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Journal of a UFO Investigator

by David Halperin (Goodreads Author)

2.8 of 5 stars 2.80 · rating details · 147 ratings · 61 reviews

A sparkling debut novel set in the sixties about a boy's emotional and fantastical journey through alien worlds and family pain.

Against the backdrop of the troubled 1960s, this coming-of-age novel weaves together a compelling psychological drama and vivid outer-space fantasy. Danny Shapiro is an isolated teenager, living with a dying mother and a hostile father and witho...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published February 3rd 2011 by Viking Adult (first published December 23rd 2010)

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Jul 20, 2012 Dale rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If this were baseball, Halperin would be swinging for the fence, but coming up short.

David Halperin's Journal of a UFO Investigator is a semi-autobiographical novel. It ties together UFOs, death, growing up, family dynamics and religion in general (and Judaism in particular) in the story of Daniel Shapiro, a schoolboy growing up in the 60s in far suburban Philadelphia. Halperin is a former professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a special focus on J...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Simcha Lazarus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Danny Shapiro is an awkward teenager boy with a sick mother, a disapproving father and few friends. But Danny’s troubles are set aside as he recounts his adventures as a UFO investigator, beginning with his first encounter with a UFO, in 1962. Realty and fiction blur in Danny’s vivid tale of a secret society, a stolen journal, an alien seductress and the three sinister “Men in Black” who are on Danny’s trail.

Journal of a UFO Investigator is a quirky but compelling coming-of-age story about a boy...more Danny Shapiro is an awkward teenager boy with a sick mother, a disapproving father and few friends. But Danny’s troubles are set aside as he recounts his adventures as a UFO investigator, beginning with his first encounter with a UFO, in 1962. Realty and fiction blur in Danny’s vivid tale of a secret society, a stolen journal, an alien seductress and the three sinister “Men in Black” who are on Danny’s trail.

Journal of a UFO Investigator is a quirky but compelling coming-of-age story about a boy who creates for himself a new reality as a way of escaping from his own difficult circumstances. Danny’s adventures of UFOs, aliens, and sinister villains is occasionally interrupted by his real-life troubles, as his mother’s health deteriorates, his friends drift away and his father continues to express scorn for the son that he doesn’t understand.

He says: “What was all that stuff you were hollering to yourself in here? ‘Who are you, what are you?’- something like that?”
So he was awake. We all were. In a death house, sleep comes hard.
I feel myself turn red. “I don’t remember.”
“You ought to know better than to go yelling like that in the middle of the night. With Mom so sick.”
"I’m sorry.”
He glares as me; in my mind I shrink to nothing. To keep myself from vanishing, I look at my essay, let my fingers graze the edges of its pages. This isn’t like the UFO journal, doesn’t come from a special place of truth as the journal does. It’s in school assignment style, though in school they’ll never care about what the passage of time feels like when you’re in pain. But like the journal, it might pass for grown-up writing. I suppose that’s why I’m in the finals. I run my fingers over the thin, crinkly sheets, hoping that’ll give me strength to endure what’s coming.

Through Danny’s imagination we get taken on a wild journey through time and space, never knowing what the story will throw at us next. I certainly wasn’t expecting a visit to Israel in 1960, via UFO, which was one of my favorite parts. But there seems to be a little of everything in this book so I shouldn’t have been surprised.

At the points where Danny is forced back to reality we get caught up on the events taking place in his life which gives us some understanding of what fuels the events in his story. Through his story Danny pours out the dreams, desires and frustrations that he is unable to share with anyone else in his life. And along the way Danny does make new discoveries about himself and even manages to find some of those answer that he has been looking for.

Journal of a UFO Investigator is a wonderful book for anyone interested in a unique coming-of-age story, and especially for those who grew up with their own dreams of investigating UFOs and the mysteries of outer space.
(less)

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Jan 24, 2012 Sooz rated it 3 of 5 stars

this is a messy story. as such it's hard to give a rating to and ratings will be alllll over the map. it is a messy story -disjointed and fragmented- filled with unlikely events and holes an 18 wheeler could drive through. it asks the reader to take a leap of faith. it's like the bible that way.

it blends the most mundane of teenage life with the most fantastic other-worldly adventures, and the author doesn't always have clear divisions between the two. like i said, it's messy and the line betwe...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Allen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a really trippy book. I like the premise: a coming of age story told through the lens of a fictitious-yet-not story. the line between what was real in the story and what was written was very blurred. This defined the book, and that is one of the parts I did not really like about this novel. First off, I am not a really fan of the sappy coming of age novel: self exploration as a theme in a more complicated book: sure, but this novel was too exploration-heavy for my taste. The plot was al...more

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Mar 01, 2011 CJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

I will admit up front: I am biased.

