Rating: 
Summary: AN AFFECTING READING
Review: It's seldom that a story bridges the ever widening generation gap, but "When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune" surely does. This chronicle of love and friendship will appeal to both teenagers and adults, especially in its unabridged audio form affectingly read by Heather Alicia Simms.The author has said that she grew up poor in a neighborhood where children were "seen but not heard," so does her protagonist, Shayla Dubois who lives with her fractured family in other side of the tracks Houston, Texas. Shayla's sister has been ousted for carrying on with an older man, and her absent father has suddenly returned to town. To complicate matters further, Shayla has a unique new neighbor - Kambia who tells absurd tales about Lizard People who turn into purple chewing gum, reports that she is a piece of driftwood from the Mississippi River, and more. Shayla well knows that something is amiss, but what can she possibly do? Heather Alicia Simms's performance is in perfect harmony with the author's use of African-American lore and street patois.
Rating:
Summary: AN AFFECTING READING
Review: It's seldom that a story bridges the ever widening generation gap, but "When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune" surely does. This chronicle of love and friendship will appeal to both teenagers and adults, especially in its unabridged audio form affectingly read by Heather Alicia Simms. The author has said that she grew up poor in a neighborhood where children were "seen but not heard," so does her protagonist, Shayla Dubois who lives with her fractured family in other side of the tracks Houston, Texas. Shayla's sister has been ousted for carrying on with an older man, and her absent father has suddenly returned to town. To complicate matters further, Shayla has a unique new neighbor - Kambia who tells absurd tales about Lizard People who turn into purple chewing gum, reports that she is a piece of driftwood from the Mississippi River, and more. Shayla well knows that something is amiss, but what can she possibly do? Heather Alicia Simms's performance is in perfect harmony with the author's use of African-American lore and street patois.
Rating: 
Summary: Two thumbs up for Lori Williams
Review: It???s hard to believe that this is Lori Williams???s first novel. She wrote it with such poetic ease that it seems like the characters jump off the pages. She keeps you reading on because the plot is so vivid, you seem like you are there, living the actual events. There is such a message of family bond weaved into the book, it???s hard to describe.
The character Kambia sends the message that, your imagination is beautiful thing. The stories that she told were so complex, but it was her way of calling for help. The friendship between Kambia and Shayla reminds all of us girls about our relationship with our best friend. About how we would keep their secrets until the very, very end.
This is a novel about friendship, love, family, sisterhood, and promises. It???s suspenseful, and very engaging. Lori keeps you guessing until the very end. I give Lori BIG props for this being her first novel, and I assume the sequel is just as fantastic.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying story; exquisite writing
Review: Kambia begins telling bizarre stories almost as soon as shemoves into Shayla's neighborhood, and at first Shayla thinks hernew friend is just imaginative, like she is. Eventually, though, she begins to suspect Kambia is using her stories to hide something. First, there is her mother, who, according to neighborhood gossip, is entertaining men for money in her house; then there is Kambia's ever-worsening appearance: she is getting skinnier and skinnier, and Shayla notices bruises on her thighs. Kambia won't admit anything, though; all she does is tell Shayla a story about "Wallpaper Wolves" that can't get her if she's too skinny. But when Kambia collapses on the way to school one day, Shayla realizes she has to choose between protecting her friend's secrets and saving her life. In addition to Kambia's problems, Shayla's older sister, Tia, has been caught messing around with Doo-witty, an older neighborhood boy who is assumed by everyone to be a complete idiot, and she disappears after a fight with her mother, adding to Shayla's worries. On top of that, Shayla's family plagued by the reappearance of her father, Mr. Anderson Fox, who has a lot of other Shaylas running around the neighborhood. The climax arrives after Shayla is taken to a mother-daughter church revival by her mother and grandmother, where they find out a secret about Doo-witty and Shayla learns the truth about her sister's disappearance. Shayla's voice is reminicent of Scout Finch To Kill a Mockingbird: young, wise, funny, and sensitive; and her story is compelling and skillfully rendered. Readers will be easily drawn into her life and her story. A highly recommended, thoughtful read by a talented new young adult author.
Rating:
Summary: PERFECT!
Review: Of all the book I've read this is the best one. Its a story of a young girl with problems that come and go. The story flows nicely so that we all can be flown with the author's imagination.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Secret of Kambia Elaine.
Review: Shayla Dubois thought Kambia Elaine was the weirdest and homeliest looking girl when she first saw and met her for the first time. All of that changes when the two strangers start walking to school together everyday. That's when Kambia starts telling Shayla her tale of the wallpaper wolves and how they mistreat her. Then a problem in Shayla's family stirs up emotions between Shayla and Kambia and now they are a lot closer.
In this capturing book, When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune by Lori Aurellia Williams, Shayla and Kambia slowly become best friends by Kambia telling Shayla her stories and tales and Shayla soaks it all up as if there isn't anything better in the whole world. When Kambia finishes her stories, Shayla thinks they are childish and silly. Even though Shayla thinks that they are really silly, she can't get enough of those stories. She wants to hear more and more. One day, Kambia is found hiding underneath her house and Shayla goes over to Kambia's house, right next to her's, to see why she's under there. Kambia tells Shayla the most absurd thing she's ever heard that the wallpaper wolves are after her and they want to hurt her.
After this event they keep growing closer and closer still because now Shayla can tell Kambia her inner most dark secrets. This helps because there is a problem in Shayla's family and Kambia is the only one Shayla can turn to for help.
This suspensful, capturing book keeps you hooked right from the start and you can't or don't want to put the book down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to be at the edge of thier seats and who likes happy endings.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, story stays in head
Review: The book When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune is and exellent book. The plot of the story stays in your head and it seems as if you can see the whole book from the authors point of view. Lori Aurelia Williams is an exellent author and I recommend this book to anyone with a vivid imagination or to anyone who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: The main character in this book is a twelve-year-old girl named Shayla who lives with her mother and older sister Tia in a poor neighborhood in a big city in Texas. When Kambia Elaine, a skinny, red haired girl who makes up strange stories and claims to be things she's not, moves in next door to Shayla, they become friends. Shayla's sister Tia runs away from home, and Shayla discovers there is something really wrong with Kambia. This is a really great book, I definetely reccomend it!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Words
Review: The other reviews of this book have said a lot of what I would have said. I only want to add that I feel the strongest thing about the book is its language. The poetry of the prose is wonderful to read. The topics are stark, but the descriptions are amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: This is a wonderful book with fresh characters. The very minor imperfections in it are far outweighed by the beauty of the prose and the engaging plot. I highly recommend it for both children and adults!
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