Literary Devices in The True Meaning of Smekday
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
From Pennsylvania to Florida to Arizona, Gratuity sure does travel the country in this book. Yet, the book isn't so much about the distinct landmarks of these locations as it is about her world bei...
Narrator Point of View
Did you notice that the story is from Gratuity's perspective? Even though people around her share their opinions from time to time, we're reading about what our main girl Gratuity does and thinks t...
Genre
The aliens who communicate by bubbles were our first clue. One thing's for sure: this novel is textbook science fiction. Don't believe us? Let's do some free association. What comes to mind when yo...
Tone
The book might be about the end of the world as we know it, but the tone is light-hearted. Heck, it even pokes fun of people at times, like when Gratuity describes the panic about going to Florida:...
Writing Style
We really feel like we get to know Gratuity, not only because we get to go along with her on a wild ride, but also because we hear what she thinks about it. We're not just talking about every now a...
What's Up With the Title?
The title of this book—The True Meaning of Smekday—works on two levels. The first is kind of obvious if you've read the book since it comes up on the first page, but since that's never stopped...
What's Up With the Ending?
In the end, we learn that Gratuity and J.Lo defeated the Gorg, got rid of the Boov, and saved the planet, all before lunch. Well, not exactly on that last part. But they did manage to get everythin...
Tough-o-Meter
Probably the hardest thing about reading The True Meaning of Smekday for the first time is getting used to all the aliens and sci-fi stuff that's unique to this book's world. Don't know the differe...
Plot Analysis
Alien Invasion Gratuity might tell us it all starts with an essay assignment, but really, it begins with aliens—if the Boov hadn't invaded, there wouldn't be an essay to write in the first plac...
Trivia
Author Adam Rex wishes he cut a bunch of driving around Roswell out of the novel. After he wrote it, he thought it was too long. (Source)The True Meaning of Smekday was so popular that there's a se...
Steaminess Rating
Whether it be the "Brotherhood Organized against Oppressive Boov" or the "Backyard telescope Observation Of Occupation by Boov!" Gratuity sure does run in to her fair share of BOOBs through the nov...
Allusions
T. S. Eliot (3.454)Leo Tolstoy (3.1290)Thomas Pynchon (3.1290)Ralph Waldo Ellison (3.1290)Ernest Hemingway (3.1290)the Bible (3.246)Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (3.1008)The War of the W...