ARC Review: Valiant by Merrie Destefano

Title: Valiant
Author: Merrie Destefano
Genre: Science Fiction 
Source: Teenreads & Entangled Teen via NetGalley
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: December 4th 2018 (Happy release day!)

Summary: 

The Valiant was supposed to save us. Instead, it triggered the end of the world. Earth is in shambles. Everyone, even the poorest among us, invested in the Valiant’s space mining mission in the hopes we’d be saved from ourselves. But the second the ship leaves Earth’s atmosphere, our fate is sealed. The alien invasion begins. They pour into cities around the world through time portals, possessing humans, forcing us to kill one another. And for whatever reason, my brother is their number one target. Now the fate of the world lies in the hands of me, a seventeen-year-old girl, but with the help of my best friend, Justin―who’s suddenly starting to feel like more―maybe if we save my brother, we can save us all…

*This review was originally posted on Teenreads.com*

Quite honestly, Valiant is one of the most intriguing and fast paced science fiction books I have read in a long time. Don't get me wrong I have read books that have had me feeling like I was a part of that world but Valiant had a different feel. From page one Valiant takes off and doesn't slow down for a moment. Valiant was a page turner that had me flying through the pages with my heart pounding to find out what was going to happen next. 

I liked Sara's character a lot she was smart and insightful. Sara is an average teenage girl that is just trying to survive in the near future and keep her friends and family safe. Valiant was suppose to save the earth but instead it opened the door to the Xua invasion. But out of the millions of people in the world Sara's younger brother Gabe is the key to saving the world. In the first invasion Sara watches as all her friends die and Gabe is killed, but an Xua rebel rescues Sara and shows her the secret of time travel and soon Sara has relived the same horrible invasion over 14 times. This time this is the last time to save the world though and Sara will do everything in how power to keep Gabe and her friends alive. Even the boy she is finding herself falling in love with. 

As much as I liked Valiant I do wish there was more world building. There are still a lot of questions about the world currently, where the Valiant was traveling too, where the Xua are exactly from. I also wish the genetic manipulation program that Justin was a part of before his birth was expanded upon, it peaked my interest. The whole book revolves around Sara and Gabe and keeping Gabe safe from the Xua who are hunting him. But you never actually learn why Gabe and Sara are so important to the Xua. 

Besides the world building I really enjoyed Valiant. I found Sara to be a relatable character and I was easily able to put myself into her shoes. As I said from the first page to the last Valiant doesn't stop. Each page is action packed and full of twists and turns that will leave you entranced until the very last page. Considering the ending I am really eager to have my questions to answered in the next book. Book 2, where you at?