David’s dad is a therapist who lives in the small French town of Cornouaille. David knows not to get to close to the patients, but Zelda fascinates him. She claims to be from another planet, and she’s here on earth to find her chosen one. To her it makes no difference that in the process of searching she needed to steal food, and when she was caught she sent to security guards to the hospital.

At first David thinks Zelda is as crazy as his dad’s other patients, but as he gets to know Zelda better, he begins to believe her bizarre story. And he finds himself inexplicably drawn to staying with her no matter what sorts of mayhem she creates during her quest.

How I Stole Johnny Depp’s Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain is funny, and thoughtful. After hearing the name I was skeptical as to whether I would like it, but David’s voice won me over on the first pages. At 14, he’s self-conscious of his small build, interested in girls but sure they wouldn’t be interested in him, and curious. He’s never rebelled against his parents before, so he surprised that he feels so compelled to break their rules over Zelda.

David and Zelda break a lot of rules as they blaze their way for Cornouaille to Paris, where his ice-queen mother lives, to St. Tropez. It’s a wild ride that will keep you turning pages, questioning whether aliens really do live among us, and cheering for David along the way. I recommend it for readers, including boys, aged 14 and up.

Publisher Chronicle Books provided me with a copy of this book to review.