ALA Booklist (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Jake isn't so different from other 12-year-old kids in his Arizona middle school, except that he's "a shapeshifting ball of goo from another planet who's just barely managing to maintain human form." Around the time when he befriends Agnes, a new classmate, through their shared fascination with Night Kite comics, he notices strange things happening to him and around him. Smiling at a mirror, Jake sees small, pointy piranha teeth. In class, his right hand sprouts feathers. Sink holes suddenly appear in the area, and the air sometimes throbs with a deep humming sound. When he and Agnes find the root of these troubling phenomena, Jake courageously takes action and comes to understand himself better as an alien and a person. The author of other sf/fantasy books for young readers, including The Boy at the End of the World (2011) and Cog (2019), van Eekhout writes with wit as well as imagination in this first-person narrative from Jake's viewpoint. An unconventional adventure story for readers who enjoy quirky scenarios, droll humor, and weirdness triumphant.

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A middle school misfit finds his people.Jake Wind isn't exactly an ordinary 12-year-old. For one thing, his dad's a proctologist. For another, Jake isn't actually human. Jake is a shape-shifting pile of goo, one discovered by his parents late one night and brought up as a human in Cedar Creek View, Arizona. As Jake enters middle school with his ever changing body, odd things start happening around town. Sinkholes open up everywhere, people behave strangely, and Jake is the only person in town who can hear a slight, constant hum. With the help of new pal Agnes Oakes, Jake sets off to discover the source of all these oddities, hoping to find some answers. Jake and Agnes make for compelling protagonists, fully shaded with character, drive, and an engaging relationship. The author structures the plot adeptly, spinning organically from each point of conflict to create a brisk and propulsive read. Nothing is too drawn out, nor are readers ever ahead of Jake and Agnes when it comes to discovering the strange source of Cedar Creek View's abnormalities. The result is an exciting and intriguing twist on science-fiction tropes often overcooked by lesser hands. Jake's parents are both of Dutch and Indonesian heritage, and when in human form, Jake presumably resembles them; Agnes is White.A standout SF adventure. (Science fiction. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A shape-shifting alien faces middle school and strange local events in Van Eekhout-s (Cog) funny, riveting novel. Raised as a human since falling to Earth -in a flaming blob of goo,- narrator Jake Wind has spent the summer avoiding his best friend, practicing guitar in his Arizona suburb, and struggling to hold his human form as the child of Dutch Indonesian parents. If he shifts in public, everyone will know that he-s not -a totally boring absolutely non-weird and completely solid individual.- When school starts and large sinkholes filled with goo begin opening up all over town, Jake joins forces with new schoolmate and fellow comic enthusiast Agnes Oakes, who is white, to discover what the goo is, why it-s turning people into -imblopsters,- and whether it-s related to the hum that accompanies his unwanted shifts. Impeccably toned middle school humor (-Those holes are really becoming a problem,- Jake-s proctologist father says of the sinkholes), paired with action-packed hijinks and a poignant extended metaphor about finding one-s identity, results in a heartfelt, pitch-perfect middle grade novel. Ages 8-12. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (July)

School Library Journal (Wed Jul 06 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 3-7 Jake, a sixth grader, navigates middle school and his seemingly uncontrollable shape-shifting. Jake is an alien who "fell to earth in a flaming blob of goo." Now, that same goo is back, infiltrating his town and creating "imblobsters" out of the residents. It's up to Jake, along with his savvy new best friend Agnes, to solve the mystery of the goo and get everything back to normal. This has all the makings of a great middle grade sci-fi novel: an evil scientist, mysterious goo, an alien preteen, and more than one butt joke. Graphic novel fans will relate to Jake and Agnes's bond over their shared love of the comic Night Kite . Music also plays a large role in the story and Jake's life. At its heart, this is a tale about accepting who you are, taking control of your talents and abilities, and fighting for what is right. The ending wraps up neatly but hints at the opportunity for a sequel. Jake's (adoptive) parents are Dutch Indonesian, and Agnes is white. VERDICT The short page count, humor, and action make this a good choice for reluctant readers. A solid purchase for school and public libraries. Katharine Gatcomb, Portsmouth P.L., NH