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3.5 

Weird Kid

By Greg van Eekhout
Weird Kid by Greg van Eekhout digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

From the author of Cog and Voyage of the Dogs, Weird Kid is a hilarious and heartfelt homage to everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Stuart Gibbs.

Jake Wind is trying to stay under the radar. Whose radar? Anyone who might be too interested in the fact that he has shapeshifting abilities he can’t control. Or that his parents found him as a ball of goo when he was a baby.

Keeping his powers in check is crucial, though, if he wants to live a normal life and go to middle school instead of being homeschooled (and if he wants to avoid being kidnapped and experimented on, of course).

Things feel like they’re going his way when he survives his first day of school without transforming and makes a new friend. But when mysterious sinkholes start popping up around town—sinkholes filled with the same extraterrestrial substance as Jake—and his neighbors, classmates, and even his family start acting a little, well, weird, Jake will have to learn to use his powers in order to save his town. 

"The short page count, humor, and action make this a good choice for reluctant readers. A solid purchase for school and public libraries." —School Library Journal

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64 Reviews

3.5
“Aku nggak sengaja ngeliat buku ini di daftar buku yang bisa dipinjam. Lihat Cover, judul dan tagline langsung tertarik. Ngantri beberapa minggu dan pas dapat giliran baca. Langsung aja eksekusi. Aku baca di kindle, tapi kalau temen-temen tertarik juga tersedia versi audiobooknya di Scribd. Genrenya Sci-fi Middle Grade. Ratingku untuk buku ini : 4/5 bintang. Bukan cuman love at first sight sama covernya tapi juga kalimat pertamanya yang menggambarkan seorang melatih senyum karena besok hari pertamanya masuk Middle School. Kebayang gimana insecurenya anak itu, sampai latihan buat senyum kan. Awalnya aku kira genrenya bukan sci-fi, jadi semacam Wondernya R.J. Palacio. Terus aku mengerti kenapa judulnya Weird Kid. Jadi, karakter utamanya itu namanya Jake Wind. Dia berbeda dengan anak lainnya. Dia seorang alien. Suatu malam ortunya nemuin dia, terus asalnya berbentuk kayak slime gitu tapi lama-lama berubah bentuk jadi bayi (manusia). Nah, karenanya Jake ini bisa berubah bentuk. Kenapa dia latihan senyum? ternyata pas lagi belanja di market sama ibunya, si Jake ini pernah senyum lebar sama bapak-bapak. Seenggaknya si Jake pikir itu senyum lebar (ramah), ternyata litterally dia senyum sampei mulutnya sobek dari telinga ke telinga. Sejak itu, dia melatih senyumnya agar rahasianya sebagai alien nggak terbongkar. Masalahnya adalah, kemampuan berubah bentuk Jake ini susah dikendalikan. Dia memaksa untuk bisa masuk ke sekolah biasa, otomatis dia harus bisa membatasi dirinya. Keadaan lebih runyam ketika muncul fenomena sink hole. Datanglah satu organisasi peneliti gitu ke tempatnya dan mengancam keberadaan Jake. Seru banget petualangannya dan perkembangan karakternya. Jake harus belajar menerima dirinya apa adanya. Untuk tidak menyangkal keberadaannya. Ditambah lagi dia ketemu teman yang luar biasa. Di bagian ini lah, cerita jadi terasa hangat. Aku baru kali ini baca buku Middle Grade genre sci-fi (sambil lupa-lupa inget, kayaknya sih gitu). Terus orantuanya Jake ini berdarah Belanda-Indonesia, mereka makan malam pakai Nasi Goreng. Merasa ada koneksi sama karakternya. Hahaha Ada 2 quote fav dari scene yang berbeda tapi masih berhubungan, ini dia : "She does think I’m weird, but my weirdness doesn’t bother her. She likes me because I’m weird. And that’s why it’s easier to do this: to go where I belong." "Telling the truth is terrifying, but it feels like I’m breathing for the first time."”

About Greg van Eekhout

Greg van Eekhout lives in San Diego, California, with his astronomy/physics professor wife and two dogs. He’s worked as an educational software developer, ice-cream scooper, part-time college instructor, and telemarketer. Being a writer is the only job he’s ever actually liked. You can find more about Greg at his website: writingandsnacks.com.

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