SOLVED. YA-sci fi, read 2010-2012, main character is a female who gets sent on a spaceship since she’s a trouble maker, and befriends an alien on the ship, who she has to keep hidden because there are adults on the ship who want to kill the alien. [s]

[Marissa]

At the end of the book once she returns (to Earth—England I believe??) she runs towards her parents in a rush, their relationship becoming restored, and she and the alien part ways, promising to see each other again.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Marissa is still looking for this and wrote:

"young adult, sci-fi, space, aliens, girl is sent to a space camp/spaceship for being rowdy in school, she ends up befriending an alien who is seen as a threat to the adults, she wants to be a pilot I believe

book was read in 2011-2013, possibly published in the 80s-90s. I only remember very vague details about the book I’m afraid:
- young girl is sent to some type of space camp/space shop for being rowdy in school
- she ends up be friending an alien who is seen as a threat to the “authority figures” on the ship
- girl wants to become a pilot of some sort I believe
- girl’s parents (I believe) have passed away, so she lives with relatives"

Do you remember whether her parents were killed, or rather they were not killed and they meet again?

[Marissa]

@Lobster girl, her parents weren’t killed and they end up meeting again at the end of the book

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Did she think for the whole book that they had been killed?

[Marissa]

I feel like she was worried that something had happened to them throughout the book. I honestly can’t remember if she was worried about them being killed or not.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Is the alien male or female, is it a romance with the girl and the alien, or a friendship?

[Marissa]

The alien is male, and it’s just a friendship between the two of them

[Rachel]

This has some similarities with The Obtuse Experiment but that was set on a boat, not a spaceship. Just mentioning in case it rings any bells.

[Summer]

Could it be Alien Secrets by Annette Curtis Klause?

[Marissa]

IT IS!!! OH MY GODDDD!!! ALIEN SECRETS!!!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[Summer]

Welcome! Funny enough, this is actually the second time I've helped someone find that book, and the mods said people come looking for it pretty often!