We think Jeff Norton’s new 9+ series, Alienated, is literally out of this world. An action-adventure, sci-fi comedy with a bit of a love story – what’s not to love! We asked him what inspired the series and here’s what he had to say:

The inspiration for Alienated came from the feeling of not belonging.

I very clearly remember my first day of secondary school. The classes were fine but lunch time was terrible. When I walked into the cafeteria, I had no idea where to sit or who to sit with.

I felt like a misfit; that maybe I didn’t belong.

It’s a scary, overwhelming feeling to feel like an outsider. And nearly everyone goes through it at some point.

For the book, I wanted to take that feeling and make it extreme. So, the main character Sherman not only starts a new school where he doesn’t know anybody, he starts a school where everyone is a different species. He’s a stranger in a strange land, the only human boy at the school for aliens at Area 51.

But Alienated is also inspired by the notion of standing out, not fitting in. Sherman’s sister, Jessica, finds a way to be her own person at Groom Lake High. And eventually, Sherman also finds a way to shine.

It’s my hope that the book will give readers a positive spin on being an outsider; that being different is awesome.