Tae Keller’s Jennifer Chan is Not Alone is an engrossing and relatable novel for middle grade and adult readers alike. Insightful and incisive, Jennifer Chan is Not Alone tackles crucial topics with authenticity and vulnerability.
Mallory has survived middle school–so far– because her best friend Reagan has taught her how to fit in. Mallory’s world revolves around what she thinks other people think about her, and so her every action and word is measured and weighed against the potential social repercussions. When new girl Jennifer Chan moves in across the street from her, Mallory is shocked to discover that Jennifer doesn’t play by the same rules as Mallory; in fact, she doesn’t play by any rules at all. Jennifer is wholly, authentically herself. And that self believes aliens are real and that she, Jennifer Chan, is going to find them. Mallory feels pulled between her familiar world and the unknown one that friendship with Jennifer would unlock. But when Jennifer Chan goes missing, Mallory blames herself, and decides its up to her to find Jennifer.

The novel jumps between two times, Then and Now. This not only in sets the stakes from page one, but also provides insight into why Mallory feels responsible. Though the plot of Jennifer’s disappearance is intense on its own, the reason why she’s missing is just as important.

I fully expected the title character to be the main character, but she’s not. Instead of sharing Jennifer’s thoughts, the story is told through Mallory’s eyes. Mallory, the could have been friend that was party to the Incident that caused Jennifer to go missing. Mallory, who can’t not abide by societal expectations. Mallory, who is suddenly asking herself if she is the bad guy in this story.

Keller expertly and carefully shows how bullying affects all involved, with those so easily painted as villains taking center stage. By giving such incisive insight into the mind of a bully, Keller humanizes each person involved in hurting Jennifer Chan. From the stereotypical popular guy to the queen bee to the girls who could have befriended her but didn’t out of self-preservation, every character is presented as flawed but not evil. Especially with bullying stories, it can be easy to choose a villain and paint them as irredeemable. But these are still children, and their actions are a direct result of their own hurt. That isn’t meant to excuse or pardon any hurtful behavior, but rather to show how poor decisions can pile up to create a much larger problem.

Keller achieves this feat by having each character intricately well developed. It is through slowly revealing information about each character and their interactions with Jennifer that the reader sees how even small actions can have a ripple effect, for better or worse.

Keller chooses authenticity and vulnerability at every step, including in the author’s note. Some of the bullying moments are pulled from Keller’s personal experience being bullied in middle school. This makes the humanity found in each character, particularly the bullies, even more admirable.

The subject matter of this novel was heavier than I expected, but it doesn’t feel heavy to read. It’s engrossing and engaging; I had a hard time putting it down. The world is so well built that every time I was interrupted while reading, I felt like I was coming up from underwater. There are touching moments, funny moments, and so many times when you just feel viscerally pulled back to middle school.

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone is incredible from start to finish, and is one I won’t soon forget. This thought-provoking book is a unique blend of mystery, sci-fi, and social commentary. This is perfect for fans of Jerry Spinelli’s Star Girl and Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish.

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone is available now. Thank you to Tae Keller, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for an E-ARC such that I could share my honest opinions.

Inspired by events in the author's youth, this book is about children in middle-school (mostly girls) and how they deal with popularity, power struggles, and the new kid in school. It's also about being different in a way that is openly laughed at--believing in aliens.

Kids experience many types of pressure or trauma, and varying degrees of bullying is one of them.

This book--from the viewpoint of Mallory--explores her anxieties and insecurities, the reasons for her choices, and where that path takes her. Although she participates in the bullying; try to keep her motivations in mind. They don't excuse the actions of these kids, but insight leads to understanding, and then to solutions.

A very good book of its kind, and focused on being honest--rather than dramatic. It doesn't contain violence or swearing, nor are any children physically abused or openly threatened. (There is intimidation.)

While the book isn't always cheerful, it is about friendship, mistakes, forgiveness, and rebuilding trust. Subjects that are vitally important for kids and people of all ages.

*Reading ages recommended are 8-12 years, but I believe teens and adults (parents especially), would benefit from the subjects and insights.

4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher and BookSirens for the free preview of this ebook; the review is voluntary.

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Parts of this book are like a punch in the gut. Reading the chapters where Jennifer is bullied is painful and raw, especially the description of The Incident, and reading the author's note at the end where Keller describes her own bullying as a student gave the book even more of an impact. If you've enjoyed Keller's other books, you will discover this one is just as powerful. I would not be surprised at all if it ends up on several awards lists for middle grade fiction. The flipping back and forth between the two timelines is seamless, with the chapter headings of Then and Now setting up the coming events for readers. The main character, Mal, is believable and relatable, even when the reader wants to make her out to be the villain. We have all said, done, and thought cruel things that we excuse ourselves for, and Keller writes Mallory's part in such a way that a student reading it can identify with her actions and start to hold himself/herself more accountable for those transgressions. Alternately, it's important that Keller directs Mal to a place where she can not only see her faults, but learn to forgive herself for them. For readers who might find themselves in Mallory's shoes (or Ingrid, Tess or Reagan's), this is an important topic for their emotional growth, too. There are a few gaps in the story (the backgrounds of the mean girls could have been explored a little more, I thought), but overall I believe it is a book that will make quite an impact on middle grade readers, and give hope to those who are caught in situations like Jennifer Chan's.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone is not a lighthearted read. There are moments of lightheartedness, but it also explores some heavy topics.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone is less about the title character and more about her would-be friend Mallory. Mallory lives her life cautiously. She’s afraid of breaking the status quo, of being herself, of stepping beyond boundaries. Jennifer is the complete opposite. Mallory is intrigued by what she sees in Jennifer, but she just can’t let herself go there.

