Alienated

By Andrew Auseon

Book Overview

Best friends Gene Brennick and Vince Haskell come across freaky aliens like Mold Man, Calamari Girl, and Crumble Bun all the time as reporters for their homemade weekly tabloid, the Globe , a newsletter featuring stories on the aliens living quietly among humans in Santa Rosa, California. Gene and Vince's classmates don't take their articles too seriously -- no one does, really. Gene's determined to find a way to end his outsider status for good, and when he and Vince discover a local teacher's deep, dark secret, Gene's convinced he's found the answer. But after taking it one step too far, Gene and Vince are suddenly at the center of an intergalactic conflict, one that could be the death of the boys' friendship, or of the boys themselves -- whichever comes first. Acclaimed screenwriter and director David O. Russell teams up for his first novel with Andrew Auseon to deliver a hilarious, surprising adventure that will keep readers glued to every page.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416982981
• ISBN13: 9781416982982
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Fun alien action!

If you enjoy silly adventures complete with strange and wierd aliens then this is the book for you. My 10 year old daughter highly enjoyed reading Alienated and is hoping that the authors will be writing part II very soon. She sums it up as being funny & exciting and had a hard time deciding between Mold Man and Crumb Top as her favorite alien character.

great book for kids

This was a book I read to my son every night and he loved it. It is about two boys, Vince and Gene, who write a newsletter about aliens in their community. Most everyone believes it to be a work of fiction, but it really is the result of genuine reporting. They find out the guidance counselor at their school, Walter, is the nephew of the most evil alien in existence and they expose him. This book details all of their encounters/adventures with various aliens, including Walter's twin sister, who is intent on capturing Walter and bringing him back home. Vince and Gene end up helping Walter escape from her. If you have a child who enjoys science fiction and aliens, then they will really enjoy this book. The author did a good job of tapping into how pre-teen boys think, and even I enjoyed reading this book. It is for ages 8-12, and I think that is about right.

COOLEST Thing Ever READ! A little weird but I like it that way.Reviewed by 12 year old.

I find this book very facinating. I just turned 12 and loved this book. It has many weird, strange, and exciting things. Some of my favorite aliens are Mold man, Calamari Girl, and Crumb Top. Read to find out more. Great for the avid weird and strang or alien loving person. Gave to my son for his review since he is the target audience. He loved it.

Can't wait for the movie!

Teen investigative reporters specializing in interviewing peaceful extra-terrestials living among us, stumble into an intergalactic conflict. The reading level is suitable for approximately 4th grade and up. The book is perfect for any sci-fi/fantasy/alien loving young reader. This book, created by David O. Russel, is clearly a precursor to a movie. There are plenty of unanswered questions and plenty of room for sequels. I am giving this book 5 stars because the movie is going to be great!

Men in Black meets The Wonder Years

Take the light-hearted fun of the jokey aliens in Men in Black but substitute Kevin Arnold for Will Smith's character and you've got Alienated. For the longest time in kid literature, boys could read about either sports or killing things in the woods to survive; there was very little in between, and humor was nonexistent. Then along came books like Captain Underpants, and the fictional world for boys began to change. I like that this book offers something entertaining for kids 9-12. I like that a lot. That's the teacher side of me. The writer side of me wishes the authors had spent just a wee bit more time editing and perhaps (horrors!) getting a critical opinion before going to press. In an early scene, our heroes are out on their bikes at a spooky, foggy park (nice description, lads!), interviewing Mold Man when a black SUV drives up. To Mold Man's query, Gene replies, "Calm down... I bet it's just some kids from Fulton Junior High." Really? Driving an SUV? Perhaps the junior high was offering AP classes in Driver's Ed. I digress.... There are many bemusing scenes in this book, and it manages to carry the enthusiastic joie de vivre of its age group. But there are little nagging flaws that prompt me to give it 4 stars instead of 5. (The death of Gene's father is treated as just another gag in the story; there is a huge inflatable Snowman on the roof of Gene's house because "Gene's father had put it up there ten years ago before he died of a tropical disease that he'd picked up on a business trip." Gene and his mom don't take it down because they're both afraid of heights. Ha ha ha--No.) For reluctant readers (of either gender), this is a great here-read-this-I-promise-you'll-be-entertained book to drag them toward bibliophilia. Established hardcore readers in this age bracket may simply be annoyed by its persistent snarkiness.