This was a cute look at finding yourself. I could see kids who feel like they don't fit in relating to Jake and his struggle to find his place.

I absolutely loved this little gem about a shapeshifting alien goo boy Jake Wind, just trying to pass for human and making a new friend in middle school. That is until sinkholes start appearing around town, sinkholes containing the same goo he’s made of. When some sketchy scientist types start investigating the sinkholes and asking questions around town, Jake fears they will reveal he is not what he seems. He teams up with his new friend Agnes to try to solve the mystery of the goo and find out what the scientists are up to. I think this would be a great book for reluctant readers; it’s short, fast-paced, action-packed, wonderfully weird, and really funny. The characters are fun, the plot is not too complicated, it was just a quick and fun listen.

The audiobook is narrated by James Fouhey (he narrated The Darkness Outside Us and The Disasters) and I thought his performance was fantastic. I love his delivery, comedic timing, and he’s great at doing different voices. It would also be really fun to listen to on a family road trip.

I’d recommend it to kids in 3rd to 7th grade as far as interest, the reading level is 4th grade (4.4 according to AR).

I really wanted to like this. The concept was interesting. It is a bit reminiscent of the Superman origins: found as a baby with abilities they can not control. The kid can shape shift and not being able to control it made for some interesting scenes, but I just kept feeling sorry for the main character. And it took the enjoyment of this book away. I DNFed at 44%

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

Oh my word! I LOVED this story! Weird Kid hits all the right notes. Every middle school kid feels weird. They do sometimes feel a little like aliens with all the personal changes going on. Jake has more in common with his classmates than he does with the alien blobs that keep showing up around town. I talked about this one in schools and it made my Christmas gift guide recommendations for my director to include in her newspaper column for the Hawk Eye.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really cute and funny book! great book that im sure most kids would love lol

With middle school stories, I let my 10 year old read them and give me a review because that’s who they’re targeted for. Therefore an honest review from the targeted audience. We, as adult parents, may love how cute or funny a book is, as we’ve experienced life, but our children may not because they don’t understand it yet.

The review from my 10 year old son:

This story is kind of boring. It has some funny spots but it’s not something I’d read again. I’ll give it three stars.

What a fun story! I enjoyed the narration and the humor. Middle School Sci Fi is tough to write and this book was perfect! Can't wait to add it to my library.

Even the middle schoolers who don’t act like aliens will relate to this new, fast read. A shapeshifting extraterrestrial “fell to earth in a flaming blob of goo”, taking a human boy form. It is now a 12yo 6th grader struggling to control his appearance. He teams up with a new female friend, who wants to be a superhero, to investigate recent sinkholes and strange human behavior in their Arizon town. The tone reflects middle school humor and the topics of trying to hide one's differences and seeking acceptance are relatable. My favorite quote is: “a friend who likes you because you’re weird”

The friendship between Jake and Agnes is the heart of this novel and it is really cool seeing both a girl who is into STEAM and a boy who is learning skills to become more in touch with his feelings. I like the mystery and suspense of it, though I am a little confused because at the end it wasn't clear what became of the scientist's two blobified kids. Were they restored along with the rest of the people the Blob changed?

A lovely adventurous story about an alien named Jake. I enjoyed the message about feeling weird and making friends with people who don't see you as different.

I think children would enjoy this book and I'm glad to see more sci-fi middle-grade books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Greg van Eekhout for providing me with an audio Arc of Weird Kid!

Jake Wind’s life is getting even more complicated. In addition to starting middle school, he is experiencing major body changes, and it’s not just puberty. Truth is, Jake is an alien who came to earth as a flaming blob of goo” and was adopted by a couple. Without warning, his human form can suddenly shift into an animal or take on the appearance of a bizarre creature.
He meets Agnes, a tall girl who takes fitness and investigating mysteries to a new level. She aspires to be a save the world like her comic book superhero Night Kite.
​Odd things are happening in town. Sinkholes begin appearing throughout town They discover xenogel, a mysterious substance that resembles Jake's goo. Town residents are becoming imblobsters, resembing humans in appearance but act strangely. Is there a connection? The two sleuths seek answers. ​
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Listen to a sample
Can they save the world before it is too late? What will become of Jake and is impulsive shape-shifting abilities. Is he destined to remain on earth? Greg van Eekhout's novel is part sci-fi and part middle grade angst with a generous side of humor and word play. Jake's father is a proctologist, so the narrative is replete with butt jokes. Get out your guitars. Music plays a starring role in resolving the crisis.

