David Gershwin is a completely normal 14-year-old boy, despite the fact that his father is a therapist, his mother is cruel, and his stepsister is a loner. He enjoys reading the fantasy of Marvel comics, which makes Zelda that much more interesting. Zelda is Mr. Gershwin’s current case, a violent girl who claims to be over a hundred years old from a far away planet and that she is here on a mission: to find her chosen one, Johnny Depp.
David’s curiousness for this seeming “nut-job” only grows as she tells him of her female-only planet and he admires her accuracy in throwing apples. Unfortunately for Zelda, the rest of the world thinks she’s just crazy, and every time she escapes David’s father’s care, they bring her right back. David, in effort to prove his friendship, helps her escape and vows to help her complete her mission. He never expected the violent journey on the road ahead.
Ghislain’s How I Stole Johnny Depp’s Alien Girlfriend is probably the most humor-filled book I’ve read in a while. The title itself emphasizes how outrageously amusing the story is. Ghislain creates a very believable 14-year-old boy’s personality and uses his perspective to judge things. While the subject of this book could be an easy read for younger audiences, I’m a young adult reader and still found it entertaining.
For using only 170 pages, the characters are very well developed, and even though Zelda’s space powers seem ridiculous, they remain constant throughout and make sense in the context of the story, in some cases. The bizarre ideas actually allow David to mature, concerning his interpersonal skills and self-respect; this sends a positive message to young readers. As a whole though, it’s just a fun, quick read that I enjoy in between the long and extremely complex novels that I normally read. Regardless of your normal favored genre, if you’re looking for a good laugh I recommend that you pick this up.
- Publisher: Chronical Books
- Date of Publication: June 8, 2011
