Ketchvar III’s mission is simple: travel to Planet Earth, inhabit the body of an average teenager, and determine if the human race should... read full description
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Aug 28, 2011
Monica!
rated it: 
A little bit awesomesauce and a little bit yawnsome, Stuck on Earth is the story of Ketchvar III, a mud-dwelling slug-type alien sent to Earth on the terribly important mission of deciding whether or not the entirety of the human race should be wiped off the face of the planet, so that a kinder, gentler, more recycling-friendly alien species can move in and escape the supernova threatening their own home. To that end, Ketchvar climbs into the nostril of Average Human Tom Filber, kicks the human
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Jul 24, 2011
Klass does such a good job with this sci-fi psychological novel, that along with the main character, the reader begins to question what is in fact, real, and what is imagined. Set against the backdrop of a typical American high school, and told from the perspective of Kechvar II who is residing in the nasal passage of freshman Tom Filber, this story is at first glance unbelievable. Ketchvar’s voice is transparently adult-like, cold and condescending. One suspects that Klass had a hard time disce
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Jun 20, 2011
Lj
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 30, 2011
Cheryl
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Ketchvar III is an alien who comes to earth and inhabits the body of what he think is a typical human--fourteen-year-old Tom Filber. His mission is to study the human race and determine if they are worth the space they inhabit or if they should be exterminated to make room for an alien species desperate for a new planet of their own. What Ketchvar doesn't realize at first is that Tom is not actually a typical teenager. His family is highly dysfunctional, and Tom himself is a big wimp. As Ketc
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Mar 14, 2011
Abbie
rated it: 
I am a little perplexed about this book. I think it's a good concept, but I'm not sure about the execution. Ketchvar is a gastropod alien who has been sent by the Galactic Confederation to evaluate earth and humanity to determine if humanity should be wiped off the planet to make way for another species whose planet is about to be destroyed by a supernova sun.
Ketchvar inhabits the body of a fourteen year old boy named Tom Filber. Tom's mother is violent and bitter, his father is defe More...
Ketchvar inhabits the body of a fourteen year old boy named Tom Filber. Tom's mother is violent and bitter, his father is defe More...
Jun 22, 2010
Susan
rated it:
Predictable story about an alien sent to earth to determine whether or not the planet's inhabitants are worth sparing. Naturally the alien evaluator (a.k.a. Ketchvar) has to occupy a body to do a real investigation and naturally he ends up taking over the body of the most tormented boy on the planet (a.k.a. Tom). Hardly any of the dialogue has a natural ring to it--characters trot out oddly dated expressions like "fix your wagon" or "clean your clock" and I have a hard time b
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Jul 24, 2011
Jeretta
rated it:
Stuck on Earth is a cute story of how an alien comes down to Earth, takes over the body of a geeky teenage boy and has to evaluate if the human race should survive or be terminated so the planet can be given to someone else. The first few chapters are extremely funny. The alien, Ketchvar III, has a difficult time adapting to Tom Filber's tough home life and even tougher school situation. When things start to go wrong, Ketchvar needs to get out of here fast. But his ship has temporarily been s
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Oct 15, 2010
Angela
rated it: 
What a delightful read! Now, I am sure I am reading far more into this book then I should, but hey that's the beautiful of a story. It is all up to the reader's interpretation!
Here's my take on the book and why I liked it so much.
Stuck on Earth is the story of Ketchvar the Third, a snail like alien from another planet who has been tasked with a mission. The mission: To decide whether or not Earth should be destroyed. And how will he decide: By inhabiting a human's body (Tom More...
Here's my take on the book and why I liked it so much.
Stuck on Earth is the story of Ketchvar the Third, a snail like alien from another planet who has been tasked with a mission. The mission: To decide whether or not Earth should be destroyed. And how will he decide: By inhabiting a human's body (Tom More...
Mar 08, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
Stuck on Earth Francis Foster books, 2010, 227 PP., $16.99
David Klass ISBN: 978-0-374-39951-1
Enter Ketchvar III, a slug-like alien, entering Tom Filber an average teenager with not so average problems, his parents don't have enough money to make ends meet and he has been alienated by his schoolmates. Now Ketchvar has chosen Tom to be his test subject to determine if human beings are worthy for their home planet Earth. This might not go well.
