk offers entertainment too. Overall, this is a fun book to read and I recommend you give it a shot.