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Tae Keller
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Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone Kindle Edition

by Tae Keller (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 121 ratings
Editors' pick Best Books Ages 9-12
See all formats and editions
In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal for When You Trap a Tiger, Tae Keller offers a gripping and emotional story about friendship, bullying, and the possiblity that there's more in the universe than just us.

Sometimes middle school can make you feel like you're totally alone in the universe...but what if we aren't alone at all?

Thanks to her best friend, Reagan, Mallory Moss knows the rules of middle school. The most important one? You have to fit in to survive. But then Jennifer Chan moves in across the street, and that rule doesn’t seem to apply. Jennifer doesn’t care about the laws of middle school, or the laws of the universe. She believes in aliens—and she thinks she can find them.

Then Jennifer goes missing. Using clues from Jennifer’s journals, Mallory goes searching. But the closer she gets, the more Mallory has to confront why Jennifer might have run . . . and face the truth within herself.

Tae Keller lights up the sky with this insightful story about shifting friendships, right and wrong, and the power we all hold to influence and change one another. No one is ever truly alone.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    281 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Publisher
    Random House Books for Young Readers
  6. Publication date
    April 26, 2022
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0593310526
  12. See all details
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From the Publisher

I don't know why Jennifer ran away.
There might be two possible reasons.
One of those is aliens. And the other is me.
"I absolutely loved this book!" —R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder
Five starred reviews

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I absolutely loved this book! Tae’s glorious writing had me hooked and her characters, so wonderfully imperfect and nuanced, felt instantly relatable. She had me wondering which is more mysterious: extraterrestrials, or the beautiful, occasionally-heartbreaking intricacies of friendship.” –R. J. Palacio, New York Times bestselling author of Wonder and Pony

"Keller’s skillful interior narration puts us inside Mallory’s skin, even when it makes us uncomfortable." —The New York Times

★ “A mesmerizing look at bullying and its aftereffects.” —Kirkus, starred review

★ “By setting the victim, the missing Jennifer, into the narrative background, Keller directs the flood light onto Mallory and company and aims responsibility (and possible redemption) right where it belongs.” —The Bulletin, starred review

★ “With an appeal to a wide variety of readers, this genre fusion is highly recommended for all library shelves.” —School Library Journal, starred review

★ “The emotionally absorbing story is full of thought-provoking explorations on self-confidence, forgiveness, and friendship while illuminating parallels between alien and human struggles.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “Keller uses a vulnerable first-person narrative that alternates between past and present to sensitively detail the emotional roller coaster of navigating changing social rules, the anxieties of being oneself, and the process of coming to terms with one’s flaws.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From School Library Journal

Gr 5–7—"There are also things I don't know. Like, do some people really just have popularity? Or is it given, or taken, or some combination of both?" Mallory Moss ponders this question as she struggles to find her place in middle school and in the world at large. Jennifer Chan, a new girl from Chicago, has just moved to Norwell, FL, and the rumors about her are already swirling. As Jennifer's neighbor, Mallory discovers that Jennifer's strength and quirky personality, along with her firm belief in aliens, are a recipe for disaster for the upcoming seventh grade year. Jennifer, on the other hand, is thrilled to have a new friend, but is stunned to learn that their budding friendship means nothing at school, because Mallory is one of the mean girls. When Jennifer goes missing, Mallory's world is shaken; she knows that she must revisit the bullying Jennifer experienced to get to the truth and hope it's not too late to save her. Written from Mallory's perspective in chapters that alternate between "Then" and "Now," Newbery-winning author Keller's book contains an exciting mix of mystery, adventure, and science fiction. Readers will bond with Mallory and stay engaged in the well-paced plot. Mallory and Jennifer are both Asian, while most friends read as white. VERDICT With an appeal to a wide variety of readers, this genre fusion is highly recommended for all library shelves.—Tracy Cronce --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09K3FTQR5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Books for Young Readers (April 26, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 26, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7223 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 281 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0593567447
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 121 ratings

About the author

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Tae Keller

Tae Keller

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TAE KELLER grew up in Honolulu, where she wrote stories, ate Spam musubis, and participated in her school’s egg drop competition. (She did not win.) After graduating from Bryn Mawr College, she moved to New York City to work in publishing, and she now has a very stubborn Yorkie and a multitude of books as roommates.

