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Out There
A touching, out-of-this-world graphic novel about a daughter, her father, and the aliens that may or may not be speaking to him.
Julia didn’t always believe in aliens.
It was her father who convinced her otherwise. You see—Julia’s dad believes he was abducted by aliens. And ever since then, he’s been obsessed with the extraterrestrial beings living out there.
So when a festival commemorating the 75th anniversary of the infamous UFO crash in New Mexico rolls around, Julia turns down a dream vacation to Hawaii with her best friend, Sara, to join her dad for a weekend trip to Roswell, where he expects the aliens to make contact.
But amid the alien-themed goofiness of the festival, Julia finds she isn’t sure whether her father really did get abducted. His memories of alien interference are starting to sound increasingly shaky, and with them, her faith in him. Will this weekend bring the two closer together or only drive them apart?
A heartfelt story of family, loyalty, and the lengths we go to support those we love.
Julia didn’t always believe in aliens.
It was her father who convinced her otherwise. You see—Julia’s dad believes he was abducted by aliens. And ever since then, he’s been obsessed with the extraterrestrial beings living out there.
So when a festival commemorating the 75th anniversary of the infamous UFO crash in New Mexico rolls around, Julia turns down a dream vacation to Hawaii with her best friend, Sara, to join her dad for a weekend trip to Roswell, where he expects the aliens to make contact.
But amid the alien-themed goofiness of the festival, Julia finds she isn’t sure whether her father really did get abducted. His memories of alien interference are starting to sound increasingly shaky, and with them, her faith in him. Will this weekend bring the two closer together or only drive them apart?
A heartfelt story of family, loyalty, and the lengths we go to support those we love.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2023
17 people are currently reading
2584 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
July 23, 2023
"I know for a fact that the universe isn’t dead and empty. It’s alive, and there’s something bigger than ourselves out there. That fact used to scare me but now I find comfort in it."
So Aliens are cool and all but like have you ever been abducted by them?
I’ve always believed that there are Aliens among us. Mulder and Scully made us all want to believe and I am one of them.
This book was such a cute read with a lot of heart and an amazing moral. The relationship between Dad and Daughter was amazing and it brought out things about my life to the surface. This really is much more than a book about aliens. It contains a good message and turns all of us into believers.
Out There is a must read for all believers who look at the night sky and dream. For the people out there who support their family and friends one hundred percent even though things seem a little far fetched. Sometimes all we need is someone in our corner.
So Aliens are cool and all but like have you ever been abducted by them?
I’ve always believed that there are Aliens among us. Mulder and Scully made us all want to believe and I am one of them.
This book was such a cute read with a lot of heart and an amazing moral. The relationship between Dad and Daughter was amazing and it brought out things about my life to the surface. This really is much more than a book about aliens. It contains a good message and turns all of us into believers.
Out There is a must read for all believers who look at the night sky and dream. For the people out there who support their family and friends one hundred percent even though things seem a little far fetched. Sometimes all we need is someone in our corner.
September 14, 2023
The little kid in me is very tickled pink. I STILL believe. This review are for both parents who raised me, my father who told me awesome UFO, spaceship, Roswell, AREA 51, White Sands, and alien stories. And mother, we saw a UFO that night, with the rest of the travelers on that interstate and there was a newspaper article and photo of it the next day. 🛸👽…am going to look for Scully & Mulder now…as well as little green men, my eyes are always looking up to the skies, day & night.
March 18, 2024
When Julia’s dad was abducted by aliens, everything changed. He became obsessed with needing to know why they chose him and what their message means. Julia wasn’t always a believer, but why would her dad lie? The alien abduction may have been the final straw for her parent’s marriage, but it only made her relationship with her dad stronger. It’s why she’s excited to attend a UFO festival in Roswell, New Mexico. Julia’s mom isn’t happy about it, and neither is her best friend, but Julia is all for it. She’ll finally get to learn more about aliens, but the longer she’s in Roswell, the more things aren’t adding up. What if her dad wasn’t really abducted by aliens? What does this mean for them?
This was an absolutely wonderful read. We follow Julia as she discovers that her dad isn’t perfect. In fact, he’s only human! We spend a lot of time with Julia and her father, David. What’s important here is that David believes that he was abducted by aliens, and it’s changed his life. It was the final straw in his relationship with Julia’s mom, and he went from a reliable job to struggling to make ends meet. While so much in his life has changed, he and Julia have continued to have a solid relationship. They truly care about each other, but Julia is also at that age where she starts to learn that her parents aren’t perfect. They’re just like us!
We watch Julia struggle with balancing the belief in UFOs with her friends. She turned down a vacation to Hawaii and sees her friend poke fun at her dad and how he believes he was abducted by aliens. She also makes a new friend whose parents are also believers, but he is not! I actually really liked her new friend, Josh. I understand why he’s irritated that his parents are such believers, but he slowly comes around as he and Julia slowly become friends. I like that they become each other’s support system as the kids of people that others find strange thanks to their alien abduction stories.
