Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too | Teen Ink

Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too

January 20, 2019
By sverma BRONZE, Forsyth, Illinois
sverma BRONZE, Forsyth, Illinois
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We're made of star stuff" - Carl Sagan


Before this book was printed and bound, it lived on Twitter as the idle thoughts of Jonathan Sun. As his persona grew, he left his virtual home and found himself retelling his entire life as an alien on Earth to any human who wanted to hear about it.

The result, everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too is a heartwarming and tear-jerking picture book tugs at the deep down anxieties of everyday life which we attempt to ignore. Characters throughout the book talk about their worries, issues, and lives in a relatable way although they may be eggs, bears, aliens, bees, or dogs.

A mark of Jomny Sun's writing, misspelled words, makes this book even more endearing. The intentional keystroke errors add to the impression of a confused alien trying their best to recount their experience on earth to somebody.

Although it may seem unassuming, the overall moral of the book is one that everyone knows but frequently forgets. There are several small lessons to be learned about anxiety, giving, friendship, and impostor syndrome which makes the entire book come together into one large bible for teenage angst and uncertainty. Throughout the novel, several “humabns” are introduced to the “aliebn” Jomny who has been sent to Earth to study the humans. The first human he meets is a tree who eventually becomes one of Jomny’s friends, and teaches him lessons about friendship. A dog teaches Jomny about love, and an egg teaches him about anxiety. An owl who thinks he’s not wise enough to be an owl gives Jomny a lesson on impostor syndrome, while a bee teaches Jomny about pain and loyalty. There are more characters to teach Jomny more lessons he needs to learn while on Earth, however at the end of the book he learns that none of his friends are actual humans, meaning he’s failed his planet. However, this leads to his realization that everyone around him is also an alien.

The most enticing part of this book is its relatability to every single person who reads it. Whether you're eight years old or eighty years old, this book has a message that everybody can enjoy. Its idea that everyone is an alien learning about life on Earth is something so outrageous yet simple that not many people would think of it. It's a perfect metaphor for the confusion and impostor syndrome which people go through throughout their life. The lack of actual humans in the book improves the message by completely separating Jomny's Earth from the one which we are on. It carries the ability to shift your worldview entirely in 300 short pages. 

This book is perfect for the teenage soul although I wouldn’t put it past the middle-aged or senior population to enjoy it too. It’s a heartwarming and wholesome illustration of the more difficult parts of life and the friends we meet along the way. This book is the perfect pick-me-up on a sad day. After a quick, thirty-minute read, you'll truly be left breathless.


The author's comments:

This book inspired the personal statement for my Common Application. It's the most impactful thing that I have ever read.


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