Everything Interesting Keeps Happening to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks

What worked:

This book concludes a trilogy and it can be read independently by readers not too worried about past events. Light-thieves return to invade Earth after destroying the planet of Ethan’s alien friend, Cheese. The alien’s name comes from his favorite food and his family members are named for their favorite tastes: Popcorn, Jelly Bean, Cookie, and little Pizza. Ethan has developed a strong bond with Cheese and the pair insist on always traveling together. It’s appropriate to compare Cheese to the adorable movie alien E.T. because of his innocence and limited communication skills. The highlight of the book is the caring and compassion shared by Ethan and Cheese.

Ethan is the leader of the group and he feels pressure to come up with ideas and inventions. Ethan constantly collects scraps and trash to create new things but he’s thankful for Fatima’s intelligence and logical thinking. Di provides emotional support as her hugs and kind words always make Ethan feel better. Their mutual crush on each other isn’t lost on most of the team. The light-thieves are going to destroy the world but they also have Ethan’s pet guinea pig Nugget. Most of the team agrees that saving Nugget is important but Ethan is angered when RJ doesn’t understand their concern for a “rodent”. Later, Ethan’s role becomes more complicated when his older brothers discover what he’s been up to.

The author presents some conventional and unconventional ideas about our world and the universe. Di has strong feelings about environmental issues so she often talks about recycling and protecting nature. Fatima and Ethan choose not to tell any adults about their alien friends because humans don’t respond well to things they don’t understand. The light-thieves are looking for sources of energy and they focus on organic resources to transform. Di remembers learning about the law of conservation of energy in class which is useful in creating a solution to the conflict. Despite the unusual plot, the story is based on science, creativity, and teamwork.

What didn’t work as well:

Perhaps it was a bigger part in the previous books, but it’s unclear how the light-thieves can harm humans. They never touch any of the characters as poison ivy is used as a strong deterrent. The aliens are determined to capture Cheese and his family and they’re searching for other energy sources on Earth. However, the story doesn’t describe how individual humans can be harmed by them. The book makes them a threat but readers don’t know why. Again, maybe the earlier books provide more information but this book does not.

The final verdict:

This book presents a humorous intergalactic adventure with a strong sense of caring and teamwork. Cheese and his family members are innocent victims and his human friends are willing to do anything to keep them alive. Overall, this book will appeal to lovers of alien stories and I recommend you give it a shot.