I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Twelve-year-old Jake has a secret – he is an alien from another planet. Before this summer, that secret was easy to keep. Lately, however, he keeps shifting shapes without meaning to. Other weird things have been happening in his town, too – sinkholes, an unidentified hum, people acting weirdly. Jake has a strange feeling that all these things are somehow connected to him. When Agnes Oakes discovers Jake's secret, she wants to team up with him to solve the mystery of what is happening in his town. The two collaborate to try to find the answers before anyone else does.

This was a cute story that I think any middle grade reader would enjoy. I enjoyed the portmanteaus Jake and Agnes liked to come up with, such as imblobster. There are a few things I would have liked answers to but we didn't get. This book is humorous but also drives home a point about accepting your “weirdness”.

Fast fun read about a boy who doesn't fit in. Finding friends along the way he works to save his town and keep his secret. Definitely a good book for reluctant readers and those who feel like they just don't belong.

Starring two bike-riding preteens fighting alien goo, this book gave me major “Stranger Things” vibes (without the ‘80s nostalgia, and slightly less scary). I think middle grade readers will love the storyline and the digs at parents who “worry all the time,” and I think parents would like the messages of having goals and recognizing everyone’s unique skills. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this as an ARC.

I just finished this book and felt as though there were parts that could have been improved.

One of the major things that I found the whole book was lacking was the beginning or an origin story if you would call it that. Though in truth I guess the whole book could be seen as an origin story.

I felt as though it was a little bit too much like Superman and there was a little bit too much of stranger things as well mixed with it.

I feel as though the weird sidekick or the weird friend however you want to look at it is a really good aspect and wish they would have built more on that.

Part of me wants to say that the entire book is unoriginal and lacking something, but the major part of me just enjoys the book. I cannot tell you why I enjoy it truth be told, it is just one of those books that I enjoyed and it was really helpful to get me out of a reading slump.

The only suggestion I would make is perhaps make the opening a little bit longer or leeway into the current opening. The other thing that kind of tossed me for a loop was the fact that it was an audiobook and they bleeped out some of the words oh, don't get me wrong I know what audience it is marketed towards, so I understand why this could be an appealing point. I have never seen a bleep done before so it was one of those situations that caught me off guard.

Overall this book is worth the read and it is worth a listen if you have an audiobook version. I felt the things that it done well we're done extremely well and I felt the things that it did add we're done poorly

Weird Kid by Greg van Eekhout is a story about an alien who begins to lose his ability to look human. As the protagonist tries to keep his true identity secret, he befriends an odd human girl, and tries to investigate the other strange events happening near his home.

What makes this book a great story for middle schoolers is that with all the fun the book involves, the story is also an allegory for puberty. The main character's body is changing in unexpected ways, which the main character finds mutually interesting and embarrassing. Middle school is an awkward time, with students figuring out who they are while watching their bodies mature in front of their eyes. This book summarizes this feelings in a light-hearted way. Some adult readers will likely feel that this metaphor is a bit too blunt or obvious, but the message will likely hit the right note for its intended audience.

If you're looking for a fast middle-grade read that a student between the ages of 10-12 can relate to, this is an excellent book to pick up. Preteens will like the book for its adventure, slime, and mystery. Parents will like the message of embracing who you are. Teachers will find this book as a carefree addition to their classroom library or a great summer suggested reading assignment.

I read an advanced audiobook version of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available for purchase on July 20, 2021-- just in time for summer reading season. My thoughts are my own, and did not affect the score this book received.

The stuff of middle-grade dreams - butt puns, ooze, aliens, and superheroes.

Agnes lives out her superhero dream while Jake discovers his true self and how to be all that he is without turning into a liquid puddle!

CAWPILE Rating: 8.86

This was such a fun audio!

If anyone is interested in the this fun adventure of an audio, please take a listen, do not be turned off by the cry the tic voice, it is not the final product. It’s an enjoyable story about a young boy tying to blend in in middle school and be the best he can be. Hearing the adventures of Jake and Agnes uncover the secrets of Jake's existence was fun. The story was interesting and there was no rushing when it came to the main characters. I’ll definitely be enjoying the book when it comes out, please take the time to listen to this when you can!

It was so much fun!

It was so interesting to follow Jake and Agnes uncover the secrets of Jake's existence. The plot was interesting, the pacing was fantastic and the writing was really accessible. I wish I could read this book when I was a kid!