When other kids start bullying Jennifer, Mallory knows it’s wrong. She knows she should say/do something, but she can’t bring herself to help. The situation is eating Mallory up inside. She begins to see herself as a bad person. She’s overwhelmed.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone is a thoughtful look at friendships and how friends can influence decisions. It will leave readers thinking about their own actions alone and in groups.

When Jennifer Chan goes missing, Mallory is obsessed with helping find her. The mystery of what Mallory and her friends did to newcomer Jennifer Chan slowly unfolds in this gripping story about friendship, bullying, finding and being yourself, and...aliens. Excellent characters, a perfectly paced plot, and expert writing make this a must-read!

Incredibly important read, written in a "then"/"now" format, following the disapearance of a middle school girl.

Tae Keller has another winner! Great middle grade book about bullying and feelings and being the odd kid out. I enjoyed the flow of this one much better than her last and the characters resonated more with me. Destined to become a classic, this relatable story about the new girl and popularity should be on your must read list. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for proving me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book that covered so many important topics, such as acceptance of others & their beliefs, grief, microaggressions, casual racism and bullying. I appreciated the varying timelines and perspective of Mal and the conundrums she faced around Jennifer. I think this is a great books for kids who are facing difficulty at school & home and would feel seen by what Mal & Jennifer experience in this book.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I think it is a story that needs to be told a thousand times in a thousand different ways. Being nice is HARD, but being mean never pays. We talk often about how important it is to be nice, but we rarely talk about how hard it is, and how easy it is to go along with others who we know aren't doing the right thing. We don't talk about how easy it is to choose self-preservation over standing up, and we don't talk about how those choices impact our own self-worth in addition to the ones we've hurt.

Jennifer Chan is so many kids in so many schools, but Mallory is so many more, and the Mallorys of the world need this every bit as much as the Jennifers. This is a must read for so many classrooms.

The perfect middle-grade book I wish I could have read during my childhood. But reading this as an adult, I feel like my inner child is jumping with happiness — being seen finally.

This book deals with the heavy topic of bullying and finding your personality, the society’s pressure on you as a young person. We follow the story of Jennifer, who is a Chinese American girl, moving to a new town, starting a new school while she deals with her father’s death,.. and the rumors following her.
Then at the present time we also see Mallory and her friends trying to figure out where Jennifer has gone and they do feel guilty of their actions, that they might have caused her disappearance.

I felt the story engaging, the characters well developed and relatable. It was interesting to get to know the story through the eye of the “bully”.

At the end, the author’s note deserves all the stars, please read it. This story was born from a very raw personal experience.

Thank you so much for Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the e-arc!

This is a moving look at bullying in middle school/junior high, with the narrator realizing that she is actually one of the mean girls, even if she didn't intend to be. Mallory has to come to terms with her own behavior and work on how she wants to be (and who she wants to be) while searching for the missing Jennifer Chan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read Keller's Newbery Medal for her novel, When You Trap A Tiger, I immediately wanted to read her next work. I am pleased to say that Keller has done it again. This book exceeded my expectations as I read it all in one sitting for World Book Day.

The book (and the author's note) had me bawling. Readers will connect deeply with an amazing cast of characters with Keller's riveting writing style and dialogue that drives a personal and universal plot. Sweeping alternating chapters are effective, titled "Then" that explores Mallory's perspective of what happened before Jennifer went missing, to "Now" with Mallory trying to make things right after the Incident, even when it is scary.

The journal entries add a nice touch to the narrative as they not only have lots of alien conspiracies, astrophysics, and clues to find Jennifer, but how it catches a glimpse of Jennifer's personal life and how her fascination made her who she is, in which Mallory wishes she had such qualities within herself.

This important and emotional middle grade book navigates the topic of bullying and healing, trust in family, shifting friendships, and learning how to face our mistakes with grace

I really loved this novel about middle school, fitting in versus sticking out, and the ambiguity between being a good person and a "mean girl." Mallory is one of the popular girls. She's quiet and generally follows her best friend's rules on how to act and what to wear. But when Jennifer Chan moves into Mallory's neighborhood, she gets sucked into the new girl's world. Jennifer is herself in a way that Mallory can only imagine. She loves aliens and mysteries, and Mallory knows that these things will get her ostracized when school starts.

Mallory wants to keep Jennifer safe from the bullies (especially her own best friend), but the bullying escalates and then Jennifer goes missing. Mallory is convinced that she had something to do with the disappearance, and she has to examine her own life to figure out how to best save Jennifer.