One of the things I loved about this book is that we get to see Julia come around when she starts to realize that things aren’t adding up. The details of her dad’s abduction don’t fully make sense, and he seems to be adding new details as time goes on. However, she also sees that he truly believes he was abducted by aliens. While the UFO festival isn’t what she thought it was going to be, it does turn out to be an excellent bonding experience for her and her dad, and I love that.
This was an absolutely wonderful read. We follow Julia as she discovers that her dad isn’t perfect. In fact, he’s only human! We spend a lot of time with Julia and her father, David. What’s important here is that David believes that he was abducted by aliens, and it’s changed his life. It was the final straw in his relationship with Julia’s mom, and he went from a reliable job to struggling to make ends meet. While so much in his life has changed, he and Julia have continued to have a solid relationship. They truly care about each other, but Julia is also at that age where she starts to learn that her parents aren’t perfect. They’re just like us!
We watch Julia struggle with balancing the belief in UFOs with her friends. She turned down a vacation to Hawaii and sees her friend poke fun at her dad and how he believes he was abducted by aliens. She also makes a new friend whose parents are also believers, but he is not! I actually really liked her new friend, Josh. I understand why he’s irritated that his parents are such believers, but he slowly comes around as he and Julia slowly become friends. I like that they become each other’s support system as the kids of people that others find strange thanks to their alien abduction stories.
One of the things I loved about this book is that we get to see Julia come around when she starts to realize that things aren’t adding up. The details of her dad’s abduction don’t fully make sense, and he seems to be adding new details as time goes on. However, she also sees that he truly believes he was abducted by aliens. While the UFO festival isn’t what she thought it was going to be, it does turn out to be an excellent bonding experience for her and her dad, and I love that.
November 7, 2023
A solid three and a half to be fair.
I would put this in the slice-of-life/coming of age category with some of Hope Larson, Jerry Craft, Raina Telgemeier, Lucy Kinsley, and Shannon Hale's projects even if the *slice of life" but in this case is more unusual than most. I feel like this one has some hanging threads, and isn't quite as neatly woven as the others mentioned, but has surprising poignancy all the same. Plus, the "prompting more questions than it answers" thing is sort of fitting, considering the theme.
Julia is excited about an upcoming road trip to Roswell, New Mexico with her dad. Her dad is a "true believer" in life on other planets since his own close encounter and Julia is above all, a believer in her dad. Along the way, they encounter another family who are even more zealous, and their son who is. Over. It. Through this new acquaintance and the trip itself, Julia struggles with her increasingly conflicted feelings of loyalty, curiosity, and skepticism.
While many of the relationships in this book raise a lot of questions that don't really get answered, the storytelling with the complicated relationship with Julia and her dad is done so well and often conveyed through what is *unsaid* between the characters. There is something beautifully, and kind of sadly, relatable about that moment when you're growing up and you realize that even the adults you must respect don't always have all the answers or are more fallible than you expected or hoped them to be.
I would put this in the slice-of-life/coming of age category with some of Hope Larson, Jerry Craft, Raina Telgemeier, Lucy Kinsley, and Shannon Hale's projects even if the *slice of life" but in this case is more unusual than most. I feel like this one has some hanging threads, and isn't quite as neatly woven as the others mentioned, but has surprising poignancy all the same. Plus, the "prompting more questions than it answers" thing is sort of fitting, considering the theme.
Julia is excited about an upcoming road trip to Roswell, New Mexico with her dad. Her dad is a "true believer" in life on other planets since his own close encounter and Julia is above all, a believer in her dad. Along the way, they encounter another family who are even more zealous, and their son who is. Over. It. Through this new acquaintance and the trip itself, Julia struggles with her increasingly conflicted feelings of loyalty, curiosity, and skepticism.
While many of the relationships in this book raise a lot of questions that don't really get answered, the storytelling with the complicated relationship with Julia and her dad is done so well and often conveyed through what is *unsaid* between the characters. There is something beautifully, and kind of sadly, relatable about that moment when you're growing up and you realize that even the adults you must respect don't always have all the answers or are more fallible than you expected or hoped them to be.
March 15, 2024
Totally endearing and as real as it could be.
January 31, 2025
Out There
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ .5 (2.5/5) or 5.42/10 overall
Characters - 5
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 5
Plot - 6
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 5
Overall Thoughts:
This book was very bland. The ending didn't seem like an ending (it was very abrupt), and basically every problem either went away on its own or just was never addressed again. It just fell flat for me story wise. I was hoping for something more and it just never came. Disappointing considering how long this was on my tbr. :/
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ .5 (2.5/5) or 5.42/10 overall
Characters - 5
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 5
Plot - 6
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 5
Overall Thoughts:
This book was very bland. The ending didn't seem like an ending (it was very abrupt), and basically every problem either went away on its own or just was never addressed again. It just fell flat for me story wise. I was hoping for something more and it just never came. Disappointing considering how long this was on my tbr. :/
April 15, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Okay, I really liked this one more than I thought I would. Tween Julia turns down a trip to Hawaii with her friend for a road trip to Roswell, NM, with her dad. He believes he was abducted by aliens and this particular year the annual festival has meaning to him (he thinks he’s going to see the ship again based on a vision). But he isn’t the dad Julia remembers, and hasn’t been since his incident. She thinks the road trip will bring them back together, but it goes awry. Recommended for grades 5-7.
