We're Not from Here

Ila is Lan’s older sister. Back on Earth, Ila had the beginnings of a promising career after making it to the final round of a singing competition. The need to evacuate the planet cut the competition short, and ever since, Ila has been depressed.

Ila represents both the importance of emotions and the struggle of mental illness. It takes Ila a long time to work through losing everything she had. To Lan, it doesn’t “seem like she [is] even trying” to feel better (6); Lan hasn’t yet realized that people respond to the same tragedy in different ways. At the same time, Ila’s struggle shows the dangers of focusing on the negatives. Ila initially spends all her time watching her old performances and dwelling on the past. When she is able to sing again, she realizes that she needs to move forward, and getting back the thing she loves allows her to work through her depression. Her character arc is both hopeful and cautionary, warning readers not to tie their happiness to things they could lose at any moment and illustrating that We Can Be Both Brave and Scared.

Marf is an Ororo, a species that resembles giant white-and-blue marshmallows. After fixing Lan’s communication device so it can translate Ororo and Krik languages, Marf tells Lan that “the average Ororo is seven thousand times as smart as the average human” (99). Marf shows her intelligence throughout the book, doing complicated math problems, fixing technology, and planning the prison breakout in the book’s latter chapters.

Marf especially resembles girls and women who feel shunned for their interest in STEM disciplines, but her story has broader applicability. Her intelligence puts her in an intellectual league of her own, which makes forming friendships and relating to others difficult. By the end of the book, Marf has friends who both understand and care about her, showing that being different does not guarantee loneliness.

Ezger is a Krik and Marf’s only friend at the story’s outset. Marf explains that “for a Krik, he is very polite” (99), which is a testament to both Ezger’s personality and the Krik as a species. It also implies that, like Marf, Ezger is different. Where most Krik are gruff and not sociable, Ezger seeks out the company of an Ororo, implying that he wants to have more caring and upbeat people around him. At the end of the book, Ezger is part of Lan’s circle of friends, showing that even a naturally gruff person can get along with others.

Amora is Lan’s mother and one of the governing officials of the human settlement on Mars. Amora kept her maiden name, showing that she is comfortable with herself and her family unit; she doesn’t need to change her name to feel like she’s part of the group. Amora is a leader who specializes in diplomacy. She is constantly finding diplomatic ways to say potentially controversial things, and her debating abilities convince the Zhuri to give the humans a chance on Choom. However, by the end of the book, her diplomacy is no longer enough to keep relations between the humans and Zhuri civil, showing how emotions are a stronger force than discussion.

Kalil is Lan’s father and a scientist. While on Mars, he helps create a food substitute that leads to people rioting because the taste is so disgusting. This food riot serves as foreshadowing and a reminder that scapegoating can happen even between people who are very similar. Kalil isn’t responsible for what happened on Earth (and therefore the need for a food substitute), but people blame him for the situation, using the food as a convenient excuse to vent their anger. The riot caused by Kalil’s food substitute leaves Lan shaken and anxious about the Zhuri’s treatment of humans.

Naya is Lan’s best friend and a creative partner, first in the movies they make on Mars and later on the Choom comedy show. Naya is the only character on the ship orbiting Choom who regularly features after Lan’s family lands on Choom, and she represents everything that’s at stake while Lan’s family tries to win over the Zhuri. Her messages to Lan about being a “good doggy” for the aliens are a joke, but the meaning behind them is a serious one. Everyone on the ship is counting on Lan’s family, which adds an extra layer of stress to their mission.

Leeni is a representative of the Immigration Division of the Zhuri government. He is the main point of contact for Lan’s family, and through forced proximity with humans, Leeni learns that the news reports about human violence are false. At the end of the book, Leeni flouts government orders and regulations to help Lan and Ila convince the Zhuri that humans aren’t violent. Leeni’s role in the story illustrates the importance of spending time around someone before judging them, as well as the importance of doing one’s own research rather than simply trusting what others say.

Iruu is a Zhuri similar in age to Lan and Ila. He is the first Zhuri the kids meet who doesn’t seem to have a problem displaying emotions or telling jokes, which sets him apart from most other Zhuri. Iruu represents the part of a society that wants things to be different and doesn’t agree with everything the governing body says.

Hooree is also a Zhuri who’s similar in age to Lan and Ila. Where Iruu questions Zhuri norms and beliefs, Hooree is committed to the idea that emotions are bad and that humans are the cause of all strife on Choom. Hooree represents The Dangers of Misinformation—specifically, how constant misleading messaging can brainwash people. The news reports about humans aren’t true, but Hooree chooses to believe them because it is easier.