I Hate When Aliens Do That by Mark Cheverton - REVIEW

School is hard enough as it is with homework, tests, and bullies; without having to stop an alien invasion in between your maths and science.

Jimmy Turkelson from Mark Cheverton’s I Hate When Aliens Do That, however, smashes both school and alien hunting with admittedly some difficulty. Give him a break he’s 12.     

Timid and kind-hearted, he is just trying to survive school. But after a meteor crash lands in the lake next to school, bringing with it the Zanthoids and their sinister plan of sucking the Earth of every last drop of water. It is up to Jimmy, his ragtag group of friends, and the friendly alien Gorgalsheef to defend Earth and prevent its destruction.

The story is a fast-paced adventure filled with imaginative little aliens, from the horned colour-changing Galsheef (whose people could change time perception) to little brain leaches that take over the minds of the adults. There is an alien for anyone preference in here I am sure, and they are all illustrated, adding another level of charm to the book. If you have ever seen The Sarah-Jane Adventures, I would say this book has a similar feel which added to the enjoyment for me.

Mark Cheverton is a New York Times Best Selling Author with an impressive body of work, as his experiences within children’s literature really shows. The way he handles the characters with a lot of care and respect to their feelings. In particular, Jimmy, who yes, he is afraid to stick up for himself, but even then, he never comes across as a coward. Cheverton never looks down on Jimmy but rather sympathises with him, which in a children’s book is very important. As kids who are reading this book could be going through it themselves or know someone whose going through it, and showing compassion in the books that they read hopefully will help them show it to others. Also, watching him get braver through the book and the glimpse we get of future Jimmy in the prison cell on the alien spaceship at the beginning promises a great adventure that is yet to come.

My personal favourite character is Jimmy’s friends’ quirky and witty Wally, who cares little for what others think about him and would probably argue that he saw an alien invasion coming. Filled to the top with conspiracy theories, he both got a snack and a modified drone for every occasion. He has no time for bullies Travor’s and has a cofinance I wish I had had at 12 years old.

The writing overall is fun and engaging. Cheverton has a lovely descriptive style that captures the imagination of the reader, painting vivid pictures with words that transport you directly into the heart of the adventure. One scene in particular has probably put me off green beans for life. Without giving too much away, let's just say I won’t be eating green beans anytime soon. Sorry to all the parents who are trying to get their kids to eat their veggies…after reading this, green beans might become a no-go at the dinner table.

The short chapters work well in keeping the fast pace of the story and making it an excellent choice for shared reading time. If you plan on reading this with your child, you’ll find that one chapter before bed won’t take you more than 15 minutes, providing just the right amount of excitement and intrigue to end the day with. Whilst also giving the parents something to chuckle along with.

Something important that no children’s book should be without is the moral messages, and Cheverton does not skimp out. Readers will find messages surrounding friendship, bullies, and pushing past one’s own comfort zone. One of the best ones I believe is the message about self-worth and learning to be a worthwhile person instead of what other people might consider a cool person is more important. Jimmy struggles the most with this as through the book we see that he doesn’t think much of himself, which is particularly sad since the reader gets to see his good qualities that he doesn’t seem to value as much.

For one, he’s an excellent big brother to his little sister Milli. A rare treat as a lot of children’s books tend to show the worst aspects of siblinghood and as a reader who’s close to their sibling. It's nice to see a loving relationship for a change.

But mostly, the book’s just about fun. It’s a blast from beginning to end, filled with witty humour, sweet friendships, and some good messages. All in all, a fun book and an epic kickstart of a new series, which I can see kids from 8 to 10 to have a great time whilst reading.