I thought More...
David Klass ISBN: 978-0-374-39951-1
Enter Ketchvar III, a slug-like alien, entering Tom Filber an average teenager with not so average problems, his parents don't have enough money to make ends meet and he has been alienated by his schoolmates. Now Ketchvar has chosen Tom to be his test subject to determine if human beings are worthy for their home planet Earth. This might not go well.
I thought More...
Sep 17, 2010
Charlie
rated it:
I found many parts of this book hilarious. I could not help but laugh out loud. Ketchvar, the alien who invades Tom's body is surprised to find out that he is inhabiting a body of a boy who's nickname is "Alien"! Just Ketchvar's luck. Ketchvar tries to blend in but with his formal language people start to wonder why Tom is acting like an alien. Everyday Ketchvar reports to his mothership but when this reports are sent to the entire student body, Ketchvar questions if he is really an al
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Oct 24, 2010
Cathy
rated it:
Ketchvar IIII is a snail type form who has been beamed down to planet Earth and who has invaded the brain of a 14-year-old boy named Tom. Tom is ironically called Alien by all the bullies at school. Ketchvar's mission is to evaluate whether humankind deserves to continue living or be wiped out for another species. With his stiff, formal speech patterns, he becomes even more the target of bullies. On top of the “voluntary daily incarceration” that is school, his home life is no better. When h
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Oct 29, 2010
Karis (YA Litwit)
rated it:
What a great book! At first I thought I was reading another sci-fi, alien invasion story. I could not have been more wrong! This is a fabulous story about finding out who yojavascript:{};u are, whether you are an alien, human, adult, teen, etc. I couldn't put this one down. With a great balance of wit, humor, and true feeling, this story is relevant to anyone who is in or has ever been in middle school of high school. I've read a few reviews that complain about some of the cursing the kid
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May 04, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
One of my 6th grade students turned this book into the library saying "This is a great book!" Well, I hadn't had a chance to read it yet, so I took it and began right away. She was right! It was a great book.
Tom is a struggling middle school student and his family life is almost as miserable as his school life. An alien inhabits his body and consciousness to determine the value of human beings as a species. The journey of both the alien and Tom is an interesting one. More...
Tom is a struggling middle school student and his family life is almost as miserable as his school life. An alien inhabits his body and consciousness to determine the value of human beings as a species. The journey of both the alien and Tom is an interesting one. More...
Aug 02, 2010
Sean
rated it:
I've never been a big fan of the coming-of-age-I-hate-the-world-well-maybe-I-don't novel a la Catcher in the Rye or The Perks of Being a Wallflower. David Klass' Stuck on Earth suits me better. Brisk, fun, and generally light hearted, the book still manages to deal with some of the tumultuous aspects of being an adolescent, but in the creative way of having an alien tasked with deciding the fate of humanity take over the body of a typical 14-year old boy.
The book is not the most More...
The book is not the most More...
Jun 13, 2011
Heather
rated it:
Humans have not been appreciating this wonderful planet they inhabit. They've been destroying it's animals, environment, and each other. So when the Lugonians (inhabitants of another planet in our universe) find out that their planet will soon be destroyed and they'll need a new home, they send a researcher (Ketchvar III) to infiltrate a 14 year old boy's brain to find out if humans are worthy of keeping their planet. And on first instincts Ketchvar is willing to pull the plug and annihilate
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May 10, 2011
Andree
rated it:
Stuck on Earth
Of the DCF books I have read, this is my favorite. I was very doubtful that I would like this in the beginning but Klass quickly got my attention, made me smile, horrified me with some scenes and generally got me totally involved in the life of Tom Filber, the main character. The book moves quickly and is rich with detail. A wrench is thrown into the plot just after the midpoint of the novel and continues until the end. This wrench will create marvelous classroom discussions More...
Of the DCF books I have read, this is my favorite. I was very doubtful that I would like this in the beginning but Klass quickly got my attention, made me smile, horrified me with some scenes and generally got me totally involved in the life of Tom Filber, the main character. The book moves quickly and is rich with detail. A wrench is thrown into the plot just after the midpoint of the novel and continues until the end. This wrench will create marvelous classroom discussions More...
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Apr 09, 2010
Crystal
rated it:
Funny, touching, with a personable alien-narrator. And very quotable! For instance:
"I have no plans to ingest you...Nor am I interested in dissecting you to learn about human anatomy. And here's some more good news, Tom--I also do not intend to try to impregnate you." (7)
But despite its awesomeness, I feel obligated to point out a mistake in either the alien-narrator's perception, and perhaps that of the author's as well. On page 20, Ketchvar states that alcohol is a More...
"I have no plans to ingest you...Nor am I interested in dissecting you to learn about human anatomy. And here's some more good news, Tom--I also do not intend to try to impregnate you." (7)
But despite its awesomeness, I feel obligated to point out a mistake in either the alien-narrator's perception, and perhaps that of the author's as well. On page 20, Ketchvar states that alcohol is a More...
Feb 26, 2010
Brandy
rated it:
Picked this up as an ARC from ALA.
I've only read one other of Klass's books--You Don't Know Me, which hits a lot of the same notes of family dysfunction. Unfortunately, the device wrapped around it here (that an alien has taken over a 14-year-old boy to see if the human race is worth saving) doesn't work as well. There's not much subtlety; messages about bullying and environmentalism are delivered with heavy-handed didacticism, couched in the guise of an impartial observer. Middle More...
I've only read one other of Klass's books--You Don't Know Me, which hits a lot of the same notes of family dysfunction. Unfortunately, the device wrapped around it here (that an alien has taken over a 14-year-old boy to see if the human race is worth saving) doesn't work as well. There's not much subtlety; messages about bullying and environmentalism are delivered with heavy-handed didacticism, couched in the guise of an impartial observer. Middle More...
Jun 26, 2011
Pat
rated it:
Mork meets Mindy 21st century style...as space alien Ketchvar III inhabits the body of Tom Filber, neighborhood geek and target of Winthrop P. Muller High School's elite bullying squad. Ketchvar has been sent to earth to determine if these earthlings deserve the planet they seem intent on destroying all in the name of profit and greed. While posing as Tom, however, he discovers some wonderful earthling feelings as he and Elizabeth, the girl next door, pursue the toxic bad guys and expose an env
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Apr 25, 2011
Ann
rated it:
Ages 11+
Booktalk: Do not be alarmed, earthling. My name is Ketchvar. Please try to relax. I have no plans to ingest you. Nor am I interested in dissecting you to learn about human anatomy. And here’s some more good news: I also do not intend to try to impregnate you.
You were chosen because you were the perfect age. We need a fourteen year old. It is a great honor. It won’t hurt. It will all be over in a second.
I’m just going to slither through your nostril, c More...
Booktalk: Do not be alarmed, earthling. My name is Ketchvar. Please try to relax. I have no plans to ingest you. Nor am I interested in dissecting you to learn about human anatomy. And here’s some more good news: I also do not intend to try to impregnate you.
You were chosen because you were the perfect age. We need a fourteen year old. It is a great honor. It won’t hurt. It will all be over in a second.
I’m just going to slither through your nostril, c More...