May 22, 2023
I won the Advance Reader Copy of this graphic novel through Goodreads. I really, really enjoyed it. I would recommend this to younger readers and to older readers who enjoy graphic novels. I could easily see this being part of a series and would love to know what happens next!
October 4, 2024
This fun book is about teenager Julia, who goes to the town of Roswell, where it is heard there was an alien crash. Julia is going with her father because it is the 50th anniversary of the crash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2023
I haven't seen many children's graphic novels that focus on parents not being infallible. I think that introducing this concept through a story about an alien-obsessed father is really unique, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what age group I thought this book would appeal most to. It was a fun read and the artwork is beautiful!
July 9, 2023
This is a wonderful book. It has little to do with aliens and everything to do about the relationship between a growing adolescent girl and her dad. Heartfelt, heartbreaking, and shows how much empathy tweens and teens can have for their parents, even when they’ve gone a little off.
June 19, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
As summer approaches, Julia is supposed to go on vacation to Hawaii with her friend Sara, but cancels so that she can take a three day road trip to Roswell, New Mexico with her father for the 70th anniversary celebration of the aliens landing there. Julia's mother isn't pleased; after a period of time where the parents were fighting a lot and the father, David, experienced an alien abduction, the mother asked the father to leave the household. He's had some trouble keeping things together ever since. He arrives late for meetings, doesn't get his car serviced, and still really believes that the aliens have a message for him that they will deliver at Roswell. He has located the exact site of the landing 70 years ago, and is determined to go there and wait for the message. Julia believes her father, mostly, and is reading a book he got for her about the Roswell experience. While at the celebration, the two meet a couple who really believe in aliens, and their son Josh, who does not. At first, Julia feels insulted by his comments, but the two quickly bond over their shared experience with parents who believe in something that many people think is crackpot. Julia wishes that she were with Sara; she doesn't even want to post pictures on social media of herself at Roswell. The parade in town seems super goofy, and Julia doesn't quite understand why the crowds of people aren't taking things as seriously as her father is. The two head out into the desert to meet with the aliens, but sicne David hasn't had the car serviced as needed, there is a clog in the radiator hose that causes the car to break down. They get it fixed and reach their destination, but have a fight in the car. Julia lets her father go wait in the desert by himself, although she eventually comes out to talk to him. He's unhappy that the aliens don't contact him, but takes some solace in a meteor shower that seems like a partial message. The two prepare to make their way back home, having made some peace with each other.
Strengths: It doesn't take much for a middle school student to be embarassed by a parent, and Julia's father is so resolute in his feelings about his alien abduction that even Sara opines that maybe he had a break down because of the marital woes. It's one thing to believe in something, and yet another to be trumpeting it to all and sundry, and while Julia wants to share this experience with her father and bond with him over it, she just... doesn't want anyone else to know! That perfectly describes so many child/parent interactions at this age. The depiction of the tourist culture in Roswell is interesting, especially seeing it from Julia's point of view as a believer in the events. Of course, when she attends an "abduction survivors" group, she has a little less belief in it herself. The artwork is vibrantly colored and attractive. I think this will be a popular choice with my students.
Weaknesses: Julia's nose (which she inherited from her father) looks very different from noses on the other characters and distracted me. I am very easily distracted by noses in illustrations, but it seemed like an odd choice. I have to say that I'm of the opinion that Roswell was a hoax, having read Fleming's Crash from Outer Space, so had little sympathy for the father's bad parenting, although I suspect that we are no long allowed to judge people's parenting. Let's just say that David could have used some assistance in organizing his life. Taking a car into the desert with your tween daughter when you knowingly neglected maintaining it? I can see why Julia's mother is angry.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like graphic novels with problematic parents, like those in Knisley's Stepping Stones or Mass' Lo and Behold, although it is also similar to (although more realistic than) Gardner's Long Distance.
As summer approaches, Julia is supposed to go on vacation to Hawaii with her friend Sara, but cancels so that she can take a three day road trip to Roswell, New Mexico with her father for the 70th anniversary celebration of the aliens landing there. Julia's mother isn't pleased; after a period of time where the parents were fighting a lot and the father, David, experienced an alien abduction, the mother asked the father to leave the household. He's had some trouble keeping things together ever since. He arrives late for meetings, doesn't get his car serviced, and still really believes that the aliens have a message for him that they will deliver at Roswell. He has located the exact site of the landing 70 years ago, and is determined to go there and wait for the message. Julia believes her father, mostly, and is reading a book he got for her about the Roswell experience. While at the celebration, the two meet a couple who really believe in aliens, and their son Josh, who does not. At first, Julia feels insulted by his comments, but the two quickly bond over their shared experience with parents who believe in something that many people think is crackpot. Julia wishes that she were with Sara; she doesn't even want to post pictures on social media of herself at Roswell. The parade in town seems super goofy, and Julia doesn't quite understand why the crowds of people aren't taking things as seriously as her father is. The two head out into the desert to meet with the aliens, but sicne David hasn't had the car serviced as needed, there is a clog in the radiator hose that causes the car to break down. They get it fixed and reach their destination, but have a fight in the car. Julia lets her father go wait in the desert by himself, although she eventually comes out to talk to him. He's unhappy that the aliens don't contact him, but takes some solace in a meteor shower that seems like a partial message. The two prepare to make their way back home, having made some peace with each other.
