Mallory Moss knows how middle school works. Wear the right clothes, say the right things, and don't stand out. When Reagan, who is obviously cool, moved to town in elementary school and chose Mallory for her best friend, life was perfect. She is on the right side of the social divide, and she has a best friend to share secrets with.
Then Jennifer Chan moves in across the street. Jennifer is unlike anyone Mallory has ever known. She's so...herself. Jennifer is obsessed with aliens, and she's not embarrassed or shy about it all. The way she talks about aliens almost makes Mallory want to believe herself.
Then summer is over, and Mallory moves back into her role as best friend of the class queen. If only Jennifer would just try to fit in, dress like a normal person, not talk about aliens, maybe things could be different.
Then Jennifer goes missing, and Mallory feels compelled to find her, partly because of the connection they had back in the summer...and partly because of the incident. But she's not even really ready to admit the truth of that to herself.
Tae Keller's first book after winning the Newberry is a beautiful and painful story about friendship and fitting in. The social interactions and power dynamics of middle school are realistically and brutally displayed. Be sure to read the author's note at the end for extra insight into the characters and the author herself. Nearly everyone will relate to this story of bullying and the struggle to be your authentic self. Highly recommended.
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