Subscribe to her newsletter for writing updates and exclusive content: bit.ly/taekellernews

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
121 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sophie Meinershagen
5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic and Inspiring
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is the second Tae Keller book that has left me awestruck! She is an amazing writer, and I love her method of storytelling and character building which is meaningful and incredibly realistic.

I've never read a story about bullying from the bully's perspective, and before I began, I was worried I wouldn't connect with the story because of this. However, as I began to read, I was shocked at how much I could connect with Mallory. Though I've never experienced bullying or engaged in bullying, I understood what Mallory was going through, and I was immediately hooked.

I fully understood why each character made each of their decisions, and their journey to doing what was right was so rewarding. I especially loved seeing how almost every character, even the girls who had been bullied themselves, made mistakes in treating others wrongfully and had to take accountability for their actions. There were so many perspectives spoken about, and it really shaped my view on the way we all treat each other and what makes up who we are as people.

I loved the mixed-race representation as a mixed-race person myself, as every detail was incredibly authentic. The family elements were also very realistic, and I loved the way all of their conflicts were resolved. Knowing Tae Keller's personal backstory made the book even more inspirational, and I can't wait to read the rest of Tae Keller's wonderful writing.

I highly recommend this book to all ages, especially middle schoolers! We can all benefit from a story that inspires us to look at different viewpoints, take accountability, do the right thing, and be who we truly are inside.
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Heidi Grange
5.0 out of 5 stars A heart-breaking but very important read.
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Jennifer Chan is Not Alone broke my heart in a lot of ways, and yet reminded me that people can change. I found it interesting that the story is told from Mallory's point of view. Mallory who hangs out with the 'mean girls', although neither she nor her friends considers themselves that way. Mallory worries a great deal about who she is and what others see when they look at her. Popular girl, Reagan, teaches her that controlling your image is the way to find her identity. But when Jennifer Chan moves to town, Mallory learns that while power and control are intoxicating, they aren't the way to find friends or come to peace with yourself. Jennifer Chan knows who she is and what she believes in and she shows it at school. Mallory is drawn to quality in Jennifer and yet she's afraid of it as well. After befriending Jennifer at her mother's insistence, Mallory follows Reagan's lead in treating Jennifer poorly. Mallory convinces herself that Jennifer needs to follow the 'rules' in order to be accepted. After what Mallory calls "the Incident", Jennifer disappears and Mallory feels compelled to find her. But Reagan refuses to help. Mallory turns to Kath and Ingrid for help, but discovers that she will need to step out of her comfort zone and face some unpleasant truths in order to have a chance at finding Jennifer.

I really rode an emotional roller coaster while reading this book. I empathized with Mallory's worries as she tries to figure out her identity. This is a common struggle in middle school. But I also got really frustrated with her willingness to follow everything that Reagan and Tess suggested, even when she knew it was wrong. She justified some awful behavior by telling herself it was 'necessary' to help Jennifer understand the 'rules'. And honestly, I had a hard time reading about 'the Incident'. Having experienced bullying in middle school myself, my heart broke for Jennifer. I was so angry at Mallory and her friends. I guess what this proves is that Tae Keller wrote a remarkably relatable book. When she explains in the author's note at the end that the book is based on experiences she had in middle school, it explained how she managed to make it feel so real and so emotionally powerful. The science information involving space and the search for alien connection made for a fascinating side plot with some interesting twists and turns. All in all I find this to be a well-written, important book for middle grade readers. Books like this one are so important in helping young readers develop empathy. And telling the story from Mallory's point-of-view allows readers to get a feel for what it's like to try to correct a mistake. I appreciated the reminder that while people make mistakes all the time, sometimes some pretty horrible ones, it's also possible to change, to be better, and to help make the world a better place. As I like to tell my students, that's the reason the word's 'I'm sorry' were invented.
3 people found this helpful
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The Write Edge
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for middle schoolers and adults alike!
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
A middle schooler feels guilty that she encouraged a classmate to run away from home and decides to put her efforts toward looking for the girl. As she combs through her classmate’s journals and her own memories of their time together, the middle schooler must come to terms with how involved she actually was with the disappearance and what that means about what kind of person she is. Newberry Medal winner Tae Keller writes from the heart and personal experience in the thoughtful, touching novel Jennifer Chan is Not Alone.

