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Stuck on Earth

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 433 ratings · 119 reviews

Ketchvar III’s mission is simple: travel to Planet Earth, inhabit the body of an average teenager, and determine if the human race should be annihilated. And so Ketchvar—who, to human eyes, looks just like a common snail—crawls into the brain of one Tom Filber and attempts to do his analysis. At first glance, Tom appears to be the perfect specimen—fourteen years old, good...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published March 16th 2010 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

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Feb 07, 2013 Dylan S rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am currently reading Stuck On Earth by David Klass. I think the theme of my book is bullying because my main character Tom is an overweight alien. I can tell this is the theme because kids like to pick on them they call him lots of mean names like doughnut head, fat-so, pimple face, and chunky muffin. At school during recess bully's like to punch him, kick him, and make fun of him, and at home his sister is mean and obnoxious to him and punches and kicks him, once she even threw him out the wi...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Mary Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Stuck on Earth was an 8 out of ten.
I found this book by myself; just plucked it off the shelf after seeing the title on the side. Then I read the back and cover flaps, and decided to read it, and I am glad I did. I found a funny, original story. I found some of the vocabulary of the high schoolers not very accurate of how they really speak, and the cursing added nothing to the story line. Perhaps it was just to make sure the book was placed under the young adult genre, because it was very simple...more

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Mar 12, 2012 P.M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ketchvar !!!, a 2,000 year old Grade 5 Evaluator from Sandoval, has been sent to Earth to decide if the human race is worthy of survival or overdue for elimination. It seems that a more worthy race is stuck on a planet with a nearby black hole. Ketchvar takes over the body of 14 year old freshman Tom Filber to do his undercover work. However, Tom is a seemingly poor choice because he is bullied at school and has a nasty, vindictive older sister, an alcoholic father, and an abusive mother. Someho...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fun science fiction! Ketchvar comes to earth and takes over the body of the ill-fated Tom Filber-- by crawling through his nose and implanting himself in Tom's brain. Ketchvar can access Tom' thoughts if he needs them while he is evaluating whether or not the earth should be destroyed, but does act and talk in decidedly alien ways while he isn't. Tom wasn't a good choice for a host-- his family life is impossible, and he is a target of bullies in his school. Ketchvar reports back to his planet,...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

I purchased this book about a fourteen-year-old boy who is "taken over" by an alien life form in the alien's attempt to determine the value of humankind because it was on the recommended titles list developed by The Child Study Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College, which is no shabby group. It was recommended for students age 12 - 14. What the recommendation (along with others I found) did not say was that within the first 20 pages, you will encounter a colorful variety of curse word...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Monica! rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: robots-and-rockets-and-scifi-oh-my, puberty-is-overrated-anyway, read-in-2011, manly-man-man-man, yippie-kay-ai-motherf-cker

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’...more 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’s consciousness to the curb, and pilots the body robot-like through the terrors of high school. There’s a Miscellaneous Romantic Afterthought, a Somewhat-Abusive Family, the expected Bullies and Bullied, a Wise Teacher with a Terrible Illness, and a couple of fish.

Ketchvar talks like Spock ("Ah, here’s a convenient member of family Fagaceae, genus Quercus," he comments, ducking behind an oak tree to hide from the aforementioned bullies), and his back story occasionally reads like a fanfic that’s trying too hard. He’s a Level-Five GC Evaluator! He has imprisoned Tom’s consciousness in a Ragwellian Bubble! He alters his eyeballs using a Penteluvian Vision Stream!

But he also manages to observe the thoughtlessness of siblings and the cruelty of larger, stronger classmates. He watches marriages crumble and slowly be rebuilt, and he struggles with the whole "I’m just one person what can I do?" idea as he looks at the environmental devastation surrounding his town. It’s heavy-handed for sure, but still weirdly effective, especially as our alien protagonist must struggle with his own self-identity. After Miscellaneous Romantic Afterthought suggests that, no offense, he might just be a nut job, Ketchvar replies "Miss Schroeder agrees with you. She thinks it’s just an empowerment fantasy. I’m a little worried that she could be right, and I might really be Tom Filber, stuck here forever on Planet Earth, and driven over the edge by bullying and my lousy home life. But deep down, I know where I’m from." Aw, Ketchvar. You go, brain-dwelling alien slug. You go.(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Miranda Clark added it

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...more

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Jun 20, 2011 LJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the story of Ketchvar III, a gastropod from the planet "Sandoval" who wiggles his way into the body of Tom Filber, a fourteen year old incoming freshman. Why? Ketchvar must decide the fate of the human race: will they be annihilated, or allowed to muddle along, barely able to conduct their own lives, let alone take care of planet earth. There's plenty of evidence for the decision to annihilate humans. In Ketchvar's opinion, they've driven their beautiful planet towards the brink of an un...more This is the story of Ketchvar III, a gastropod from the planet "Sandoval" who wiggles his way into the body of Tom Filber, a fourteen year old incoming freshman. Why? Ketchvar must decide the fate of the human race: will they be annihilated, or allowed to muddle along, barely able to conduct their own lives, let alone take care of planet earth. There's plenty of evidence for the decision to annihilate humans. In Ketchvar's opinion, they've driven their beautiful planet towards the brink of an untimely demise. They are willfully violent towards each other, misinterpreting any basic kindnesses so that they may continue on their destructive path. At least that is how Ketchvar sees it as he navigates Tom Filber's body, experiencing a life that is fraught with many a danger at home and at school. Ketchvar's first experience as Tom Filber is one of violence in the home. His mother chases him around with a broom after finding potato chip crumbs strewn around on the porch; Tom's doing. On another occasion,his sister accosts him with a cattle prod as he attempts to escape his mother by taking a short-cut through her room. These scenes are actually pretty funny, in spite of the serious dysfunctionality of Tom's family. The humor comes in the form of Ketchvar attempting to access some sage advise from Tom's consciousness, which has been enveloped in a "Ragwellian Bubble." Generally the advise that Tom's consciousness dispenses is wise, such as "Duck behind the tree and make a run for it." But when Tom's advice is to "go for some tongue action" during a tender kissing scene with the neighbor girl, it backfires miserably. Both Ketchvar and Tom have a lot to learn.

They do learn from each other and that is one of the joys of this novel, which explores the human spirit from the eyes of an outsider. Ketchvar is inspired to expose some toxic dumping when the teacher from his "Teen Green Team" club dies. He goes on a dangerous mission, taking Ellen, the girl-next-door with him. This is something that Tom on his own would never have attempted. At points during the mission, Tom's consciousness expresses extreme doubt about a successful outcome and Ketchvar ignores him, pushing Tom's body beyond its limit. Tom learns that in the face of doubt he has untapped resources to plum.

Klass also explores father and son relationships, comparing Tom's disfunctional one with Ketchvar's. Ketchvar's father becomes lost in the freezing ooze of planet Sandovar and Ketchvar deeply regrets not having spent enough time with him. Tom's dad struggles with alcoholism and despair, but Tom has not given up on him.

There is a happy ending, although it comes after many difficult trials. Tom's sister exposes Ketchvar by sending out his private emails with his superiors back at the ship out into the vastness of the internet, making life for Tom as a bullied freshman even more painful. After Tom/Ketchvar is proclaimed a hero for exposing the toxic dumping, town bully Jason Harbishaw, whose family is the one that runs the paint factory doing the dumping, makes an attempt on Tom's life.

There are many fitting parallels to be drawn between the life of an awkward 14 year old and an alien life form. This novel blends science fiction with a teen coming-of-age story throwing in a little environmentalism too. The resultant mixture makes for a deeply satisfying read. (less)

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Mar 30, 2011 Cheryl Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 Ketchva...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Abbie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, environmentalism, romance, youngadult

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 defeated and ine...more 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 defeated and ineffectual, and his younger sister is a cruel, violin screeching tween. Tom is bullied by pretty much everyone at school, and Ketchvar's first impressions of earth are pretty bad. He sees school as a place that destroys rather than encourages intellectual growth. When he bikes to the river to try and remember life on his mud planet, he is dismayed to find the water toxic and polluted. The only bright spot in the experience is Tom's beautiful next door neighbor, Michelle, who seems to be reluctant to pass judgement on him.

When he joins the school's environmental club, he meets a dying teacher who encourages the students to do something for the planet. Ketchvar begins to feel conflicted about his own identity and his conclusions about earth. His role as an evaluator is to observe and report, but he eventually feels the need to act.