May 23, 2011
MaryAnn
rated it:
I gave this one 5 stars because I'm a fan of Douglas Addams and this is a younger version. I loved the names...the alien is Ketchvar III. He crawls in Tom's nostril (snail like) and inhabits the fourteen year old's brain in order to determine whether humans should be annihilated. Unfortunately, Tom's family is extremely dysfunctional, Tom is bullied and quite incompetent with girls, and as Ketchvar takes over his brain, he becomes very involved in his life. Sci-Fi at its most humorous, with
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May 01, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
Really funny look at what its like to be a teen on Earth. There was a seriousness to the subject matter, however, and when Ketchvar III called us Earthlings on our abuse of our planet, it made me feel quite shameful. So, in that regard, its probably important for teens and young adults to read, so that they can get an outside perspective on how we treat our planet. Maybe it can motivate us even more than we already are to clean things up a bit. There are bits of drama, love, and humor, so ev
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Jul 10, 2011
Dana
rated it:
Whoa, at first, I did NOT want to read this book, because it sounded weird, boring and science fiction-y! But I am super glad that McCall prodded me to finish it! Ketchvar is such a weird thing, and he reminds me of Emma Jean Lazaraus, from that series, because he doesn't understand some things on this planet. His mission (why he takes over a 14 year old's brain) is to see if the Homo Sapiens are taking a good job of planet earth. He has mixed feelings at first, but then he chooses- either let t
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Apr 15, 2011
Dracolibris
rated it:
This is the story of an alien who inhabits the body of a 14 year old adolescent human male in order to learn if the human race is worth saving from intergalactic extinction. Or is it?
If Ketchvar III is real, boy, did he pick the wrong body!
If he is not, then what is really going on with Tom Filber?
I loved this book, and found it hard to put down. I would recommend it to boys and girls alike, and apart from some kissing, I feel it is appropriate for ages 13+.
If Ketchvar III is real, boy, did he pick the wrong body!
If he is not, then what is really going on with Tom Filber?
I loved this book, and found it hard to put down. I would recommend it to boys and girls alike, and apart from some kissing, I feel it is appropriate for ages 13+.
Nov 21, 2011
Nathan
rated it:
Stuck on Earth was about an alien having a mission to destroy humans or leave them in peace. At first Ketchvar thought that humans were to selfish, do not care for their environment and conceded.Taking over a human named Tom Filber he finds out that Tom is a nobody. His parents and and kids from school treat him like nothing. Helping Tom and his life he finds out that Humans haven't destroyed everything. At the end he finds a heart for the humans.
Jan 12, 2012
Erica
rated it:
I was really drawn to the premise of this book--aliens are debating whether or not to end the human species so they send one of their own to inhabit the body of a random 14 year-old boy to see if there is anything redeemable about humans. However, the alien unwittingly chooses a "loser" and gets bullied and picked on by everyone and then finds that he cannot escape. This is a book that I think adults as well as teens will enjoy.
Nov 03, 2010
Bewitched
rated it:
On the surface, this is your average SciFi-cliche:
peace loving alien comes to Earth and learns that we ain't so bad.
But the real story, in my mind, is Tom's.
A boy who has been torment, abused, and mocked his whole life.
A boy that doesn't seem to fit in.
Who is called Alien by his peers.
Read the full review here.
peace loving alien comes to Earth and learns that we ain't so bad.
But the real story, in my mind, is Tom's.
A boy who has been torment, abused, and mocked his whole life.
A boy that doesn't seem to fit in.
Who is called Alien by his peers.
Read the full review here.
Jul 21, 2011
Kat
rated it:
An interesting book where an alien comes to Earth to see if we're worth saving or if humans should be exterminated. He inhabits a 14 year old boy who is bullied and sort of lives his life for a little while.
While parts were funny, it was a more serious book than I was expecting (not necessarily a bad thing). I think tween/teen boys might like this one, especially if you can sell it on the basis of humour.
While parts were funny, it was a more serious book than I was expecting (not necessarily a bad thing). I think tween/teen boys might like this one, especially if you can sell it on the basis of humour.
Apr 25, 2011
Ms. Foley
rated it:
Wow--this was NOT what I was expecting. On the surface it seems like it's going to be a humorous science fiction story about an alien taking over the body of a teenager and seeing what life is like on Earth. After reading it, it could possibly go in the realistic section because of how it mainly deals with bullying and family problems. It was much more serious than I thought it would be, but in a good, engrossing way.
Jan 28, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Not at all what I expected. Lots of bad language, and the dialogue wasn't very authentic. I liked the bullying/dysfunctional family aspect, but didn't like the idea of throwing in whether the whole alien story was something created by the character to help him deal with is issues. That wasn't really resolved, and I'm not sure a 11- or 12-year-old would be able to figure that out on his own.