Strengths: It doesn't take much for a middle school student to be embarassed by a parent, and Julia's father is so resolute in his feelings about his alien abduction that even Sara opines that maybe he had a break down because of the marital woes. It's one thing to believe in something, and yet another to be trumpeting it to all and sundry, and while Julia wants to share this experience with her father and bond with him over it, she just... doesn't want anyone else to know! That perfectly describes so many child/parent interactions at this age. The depiction of the tourist culture in Roswell is interesting, especially seeing it from Julia's point of view as a believer in the events. Of course, when she attends an "abduction survivors" group, she has a little less belief in it herself. The artwork is vibrantly colored and attractive. I think this will be a popular choice with my students.
Weaknesses: Julia's nose (which she inherited from her father) looks very different from noses on the other characters and distracted me. I am very easily distracted by noses in illustrations, but it seemed like an odd choice. I have to say that I'm of the opinion that Roswell was a hoax, having read Fleming's Crash from Outer Space, so had little sympathy for the father's bad parenting, although I suspect that we are no long allowed to judge people's parenting. Let's just say that David could have used some assistance in organizing his life. Taking a car into the desert with your tween daughter when you knowingly neglected maintaining it? I can see why Julia's mother is angry.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like graphic novels with problematic parents, like those in Knisley's Stepping Stones or Mass' Lo and Behold, although it is also similar to (although more realistic than) Gardner's Long Distance.
June 11, 2025
I discovered this graphic novel by accident, while searching our library's card catalog for another book entirely (Connie Willis' The Road to Roswell). But seeing as I was apparently on a reading-fiction-books-set-in-Roswell kick, I figured why not give this graphic novel a shot? And while it has its flaws, it does have some touching things to say about family and has a sympathetic outlook on those who believe in aliens.
Julie's father believes he was once abducted by aliens... so much so that he's making the pilgrimage to Roswell, New Mexico to participate in the UFO festival and meet with others who've had first encounters. Julie is excited to attend, and even skips a trip to Hawaii with her best friend to attend. But the festival isn't what she expected it to be, and as she gets to know other self-professed abductees -- and another teenager who's tired of being dragged around the country by his UFO-nut parents -- she starts to lose her faith in her father's story...
It's hard not to sympathize with Julie in this book. She's a teenager torn between her family and her friends... and even more torn because her father's UFO obsession has driven her parents apart. And it's hard seeing her faith in her father shaken and seeing her come to terms with the fact that he's not as reliable or awesome as she wants him to be. I don't believe her father made up his story about an alien abduction, but given his memory lapses and short attention span it makes me wonder if he has some mental issues, which just increases my sympathy for Julie.
It's clear the author is sympathetic towards those who believe in life beyond our world, and even those who believe they've had encounters with extraterrestrial life. But the book raises some pressing questions without ever really answering them. It brings up the question of belief, but never comes to any solid conclusions about it. Nor does it ever really resolve the tensions between Julie and her father -- they just make up tidily after a fight and never speak of it again. I'd hoped for some catharsis, for them to come to terms with the fact that her father has issues, but it never happens. Perhaps the author thought that was too heavy for a middle-grade graphic novel to tackle...
At least the art was fun, colorful and evocative of the beautiful New Mexico landscape and the quirkiness of the UFO festival. And though I hoped for a bit more from the story, it was still enjoyable.
Julie's father believes he was once abducted by aliens... so much so that he's making the pilgrimage to Roswell, New Mexico to participate in the UFO festival and meet with others who've had first encounters. Julie is excited to attend, and even skips a trip to Hawaii with her best friend to attend. But the festival isn't what she expected it to be, and as she gets to know other self-professed abductees -- and another teenager who's tired of being dragged around the country by his UFO-nut parents -- she starts to lose her faith in her father's story...
It's hard not to sympathize with Julie in this book. She's a teenager torn between her family and her friends... and even more torn because her father's UFO obsession has driven her parents apart. And it's hard seeing her faith in her father shaken and seeing her come to terms with the fact that he's not as reliable or awesome as she wants him to be. I don't believe her father made up his story about an alien abduction, but given his memory lapses and short attention span it makes me wonder if he has some mental issues, which just increases my sympathy for Julie.
It's clear the author is sympathetic towards those who believe in life beyond our world, and even those who believe they've had encounters with extraterrestrial life. But the book raises some pressing questions without ever really answering them. It brings up the question of belief, but never comes to any solid conclusions about it. Nor does it ever really resolve the tensions between Julie and her father -- they just make up tidily after a fight and never speak of it again. I'd hoped for some catharsis, for them to come to terms with the fact that her father has issues, but it never happens. Perhaps the author thought that was too heavy for a middle-grade graphic novel to tackle...
At least the art was fun, colorful and evocative of the beautiful New Mexico landscape and the quirkiness of the UFO festival. And though I hoped for a bit more from the story, it was still enjoyable.
April 27, 2024
Out There is such a brilliant story about accepting those you love for who they are, no matter who they are. But, just because you accept them and love them, it doesn't mean you can't be upset or hurt by their actions too. Both feelings are validated through the story of Julia, a teenage product of divorce, and her father, someone who truly believes in his heart of hearts that he was abducted by alien - a belief that ruined his marriage and his relationship with his daughter.
Out There focuses on the story from Julia's point of view, and Julia wants so much to believe her Dad and trust in what he says. She wants to believe that aliens are out there, and that her Dad, the one she loved and trusted as a child, is also somewhere out there with them.
Over the course of the story, we see Julia's rose-colored glasses break when it comes to her Dad. But, with that break comes healing. During this trip to Roswell, New Mexico, Julia meets other families like hers as well as tourists who are just there for the gimmic. As she connects with Josh, a boy her age who has been going to these conventions since he was little because his parents are fanatics in every sense of the word, Julia begins to see what else is out there in the desert of New Mexico.
Finally, Julia
Overall, Out There is beautifully written and illustrated. The bold, vibrant colors set the scene and match the tone of the story so well. As things are wild and fun, the colors a bright and exciting. But when things get serious or sad, the colors dim and muddle. This balance and shift invokes such strong emotions in the reader and you can feel the characters' pain, confusion, excitement, etc. not just from the facial expressions and narration, but also from the color palettes utilized in the scenes.
Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, Out There will have you invested until the very end.
Out There focuses on the story from Julia's point of view, and Julia wants so much to believe her Dad and trust in what he says. She wants to believe that aliens are out there, and that her Dad, the one she loved and trusted as a child, is also somewhere out there with them.
Over the course of the story, we see Julia's rose-colored glasses break when it comes to her Dad. But, with that break comes healing. During this trip to Roswell, New Mexico, Julia meets other families like hers as well as tourists who are just there for the gimmic. As she connects with Josh, a boy her age who has been going to these conventions since he was little because his parents are fanatics in every sense of the word, Julia begins to see what else is out there in the desert of New Mexico.
Finally, Julia
Overall, Out There is beautifully written and illustrated. The bold, vibrant colors set the scene and match the tone of the story so well. As things are wild and fun, the colors a bright and exciting. But when things get serious or sad, the colors dim and muddle. This balance and shift invokes such strong emotions in the reader and you can feel the characters' pain, confusion, excitement, etc. not just from the facial expressions and narration, but also from the color palettes utilized in the scenes.
Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, Out There will have you invested until the very end.
February 15, 2024
An interesting look at what a relationship with an unreliable parent is like. There's glowing review on the cover saying that this book "makes you feel less alone", but honestly, I just felt really sad for Julia. She has a dad who is obsessed with anything alien related since is supposed abduction to the point where it's destroyed his marriage and replaced any hobbies he had before. He's spacey and forgetful, and while you understand why Julia adores him, it's also frustrating watching them interact. There's just this immaturity about him and it makes me question a) how has he made it this far in life? and b) should Julia really being out in the desert with this man? Julia sees her mom as no fun, and her dad mentions that she wasn't always that way, but after being married to him, I get it. I would also be hesitant to let my daughter go on a trip with him.
Outside of her dad, there's Sara, her supposed best friend, who seems to have more fun making fun of Julia's dad than anything else. Which again, I get. He's weird (and honestly, kind of a loser), but it's obvious that Julia doesn't like it, and any time she expresses that Sara's response is to just shrug it off because she was just kidding. If these two were real, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they grew apart in the next year or so.
At the end, there's this statement about how believing in something isn't easy, and I guess it's supposed to have this hopeful, feel-good vibe to it, but it just rings hollow. I didn't finish this feeling good about the relationship that Julia has with her dad.
Outside of her dad, there's Sara, her supposed best friend, who seems to have more fun making fun of Julia's dad than anything else. Which again, I get. He's weird (and honestly, kind of a loser), but it's obvious that Julia doesn't like it, and any time she expresses that Sara's response is to just shrug it off because she was just kidding. If these two were real, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they grew apart in the next year or so.
At the end, there's this statement about how believing in something isn't easy, and I guess it's supposed to have this hopeful, feel-good vibe to it, but it just rings hollow. I didn't finish this feeling good about the relationship that Julia has with her dad.
July 26, 2023
Julia has always believed her dad when he says he was abducted by aliens, which is why it s a no-brainer for her to skip a trip to Hawaii with her best friend and instead attend the annual UFO festival in Roswell, New Mexico where her dad has an appointment with a spaceship. In Roswell, however, Julia begins to have doubts about her dad and his story. She expected that a meeting of ufologists would be filled with lectures and seminars, but instead it all seems a little silly. Julia's doubts intensify when she meets Josh, another kid whose parents believe they were abducted by aliens. Trying to manage her doubts, and embarrasment at looking silly, with her love for her father, Julia finds herself lost.
This graphic novel very effectively works on a couple different levels simultaneously. Readers will begin to see the negative impact of Julia's dad's obsession with aliens early on in the book, with mentions of him giving up hobbies, regular work, time with Julia, and his relationship with Julia's mom. Though Julia is sometimes hurt by the distance between her and her dad, she still loves him and wants desperately to believe him. The artwork throughout the novel is filled with saturated, psychedelic colors that offset the desert landscape perfectly and several full-bleed pages help immerse readers into the story. Graphic novels are an easy sell, and this one benefits from a sophisticated layer of growing up and managing a complex parent-child relationship.
This graphic novel very effectively works on a couple different levels simultaneously. Readers will begin to see the negative impact of Julia's dad's obsession with aliens early on in the book, with mentions of him giving up hobbies, regular work, time with Julia, and his relationship with Julia's mom. Though Julia is sometimes hurt by the distance between her and her dad, she still loves him and wants desperately to believe him. The artwork throughout the novel is filled with saturated, psychedelic colors that offset the desert landscape perfectly and several full-bleed pages help immerse readers into the story. Graphic novels are an easy sell, and this one benefits from a sophisticated layer of growing up and managing a complex parent-child relationship.
December 7, 2023
Kind of struggling a little with my opinion of this book. On one hand, it's a great and sympathetic depiction of a parent/child relationship where the parent is unreliable but still loving. Julia's father believes he's been abducted by aliens, and he's so focused on his contact delusion that he's neglected virtually everything else in his life. And yet, he still loves his daughter and is trying to be a good father to her. Julia wants to believe in her father, because she loves him. Her growth in this book is recognizing that her father is living in an altered reality, and that he isn't reliable in a lot of ways. And... that's it. The book ends with her coming to that difficult truth and deciding that it's ok, actually. It feels like an odd place to leave them. There's clearly something going on with Julia's father, and I don't feel like simply calling him brave for living his truth is the best takeaway here. He's already taking stupid, unnecessary risks with her safety and forgetting extremely important events in her life, and it's only been a few years. I feel like there could be a sequel written ten years later where Julia has cut contact with her father because he's become increasingly lost in his abductee fantasy and decreasingly interested in the actual work of being a father.
July 16, 2024
Julia's parents are divorced. Once upon a time, her dad was a guitarist. Now, instead, he chases aliens. (No, his last name isn't Mulder.) When her dad tells her he was kidnapped by aliens, Julia at first doesn't believe him but she comes around. Her mother doesn't, and thus, divorce.
Julia has a chance to go to Hawaii with her best friend but Dad wants to take her to Roswell for the 75th anniversary of the wreck of the alien spacecraft. Julia chooses Roswell but the trip doesn't start out the way she hopes - Dad forgot some stuff they always have when they do road trips, but at least he packed the tent. And Ruby, the car, seems to be able to make it, if the coolant is topped off regularly...
Once they reach Roswell, Julia's enchanted by the museum and all the folks flocking in. She and her father are invited to dinner with another family, a couple and their son, who is about Julia's age. And it is the son who starts putting a bit of a chink in Julia's believe in the aliens and her father's story.
Her dad used to remember things and now he just doesn't. He's so caught up in the aliens, other things take a back seat. And Julia is hurt by that in more ways than one.
Still, this is a bittersweet coming of age (kinda) story and I enjoyed it.
Julia has a chance to go to Hawaii with her best friend but Dad wants to take her to Roswell for the 75th anniversary of the wreck of the alien spacecraft. Julia chooses Roswell but the trip doesn't start out the way she hopes - Dad forgot some stuff they always have when they do road trips, but at least he packed the tent. And Ruby, the car, seems to be able to make it, if the coolant is topped off regularly...
Once they reach Roswell, Julia's enchanted by the museum and all the folks flocking in. She and her father are invited to dinner with another family, a couple and their son, who is about Julia's age. And it is the son who starts putting a bit of a chink in Julia's believe in the aliens and her father's story.
Her dad used to remember things and now he just doesn't. He's so caught up in the aliens, other things take a back seat. And Julia is hurt by that in more ways than one.
Still, this is a bittersweet coming of age (kinda) story and I enjoyed it.
February 25, 2024
If there's one thing I'll always read, it's a middle school coming-of-age graphic novel.
After being abducted by aliens and receiving a vision from them, Julia's dad has dedicated his entire life to proving that life exists beyond Earth. Julia is excited to go to Roswell, New Mexico with her dad for the festival celebrating the 75th-anniversary of the infamous UFO crash site, where he expects the aliens to make contact again. While there, nothing is living exactly up to her expectations, and her faith starts to waiver.
What is not said between characters is just as important as what is, and the facial expressions carry a lot of emotional weight in each scene. Julia's story is about discovering that your parents are flawed human beings and how to keep loving them regardless. At the end, there were a few strings left for me. It is implied that she made up with her friend Sara, but I wish a similar ending was reached with her mom.
Reviewed by Laura Mao, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
After being abducted by aliens and receiving a vision from them, Julia's dad has dedicated his entire life to proving that life exists beyond Earth. Julia is excited to go to Roswell, New Mexico with her dad for the festival celebrating the 75th-anniversary of the infamous UFO crash site, where he expects the aliens to make contact again. While there, nothing is living exactly up to her expectations, and her faith starts to waiver.
What is not said between characters is just as important as what is, and the facial expressions carry a lot of emotional weight in each scene. Julia's story is about discovering that your parents are flawed human beings and how to keep loving them regardless. At the end, there were a few strings left for me. It is implied that she made up with her friend Sara, but I wish a similar ending was reached with her mom.
Reviewed by Laura Mao, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
July 24, 2023
Julia's dad claims he was once abducted by aliens. His distracted behavior since then is one of the reasons Julia's parents divorced. But now she's agreed to travel with her dad to a UFO festival in Roswell where he's hoping his abductors will make contact again. Julia wants to believe, but mostly she's just looking forward to spending some time with her father.
From the fun, goofy cover, I was expecting a bit more of a light-hearted read. There are some serious issues to explore here, and I think they're handled very well by the author. Aside from wanting to smack Julia's dad for his forgetfulness and irresponsibility, I really enjoyed the trip.
This is a great choice for middle-schoolers who are frequently embarrassed by their parents, but realize the importance of spending time with them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Ink for sharing this one.
From the fun, goofy cover, I was expecting a bit more of a light-hearted read. There are some serious issues to explore here, and I think they're handled very well by the author. Aside from wanting to smack Julia's dad for his forgetfulness and irresponsibility, I really enjoyed the trip.
This is a great choice for middle-schoolers who are frequently embarrassed by their parents, but realize the importance of spending time with them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Ink for sharing this one.
August 24, 2023
A touching, out-of-this-world graphic novel about a daughter, her father, and the aliens that may or may not be speaking to him.
Julia’s father, David, believes he was abducted by aliens and now she’s dealing with the reality that her parents are separated and her dad’s obsessed with the extraterrestrial. The father-daughter duo are headed to Roswell, New Mexico, for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the famous UFO crash. Julia’s dad is fun and kind, and she has fun with him—but he’s also not steadily employed, has abandoned his former hobbies, and forgets things that matter to her.
The story ultimately doesn’t settle on easy answers when asking what it means to care about someone who believes something that you’re beginning to doubt. Overall, I liked this book. I was hoping for a few different twists, and for Julia to come out and say “Yes, I believe.” Or “No I don’t.”
Julia’s father, David, believes he was abducted by aliens and now she’s dealing with the reality that her parents are separated and her dad’s obsessed with the extraterrestrial. The father-daughter duo are headed to Roswell, New Mexico, for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the famous UFO crash. Julia’s dad is fun and kind, and she has fun with him—but he’s also not steadily employed, has abandoned his former hobbies, and forgets things that matter to her.
The story ultimately doesn’t settle on easy answers when asking what it means to care about someone who believes something that you’re beginning to doubt. Overall, I liked this book. I was hoping for a few different twists, and for Julia to come out and say “Yes, I believe.” Or “No I don’t.”
September 7, 2023
Was Julia's dad abducted by aliens? Julia's mom divorced him. Julia's friends make fun of him. He's totally changed. When her dad invites her on a trip to Roswell, NM, the alien epicenter of America, Julia has a chance to see for herself. A meteor shower is going to happen, and Julia's dad promises the aliens are coming back!
Part road trip, part could-it-be-true, and part history of alien encounters, Julia's vacation with her dad was an interesting read. The ending felt rushed though and like it dropped off. I wanted a more definite resolution. I enjoyed how both perspectives of Roswell were portrayed, though I wish the tv show had been mentioned...shoutout to Melinda Metz, who wrote Roswell! my link text
Part road trip, part could-it-be-true, and part history of alien encounters, Julia's vacation with her dad was an interesting read. The ending felt rushed though and like it dropped off. I wanted a more definite resolution. I enjoyed how both perspectives of Roswell were portrayed, though I wish the tv show had been mentioned...shoutout to Melinda Metz, who wrote Roswell! my link text
January 9, 2024
While involving characters who believe they were abducted by aliens, I found this to be a nice, realistic look at how such a belief might affect real life relationships!
Julia loves her parents, but they are separated because Julia's dad insists he was abducted by aliens one night, and Julia's mom thinks he's lost it.