Since this wasn't an actual audiobook I never listened to it, but I did read this book and it was super cute. I really loved Agnes she was awesome. My only problem was I could have done without the part where Agnes cusses and it had the @(&(&#@ symbols. Wasn't necessary for a middle grade book.

"No matter what, it's going to be okay Agnes."

Weird Kid is, no pun intended, an odd little middle grade book. Jake Wind isn't quite human, but he normally takes human form, so he's convinced his very human parents to allow him to attend middle school. Middle school is a scary place (can confirm) and Jake isn't sure who he is going to spend his time with. That is, until he meets Agnes Oakes. Agnes enjoys a lot of the same comic book characters as Jake and they are starting up a friendship when a sinkhole appears on the school grounds. Agnes gets a sample of the goo that is left in the sinkhole and plans to analyze it at home. What follows is an unusual adventure filled with aliens, scientists, a dog named Growler, a guitar playing but oblivious uncle, and an abandoned shopping center.

I can definitely see middle grade readers loving this story. It's funny (lots of butt talk as Jake's dad is a proctologist), fast paced, and the shapeshifting ability of goo is quite entertaining. I loved the scene when Jake turned into a seal at the mall. As an adult reader, I found this story line enjoyable, but there were too many unanswered questions for me to rate this above 3 stars. Will the target audience care about some of the plot holes? It's unlikely. This is a great science fiction story for middle grade readers and would be a great addition to any upper elementary or middle school classroom library.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Libro.fm for the listening copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very well written! I enjoyed the adventure and experience. Would recommend this to all middle grade readers.

This book started out strong and had a lot going for it, but the parts that were funny and sweet early on in the book, were brought back over and over and they were less funny. The final ending speech is lovely and important. I love the idea that there will be a sequel. I hope that one features Agnes as the story teller. In fact, I think this book might have clicked better if Agnes was the narrator here. The automated voice grated on me by the end.

This book reminded me of an updated version of ET or a cross between Victories Greater Than Death and ET. I've heard it's like Harriet the Spy, but I don't see the resemblance there. Maybe because they run around trying to figure out where the sinkholes are coming from in the book. Jake tries his best to fit in in his town until he finds out something weird is going on around town and watches as a goo-like substance seem to transform the townpeople. I loved this book for its storytelling and the sci-fi aspect. There's points in the book when I got chills and other points when I wondered if this was the author's version of Area 51. Either way, this middle grade novel was entertaining.

This book was weird, but a good weird. It is such a weird concept and story but completely believable. A great middle grade read that explores family, friendships and being confident in who you are, even if you are weird.

This book had everything I needed and more. Not only did I love it but both my daughters did as well.

A middle grade mystery fantasy adventure through the eyes of a shape shifting boy who doesn’t know he’s meant to be a hero yet.

This author took every weird kid and made them have a battle cry. Gave them an example that they too can be heroes. The author proves in every line that being different, being weird, being a shapeshifter who sometimes isn’t in control of their powers, isn’t anything to be down about.

Being weird makes you the hero. Thank you Netgalley and Greg Van Eekhout for this ALC!

The plot and dialogue in Weird Kid is fantastic. I love Jake Wind and Agnes, and I think that most middle school students will also enjoy this short book. Jake Wind is an alien that goes through rough changes as he enters middle school, and the awkwardness he feels is relatable to most middle school students. Jake meets Agnes who is training to be a superhero, and they bond over their favorite one Night Kite.

There is a lot of dialogue and scene shifts which makes the audio version difficult to follow along. I will recommend students read the physical book.