- Vivian Teo
My BFF Is an Alien series by Vivian Teo
Books by Singapore children's book author, Vivian Teo, and where to get them.
My BFF Is an Alien series
Meet Abriana Yeo, 13, awkward and friendless. Meet Octavia Wu, a graceful teenage alien with superpowers. Forced to flee her home planet Viridis after an invasion by "The Others", another alien species, Octavia and her parents crash-land in the Singapore heartland.
Behind the adventure, mystery and sci-fi, this middle-grade series explores the pertinent issues that teenagers typically deal with in a local school setting—friendship, loyalty, CCAs, homework and bullies. There is also no shortage of excitement and intrigue in this sci-fi and adventure. This five-book series is recommended for children aged 9 and above.
Praise for the My BFF Is an Alien series:
"Vivian clearly understands the dynamics of secondary school friendships, and her descriptions of the petty jealousies, staunch loyalties, misguided intentions and awkward truces between the girls feel really authentic and heartfelt...There aren’t many local books with such a strong focus on teen female friendships, so if you’d liked the friendship aspect of my Mount Emily books, I recommend you give this series a try!"
—Low Ying Ping, bestselling author of the Mount Emily series
"I love that author Vivian Teo has delivered a young Singaporean protagonist who is not only instantaneously relatable to the local audience, but is also a remarkable role model, who, while flawed, shows incredible strength, courage and resilience."
—Lynette Teo, associate editor at Epigram Books
"This book series is an excellent gift for primary school kids for so many reasons. The book talks about friendship, trust and fun! There's also the quirky alien, Octavia, who is just adorable. I wish I had a book like this when I was growing up."
—Tan Eeling, Eeling.ink
Book 1
Pretending to be a foreign student, Octavia enters secondary one and befriends Abriana, who then helps her in her quest to find the Anteris, a missing element the alien family needs if they want to return to Viridis to help in the war effort. All the while, the two girls also need to navigate the intricate web of teenage drama at Bukit Timah Secondary Girls’ School (BTSGS), where mean girls thwart their search efforts every step of the way.
Available at: Epigram Books; Epigram store on Shopee; POPULAR; POPULAR store on Lazada; Kinokuniya; Readers' House; Book Bar; Closetful of Books; Amazon.sg; APD store on Lazada
E-book available at: Faris Books; Amazon.com
Audiobook available at: Storytel
Accolades:
Third prize winner of 2020 POPULAR Readers' Choice Awards' English (Children) category
Praise for My BFF Is an Alien book 1:
"An imaginative and enjoyable story about friendship and standing up for yourself. After reading this book, you'll wish you had an alien BFF too!"
—Low Ying Ping, bestselling author of the Mount Emily series
"Really well-written, with great nuggets of descriptive vocabulary. The alien BFF is certainly not what you'd expect of a typical extraterrestrial."
—Lyn Lee, Lil Blue Bottle blog
"The book keeps readers going with constant action and adventures...the heartwarming read is relatable to all, especially those who have had to face bullying and trouble fitting in."
"It’s easy to get hooked and binge read My BFF Is An Alien in a single sitting, not just for its very manageable length, but also how it dives straight into the girls’ quest and keeps up the pace for the rest of the novel. Less than 40 pages in, and the two are already off on an islandwide adventure ... that will spark the imaginations of any Singaporean resident."
—bakchormeeboy
"A heartwarming and light-hearted read for all primary school students. Highly recommended."
—Angeline Sim, Lifestinymiracles
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Sabotage (book 2)
The Viridians have won the war and Octavia keeps her promise to Abriana and returns to Singapore. This time she’s accompanied by a trusted General who’s tasked to ensure that Octavia—the future ruler of Viridis—is safe. When the two BFFs are together, things don’t stay calm for long. In the sequel, a chance encounter with a wild boar is captured on video by a mysterious stranger and the footage ends up on the internet... and goes viral! Who is responsible and can the BFFs get the video down before Octavia’s alien roots are revealed?
Available at: Epigram Books; Epigram Books store on Shopee; POPULAR; Kinokuniya; Readers' House; Book Bar; Amazon.sg;
E-book available at: Faris Books; Amazon.com
Audiobook available at: Storytel
Accolades:
Shortlisted for the 2022 Hedwig Anuar Children's Book Award (middle-grade category)
Finalist for the Singapore Book Awards 2021's Best Young Persons Title category
Nominee and top five most voted books in the English (Children) category of the POPULAR Readers' Choice Awards 2021
Praise for Sabotage:
"Vivian writes clearly and emphatically to her tween/teen audience and she employs quite a few hooks in the plot that keep the reader moving. I think this schoolgirl genre really works, in keeping stories so real and familiar yet with that extra twist."
