I honestly struggled a lot with this book. I was super excited by the premise of aliens. Sadly, it was very disappointing. I definitely had a hard time with figuring out what was going on. The writing style was not something I was into. I could not handle all the crude humor.

I read this book in June of 2017 and it has taken me this long to write the review because I thought I’d DNF and try again, but after a second foray into this story…I just can’t. I made it a full 25% before I had to back away or risk throwing my Kindle.

Of Jenny and the Aliens is the worst parts of The Catcher in the Rye meets Bright Lights Big City. It’s full of crude and sometimes downright repulsive and exploitative depictions of women from the mind of a sexually frustrated teenage boy. Maybe it’s honest. Maybe it’s accurate, but as a female reader, I was more than a little creeped out by it. I understand angst. I understand finding people attractive but for the love of all that is holy, did it have to be worded in such a gross way?

But I kept going…at least for a while anyway.

First, let me say this: I would not put this on a shelf for 13 year olds. Upper YA-if that. Between the language usage and fantasizing and the weird locker room talk objectification.

The story itself would have been interesting if the characters weren’t so unlikable…for the most part. Jenny is unique. She has depth and a past. There’s mystery and a genuine urge to solve the puzzle of her character, but it is quashed by the love interest. He’s stereotypical. Obsessive in an unhealthy and weird way. The plot is bizarre but intriguing. Except, you don’t know if it’s real or some random, hallucinogenic episode while the character was stoned out of his mind.

What I liked about this book was THE COVER. It’s what attracted me to the book. That, and the fact that it featured aliens. I was desperate for a new alien book, a little Jennifer Armentrout meets The X-Files, but sadly, this was more teenage male fantasy than sci-fi.

I could not finish this one - it was too slow for me, and while I was intrigued by the premise I found the book didn't hold up. DNF @ 30%.

A humorous coming-of-age story of 1st love and what lengths a teenager will go for love.
The realization of Donald/Derek's love for his family and values with lots of humour throughout this novel all add up to a
great read.

I was here for this premise because, well, aliens. Unfortunately, very early on I realized I was going to be disappointed. It had an extremely crude type of humor that I've never been a fan of. On a side note, I'm not sure I'd personally classify this as YA due to that crude humor.

Like many others have said, this book has a crude humor that I just can't vibe with. Maybe others will enjoy this book, but I'm just not one for reading about a boy who see a girls' boobs and tells her “...I’m just debating whether or not I’ve seen better teats on a pregnant cat.” Like, how am I supposed to root this MC on? Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one early. It's too bad I didn't enjoy it.

Originally reviewed on Forever Young Adult on 2017 July 25.

This book was SO different than what's out there right now. Yes it was boy meets girl, but it was so much more than that. It was a quick read, but one that sticks with you. What Derek did for Jenny I think will hit home with a lot of people, not just in the sense of how much you love someone, but the existentialism of how much is really out there, the meaning of life, all that jazz. I think this book had a lot of unobvious lessons in it, and I'm glad I was able to take so much away from it. I think Of Jenny and the Aliens will mean different things to different people, but it's up to you to read it and find out!

So here is the thing. I was expecting a cute contemporary novel that featured aliens (and it did), I did not expect a very twisted novel that featured sex, drinking, drugs, and a ton of other plot points that were useless. The main character was trash and unrealistic. He wanted Jenny because of her body and some of her personality (and by some I mean only her believing in aliens). It was so bad that I had to stop reading it. I highly request that the author rewrites this whole book because I did judge this book by its cover and it was not what I wanted it along with many others who thought the same thing as me.

Right off the bat, I disliked the "guy pining over girl he sees as too good for him" trope. It's quite overused, though I suppose some people might like it. It's just not for me. I also could not deal with the main character who was incredibly controlling and possessive over a girl who clearly didn't want a serious relationship with him. There was a little bit of what I percieved to be slut-shaming in the scene where Shugar calls Jennifer a "slut" because supposedly she'd sleep with anyone, which is supposed to be the reason she slept with Derek. There was also vulgar and not-so-funny humor, which again some people may be into but it wasn't for me. I also wish the Alien plot was done a little differently. They were just really.. bland and boring. What's interesting about aliens pretty much just like us? I felt like it was an easy way of writing about them.

I received an advance copy of this via Netgalley and Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this. The cover seemed fun and I've always been interested in "alien" portrayals in fiction going back to when I was a teen but unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one. I don't know if it was Derek or Jenny or the both of them or maybe I missed something but this book just didn't work for me.

If I could sum this book up in one word, it would be this: juvenile. I was really looking forward to reading it, as I’m never one to turn down a good alien book, but I was severely disappointed.

The book was heavily focused on sex in an immature way, and perpetuated “nerd culture” to such an extent it made my eyes burn. It may be endearing to others, but it simply wasn’t for me. I was more interested in the alien and war aspects of the novel, but those were so underdeveloped that it made me confused more than anything else. And when the aliens did get more fleshed out towards the end, I found that I didn’t actually enjoy it.

The worst part of this book, however, was the narrator. He was self-absorbed, possessive, and obsessed with the fantastical version he created of a girl who wasn’t even that great, and who he didn’t know at all. He entertained long, drawn out, descriptive fantasies of what their lives would be like together at 85 and it could not have been more annoying and unrealistic. The objectification of women and crass humor was not my speed at all.

I think there are readers who will enjoy this book, but it simply was not for me. I thought by the end there the narrator was reaching a point where he would grow and redeem himself, but it was once again ruined. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t much for me to enjoy about this book.