David Halperin, the author of this book, was one of the members of the writing group I started in North Carolina ten years ago. I read two of his previous (unpublished) novels. I have a high opinion of David, and I feel a great amount of joy that he's published this novel.

That being said, this is a very good book. I love the layers, and the way he plays with time. I love the interplay of myth, and the doubt about reality. I love the very literal and intense way...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I did like this book overall, it confused me at times. At the base it's a "self-discovery" or "coming of age" story about a young Jewish boy, from age 13 to 16, who is dealing with loneliness, inability to fit in, a dying mother, and a father who seems at times indifferent, and at other times actively hostile towards him. His way of coping is to imagine an incredibly complicated alternate story line for his life in which he and his friend Jeff are UFO investigators. The part that confus...more

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May 17, 2013 Carla Dash rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the back of this book, in the acknowledgements section, the author says one early reader told him of a draft of the book: "You've got two stories here, and they keep getting in each other's way." I think this is a very accurate observation, and I don't think it ever stopped being true in later revisions.

This novel contains a frame story, and a story within that frame. The anterior story is definitely the more interesting, and takes up the most space, to the point where (as I usually do when r...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Ted Morris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is weird, which I normally love, but I found it quite frustrating.

The narrative is not very straight forward, and all the UFO "stuff" is just written in the main characters journal. That conceit is set up early on, but I spent half the book wondering "is this really happening?" I also felt that the Biblical aspect was underdeveloped and seemed to belong to another book. I think expanding on that idea and having it marry the UFO "stuff" (sorry, it was bizarre! that's the only way I can...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Sandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2011

When I won this book through FirstReads, I had no idea how it would be. From the blurb, it sounded kind of weird and depressing. Well, it is weird and depressing. It's also very well-done.

Danny Shapiro's mom is sick. She has a heart problem that was aggravated by Danny's birth. His dad yells at him for not going to bed and forces him in to the bathroom to lance his zits on a semi-regular basis. Danny's only two friends have grown away from him. So, he keeps a journal of his life as a UFO invest...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Mel Windham rated it 5 of 5 stars

David Halperin's "Journal of a UFO Investigator" is a fun journey into the fantasies of teenager Danny Shapiro. As the book progresses, there are two stories to follow. One story occurs in real life, where his Mom is dying and the Dad is distant. The other story occurs inside of Danny's journal, which merges his fantasies with what's really happening. We learn that the journal is one way for Danny to cope with his difficult teenager years.

The fantasies center around UFOs. Here, the author shows...more David Halperin's "Journal of a UFO Investigator" is a fun journey into the fantasies of teenager Danny Shapiro. As the book progresses, there are two stories to follow. One story occurs in real life, where his Mom is dying and the Dad is distant. The other story occurs inside of Danny's journal, which merges his fantasies with what's really happening. We learn that the journal is one way for Danny to cope with his difficult teenager years.

The fantasies center around UFOs. Here, the author shows off his vast knowledge. Either he did his research, or he really lived it when he, himself, was a teenager. I remember being fascinated by UFOs when I was young, but I never got this much into it. The books that Danny reads were really written. The things he experiences in his journal are consistent with UFO theories prominent in the early 60s: the "dero," the "three men in black," caves in the earth, etc. I enjoyed having the history lesson sneaked into the story.

The journal itself reminds me of Maurice Sendak: Very impossible, dreamlike, out of this world, and yet with several real life elements. All together, it's a surreal world beautifully described and experienced.

Part of the fun is trying to figure out which parts really happened, and which parts were pure fantasy. Some gems are left unrevealed, which is perfect for this type of book. I'm also left wondering which parts actually happened to the author when he was a teenager.

I found only one slow part where the book took a different turn, giving more insight into the real life story, but much less UFO-age. In the end everything gets pulled back together.

Despite the attractive cover, this book is not for kids. Just think of the fantasies you had when you were a teenager - and yes - that's in this book. There are also a handful of f-bombs (all unnecessary but PG-13). Kids may also not appreciate some of the strong emotions that make this book a success.

My recommendation: read this book. Lose yourself and relive the fantasies you had when you were young. (less)

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Feb 08, 2011 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, fiction, science-fiction, first-reads

I enjoyed "Journal of a UFO Investigator" much more than anticipated. I became quite fond of Danny, a wonderfully strange, very round character, empathizing with his life and troubles, and often wishing I shared his amazing imagination (though, were I suddenly gifted with such, I'd like to think I'd drum up a different fantasy world for myself). The end of the novel does leave one (or, if not one, at least *me*) with handfuls of questions, but the book's (and its ending's) ambiguity is, I think,...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a great pleasure to read Journal of a UFO Investigator. Danny Shapiro is 13 and his mother is dying. Not only is she dying, but in an indirect way Danny's birth is the cause of her death. Coupled with the fact that Danny is a Jew in America of the Sixties, how much can a teen be expected to deal with? Danny deals with it all by concentrating on his study of UFOs. His teen years are populated with imaginary people and events he encounters as he keeps a journal on UFO activities. These imag...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Tami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, 2011

Can't wait for it to arrive. Just received notice I had won.
Wow, I just got it! Only 7 days after the giveaway ended. That is AWESOME. I am not a very patient person sometimes. It is next after I finish my current read. 2/9/11
Started this weekend and almost completed. What a fun story so far.