—Hwee Goh, Hwee's Book Share Club
"I liked how Vivian weaved in the topic of social media and used it as a teaching point for readers who are still learning how to navigate the platform safely and the perils if misused."
—Susan Koh, A Juggling Mom blog
"An inspiring and encouraging story of 2 BFFs, that even my boys read with delight."
"This middle grade series will appeal to readers who love mystery, and I think many girls will be able to relate to Abri’s friendship woes. I thought that the books handled the typical friendship problems very well, without being obviously preachy."
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Turbulence (book 3)
Secondary Three is turning out to be a great year for Abriana and Octavia. Abri’s standing at BTSGS receives a boost after she wins a major writing competition, and Octavia’s a rising star in the school’s tennis team. But when the BFFs encounter a strange waterspout—part of a barrage of severe weather events happening around the world—the girls suspect The Others are responsible. But their investigation is hampered by an accident that reignites a feud with the mean girls, while a schoolgirl crush threatens to cause a rift between the best friends.
Available at: Epigram Books; Epigram Books store on Shopee; Kinokuniya; POPULAR; Readers' House; Book Bar; Amazon.sg
E-book available at: Faris Books; Amazon.com
Audiobook available at: Storytel
Praise for Turbulence:
"Teenage life is very real in here. It realistically portrays the ups and downs of every friendship, and how friends are not bound by any ‘friendship rules’ to share every secret...This is another thrilling and exciting book with unexpected twists and turns!"
—Mum's Calling blog
"Fans of the My BFF is an Alien book series would love this latest instalment...Intense yet totally believable, the schoolgirl dynamics are captured convincingly and empathetically."
—Lyn Lee, Lil Blue Bottle blog
"Throw in some social media snafus and the stage is set for an adolescent drama with very funny lines in relief...I spy a buildup to the next book due out in 2022!"
—Hwee Goh, Hwee's Book Share Club
"A fun read!"
—Delphine Wee, Weehoursreads
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Invasion (book 4)
Weather events cause widespread destruction across Singapore. Everyone thinks it's because of climate change, but Abriana and Octavia know better: The Others are behind it. It’s up to the BFFs to stop them before more people get hurt. But when these powerful beings can morph into anyone—their classmates, their parents, their closest friends—the girls don’t know who to trust.
Available at: Epigram Books; Epigram Books store on Shopee; Kinokuniya; POPULAR; Readers' House; Book Bar; Closetful of Books; Amazon.sg
Accolades:
Nominee in the English (Children) category of the POPULAR Readers' Choice Awards 2022
Praise for Invasion:
"This has been such a satisfying conclusion to the My BFF is an Alien series, a quartet of titles that gives the schoolgirl trope an extra sheen and is yet so squarely set in our own familiar world, “dabao food”, remedial lessons, and all."
—Hwee Goh, Hwee's Book Share Club
"As the series draws to a satisfying close, I think the emphasis on talking to someone when you feel troubled, was particularly apt for young readers, who may not know how to deal with their problems. Apart from all the exciting action that will capture a reader’s imagination, there are also a few values, such as loyalty and courage, which kids can reflect upon, and hopefully, develop in the long run."
"My boys love reading about the adventures of Abriana and Octavia and were excited to see how it was going to go down, especially since all the action was taking place in areas that we're familiar with...Great ending for an amazing series!"
—Delphine Wee, Weehoursread
"Fast paced and a thoroughly enjoyable read..."
"Invasion is an epic conclusion to ‘My BFF is an alien'..."
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Deception (book 5)
The last book of the much-loved My BFF Is an Alien series! A riveting prequel that looks into Octavia’s origins in Viridis.
Primed to become Viridis’s future leader, the young Octavia Wuen must prove she is up to the task by winning the planet’s biggest event—the Quaturs Games. She aligns with others like herself, who have the gift of superpowers, but these new alliances are tested when the Games take a bad turn and the arrival of hostile beings threatens the planet’s survival.
Available at: Epigram Books; Epigram Books store on Shopee; Kinokuniya; POPULAR; Readers' House; Book Bar; Times Bookstores
Praise for Turbulence:
"I was completely hooked to this prequel, and absolutely loved the Hunger Games vibe. The characters were really well developed, and I enjoyed seeing how Octavia and her friends matured as the story progressed. What an amazing finale to the ‘My BFF is an Alien’ series...5/5 stars."
—Adeline Tan, Reading with the Tans
"Vivian attempts young adult tropes in this middle grade story, which I’d imagine fans would appreciate — and it’s a great way for them to grow with this series!"
—Hwee Goh, Hwee's Book Share Club
"I liked how the author explored themes that were relatable in our daily lives and current themes in the real world now. An enjoyable read that does not disappoint."
—A Juggling Mom blog
"A captivating prequel that will make you want to read the rest of its series!"
—Mum's Calling blog
"...an engaging read with suspense and action."
—Xavvylicious blog
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