This was a great book about how we can let our friendships and need to fit in change who we are and how we treat others. While this is a theme that is seen in many middle grade novels, I appreciated the added sci-fi layer of investigating alien involvement. I do, however, think this layer may turn off some readers who are strictly fans of realistic fiction. I also enjoyed the back and forth shift between the past and the present, but wonder if it would be confusing to some readers.

What a fun book that hits on some very serious topics of trust, bullying, and middle school friendships. As a middle school teacher I feel like the thoughts and actions that happened in this book is true to real life. I witness this type of bullying and social interactions on a daily basis sadly and it's great to see authors tackling these issues. The book was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

I absolutely loved Tae Kellers book When You Trap A Tiger, so this was high on my list! I enjoyed her newest book even more. It talks about such important things, but I would say there is a TW for bullying. Jennifer Chan is the new girl, and everyone at school is curious about her. Most people are very rude to her, and when she goes missing, her neighbor Mallory wants to find out what happened. There is a lot of growth in this book, and what it truly means to be a good friend. I enjoyed the mystery aspect, and how the girls came together to help find Jennifer. They all have a lot to learn about each other, and the ending came together fantastic.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone comes out April 26th, 2022!

I really enjoyed this middle-grade read! The characters of Mallory and Jennifer were complex and compelling. The central element of a search for aliens was fascinating and would be really engaging for a middle grade reader. The struggles that Mallory faced in attempting to fit in, while also trying to be a good friend and do the right thing felt very relevant. The challenges she faced in her toxic friendships and confronting the bullying others faced in her school would also be relevant to a middle grade reader. I also appreciated the emphasis on growth and changing to be a more compassionate person.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC and the opportunity to share my opinions on the book!

I’m sorry, but this book didn’t hold my interest. Too much back and forth angst. And the alien obsession didn’t trip my trigger. Its true that the middle school psyche is often full of self-doubt as one tries to fit in with the “popular” kids. The “odd duck” is often bullied. That being said, I’ve read other books that more clearly spoke to me on those concepts than this one did.

A huge thank you PRH International and Tae Keller for my e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Mallory met a cool girl Reagan and they became best friend. Reagan makes her feel like she belongs, like she can fit in as long as she follow Reagan’s rules. All Mallory need to do was wear the right clothes, control your image, and know your place. Until Jennifer moves into the house across the street, those rules don’t feel quite so simple anymore. Because Jennifer is different.

Mallory was so nice to Jennifer even the first time they met. They became friends.Jennifer wants to be herself but Mallory was concerned that if Jennifer will be herself then what people will think of her, because Jennifer was so obsessed with Aliens and Mallory was just concerned that people will think Jennifer was weird.

Jennifer believes in aliens. She’s been searching how to react them. Until she was gone and people says that she runaway, because she’s been doing that before but Mallory believe that she was abducted by aliens. So she went to Reagan’s and tell her what she knows but Reagan doesn’t believe her and also concerned about her. That’s why she goes to Ingrid and Kat instead for help, because she knows that those two can only help and believe in her.

When Jennifer getting bullied by Pete, Mallory wants to stop it but you know, like in real life if you get involved you’ll get bullied for the rest of the year. But Jennifer was strong, she stand up for herself until some girls laugh with her not at her. I know what Jennifer felt when she was bullied. Because I, myself got bullied my whole 4th year of high school and it was so hard for me because I don’t have anyone, all I have is our guidance consoler, but noting helps. Even though she keeps talking to the bullies they say sorry and told not to do that again, when teachers not around everyone’s bullying me again. That’s why I really hate my high school year.

Mallory Moss is having a tumultuous seventh grade year. She rates herself and best friend Reagan, along with Tess “ the most powerful girls in the whole grade” sitting high on the popularity scale. Reagan is a soulmate and Tess a forceful character of whom “every sentence that leaves her mouth is a question.” Mallory, the narrator of this YA novel, The previous summer she met her new neighbor, Jennifer Chan, and they spent many eves camped in a tent in Jennifer’s backyard. Jennifer likes this open setting because she is a star wa ing, full-fledged alien believer. Mallory asks her to keep that passion under wraps while making a first impression at her new school. When Reagan and Tess deem Jennifer unworthy friend material Mallory takes their side, valuing her perceived status too valuable to risk by befriending publicly an unpopular newcomer.
Jennifer, who has a history of running away, as a grieving child who has just lost a beloved father, goes missing. Guilt finally kicks in, and Mallory wonders if she and her friends drove Jennifer away. Especially after a particularly brutally shaming episode of bullying they pulled on Jennifer just before she disappears. Mallory seeks to redeem herself by finding Jennifer and enlists the help of Ingrid(herself a bullying victim) and Kath, seemingly the smartest kids in school. Mallory abandons Reagan and Tess whom she thinks don’t care what happened to Jennifer.
Jennifer’s awkward introduction as the new kid in school had led to other bullying.This and Mallory’s betrayal are a terrible load for a twelve year old to bear. The story alternates passages of flashbacks to the abuse Jennifer endured with the present search for her. Mallory has a lot of growing to do before she becomes the good person she occasionally refers to herself as.
I like the fact that Mallory forces herself to see things from Jennifer’s perspective. Mallory and Jennifer are both Asian and it’s Jennifer who faces racism from classmates, and Mallory finally rights her sense of wrong and right. She juggles friends wrongly but finding Jennifer gives her a positive purpose and these can go along with the ride or get off. The strongest ones refuse to be sheltered by adults and stay passive.
Mallory has a recurring refrain throughout, “The end of everything starts…” but really this book’s end is really the beginning.
And just maybe, don’t mess with those thoughtful souls who look at the heavens and wonder.

This is such a lovely coming of age story about the experience of being an outsider and wanting to fit in. Themes are race, religion, culture, and relationships are handled very well. This was well paced, and the writing was fantastic!

