How to Hide an Alien
With Star Boy having chosen a new life on Earth, his friends, Wes and Kiki, now have the job of helping him learn how to pass for a human. With a long list of ‘don’t’s to remember, he is struggling to get to grips with confusing and unfamiliar Human conventions and quirks, but Star Boy soon finds himself facing a bigger problem - strange feelings in his body which lead to unexplained electrical surges which cause disturbances and make it hard for him to remain invisible. When he is accidentally seen in his true form by the whole school, hysterical reports of alien sightings abound as Wes and Kiki struggle to keep him hidden and safe.
I adored ‘How to Be a Human’ and so was very excited to find that Karen McCombie had written a second book about Star Boy and his friends.
Now safely living with Eddie, owner of the Electrical Emporium, Star Boy is settling in to life on Earth. With all of his usual enthusiasm and observational skills, he is trying really hard to blend in and learn human ways, following the rules Kiki has created for him. However, concepts like ‘white lies’ are really hard to get the hang of!
Whilst trying to help their unusual friend to blend in, Kiki and Wes are struggling with problems of their own. Both are having issues at home: Kiki feels increasingly resentful towards her father and his new girlfriend and Wes’s father is becoming more and more withdrawn and anxious- concerns readers might identify with. These problems are woven into the story, often with Star Boy’s naive, and slightly puzzled, take on things illuminating the situation.
Karen McCombie is an incredibly talented writer! There is such pleasure to be had from reading both of these books- such gentle wisdom and humour, coupled with engaging characters, make each a one-sitting read. I really hope there is at least one more adventure for Star Boy and his friends, but in the mean time, I will take the greatest pleasure in recommending these ones!
How to Hide an Alien Karen McCombie
Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1788951104
You can read my review of ‘How to be a Human’ here.
