Books like Hilo

A high-octane, laugh-out-loud adventure about friendship, robots, and falling from the sky. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Hilo.

upbeat
adventurous
chaotic-good
warm

01
Jedi Academy
Jeffrey Brown
A hilarious, doodle-filled journey through the awkwardness of middle school, set in a galaxy far, far away.
Shares:
- upbeat
- warm
- humorous
- earnest
02
The Dark Side of Nowhere
Neal Shusterman · 1997
A fast-paced sci-fi adventure that turns the universal teenage feeling of not belonging into a literal extraterrestrial crisis.
Shares:
- adventurous
- earnest
03
Descender, Vol. 3
Jeff Lemire
A melancholic, beautifully painted journey into the fragile memories and hidden scars of a fractured found family.
Shares:
- earnest
04
Legends of Zita the spacegirl
Ben Hatke
A delightful, action-packed graphic novel romp through space that balances intergalactic chaos with a heartfelt exploration of staying true to yourself.
Shares:
- adventurous
- earnest
05
The True Meaning of Smekday
Adam Rex
A wildly inventive, laugh-out-loud road trip through an alien-occupied America that hides a surprisingly tender heart.
Shares:
- adventurous
- zany
06
Stranger Things
Jody Houser
A claustrophobic plunge into a shadowy mirror dimension where survival depends on holding onto the echoes of home.
Feels:
- dread-soaked
- claustrophobic
- shadowy
07
Aliens for breakfast
Jonathan Etra
A zany, fast-paced sci-fi adventure where the fate of the world hinges on the contents of a breakfast cereal box.
Shares:
- adventurous
- humorous
- zany
08
American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
A clever, intertwining graphic journey through the awkwardness of adolescence, the weight of heritage, and the struggle to accept who you are.
Shares:
- earnest
09
Watch the skies
James Patterson and Ned Rust
A cinematic, high-octane thrill ride where alien-hunting action meets the eerie paranoia of screen-obsessed modern life.
Feels:
- high-octane
- suspenseful
- surreal
10
Phoenix
S. F. Said
A sweeping, star-spanning epic that blends breathless interstellar chases with profound questions about connection and destiny.
Shares:
- earnest
11
Nose pickers from outer space
Gordon Korman
A delightfully gross and chaotic romp through the absurdities of elementary school life and extraterrestrial friendship.
Shares:
- zany
12
The Search for WondLa
Tony DiTerlizzi
A visually stunning, wonder-filled quest across a bizarre alien landscape in search of home and humanity.
Shares:
- adventurous
- earnest

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