The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex





Gratuity “Tip” Tucci is a brave, humorous, and resourceful 12-year-old girl who lives in Pennsylvania with her mother and cat named Pig. A courageous person who has faced challenges that many others have only dreamed of, experienced things that would blow your mind. She fought off the invasion of the Boov, met a renegade Boov named J.Lo, and took a cross-country journey to Florida via hovercar. She’s seen a mole suddenly appear on her mother’s neck and she’s seen her mother get abducted by aliens.

The True Meaning of Smekday is told in an essay that Gratuity had to send to a committee to put it in a time capsule that was going to be opened 100 years later. The story follows Gratuity, who must survive by herself when her mother is abducted by aliens called Boov. Suddenly, the Boov decide to take over Earth and rename it Smekland, in honor of Captain Smek. On Moving Day, all humans must relocate to Florida, but because the Boov like oranges a lot, the humans must go to Arizona. Instead of taking a rocket pod, Gratuity decides to drive there. Along the way, she meets a renegade Boov named J.Lo and soon makes friends with him. As they are journeying across the United States, they run into many problems, including fighting another race of aliens known in the galaxy as the Takers.

Complete with photographs, comics, and newspaper clippings, this book never fails to please.


Adam Rex’s genius with language is impossible to describe. While reading this book, you won’t feel like you are reading an essay, it’ll feel like you are listening to someone telling you a story. The language is lovely and exquisite, right word after right word until the end the book. Even Shakespeare would love this book, in face, he would be jealous of this book. Not only is he a gifted writer, but he is also a gifted artist. This book is not only fun to read, it is also fun to view. With drawings that will make you laugh out loud more than once. Frankly, the images actually help illustrate the tale of Gratuity and J.Lo. All of these aspects come together to create an amazing storyline.


The True Meaning of Smekday is thought-provoking and will leave you thinking even after the book is done. It’s an amazing book that will make you sit on the edge of your seat.