Only Alien on the Planet

I came across this book as a kid at the library. Great read. And it's stuck with me for over 20 years.

This book is wonderful!! I read it when I was still in High School and it really shows a genuine experience. Now that I am in college,it's the same thing: There is always that one person who tries to keep out of the spotlight, and yet for that reason, people flock to them. That's what happened to Michael "Smitty" Tibbs. Although I would have like to have seen it written on paper, there was a hint of a possoble romance between Smitty and Ginny. I guess I'm just a sucker for those kinds of things. It would be lovely if Ms. Randall made a sequel. I never get tired of reading this book and I recommend it to anyone, not just the 8-12th graders that it is supposed to be for. I know that I will be reading this long after I graudate from college.

I first stumbled across a copy of this book by sheer accident. I had been in the high school library searching for a book-- any book-- that cautght my interest. You see, it is mandatory that we read during a specified time in class and I needed a book desperately. I had already been in the library fifteen minutes when my English teacher told me to just pick something and go. As fate would have it, I grabbed The Only Alien on the Planet. The book was a fast read, but I read it over and over again for weeks. I felt connected to Michael-- Smitty-- on a very deep level. Perhaps it was because I'm very much like him (although I do tend to speak more than I should). The book is touching, deep, and frighteningly real. Ms. Randle captures the heart and soul of human emotion, existance, frailty, and hidden strength. I, too, was helped by friends who were desperate to get me out of my shell and wanted to know the truth behind my phantom scars. If Michael were a real person, and to me he is, he would be the closest person to me. A dear friend and companion, even though he is distant. Ms. Randle-- Bravissimo.

The first word that came out of my mouth when I read this book was "WOW." The Only Alien on the Planet was powerful and moving, a book that I've read over and over again, and I read it again yesterday...I cried. This book is amazing, a must-read, and probably the best book I've ever read. In a way, it's a study of human psychology and behavior disguised as a story, a very involved, detailed, wondrous story. Interesting as well is Smitty's wordless perspective on everything, and how he reacts to Ginny when she comes near him, while he seems to have done nothing outside of his mind for fifteen years.

I've enjoyed reading books by such s.f. literary luminaries as Asimov, Heinlein, Card, Le Guin, Greg Bear, and Clifford Simak. Despite its somewhat s.f.-sounding name, _Only Alien_ is not science fiction, but it should appeal to science fiction fans, or anybody who enjoys powerful stories with believable, interesting characters. Of my favorite authors, _Only Alien_ reminded me most of the science fiction by the incomparable Zenna Henderson. Most of her fiction was set in classrooms, told from the perspectives of students or teachers. It's been some time since I've cared about a novel's characters the way I cared about these. Their joys were strongly felt, and their pains were real and exquisite. Eventually the mysteries surrounding Smitty are solved, and many characters experience interesting but very believable types of growth. The surprises in this novel are too precious for me to give them away here, but I will say that although readers are very unlikely to guess the full story (I was completely surprised), nothing is thrown in just for sake of being a plot twist. The whole story is extremely organic and flows naturally, and by the end one wonders how it could have been any other way. Yet it is an engaging page-turner throughout.

This is one of those books that you read and reread everytime you think about the story. I am captivated every single time I read The Only Alien on the Planet. I am dragged into the situation and emotions that wrap around Ginny and Smitty. The struggles that they go through are made real and deep (3D). I especially love and appreciate the way the author presents the story, told by Ginny, and the commentary she provides. It definately comes across that a teenager tells the tale, with a teen's emotions, insecerities and thoughts. Randle has a special, facinating writing style that adds so much to the story. (the book couldn't be written any other way, and have the same meaning.) And the "highs" of the story are well done. The book (overall) is extremely satisfying. This is one of those books that you HAVE to finish before you turn out the light at night (even to all hours)!