Alien Secrets [Hardcover]

Annette Curtis Klause (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1993

Puck, expelled from yet another boarding school, is on her way back to her parents, who are doing alien research on Shoon.  She's worried because she hasn't seen them in years and now she's in trouble.

On board The Cat's Cradle, Puck befriends Hush, a native Shoowa, who is also returning to his home in shame.  He was entrusted with a symbol of freedom for his people, and now that treasure has been stolen.  He believes the Soo is hidden somewhere on The Cat's Cradle, and he must recover it before they reach Shoon and before it can be smuggled off the ship.  Puck is determined to help, even though it means putting her life in danger--danger from the crew, other passengers, and the ghosts who are haunting the ship.  If she fails, neither she nor Hush can return home with dignity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After being expelled from boarding school, 13-year-old Puck travels alone to the planet Aurora, where she is to join her parents. During the intergalactic journey, she is caught up in a web of murder, intrigue and smuggling surrounding an alien named Hush and an artifact stolen from him. Both Puck and Hush are exceptionally well drawn and appealing, as are many of the secondary characters. The villains, however, are not quite as convincing nor as well motivated. Klause ( The Silver Kiss ) has done an extraordinary job of imagining Hush's culture and his pain at having lost the artifact, but her story suffers from problems of pacing. It takes Klause almost half the novel to establish all the plot points needed to generate real suspense, and after that leisurely set-up, the author moves too quickly, blurring details and trampling on what could have been exquisite moments. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The author of the extraordinary The Silver Kiss (1990: a girl and a vampire in love) creates sure-fire entertainment for younger readers by melding at least four classic scenarios. Seventh-grader Robin Goodfellow (``Puck''), expelled in disgrace, heroically redeems herself en route to her parents...who are elsewhere in the universe, so events take place on a spaceship on which ``Hush''--a lovable, elongated gray ``Shoowa''--is going home after years of enslavement by Grakks, one of whom almost gains control of the ship...which is haunted by a host of Shoowa ghosts (also the foul work of the Grakks) that Puck and Hush hope to free so they can find peace on their own planet...but, meanwhile, the passengers and crew include (along with the disguised Grakk, who's after a powerful totem that Hush wants to return to his people) smugglers and plainclothes police, in the best whodunit tradition. Klause juggles all this with admirable aplomb while devising a poetically literal manner of speech for Hush, deftly creating memorable characters (whose playfully referential names can be red herrings), writing wonderfully suspenseful scenes (page one is a sure hook), and slipping in some thoughtful, quite beautifully written passages. Klause obviously has more resources than she's using here. What next? Meanwhile, this is great fun. (Fiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 227 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (August 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385309287
• ISBN-13: 978-0385309288
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,479,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's no secret..., April 21, 2000

By 

miss fortune (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alien Secrets (Mass Market Paperback)

I love each of Annette Curtis Klause's 3 books. My only complaint is that there are not more available! That said, I feel that Alien Secrets is an outstanding book. I agree, it is not as literary as Blood & Chocolate or the Silver Kiss. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. And this book is a lot of fun! While there is a good deal of mystery and suspense, it also manages to delve deeper and explore the motivations of the main character, Puck. I particularly like Klause's use of an alien to explore alienation, rather than the vampire or werewolf in her other books. And as in her other books, the main character (Puck) is growing up, finding herself, becoming self-reliant. It is a wonderful process to read, and a great book. Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WooHoo!!!, August 31, 2003

By 

Vishad (Yuba City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alien Secrets (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Heck, I'm 20 and I still marvel at Annette Curtis Klause's abilites as a writer. She is wonderful. I read this book when I was 12 years old and have never regretted it; no matter what age, if you have an imagination you'll love this novel. Children will be captivated by the wonderfully drawn characters and the rich scifi drama. If they ever make a movie or TV drama out of this, I'll hope it turns out half as good as the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thriling adventures, November 22, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Alien Secrets (Paperback)

Puck, a teenaged girl, takes a haunted spaceship to Aurora. Onboard Hush, a double-jointed alien with a conehead, loses his prize possesion, the Soo. The Soo is a shimmering crystal-like object. Puck and Hush, who are now friends, have some very strange encounters, including coming across one of Hush's enimies, on their journy to find the Soo. The Grakk, Hush's enemy, threatened to kill anyone who tried to stop her from getting off the ship. This book gave me a mixture of feelings. Some part are funny, some exciting, some sad:but all good. From page one I was hooked. This book is athrilling sci-fi adventure. I recomend it to all young readers.