The main flaw of this book is the overwhelmingly negative tone for the first two-thirds of the book. Nothing good happens at all; it is just a parade of the sins of humanity. The action doesn't really get started until after page 100 in a 224 page book. That's a long time to drag out the set up. There were moments that were supposed to be funny, but there weren't, so this did nothing to alleviate the heaviness of the book. Additionally, the violence and aggression is over the top and difficult to believe. Why bother saving a planet were everyone is cruel and stupid?

I did enjoy the last 50 pages, but I doubt many young readers would stick it out that long. (Grades 7 and up) (less)

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Jun 22, 2010 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

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 believing any respect...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Jeretta Hall rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

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 summ...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, library-book, sci-fi-fantasy

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 Filber, to be exact...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Jeremy Bostick rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 this book was okay, but not great because o...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Charlie rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 alien or is...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Luke Sewell rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book stuck on earth was a phenomenal book in my eyes. I felt that the book did a great job appealing to what I had wanted. The book was supposed to be a science fiction comedy but really all it needed to be was a science fiction book. Some of the parts were funny and I will give you that but all in all I felt that this book was not as funny as I had hoped. It was funny at very certain parts but mostly it could have just been a book on how an alien was judging the human race.
The main charact...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Cole.m added it

I just finished this book and I loved it so much. It's about a snail like thing that lives in deep space was sent to see I the Homo Sapiens, a.k.a humans, should be eradicated to make room for more intelligent life forms. H. I think this is an awful idea because first of all I'm a human and the second reason is its not fair to destroy a entire race just to make room for another. He enters the mind of a unpopular high schooler Henry Tiber. Its really hard for Henry to fit in as a 14 year old boy...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, bullying, teen-book

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 his s...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Karis (YA Litwit) Jacobstein rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 kids use (...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Kai rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: soup

Stuck on Earth by by David Klass was definitely not the best book i have ever read but it still was full of adventure. Even though I found it a bit cheesy with all the alien stuff, it still was able to hook me and it turned out to be an okay book. it has a lot of experiences that most kids could relate too.

The story is about a species of aliens from a distant planet that have deployed an to earth and take control of the human body and figure out if the species should be annihilated. the alien, k...more

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May 04, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

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. There is a surprise 3/4 of t...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 earth shatterin...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: lonestars-11-12, funny, fantasy

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 the...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Mrs. Lynch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pretty good...About an "alien" that takes over the body of an incredibly smart 9th grade boy (the alien planet chose a smart kid so they could learn about Earth from the cream of the crop) in order to determine whether or not Earth should be destroyed or if it is redeemable.

The alien lives in the head of the 9th grade boy and realizes that being an earthling 9th grade kid is not easy and can be lonely and sad.

The message of the book, things aren't always what they seem on the surface, is a good...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Meg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I simply love David Klass's books so much, and this one simply reconfirms my undying love. Everything about this book was sweet, funny, horrifying, and enthralling. I'm probably going to reread it tonight because I enjoyed it so much.

It taught so many lessons: the delicacy of Earth and why we should treat it well (because I don't want to be blasted to smithereens by a Gagnerian Death Ray!), the meaning behind true friendship, the importance of family (no matter how dysfunctional they may be), a...more

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May 10, 2011 Andree rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, dcf, may, dcf-2011-2012

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 that e...more

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Apr 09, 2010 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 stimulant and therefore "dr...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Cornmaven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school, middle-school, ms-hs, juvenile

Another intriguing book about bullying. Well written. I liked the fact that the reader is left wondering whether this included an alien or whether the alien was Tom's bully survival mechanism. I think readers can go either way. Klass had the bullying down well, and middle schoolers should recognize themselves. And it was amusing that he had Ketchvar set down in New Jersey of all places. But that was necessary to advance the plot; just wouldn't have worked as well in an Iowa corn town.

While Every...more

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Feb 26, 2010 Brandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, family-drama, teen, speculative-fiction, boy-books

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-schoolers migh...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 envi...more

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About David Klass

David Klass is the author of many young adult novels, including You Don’t Know Me, Dark Angel, and Firestorm (The Caretaker Trilogy). He is also a Hollywood screenwriter, having written more than twenty-five action screenplays, including Kiss the Girls, starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, Walking Tall, starring The Rock, and Desperate Measures, starring Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia. Klass g...more

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