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The Only Alien on the Planet

Name: The Only Alien on the Planet
Author: Kristen D. Randle
ISBN: 9781402226694

by Kristen D. Randle

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Overview

Winner of multiple awards, praised by librarians and teachers as one of the best books ever written for teens—NOW BACK IN PRINT!

New town, new school, new friends. It was difficult for Ginny at first, but her senior year is finally starting to feel kind of normal. That is, until she sees him—the beautiful mystery in her English class. He has never spoken a word to anyone. He moves through each day at school without making eye contact. His name is Smitty Tibbs, but everyone calls him the Alien.

Ginny is convinced there's more to the Alien than his muted exterior. But as she attempts to break into his safe and emotionless world, she realizes her efforts might be causing more harm than good. Has she gone too far, or not far enough?

"Utterly compelling…totally satisfying. A fast-moving, unusual contemporary romance that should have great appeal."
School Library Journal

"The thick wall an abused teenager builds between himself and the world is penetrated at last by an extraordinary pair of friends… A strong book with healing at the end, memorable for its spirited friendships and unpreachy soul-searching."
Kirkus Reviews

"Ginny's deft and engaging narration reveals a delightful and totally believable teen. [T]he overall impact of this psychological novel is so powerful."
Booklist

After moving to the East Coast, Ginny enters her senior year of high school and uncovers the secret behind a new friend's refusal to speak.

Synopsis

The Only Alien on the Planet, winner of multiple awards, praised by librarians and teachers as one of the best books ever written for teens is now back in print!

Publishers Weekly

New student Ginny is intrigued by the handsome alien in her homeroom-no, this is not a science fiction novel. Smitty-real name Michael-is known to his schoolmates as "The Alien" because of his affectless appearance and complete silence. Soon, Ginny and Smitty's longtime protector, Caulder, team up to try and crack his shell. They get much more than they bargain for when they drag him along on old-movie outings; as a none-too-subtle plot device, the first turns out to be The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, the second, East of Eden. Smitty walks out of both, for it turns out that he was almost fatally abused by his older brother, who also convinced him that he would die if he spoke to anyone. With the help of Ginny, Caulder and a wise and sympathetic therapist, Smitty emerges from this psychological curse, and he and Ginny even begin a tentative romantic relationship. Randle (Why Did Grandma Have to Die?) unfortunately builds her otherwise well-crafted novel around an uncharacteristic response to abuse. Under his pain, Smitty is totally honest and caring-a very romantic figure, but not one likely to be found in the real world. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)

About the Author, Kristen D. Randle

Kristen D. Randle lives with her husband, four children, and two dogs in a little wood on the banks of a Utah river. She and her husband manage their own recording studio. The award-winning The Only Alien on the Planet is one of several novels she has written.

Reviews

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

New student Ginny is intrigued by the handsome alien in her homeroom-no, this is not a science fiction novel. Smitty-real name Michael-is known to his schoolmates as "The Alien" because of his affectless appearance and complete silence. Soon, Ginny and Smitty's longtime protector, Caulder, team up to try and crack his shell. They get much more than they bargain for when they drag him along on old-movie outings; as a none-too-subtle plot device, the first turns out to be The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, the second, East of Eden. Smitty walks out of both, for it turns out that he was almost fatally abused by his older brother, who also convinced him that he would die if he spoke to anyone. With the help of Ginny, Caulder and a wise and sympathetic therapist, Smitty emerges from this psychological curse, and he and Ginny even begin a tentative romantic relationship. Randle Why Did Grandma Have to Die? unfortunately builds her otherwise well-crafted novel around an uncharacteristic response to abuse. Under his pain, Smitty is totally honest and caring-a very romantic figure, but not one likely to be found in the real world. Ages 12-up. Mar.

Children's Literature - Mary Sue Preissner

Smitty is a strange guy. The other kids refer to him as "The Alien." He never makes eye contact and never touches anyone, but he is a brain when it comes to schoolwork. Having just moved to town and feeling out of place herself, Ginny decides to make Smitty her friend. In this compelling tale of friendship, we learn of the horrors of sibling abuse and the "specialness" of true friendship. 1996 orig.

The ALAN Review - C. Anne Webb

Ginny Christianson's parents move their family and business from the West Coast to the midlands. Ginny's is a large, talking, touching, sharing, kidding, trusting, happy family. As she surveys the "male possibilities" on her first day in the new school, her eyes fall on a well-dressed, neat, but quiet Advance-Placement classmate. She is told, "Smitty Tibbs has never said a word to anybody." Is he autistic, retarded, strange, like an alien on the planet? How can anyone never talk or touch and yet write sensitive poetry? Needing help with trig, her new neighbor, and Smitty's only friend, Caulder, leads Ginny to Smitty Tibbs, uncovering more secrets than those of higher math. An inside look at a "good" family gone bad.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Ginny feels like an outsider when her family moves from their native California to a new home on the east coast, but once she starts attending the local high school she finds someone even more alien than herself. Smitty Tibbs is an honor student who never speaks, makes eye contact, or allows anyone to touch him. Ginny feels oddly drawn to the strange boy, and learns that his long-time defender, Caulder Pretiger, is not only a fellow student but also her next-door neighbor. They form a solid friendship, often joined by Ginny's two brothers and Caulder's sisters in a comfortable sixsome. When Caulder decides that he and Ginny will crack Smitty's silent armor and bring him back into the world for his own good, their awkward attempts at communication and real friendship cause serious problems. The facade of glib YA fiction-clever banter, easy relationships, convenient social opportunities-is occasionally suffused here with the brilliance and intensity of Joanne Greenberg's I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (Holt, 1964). As Smitty is pulled reluctantly from his protective silence, his bizarre and painful past is revealed and the novel becomes utterly compelling. In the end, things fall into place a little too easily and neatly for such a difficult beginning, providing a conclusion that may not stand up to hard, clinical analysis, but it is totally satisfying. A fast-moving, unusual contemporary romance that should have great appeal.-Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA