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The N.O.A.H. Files #2
Shock the Monkey
Noah Prime must set out to save his friends and the universe once again in this jaw-dropping sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, I Am the Walrus .
Noah Prime thought he was no more running, no more murderous aliens, and absolutely no more saving the world. The day he went into hiding should have put an end to it. But staying away is no longer an option when he winds up embroiled in yet another intergalactic calamity. This time, it’s courtesy of his usually level-headed friend Ogden, whose crush on the most popular girl in school, Claire, leads him to buy her a star for her birthday.
However, this heart-warming gesture ends up having disastrous consequences when it turns out the star is real—as in home to a gazillion aliens real. And it’s not long before these creatures have swooped down to Earth to abduct Claire and take her back to their planet—or rather her planet—as its new owner.
Now it’s up to Noah and his quick-changing animal abilities to help his friends find her. But with dangerous forces still out there and a perilous journey ahead, will Noah be able to find Claire before she meets her untimely doom? Even if it means putting his friends in more danger than ever before?
This action-packed, laugh-out-loud sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer and Rick Riordan.
Noah Prime thought he was no more running, no more murderous aliens, and absolutely no more saving the world. The day he went into hiding should have put an end to it. But staying away is no longer an option when he winds up embroiled in yet another intergalactic calamity. This time, it’s courtesy of his usually level-headed friend Ogden, whose crush on the most popular girl in school, Claire, leads him to buy her a star for her birthday.
However, this heart-warming gesture ends up having disastrous consequences when it turns out the star is real—as in home to a gazillion aliens real. And it’s not long before these creatures have swooped down to Earth to abduct Claire and take her back to their planet—or rather her planet—as its new owner.
Now it’s up to Noah and his quick-changing animal abilities to help his friends find her. But with dangerous forces still out there and a perilous journey ahead, will Noah be able to find Claire before she meets her untimely doom? Even if it means putting his friends in more danger than ever before?
This action-packed, laugh-out-loud sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer and Rick Riordan.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
9 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Neal Shusterman
90 books30.1k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 23, 2024
Shock the Monkey is the second book in The N.O.A.H. Files series, continuing the adventures of Noah Prime, Sahara Solis, and Ogden Coggin-Criddle after the events of I Am the Walrus. They are still joined by Andi, Noah's android sister.
I found the cover super interesting; on the right side, you'll see some characters you’ll meet in this book. It will all make sense as you read. The cover features: Jadoon, Ixodita Cerebri (brain ticks), Butterflies from planet Claire, Forlo (First Citizen), a three-headed swan from the HydraCygnus Hotel, the Tribunal of Ancients, and Splunges.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the third installment. I wish there was more of Andi; she's definitely my favorite character. The minds of Eric and Neal are so imaginative—this book is creative and fun.
Summary (contains spoilers):
This book picks up where the first one left off. Noah and Andi are still bouncing from country to country as Noah fakes his death. Arbuckle is still swarmed with government officials from the Federal Office of Biological Experimentation (FOBE) due to the events of book one. Quantavius T. Kratz is imprisoned by FOBE agents. In the last installment, Kratz unintentionally projected his memories onto everyone within the Quantavius zone, causing them to adopt his personality. Now, there are hundreds that need to be de-Kratzed.
Noah misses his friends and decides to go back. In the meantime, Ogden is trying to court his classmate Claire while competing with Raymond Balding-Stalker, who has had a crush on her forever but has never approached her. He decides to buy her a star to impress her, but it turns out he's actually purchasing a planet from aliens, which becomes the catalyst for our story. Once Claire signs the contract, she is abducted along with Raymond, whose body is taken over by an Usurper alien called Slash. Our group of friends, now reunited, must save the day. With the help of Mittens (a criminal alien cat), they meet Miss Luella, who owns a spacecraft, and embark on an adventure. Kratz and a new Kratz agent, Knell Jannell "Nell" Knell, who happen to be following Noah, are also stowaways on the craft. They get separated along the way, thanks to Mittens. Miss Luella and Noah end up in the World of Last Life, the Fauxlites' biological preserve. The Fauxlites are an alien species that terraform or destroy planets to make them tourist attractions. There, they meet J.A.D.O.O.N (Juvenile Aggregate Dynamically Optimized Organic Nexus), better known as Jad. He is similar to N.O.A.H but from another planet called Triastra. Since Jad is there, it means the Fauxlites have already destroyed his world and everyone in it, but unlike Noah, he never uncovered the truth and remains oblivious. They find Andi, who had been ejected from the craft by Mittens, and leave Miss Luella behind to embark to planet Claire to reunite with her friends.
Meanwhile, Mittens, Sahara, and Ogden have arrived on planet Claire, hoping to rescue Claire, who is being prepped for her new role as Crown Princess. Kratz and Nell are also there, unbeknownst to the others. Since they didn’t know the house they followed Noah to was a spacecraft, they think they have time-traveled. It turns out Planet Claire is a literal dump, and the Usurper aliens tricked Ogden into buying the planet for fifty bucks to rid themselves of ownership due to broken universal space regulations. Now Claire is about to be executed. They try their best to stop the coronation. Too much happens to detail here, but they do not manage to stop it. However, they are able to defeat the Usurpers and find a loophole to save Claire. In the end, First Citizen Forlo becomes the ruler of the planet, and they devise a plan to help improve it. Jad sets out to find possible Triastral survivors in hopes of recreating his planet elsewhere. Sahara, Andi, Noah, and Ogden return to Earth. Kratz and Nell, who have now fallen in love, are stuck on planet Claire, still believing they are in the future. The locals regard them as prophets. In the last chapter, they are visited by a Fauxlite who has heard that Noah Prime is alive and is seeking information. Since Kratz knows Noah, he asks the alien what the information is worth to him, and the book ends.
I found the cover super interesting; on the right side, you'll see some characters you’ll meet in this book. It will all make sense as you read. The cover features: Jadoon, Ixodita Cerebri (brain ticks), Butterflies from planet Claire, Forlo (First Citizen), a three-headed swan from the HydraCygnus Hotel, the Tribunal of Ancients, and Splunges.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the third installment. I wish there was more of Andi; she's definitely my favorite character. The minds of Eric and Neal are so imaginative—this book is creative and fun.
Summary (contains spoilers):
This book picks up where the first one left off. Noah and Andi are still bouncing from country to country as Noah fakes his death. Arbuckle is still swarmed with government officials from the Federal Office of Biological Experimentation (FOBE) due to the events of book one. Quantavius T. Kratz is imprisoned by FOBE agents. In the last installment, Kratz unintentionally projected his memories onto everyone within the Quantavius zone, causing them to adopt his personality. Now, there are hundreds that need to be de-Kratzed.
Noah misses his friends and decides to go back. In the meantime, Ogden is trying to court his classmate Claire while competing with Raymond Balding-Stalker, who has had a crush on her forever but has never approached her. He decides to buy her a star to impress her, but it turns out he's actually purchasing a planet from aliens, which becomes the catalyst for our story. Once Claire signs the contract, she is abducted along with Raymond, whose body is taken over by an Usurper alien called Slash. Our group of friends, now reunited, must save the day. With the help of Mittens (a criminal alien cat), they meet Miss Luella, who owns a spacecraft, and embark on an adventure. Kratz and a new Kratz agent, Knell Jannell "Nell" Knell, who happen to be following Noah, are also stowaways on the craft. They get separated along the way, thanks to Mittens. Miss Luella and Noah end up in the World of Last Life, the Fauxlites' biological preserve. The Fauxlites are an alien species that terraform or destroy planets to make them tourist attractions. There, they meet J.A.D.O.O.N (Juvenile Aggregate Dynamically Optimized Organic Nexus), better known as Jad. He is similar to N.O.A.H but from another planet called Triastra. Since Jad is there, it means the Fauxlites have already destroyed his world and everyone in it, but unlike Noah, he never uncovered the truth and remains oblivious. They find Andi, who had been ejected from the craft by Mittens, and leave Miss Luella behind to embark to planet Claire to reunite with her friends.
Meanwhile, Mittens, Sahara, and Ogden have arrived on planet Claire, hoping to rescue Claire, who is being prepped for her new role as Crown Princess. Kratz and Nell are also there, unbeknownst to the others. Since they didn’t know the house they followed Noah to was a spacecraft, they think they have time-traveled. It turns out Planet Claire is a literal dump, and the Usurper aliens tricked Ogden into buying the planet for fifty bucks to rid themselves of ownership due to broken universal space regulations. Now Claire is about to be executed. They try their best to stop the coronation. Too much happens to detail here, but they do not manage to stop it. However, they are able to defeat the Usurpers and find a loophole to save Claire. In the end, First Citizen Forlo becomes the ruler of the planet, and they devise a plan to help improve it. Jad sets out to find possible Triastral survivors in hopes of recreating his planet elsewhere. Sahara, Andi, Noah, and Ogden return to Earth. Kratz and Nell, who have now fallen in love, are stuck on planet Claire, still believing they are in the future. The locals regard them as prophets. In the last chapter, they are visited by a Fauxlite who has heard that Noah Prime is alive and is seeking information. Since Kratz knows Noah, he asks the alien what the information is worth to him, and the book ends.
February 16, 2024
What worked:
Noah can manifest characteristics of all the animals on Earth since his body contains all of their DNA. He can summon the strength of a bear or elephant, swing from trees like a monkey, or escape from danger as a bird. Transforming into various animals adds interest and unpredictability to his character but readers can also learn about these characters. Learning about animals that can secrete poison, change colors and patterns, or survive with little oxygen may be new to young readers. These qualities come in very handy as Noah encounters many dangerous challenges.
The authors utilize a humorous tone throughout the narrative which adds levity to the adventure. Noah’s “sister” Andi is an android character with super intelligence and she’s able to camouflage herself as a suitcase. Conversations between Noah and Andi can become comical. Noah’s friend Ogden is a brainy human but his sense of appropriate behavior and talk needs work. The kids visit a little old lady and end up soaring through space in her house. Aliens kidnap a girl from her pool party after using baby pacifiers to immobilize the adults. A planet’s main problem is that it’s become an intergalactic, toxic waste dump. Finally, Noah’s character can present funny situations when he unexpectedly displays animal traits.
I sometimes get annoyed when authors use multiple settings but these authors effectively separate the main characters. Noah is ejected into an escape pod, Ogden and Sahara ride the house rocket to its end, and Andi is stranded by herself. Noah’s journey allows him to meet another N.O.A.H. and provides more information about their potential futures. This new character has the same ability as Noah but its animals come from another planet. Ogden and Sahara arrive on the planet Claire where they uncover a malevolent scheme. Ogden has a crush on the character Claire and he’s determined to rescue his future girlfriend (even if she doesn’t feel the same way).
What didn’t work as well:
The humor of the book may not appeal to serious readers. The situations and wordplay can get wacky and absurd which some readers don’t appreciate.
The final verdict:
You might want to read the first book to fully understand the backstory of N.O.A.H. Noah’s ability to become different animals is entertaining and educational and the amusing tone of the story keeps things light. Overall, this is a fun book to read and I recommend you give it a shot.
Noah can manifest characteristics of all the animals on Earth since his body contains all of their DNA. He can summon the strength of a bear or elephant, swing from trees like a monkey, or escape from danger as a bird. Transforming into various animals adds interest and unpredictability to his character but readers can also learn about these characters. Learning about animals that can secrete poison, change colors and patterns, or survive with little oxygen may be new to young readers. These qualities come in very handy as Noah encounters many dangerous challenges.
The authors utilize a humorous tone throughout the narrative which adds levity to the adventure. Noah’s “sister” Andi is an android character with super intelligence and she’s able to camouflage herself as a suitcase. Conversations between Noah and Andi can become comical. Noah’s friend Ogden is a brainy human but his sense of appropriate behavior and talk needs work. The kids visit a little old lady and end up soaring through space in her house. Aliens kidnap a girl from her pool party after using baby pacifiers to immobilize the adults. A planet’s main problem is that it’s become an intergalactic, toxic waste dump. Finally, Noah’s character can present funny situations when he unexpectedly displays animal traits.
I sometimes get annoyed when authors use multiple settings but these authors effectively separate the main characters. Noah is ejected into an escape pod, Ogden and Sahara ride the house rocket to its end, and Andi is stranded by herself. Noah’s journey allows him to meet another N.O.A.H. and provides more information about their potential futures. This new character has the same ability as Noah but its animals come from another planet. Ogden and Sahara arrive on the planet Claire where they uncover a malevolent scheme. Ogden has a crush on the character Claire and he’s determined to rescue his future girlfriend (even if she doesn’t feel the same way).
What didn’t work as well:
The humor of the book may not appeal to serious readers. The situations and wordplay can get wacky and absurd which some readers don’t appreciate.
The final verdict:
You might want to read the first book to fully understand the backstory of N.O.A.H. Noah’s ability to become different animals is entertaining and educational and the amusing tone of the story keeps things light. Overall, this is a fun book to read and I recommend you give it a shot.
August 6, 2024
I couldn't wait to get to this book and it did not disappoint. There are great characters here - N.O.A.H., Ogden, Sahara, J.A.D.O.O.N., Miss Luella, Murdurm (and his back massages), Forlo, the Splunges, and even Mittens. There were even references to one of my favorite 1950s movies - the Blob. What I think is best about this series is its depiction of friendship. It doesn't come in any particular color, religion, age group, or intestinal (not a typo if you have read the book) origin. We need more of that in today's world. I eagerly await the next installment of N.O.A.H.'s journey.
December 10, 2025
The overall vibe of this book was Men in Black, but it felt closer to Men in Black International. This is in reference more towards the aliens we meet and not that our characters are part of an organization like Men in Black. This feeling is further exacerbated by two characters that gave me vibes that reminded of two characters from Men in Black International.
Jad: Blew my mind, especially his species. I cannot wrap my head around how they may reproduce. I know that sounds strange, but you will find out why I am talking about this. To my knowledge, there is no species on Earth that is like this, which means I am not sure how our authors came up with this. My guess has to do with the placement of a limb, which would mean further division of the brain.
Murdrum: Oh, he was giving me major Tarantian vibes. I mean his character design is nothing like Luca's, but I felt a similar energy.
Verdict: There is so much stuff in this book and I am not sure where all of this is going to go!
Jad: Blew my mind, especially his species. I cannot wrap my head around how they may reproduce. I know that sounds strange, but you will find out why I am talking about this. To my knowledge, there is no species on Earth that is like this, which means I am not sure how our authors came up with this. My guess has to do with the placement of a limb, which would mean further division of the brain.
Murdrum: Oh, he was giving me major Tarantian vibes. I mean his character design is nothing like Luca's, but I felt a similar energy.
Verdict: There is so much stuff in this book and I am not sure where all of this is going to go!
August 11, 2024
I couldn't wait to get to this book and it did not disappoint. There are great characters here - N.O.A.H., Ogden, Sahara, J.A.D.O.O.N., Miss Luella, Murdurm (and his back massages), Forlo, the Splunges, and even Mittens. There were even references to one of my favorite 1950s movies - the Blob. What I think is best about this series is its depiction of friendship. It doesn't come in any particular color, religion, age group, or intestinal (not a typo if you have read the book) origin. We need more of that in today's world. I eagerly await the next installment of N.O.A.H.'s journey.
April 18, 2024
This second volume in The NOAH Files finds Noah Prime in a surreal, madcap inter-galactic adventure to save mean girl classmate Claire, accompanied by android sister Andi and fiends Sahara and Ogden. Crazy humor, constant action. EARC from Edelweiss.
August 11, 2024
This is more an advanced children's chapter book (slimy aliens, crazy mishaps, idiot adults, etc.) than a traditional YA novel. Be sure to read the first book series before this sequel, which does get better in the second half with the introduction of a delightful new character. The series is recommended for advanced young elementary readers.
May 28, 2025
I just couldn’t get into this one. At times it was very humorous but couldn’t get invested in the plot.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews