The True Meaning of Smekday

By: Adam Rex

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

It all starts with a school essay. Twelve-year-old Gratuity “Tip” Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, and she’s not sure where to begin: When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended to Earth, and aliens - called the Boov - abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo, a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom, a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious, and an outrageous plan to save Earth from yet another alien invasion.

©2009 Adam Rex (P)2010 Listening Library

Funny, exciting, and fun. Mesmerizing narration.

It's rare to find a sci-fi book about an alien invasion that is gentle and humorous. I say gentle, because I think any child could listen to this book and enjoy it without getting night terrors. No sex, terrible language or adult themes. The two main characters are memorable, fully realized, and I cared about them. There are some interesting ideas about cloning, and how aliens might be different from us. It's mostly about a feisty 11 year old girl trying to find her mother.

The narrator, Bahni (pronounced Bonnie) Turpin is simply amazing. I could never have imagined the voices she came up with if I were reading the book. She made seamless transitions from character to character, and everything flowed beautifully. I can't express how impressed I am with her work. She should get an award of some kind.

5 star book, 10 star performance!

Great for young and old alike!

What a fun book!! I also highly recommend listening to this one on audio Bahni Turpin’s narration is Fantastic!!

I wasn’t sure what I would think of a book about an alien invasion since I am more of a fantasy girl than a sci-fi one. However this is such a fun story I recommend it to teens and adults alike! Our heroine Gratuity “Tip” Tucci is 11 going on 40 she is assigned a paper for a time capsule on “The True Meaning of Smekday” but Tip’s story is not the usual fare and she doesn’t know where to start, should it be when her mother starts receiving alien messages from the mole in her back? Or when she meets and befriends one of the Boov named J-Lo? Or about her journey to Happy Mouse Land where the aliens are sending all the humans?

This is such a great adventure and hilarious to boot. I love Tip and J-Lo well actually every character in this book is so fun! I don’t know what else to say, I just feel like I can’t do it justice other than to say go get this book and enjoy it! You will not be disappointed!

5 Stars

Made me laugh!

I must admit I bought this book because the title was so intriguing. I am so glad I did. The narrator was perfect and her interpretation of J-Lo's voice and speech mannerisms was great. I laughed so many times and if you are wanting a book that is entertaining, light-hearted, and very easy to listen to, then this should be one of your choices. It's not a pulitzer prize winner and it doesn't solve the problems of the world, but it does bring to light the tendency we have to "buttonhole" people and make snap judgements about people based on outer appearances, etc. This is the book for you if you just want to be entertained and have a happy time.

Holy cats! This was a fun one.

Totally entertaining story of a charming girl on an unexpected adventure and her new bff who just happens to be one of the aliens invading the planet earth. Tip and her cat are looking for Tip's alien-abducted mom. Travels by floating car to Florida, Arizona and points in-between are suspenseful, funny and engaging. The main thing-- the best thing-- is the narrator. Ms. Turpin is fantastic and fun and a joy to listen to.

5 Stars in Every Way

This was one of the most delightful books I have listened to in a long time. Bahni Turpin is genius and her reading of this book was perfect!!! The story was fun and imaginative and kept me entertained the entire 10 hours and 37 minutes. Thank you Audible!

Laugh-Out Loud Funny!

What did you love best about The True Meaning of Smekday?

I loved the whole idea, plot and narration of this book! The idea of a girl writing an essay about the day aliens invaded earth was good, but then when you start listening to Adam Rex's words and Bahni's voice, it becomes genius! I laughed out loud on many occasions!

What about Bahni Turpin’s performance did you like?

EVERYTHING! She was so great! I loved her voice of JLo and the aliens. She made the book so fun to listen to. She also had great timing and tone of voice throughout the book.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book to anyone from the age of 8 and up. It is just a super fun adventure story. I liked how it ended and that is important for me when reading books.

Performance should be 10 Stars!!

great story but even better performance by Bahni Tupri!!!
cant wait for more from both of them

Hilarious and Sweet!

Would you listen to The True Meaning of Smekday again? Why?

Yes. The two main characters are funny and resourceful. I enjoyed them and fell in love with them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The 11 year old girl, Tip and the alien, J-Lo are great for very different reasons.

Have you listened to any of Bahni Turpin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes! and Yes again.

Any additional comments?

Listen to it.

Kept us laughing for hours!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

We started listening at the beginning of a long family car trip and ended up sitting in the car in a parking lot to finish a chapter--- the audio equivalent of "couldn't put it down!." Funny, well-narrated--- love J-Lo's voice--- and well-paced. You want to know what on Earth might happen next!

Makes a long car ride exciting!

Would you listen to The True Meaning of Smekday again? Why?

The story is great and the author is hilarious and super entertaining, but the very best thing about this audio book is the narrator. The acting and voices are so much fun! My whole family (10 year old boy, 12 year old daughter, middle aged parents) hated to have to stop for bathroom breaks on our recent very long drive because we didn't want to have to stop the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The protagonist is charming, but J. Lo is the most fun to follow.

Have you listened to any of Bahni Turpin???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listed to Bahni Turpin before, but I will certainly seek out other selections. This one has us all laughing out loud!