Mallory Moss is psyched about seventh grade…well, sort of. She’s part of the “in” crowd with her friends, Reagan and Tess, and unlike other schools or stuff people see on TV Reagan and Tess actually care about Mallory. In fact, Reagan helps Mallory figure out what to say, how to dress, and what to do so people always see her as popular. In their small town of Norwell, Florida—what all the kids Nowhereville—the hierarchy at school matters a lot.

Then Jennifer Chan moves in across the street from Mallory. Jennifer clearly doesn’t know what to wear or say to fit in at school. The year hasn’t even started yet, and Mallory already knows that Jennifer’s going to get into trouble with pretty much everyone. She sticks out, and she doesn’t seem to care.

The biggest evidence of this is that Jennifer believes in aliens. Like, legit landed-from-Mars-to-beam-people-up aliens. She says Nowhereville has a special energy; she’s even seen crop circles that are hardcore proof that something is up with the town, and that something is extraterrestrial.

Mallory is fascinated by Jennifer, because Jennifer seems so confident. Nothing like Mallory who struggles almost daily. If it wasn’t for Reagan, Mallory knows she would have been an outcaste at school.

But that title is given to Jennifer when the year starts. As people get to know her, they realize what a weirdo she is. Mallory feels bad; she kind of gave Jennifer the idea that she believes in aliens too. Now, though, Jennifer expects them to continue their friendship all throughout seventh grade.

Even though Mallory doesn’t want to be Jennifer’s friend, she tries to help her out. So do Reagan and Tess; kind of, anyway. Reagan keeps talking about making sure Jennifer knows her place, but Mallory knows Reagan would never do anything really bad.

Until she crosses a line. What’s worse, Mallory is right there beside her. Then Jennifer runs away from home, and Mallory starts to get the creeping sensation that she and her friends are responsible.

She puts together a plan to look for Jennifer using all the things she learned about the new girl over the summer. As she does so, Mallory starts to realize that even if Jennifer kept saying that aliens were real—and even if they weren’t—those things shouldn’t have stopped Mallory from trying to be a real friend to Jennifer. But if she wasn’t her friend, what was she?

Author Tae Keller shares in an author’s note at the end of the book her experiences in being bullied as a middle schooler. She talks about reaching out years later to the bullies who made her miserable and having frank conversations with them, then using that research to form the core of the book. The result is a novel that will undoubtedly speak to the hearts of most middle schoolers struggling with bullying, whether as a victim, an observer, or as the bully themselves.

Keller weaves Jennifer’s belief in aliens through the story in the most organic way. Jennifer’s refusal to give up on an impossible situation will convince even the most skeptical reader to consider the fact that absolutely anything is possible. If aliens can be real, then bullies can reform their ways.

By making Mallory the main character, readers get a firsthand look into the ambivalence many students feel when witnessing or even participating in bullying. It’s easy to talk about how bullying is wrong in class or with grownups; it’s much harder to remember those things when the situation is live and center. Keller gives Mallory opportunities to fail as a character so that her redemption is that much more powerful.

Teachers and parents alike who want to start a conversation about bullying that goes beyond the victim and the instigator absolutely must read and share this book with their middle schoolers.
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