I got the audiobook for weird kid the other day and I just flew through it! What an adventurous, fun, and heartfelt book. This is totally a book I can see many young readers enjoying. I especially loved the strong female character Agnes, she was such a determined girl and did not give up on the problems she faced and was also a great friend to Jake. Loved this!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the ARC to review 💫 This was my first netgalley review!
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synopsis • Jake is trying to blend in with everyday life of going to middle school and acting normal, even though he is not from planet Earth. He is an alien from another planet and with the help of his parents, he has been able to keep his identity a secret for years. When peculiar events begin in his town of Cedar Creek View, like sinkholes, Jake finds is more difficult to keep his talents hidden. With the help of a curious friend from school, Agnes Oakes, they are determined to solve the strange occurances that continue to happen.

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I liked the creativity of this book. At first, I wasn't sure if he really was an alien, and I enjoyed seeing his story unfold.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ALC of this one.

If I had to sum this strange, little book up, it would be, “Butts and blobs.” This middle-grade adventure follows a kid who’s just trying to find his place in the world, even though he’s an alien.

When sinkholes start popping up in Cedar Creek View, Arizona accompanied by a strange hum, people start acting abnormal. Until now, Jake and his parents have been able to keep his true identity a secret. His ability to shapeshift means strict guidelines and rules from his parents, because no one can know. He’s weird enough without people knowing he can shift. When Agnes Oakes sees what he can do, it gets pretty difficult to hard his true nature. Agnes doesn’t want to tell on him, though, she wants to team up to get to the bottom of the weird happenings in Cedar Creek View.

I have been trying to get more into middle-grade reads lately. I read a lot of YA, and can devour picture books by the ton, but I tend to neglect middle-grade, and I want to be as well-rounded as possible for that readers’ advisory game.

It was a quick ride that kept me interested, and I heard an early copy that had a synthetic voice. The final product will be more polished, and even with the lack of production, I still enjoyed the story. It wasn’t overly long, and even though it was totally bonkers at times, I didn’t get lost. I wanted to know what was up with the town as much as our two main characters, and when things got weird, they got really weird, in a fun way.

This one will be out in July, perfect timing for the adventure of summer reading, a perfect palate cleanser if your middle-grader has assigned books to read over the summer. Gotta have that balance.

Turns out I dont mind the synthetic voice anymore.

A 12 year old boy named Jake is an alien that shifts his shape. He does not do this on purpose and wishes he could learn how to control it. He makes a new friend named Agnes in school. Sink holes are appearing around the neighborhood with strange goo that he is made of. This is a book that I think a whole lot of the kids are going to enjoy as a quick read about aliens.

Although this book is solidly in the sci/fi genre, its opening scene of the protagonist practicing smiling is utterly human. Most middle-schoolers do not have to worry about accidently turning their arms into wings or other such difficulties, but they are still likely to relate to the hardships the protagonist experiences throughout. The resolution had the potential to be a little heavy-handed, but Eekhout found the right balance. It's a great read and a great addition to middle school libraries.

Do not miss this book!

Listed as Children's Fiction and Sci Fi & Fantasy. (Sci Fi / Fantasy is really not my preferred genre.) Really this book is about being comfortable with yourself as a middle schooler/teenager.

from chapter 4 ... You changed then, right in frond of our eyes. Like a magic trick or a special effect or a miracle. You changed into you Jake, you changed into our baby boy. So they did the only thing they could think of, they freaked out. They also picked me up and swaddled me in dads jacket and with love in their hearts the carried me home.

This whole book was so creative and was absorbed so quickly; current is about 3.5 hours. Just loved the characters, the plot, the wording. This book just kept up surprising me with adorability, such as blob plus imposter = imblobstered and humungous fungus. Also loved the dogs name and guitars name! I listened to this book yesterday and today I still have a warm glow in my heart from this book!

ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Greg Van Eekhout for approving my request. Opening is a little different and includes the following ... "What you are about to listen to is not a final product. It is sales material created with a synthesized voice for retailers and reviewers only. This does not reflect the quality of the final audio." I had no issues listening to the version reviewed. I would anxiously re-listen to the final product once it is available; even if it is nearly identical. I will be purchasing the final product for my niece and nephew (as my brother often reads them stories) and I think this one would be perfect, even though they are still very young. You are never too young to know how important love is in your life.