There are so many facets to this middle-grade book. There is a thoughtful discussion of racism and self-identity - Jennifer is Asian, and Mallory's mom is half Korean, but Mallory herself has distanced herself from her Asian heritage. There is also grief and loss expressed through Jennifer's Alien notebooks, as she navigates the illness and then death of her father. Overall, I think there are a lot of great messages, and the biggest theme of bullying will resonate with all middle grade readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Woah, this middle-grade novel turned out to be a much heavier read than I'd expected but in a good way because it highlights important topics such as peer pressure and bullying so well. I also love the Asian representation.

The book left me with mixed feelings though. On one hand, it's very well-written and most of the characters are sufficiently developed so you really feel for them. The story is interestingly told from the perspective of Mallory, who you can arguably say is the 'bully' here. However, we get so much insight about Mallory's thoughts and actions that it's hard to feel too negatively towards her even if I didn't love her. I also feel like there were gaps in the story that weren't fully explored e.g. absent parents, why Tess is the way she is, etc.

The author's note is a must-read and deserving all of the stars. Thank you for sharing your story and experiences, Tae.

ugh. i wanted to enjoy this book. but it fell flat for me. it just didn't have anything that i felt was interesting. that's just my opinion so take it with a huge grain of salt.

Didn't realize the topic of the story was bullying....what an excellent portrayal of how brutal middle school girls can be. I thought it offered to both sides of the bullying that they can move forward, change, and forgive.

This book is about Mallory and her friend Jennifer and how ultimately Mallory betrays Jennifer and then tries to help her and redeem herself. It’s an insightful book about how bullying in middle school often looks and how complicated the feelings are on both sides of the equation.

When the weird girl at school goes missing, her neighbor hopes that she found the aliens she has been searching for--because otherwise, it was her fault for driving her away.

Through a cast of nuanced characters and a protagonist who won't give up hope for finding her friend--or the goodness inside herself--Keller tackles the complexity of the middle school social hierarchy and the bullying that can leave the targets frightened and isolated and the bullies themselves empty and hurting. By taking the perspective of one of the bullies, Keller truly explores the why behind middle school social cliques and the power dynamics of bullying without being didactic or moralistic, and by making the bullies' target honest, forthright, and outspoken, she ensures that her perspective gets heard. Readers will likely be able to identify with both Mallory and Jennifer at different moments in their lives--and the added perspectives of targets like Kath and Ingrid and bullies like Pete and Rachel add even more depth and nuance to the narrative. I could not put this emotional and ultimately hopeful story down, and I highly recommend it to readers of middle grade contemporary fiction and to all upper-elementary and middle school book clubs!

Middle school is filled with bad decisions, especially as young people are managing body changes alongside the social drama that inevitably arises during this time. Even in the small town of Norwell, Florida, students are reeling from the sudden and upsetting disappearance of one of their own. Nightly search parties scour the surrounding area for any sign of Jennifer Chan, while students seek answers from events that transpired in recent days. As secrets come to light, relationships shift and ebb, causing characters to reflect not only on this particular circumstance but also on everything that has led up to that point and how their actions may have been influential.

It is rare to find anyone who enjoyed their middle school years, and even more rare to find one who is absent any blame from social ridicule or judgement. This contemporary middle grade fiction story uses that reality as the core of the narrative, highlighting the emotional jockeying that inevitably occurs as middle grade students become more comfortable with who they are as individuals. Layered into this overarching message are mentions of challenging family dynamics, individual beliefs, and the intensity with which one will struggle for survival in the age-old social brawl that is middle school.

This story reads quickly, unfolding at once like a compelling mystery and like a cringe-worthy moment readers cannot take their eyes off of. Carefully selected language makes each character come alive and stand out from the rest, and inner thoughts propel readers of all ages back to this particular moment in their own lives. Though Jennifer Chan is the title character of this novel, it is primarily her essence and her memory that directs the plot itself, which moves back and forth in time as different facts are revealed. Her voice also appears in occasional mentions of her personal journal that plant even more breadcrumbs for readers to follow. This is a challenging and important piece of literature that brings attention to the effects of bullying and ways to improve daily interactions with others.

Jennifer Chan is the new girl in a small town, and rumors about her were swirling before she even moved in. Did she karate-chop some kid at her old school and put him in a full body cast? Was her mom a wanted murderer? Is Jennifer Chan even her real name?? Mallory, the main character who lives across the street from Jennifer Chan, is too plagued by her own insecurities and cowardice to be a real friend. She is frequently more worried about being liked than being kind, and when her friends at school turn on Jennifer, she joins in.

This book is a startling accurate portrayal of the dynamics of middle school aged girls who are trying to figure out how to navigate the world, and how bullying can have devastating consequences. Tae Keller knocks it out of the park in this heartbreakingly realistic tale of trying to fit in, bullying, and how it’s never too late to do the right thing.

The author’s note is one of the best I’ve ever read, and is just as impactful as the book. Keller tells of her journey after being bullied in middle school to find peace with the incident and her attackers and ends with advice for anyone who is currently experiencing bullying.

Many thanks to Random House Children’s and Net Galley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.