The True Meaning of Smekday (urspr publ 2007; utgåvan 2009)

I loved this smart, funny, and delightful book! The audio version is masterfully performed and the characters really come to life for the listener. Perfect for MG/YA (or adult!) readers looking for some fast-paced and fun science fiction.

I didn't realize before I read this book that the movie "Home" is based on it--from a quick look at the movie trailer my impression is that the book is FAR superior! ( )

This book was recommended to be me because it's hilarious. It's hilarious in the same vein as Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Jon Scieszka. Everyone who made that comparison is correct. But that's not why I love this book. I love this book because the main character is one of the most compelling and delightful I've encountered in a long time. I love this book because of core relationship that drives it is an utter delight. I love this book because the story is fantastic. It's also silly and laugh out loud funny. ( )

Sometimes a little too clever for its own good, the central buddy comedy is funny enough to keep this book readable all the way through. ( )

Couldn't finish it, seemed way to 5th - 6th grade, not to interesting and the writing sound as if the protagonist was to infantile for my liking, no offense - Trashed it.

Eleven-year-old Gratuity Tucci is used to being the grown-up in her family - her mom is a little impulsive (manic?). But when her mom is abducted by aliens and returns with a glowing purple mole in the back of her neck, that is definitely out of the ordinary. Gratuity - Tip to her friends - is left alone when the Boov invade and send everyone in America to live in Florida. Tip takes her mom's car and their cat, Pig, and decides to drive to Florida instead of taking a Boov rocket pod, but she runs into trouble on the way. She teams up with a Boov who has also run into trouble; he fixes up her car, and they remain a pair throughout the rest of the book, from Florida to Roswell to Arizona and back, dodging other Boov, surviving a hurricane, discovering the secrets of "Happy Mouse Kingdom," and defeating the Gorg.

Tip is clever, cool under pressure (mostly), creative, determined, and very funny. Her relationship with J. Lo (the Boov who fixes her car) is a model of open-mindedness (and some snark). Written in the form of an essay for a hundred-year time capsule, this is Tip's story of how she - not Daniel Landry - saved the world.

Recommended in audiobook webinar (and Bahni Turpin's narration is definitely top-notch! This is a longer audiobook than I would normally listen to, almost 11 hours, and I listened to the whole thing).

See also: We're Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey ( )