The matter of the abduction has become a huge part of Julia's dad's life, and because she loves & likes her dad, she wants to believe him. She goes on a road trip with him to Roswell for a special alien extravaganza, event-filled weekend. She faces hard internal questions, and external cynicism from others which makes her wonder what to believe. I thought it was a great look at how a child might feel in her shoes.
Julia loves her parents, but they are separated because Julia's dad insists he was abducted by aliens one night, and Julia's mom thinks he's lost it.
The matter of the abduction has become a huge part of Julia's dad's life, and because she loves & likes her dad, she wants to believe him. She goes on a road trip with him to Roswell for a special alien extravaganza, event-filled weekend. She faces hard internal questions, and external cynicism from others which makes her wonder what to believe. I thought it was a great look at how a child might feel in her shoes.
August 1, 2023
This was really fun. I thought Julia's narrative voice was good (crispy!), and the frustrations of being a child who is tagging behind their parents, for better or worse. Or how much kids want to believe in their parents.
I really thought the book was hinting that Julia's dad had
Even though the subject matter is aliens this is also very relatable for readers who have family or friends deeply ingrained in conspiracy theories.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this from beginning to end.
I really thought the book was hinting that Julia's dad had
Even though the subject matter is aliens this is also very relatable for readers who have family or friends deeply ingrained in conspiracy theories.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this from beginning to end.
August 21, 2023
I got a kick out of this graphic novel that is about aliens, holding out hope, and a father-daughter bond. Julia skips a trip to Hawaii to attend a UFO convention in Roswell with her father. Julia’s dad tugged at my heart strings because so much of his situation seems grim (divorced, financially strapped, beater car, an outsider who believes he was abducted by aliens). He’s put all his hope in reconnecting with his abductors, taking Julia along for the ride as she yearns to be close to her absentminded father. This book was surprisingly layered and interesting. The art was nice with great colors. Overall, this book exceeded expectations!
October 2, 2023
This middle-grade graphic novel offered a really enjoyable story along with top-notch art. The illustrations are bright, clear and easy to follow. Julia's Dad believes he was abducted by aliens several years ago, and Julia has believed him, while her Mom has not. This has lead to the failure of their marriage. It's summer and Julia has passed up an opportunity to go to Hawaii with her best friend to attend a UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico. Along the way, they meet others who believe they were abducted, as well as skeptics. Eventually Julia herself begins to question whether her Dad's story is true. A sweet and sensitive story.
October 4, 2023
Loved the message behind this, especially as a girly who loves her cryptids and anything supernatural, people don’t always get it or they judge you, but this graphic novel was full of embracing your quirkier side and being true to yourself. And obviously I loved the alien content and learning more about Roswell and Area 51. As somebody who once went to a Bigfoot convention, hoping to meet Bigfoot, only for him to not show up and a baggy of Bigfoot dingleberries being analyzed, I get her frustration with not seeing physical proof of aliens. Even though, I think that makes believing even more magical. Someone please take me to Roswell. I need all the alien Knick knacks.
July 27, 2025
Out There
Rating: ⭐ ⭐.5 (2.5/5) or (5.6/10)
Characters - 6
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 5
Plot - 6
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 5
Wow, okay. Another low rating from me 😂 At first, this book seemed promising, but then it ended with nothing. Like what the heck was that ending? Under 250 pages and it felt like there was an abrupt skip in the story right at the end. There wasn’t anything extraordinary that happened imo, and when there was conflict, it just kind of magically resolved which was weird to me. Again, I wanted more and expected more. This book was bland and disappointing :/
Rating: ⭐ ⭐.5 (2.5/5) or (5.6/10)
Characters - 6
Atmosphere - 6
Writing - 5
Plot - 6
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 5
Wow, okay. Another low rating from me 😂 At first, this book seemed promising, but then it ended with nothing. Like what the heck was that ending? Under 250 pages and it felt like there was an abrupt skip in the story right at the end. There wasn’t anything extraordinary that happened imo, and when there was conflict, it just kind of magically resolved which was weird to me. Again, I wanted more and expected more. This book was bland and disappointing :/
July 4, 2023
A fun little graphic novel for kids. A preteen girl takes a road trip with her dad to Roswell, New Mexico on the anniversary of an alien landing many years before. Her parents are divorced and this also gives her bonding time with her pop. Her dad is one of the many going there who believes he had an alien encounter years before. He, with others, are hoping are hoping the aliens will recontact on the anniversary. The question that develops as the book proceeds is whether her dad and the others are delusional or not.
December 15, 2023
This story made me sad. I work in the field of mental health and it really seemed to me that the dad had experienced a mental health crisis and was continuing to experience lots of repercussions from that and from not receiving the care he needs.
This is a book about a father daughter road trip to a festival about UFOs and aliens. The dad believes in all of this with a passion and the daughter loves and supports her dad, but feels uncomfortable as she realizes that maybe that belief is misplaced.
This is a book about a father daughter road trip to a festival about UFOs and aliens. The dad believes in all of this with a passion and the daughter loves and supports her dad, but feels uncomfortable as she realizes that maybe that belief is misplaced.
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