Finally kicking a drug habit, Phoenix Germaine was not really surprised when her mother didn’t believe her about fighting aliens. She ended up being sent to yet another re-hab center, without even a good bye from her own mother. But this re-hab wasn’t exactly what she expected. Now finding herself in the A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal) training facility, she had to work twice as hard as the others to gain the respect of the instructors, even if she only really cared about one of their opinions.

Fun, feisty and energetic, just like the characters. This may be about a Teenage Alien Huntress, but I am not sure it should be for teenagers. Violence, drugs, bad language, talk of sex and then more violence makes it an exciting and difficult book to put down. Shorter than some book, it is packed tight and moves fast. Lots of information included that will probably come in handy in the rest of this series. I am currently getting ready for the second book, “Blacklisted”. ( )

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

Phoenix has been in more than a bit of trouble lately, thanks to Onadyn, a new drug that she used. She's gone to rehab and kicked it now, but her mother still doesn't trust her. And when she's at a party in the woods that turns into a fight with aliens, her mother thinks it was more drugs.

That's the last straw.

However, this new program that Phoenix is taken to turns out to be not another drug rehab or anything, but a training facility. Phoenix is going to learn to fight aliens. She's been recruited to become a part of the elite Alien Investigation and Removal agency, or AIR.

RED HANDED is a real page-turner! Strong characters and a very imaginative and interesting premise make this book well worth reading. It's action-packed, and, as such, is a much quicker read than its 250+ pages would suggest. The world in which this book takes place is created very well, too.

RED HANDED easily captures the reader's attention from the first page, and as soon as you're done you'll want to pick up the next book in the TEEN ALIEN HUNTRESS series, BLACKLISTED, as soon as possible! ( )

Picture a world where humans and aliens live side by side. They haven't always lived side by side in peace though. When aliens first came to our planet there was a long and difficult battle. Damages done to the earth were so devastating that natural resources had to be replaced by synthetic materials. Eventually a peace treaty was signed and a "new world" was formed. A part of that new world was the AIR, Alien Investigation and Removal, a highly trained organization that policed the aliens in order to ensure the safety of the humans. This is the world Phoenix knows. Phoenix lives in New Chicago and is a recovering addict. She wasted many of her days "flying" on Onadyn, a drug introduced to the world after aliens started inhabiting it with us. The aliens need Onadyn to help them with the oxygen found in our atmosphere. Without it, some of the alien races will die. For humans, it produces a sense of soaring and invincibility. Phoenix has been to rehab twice and now is determined to stay clean and earn back her mother's trust. Her resolve is tested when she attends a party with her friends, all of whom are still "flying" whenever they can. When a group of predatory aliens surrounds the party and begin to attack her friends, Phoenix feels the need to stay and protect them since they are incapacitated because of their Onadyn high. She notices two other partygoers that are helping with the fight and fighting expertly at that. One is Allison, a girl from school that is a member of the popular crowd and doesn't give Phoenix the time of day, and the other is Ryan, Allison's handsome brother. She soon realizes they are both members of the AIR. The aliens that attacked were the type that sucked the oxygen out of a person's body until it shriveled up and died. Phoenix was held down by one of the aliens, but because of her experience with Onadyn, it didn't hurt her as fast as it would someone else. She was able to keep a clear head and get loose. However, the after effects were still the same. By the time AIR took her home she was lethargic, her skin was dry, and her lips had a blue tint to them so of course her mother assumed she had been "flying." The next day, Phoenix's mother informed her that she was sending her to another rehab facility. The man who took Phoenix home the previous night gave her mother the number to this boot camp type clinic. Phoenix begged her mother not to send her away again, but the pleas fell on deaf ears. Phoenix was called out of class and taken directly to the facility. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to her mother. What she finds when she arrives is nothing like a rehab facility though and she soon learns that she is being interviewed for AIR training, due to the fighting skills she exhibited during the attack at the party. Once she is accepted, she meets new friends, learns amazing skills, and totally falls for the handsome Ryan who turns out to be one of her teachers. Phoenix knows she can't afford to blow this opportunity. Three strikes and you're out is the rule during AIR training and dating one of the teachers is definitely considered a strike. Red Handed is the first in Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress Series. It is action packed and even though it is set in a sci-fi setting, the emotions and attitudes of the characters are ones that people here on our plain ol' earth can relate to. If you like this one, be sure to read Blacklisted, the second book in this series. ( )

Ever since Phoenix's father left her and her mother her life has been in a downward spiral. Discovery of the highly addictive alien drug, Onadyn, made her hit rock bottom. Unable to stand watching her daughter ruin her life her mother sent her to rehab and once out, Phoenix was determined to stay clean. When Phoenix is attacked by an alien at an illegal party her mother, understandably believing she has returned to her drug-addictive ways, decides she has had enough and sends Phoenix to reform school. What her mother doesn't know is that Phoenix has actually been recruited by a highly elite government branch of alien hunters. The school is strict, the punishments are harsh, but Phoenix is determined to make it through and become an agent. She will not let anything stand in her way, not the drug addiction she constantly fights, the prejudice against her from some of the older students, or her attraction to her class instructor. More than anything Phoenix wants to become an alien hunter to make her mother proud and save her friends.

I have read a few of Gena Showalter's adult romance and liked them. However, "Red Handed" is certainly the best book I've read by her so far. With a fantastic blend of action and drama this is one of the best teen sci-fi books I've read. Phoenix was a great character in her determination to overcome her addictions and prove herself to be not just a worthy person, but a worthy friend, agent and daughter. I also enjoyed the scenes between her and Ryan, her fellow agent, instructor and crush, a lot. Although more sci-fi than fantasy and totally lacking in vampires, I really think this book would be great for those fans of "Twilight" that are looking for interesting stories to fill the gap between Stephenie Meyer's releases. ( )