What a great book. I loved the story, the characters, etc. I am not a UFO junkie or even a fan. I am not sure I disbelieve other life forms out in the universe, I just don't see why they would really want...more

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May 05, 2011 tim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-general, fiction-young-adult

The three star ranking for this is a bit misleading--Journal of a UFO Investigator was either one of the most brilliant books I've ever read or one of the worst, I can't quite make up my mind. I can say conclusively it was one of the most infuriating books I've read in awhile, the plot is disjointed and there is quite a bit left open to the interpretation of the reader. Did the more fantastical of Danny's experiences actually happen, or where they merely fever dreams of a lonely, teenage boy dea...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Serge Boivin rated it 2 of 5 stars

For all the promise of the title, and the potential of the premise, this book let me down. I got through this as an audio book on my commute, and I probably would not have stuck with it in print form.

The idea of this boy making up a fantasy world in his journal to somehow cope with or escape what's happening (or not happening) in his life is interesting, but there is just not enough of the real world during most of the book to really draw the reader in and balance the UFO world. We get too deep...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Ethan added it

Journal of a UFO investigator was a strange but at the same time very interesting. It focused on the life of high-skool student who investigates UFOs. He has a hard time in school which is much due to his unstable family situiation. He later goes drops out of high school to go and prove he has not been wasting his time. There are also multiple realities going on at the same time. Overall Journal of a UFO investigator was a somewhat enjoyable but also confusing book that requires you to really re...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Daniela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway at the beginning of February and received it within a surprisingly short amount of time. This was another book that I approached without a full understanding of what I was getting myself into. You could say I didn't read the summary closely. Both the title and cover seem to imply some sort of quirky adventure about a kid who likes the idea of UFOs a little too much. However, as soon as I started reading, it quickly became clear that this novel was much mor...more I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway at the beginning of February and received it within a surprisingly short amount of time. This was another book that I approached without a full understanding of what I was getting myself into. You could say I didn't read the summary closely. Both the title and cover seem to imply some sort of quirky adventure about a kid who likes the idea of UFOs a little too much. However, as soon as I started reading, it quickly became clear that this novel was much more than that.

Yes, it's an adventure but it's a deeply personal one that is much more about how a lonely teenager handles a dysfunctional family, loss and regret through one extended metaphor, which is the surreal UFO adventure he invents for himself. Halperin seemlessly weaves reality and fantasy together in an engaging narrative. This is especially effective in the novel's first pages where the switch happens very easily, the only cues coming from italicized words. I tend to read very fast, which would explain why there were some moments where I was just like, what is going on.

I got used to Halperin's writing style fairly quickly though. It's simple but descriptive. Does that make sense? I don't know, I liked it. The story flowed, although I know that this is one story that's definitely not for everyone. For one, it deals with some dark issues, such as physical abuse and antisemitism, and there's also quite a bit of Awkward Teenage Moments. The subject matter itself might not appeal to everyone, as there exists a blend of religion with UFO mythology.

I had to keep reminding myself that the majority of the story told throughout the novel is made-up by Danny himself. I read a couple of reviews where the reviewer noted this as detrimental to the story because there wasn't much overlap with Danny's real life. However, I didn't mind. The story Danny was telling was interesting albeit extremely bizarre and impossible, especially at certain points, but when the overlap with his life did happen? It worked. Towards the end, the overlap was especially significant. Although the Danny that speaks and acts for the majority of the novel is the real Danny's creation, I feel like this is insight enough into his character. It's clearly his way of dealing with awful things that have happened to him. But he's not a very dynamic character. He remains quiet and lonely. Yet, the novel ends on a slightly uplifting tone. At least that's how I read it. Danny grows up and it's bittersweet.

So, it's like I said, Halperin makes things fit, but I wouldn't exactly encourage my fellow YA readers to pick this up. It's not exactly a light read, and it's far from the typical YA novel even though the protagonist is a teenager. This is for a more mature audience that can look beyond the surface to see what all the out-of-this-world scenarios really mean to Danny.

(Review can also be found at my blog.)(less)

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May 14, 2011 Sean rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 14, 2011 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi

Danny Shapiro has problems: a terrible family secret, something so terrifying neither he nor his parents can talk about it, or even look it squarely in the eye. He also has solutions: investigating UFOs and keeping a journal of his activities and his encounters with a mysterious group of three men trying to silence him. Eventually the edges of reality blur, for the reader and for Danny, in a way that reminds me of Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse V. This book is an enjoyable read. Halperin writes with...more

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May 19, 2012 Pamela Cable rated it 5 of 5 stars

David Halperin is one of those gifted writers who knows how to hold the reader in the palm of his hand. His gift to us is this brilliantly written story. I warn you--you won't be able to put it down. It's dark, it's creepy at times, and funny, but I fell in love with Danny from the beginning. I believe this writer writes from his own pain and delivers hope all in the same body of work. What a literary accomplishment. I simply loved every word. Thanks, David!

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Mar 01, 2011 Marita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, first-reads

Very unique, fascinating and dreamlike coming of age novel. Unexpected and refreshing. At times I stayed up late, could not put it down and at times it put me to sleep in my lazy afternoons. In the other words this book provided me with both entertainment and relaxation! Exactly why I read books! I am a big believer that our active and passive mind helps us to cope with life's unpleasant realities, this book brought that out seamlessly! Strangely beautiful book.

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Mar 02, 2011 Milli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I liked this book for its bizarre storylines and the way the characters took shape. Halperin is a great writer, IMO. I zipped through this book so fast. I couldn't put it down. I loved the two lives being melded together. Eventually I couldn't tell what was real or what was fake but I stopped caring. I just enjoyed the story. I gave this book 3 stars for now. Not sure if i would read it again, but til then, it was an interesting one. it'll stick with me for a bit.

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Jul 17, 2011 Carrie Marcotte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

This is a novel which, on the surface, seems like a coming-of-age story with an interesting twist. Below that surface, is a complex novel in which the same young person uses fantasy as an escape from the troubles in his life. At first, the crossing between what was real and what was the fantasy was quite blurred and you are not really sure of which. You are also never really sure which of the characters are real or imaginary. Quite a smartly-written novel.

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Jan 22, 2012 Thomas added it

Shelves: abandoned

I gave this book less than a day, and less than 50 pages. It seemed like it might be interesting, but the language was a bit too literary, and the narrative was difficult to follow between what was happening in his current life and what was happening in his journal. Nothing about it at that point made me think it was worth sticking it out to see where it went.

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Dec 04, 2011 Marshall Wayne Lee rated it 2 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the library, and didn't really enjoy it. I didn't hate it, I just found at times it wasn't very interesting. I think the concept was sound: a young boy uses a fantasy world of being a UFO investigator to help him cope with the reality of his difficult and lonely life. I think there should have been more breaks from the journal to reality so that we could see his struggle better.

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Apr 28, 2013 kat rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Una porcheria.
Può darsi che la sua idea di partenza non fosse neanche male, nella sua testa, ma poi l’ha messa giù in una maniera che non si capisce assolutamente niente, non si capisce qual è la storia vera e cosa invece Danny inventa/sogna/vede/qualsiasi altro verbo.
Tra l'altro, non vado neanche matta per gli alieni.

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Jun 26, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting, but not pieced together very coherently. I liked the multi-level events, but was still left a little lost in places as to what was real, what was allusion and what was fantasy. It reads a bit like an historical novel documenting early UFO investigations.

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May 28, 2011 Andy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a book to be messed with. It is weird, uncomfortable, and mildly disturbing, everything that I usually love about reading, but this book missed the mark by a lot. I think that I really lost interest with the book when the protagonist was abducted and spent 100+ pages aboard an alien aircraft... just bizarre and not in a good way. Choose wisely here readers... this book is one step away from an one star from me.

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Apr 19, 2011 Chelsea rated it 1 of 5 stars

I originally thought this book was a collection of stories told by a person but it turned out it was not. Unfortunately I do not see the point of giving it a good review because I did not care for it very much. The ending could have been better but at least I finished it.

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Feb 24, 2011 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads. I read it very slowly, which I think was best as there was a lot to take in! The characters were all very interesting, and the story was rich with symbolism. At first I wasn't sure what was supposed to be real and what wasn't, which was confusing. As I read on, things began to fall into place. While I found the book to be a lot stranger and different than I was expecting, I did enjoy it, and I'm glad I read it.

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About David Halperin

Once upon a time, I was a teen-age UFO investigator. Later I became a professor of religious studies — my specialty, religious traditions of heavenly ascent.

From 1976 through 2000, I taught Jewish history in the Religious Studies Department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Now retired from teaching, I live in North Carolina with my wife Rose.

I've written five non-fiction books on...more

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