This book is about aliens, but really it’s about bullying, codependent toxic friendships, and self-reflection (even when it’s painful). Headcannon is that at least a few of these kids got some therapy after the events of the book.

3.5 stars

Kids are cruel, and readers will remember that lesson as they follow Jennifer Chan's classmates on their journey to figure out why she's missing, where she has gone, and what they may have had to do with all of it.

Mallory, Mal, is the m.c. of this contemporary middle grade novel, and she is also neighbors and friends with Jennifer Chan. Mal tells the story - in both memories of the past and explanations of the present - of meeting Jennifer and interacting with her, often referring to a mysterious "incident" she believes may be connected to Jennifer's disappearance. Throughout the novel, readers engage with Mal's growing awareness of her identities, her interactions with bullying, and - most importantly - her growth. There are also some meaningful explorations of friendship between Mal and a number of her classmates (for better and worse).

I absolutely adore the way the themes are portrayed here, but I did struggle a bit with the pacing throughout; this just felt too slow to me. There are many lessons to be learned, and some of the characters are memorable in good ways, but those characters get less airtime than some who are...more challenging. My top recommendation is to read the heartfelt Author's Note. I loved this, and when I recommend this book to students, I'll also be telling them that this is a not-to-be-missed aspect of the reading experience.

I was so excited to read an eARC of Tae Keller's upcoming book Jennifer Chan is Not Alone because I absolutely loved When You Trap a Tiger. However, this book is nothing like that one. This realistic fiction novel for middle grades is about a new girl in school that believes in aliens. Over the summer before school starts, Jennifer meets her neighbor Mallory and strikes up a tentative friendship. But once school starts, Mallory is embarrassed by Jennifer and along with her two friends, bullies her in subtle and not so subtle ways. Although ai know bullying is an issue in schools and much of the book was based on the author's personal experience with it, it didn't really strike a cord with me. Because of Jennifer's unusual beliefs in aliens and her complete imperviousness to the bullying, I did not find her very relatable. She didn't display any emotion to the bullying, so it did not evoke any sympathy for her from me. As for Mallory, she was so wishy washy, both in her beliefs, and her friendships, that I just felt dismissive of her. I could not imagine that she would be part of the confident, mean girl group at school. I did find that the afterward by Tae Keller and her reflections on her own bullying experiences was impactful. I just wished that had translated to the story of Jennifer.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this wonderful book. Jennifer Chan is the new student in a small town called Nowhereville. Although she is able to make friends with her neighbor Mallory over the summer, things don't go quite so smoothly when school starts up in the fall. Mallory is in the "in" group at school and instead of accepting Jennifer, they make her a target. Mallory sometimes joins in and sometimes watches, but never intervenes. This is wonderful story that shows how difficult it is to stand up for what is right, but also shows how necessary that is.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Jennifer Chan is Not Alone by Tae Keller. I thought this book was very insightful. It is written from the perspective of a 12 year old girl, Mal, who so much wants to be popular that she goes along with bullying another girl Jennifer Chan despite the fact that she actually LIKES Jennifer. But she gets caught up in not wanting to become the target of the bullying that Jennifer is experiencing and not wanting to lose her current friends, Reagan and Tess, who are mean girls. The entire story rang very true to my elementary and middle school experiences. I highly recommend it and can't wait to share it with my students.

This book follows Mallory who finally feels like she’s found her place in the world by following her best friend Reagan, but when new girl, Jennifer, moves in across the street her whole world is turned upside down. Jennifer is different and she believes in aliens, which does not go over well in the food chain of a middle school. But after Jennifer runs away, Mallory and a few old friends go on a quest to find her… and possibly aliens along the way.

This was such a special book. The author was able to paint such a perfect picture of what it’s really like to be in middle school and by doing so was able to tell a very important story about loving who you are and not worrying what others think of you.

Jennifer is unapologetically herself and it’s so inspiring! Mallory is the type of girl I think most of us were in middle school, just trying desperately to fit in and struggling to find who we are. All of these characters were so real, so relatable, so complex, and incredibly lovable.

I very much enjoyed this book and I know it’s going to help and inspire any child (or even adult) that reads it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

Jennifer Chan does not fit in, and she's perfectly fine with that. Mallory however, is completely terrified of standing out. When given the opportunity to befriend the new girl, Mallory is in awe of how well she seems to know herself and her lack of concern she has for what others believe. Her jealousy leads her to go along with a couple of her stronger willed friends who decide to bully Jennifer to "teach her a lesson."

While Tae's story of the bullied Jennifer is an important one, I think the more common point of view that my students will identify with is that of Mallory, who knows what she's doing is wrong, but lacks the courage to say so to her friends. The fear of not fitting in is relatable and described in great detail by 7th grade Mallory.

(Spoiler): I had trouble, initially, with how easily the protagonist conscripted help in searching for aliens, but ultimately the authenticity of the rest of the narrative won me over. The author’s note at the end makes the story even more compelling.

yes! i felt so seen by this book. not only was the representation amazing, the fantasy aspects were super fun and engaging. tae keller has written a book that is both entertaining and poignant,

5 stars

A stupendous middle grade novel dealing with anxiety, bullying, friendships, family and middle school. This novel deals with all of these topics realistically and honestly and in a way students will relate to.

Tae has written another out of this world book. It belongs in my students’ hands. They need to see Mal experience all of the emotions as she tries to figure out who she is and who she wants to be.

An incredible insight into bullying, in its many forms, and the horrible impact it can have. I love the perspective the author chose to feature- Mallory, a girl who feels insecure, and craves approval from others- she does cause pain to Jennifer, not because she’s inherently mean, but because she’s scared of losing her status with others. Poignantly told, heartfelt, vital.