Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

First Day on Earth

by Cecil Castellucci (Goodreads Author)

3.32 of 5 stars 3.32 · rating details · 419 ratings · 145 reviews

A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world.

"We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings.

"I know what I am."

Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world -- or, at least, an idea of the world.

Then he meets Hooper. Who says he's from another planet. And may be going...more

Hardcover, 150 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Scholastic Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

White Pine Nomination 2013

5th out of 10 books — 19 voters

2012 YALSA Nominees - List 1

32nd out of 100 books — 44 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,322)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 12, 2013 Richard rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has had extra outrage added and can be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud!

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Chrissy♥Dev rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, paranormal, contemporary, owned-won

This book is written in a very particular style which i wasn't used too. I felt like each sentence or paragraph had a philosophical meaning behind it, that i would love to quote. Also i did win this book on Goodreads.

This book is about a boy named Malcolm (aka. Mal) whose life is turned upside down when his father leaves his mother and him. Ever since that day his mother is a drunk who cant do anything for herself and Mal takes care of her and tries to go to school and lead a normal life. Mal co...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Monica! rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, manly-man-man-man, ust-ftw, robots-and-rockets-and-scifi-oh-my, this-must-be-what-pain-feels-like, meh

Despite not being super-di-duper fond of Every Day, I did make note of the two books that the main character was obsessed with, because… it seemed like a good idea at the time.

First Day on Earth was one of those books, and I can totally see why A from Every Day had read it 46873587 times, because Mal seems like his overly-dramatic soulmate.

The plot in and of itself sounds fairly awesome—Mal’s father abandons the family and his alcoholic mother almost dies on the floor of their living room and Ma...more Despite not being super-di-duper fond of Every Day, I did make note of the two books that the main character was obsessed with, because… it seemed like a good idea at the time.

First Day on Earth was one of those books, and I can totally see why A from Every Day had read it 46873587 times, because Mal seems like his overly-dramatic soulmate.

The plot in and of itself sounds fairly awesome—Mal’s father abandons the family and his alcoholic mother almost dies on the floor of their living room and Mal staggers out into the desert and is abducted by aliens. After he is returned, with a limited memory of what happened, he becomes obsessed with leaving his still-really-crappy life on earth and returning to the staaaars. Then he meets an alien. An alien who might be going to the staaaars. WILL MAL CHOOSE TO FOLLOW HIS NEW FRIEND AND ABANDON THE EARTH OR WILL HE STAY AND SOLDIER ON AS BEST HE CAN?!?!

The problem with this plot is that I didn’t really care! His apathy towards everyone in his life was disconcerting—“Aw shit, Mom won’t be able to fend for herself after I’m gone. Okay, I’ll stock the freezer up with ready-to-eat meals, so at least she won’t starve for a while!”—but when characters did show up to try and pull him back into normal human interactions, they struck me as being too two-dimensional. Up until sudden Moment of Truth scenes where they came off as melodramatic. (“YOU THINK I AM PERFECT!?” howls Posey, tearing off her shirt. “I ONLY HAVE ONE BREAST DUE TO A TRAGIC ACCIDENT WITH AN IRON!!”)

I don’t know if I’m just unable to relate to a teenage boy dealing with severe home-life difficulties, or if the author wasn’t able to convey his emotional state to me in a way that I could relate to, or what… but I was kind of tragically uninvested overall.

…

Is uninvested a word?

You know what I mean.

Still, not terrible, and you have to high-five the author for writing a book about teen alienation that includes actual aliens. But it’s not something I’ll be reading again.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 17, 2012 Mitsuki Monokuro rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Cecil Castellucci’s novel “First Day on Earth,” is a story that adolescents could relate to from time to time. It stars the main character (Malcolm) who is an introverted high school student that sits at the back of the class and likes to think outside the box. He believes that he was abducted and experimented on by aliens at an early age in his life and is determined to find out the truth as we venture through Malcolm’s journey in the story. Despite his odd beliefs and behavior; we learn that...more Cecil Castellucci’s novel “First Day on Earth,” is a story that adolescents could relate to from time to time. It stars the main character (Malcolm) who is an introverted high school student that sits at the back of the class and likes to think outside the box. He believes that he was abducted and experimented on by aliens at an early age in his life and is determined to find out the truth as we venture through Malcolm’s journey in the story. Despite his odd beliefs and behavior; we learn that Malcolm is also a kind-hearted boy who is often misunderstood. From helping his alcoholic and depressed mother to saving animals by helping out at the shelter and picking up injured animals from the street, it is believed that he is a person with good intentions. This contrasts his somewhat menacing appearance; greasy hair and wears all black, mysteriously sitting at the back of the classroom. “You think you know what I am, the kid slumped in his chair in the back row, with greasy hair, wearing all black” (Castellucci 01).
The book’s structure is somewhat simple and direct, and the author does not use any type of fancy language to ‘pretty up’ the text, but rather states her sentences to move the story along. In terms of sentence structure, the individual sayings used are choppy; but still gives the reader a clear visual of what’s happening. “Hooper really seems to like Darwyn and Posey. They’re all getting to know one another in an easy way. Hooper tells them both how I got him a place to live.” Another aspect of Castellucci’s writing that I noticed was how blunt some chapters were. They sometimes consisted of one or two sentences; illustrating Mal’s thoughts or actions. “I got lost and disappeared. For days. Sometimes I wonder which part of me came back”(Chapter 22). This leaves the reader with an open-ended thought to what Malcolm thought about his abduction, and perhaps something personal that happened to the reader that made their own self ‘leave’ and not come back.
In terms of character, Castellucci used first person narration to build Mal’s 3-D character and stereotypical 2-D type characters to move the story along for the purpose of the story. (Which I will discuss later in my review.) She used primarily Mal’s thoughts and what he had done in the past to help the reader see his character. We can see that Posey (the supposed “popular girl” who has her buried insecurities,) to Darwyn (the dorky, overweight kid that has separation issues of his own,) as “side characters” in Mal’s life. I think that as people, we see ourselves as the main characters of our “stories” (which is life) and see other people as side characters as well. This is a perfect reflection of what is happening in the story. “Darwyn says it kind of factly, like he’s been part of the conversation the whole time. Even though he’s really just sitting near the guys who are talking. They tolerate him, but he’s not their friend”(Castellucci 4).
Throughout the book, Castellucci implies themes and values meanwhile illustrating the insecurities and flaws of a character in a totally biased and first person point of view—which makes it interesting because the reader can analyze the character’s motives in an objective sense. (We are reading this story “on the fence” in a neutral stand point.) In my opinion, I would think that all of us have wanted to step away from reality so we could take a break and come back with a clean slate. We all have personal problems and sometimes it is easier to avoid or run away from the problem instead of facing the very core of it and resolving it. In Mal’s life, his traumatizing experience with being abducted by aliens, his father leaving him, and his mother being an alcoholic; he felt as if he just wanted to get away from it all. I think that Mal also feels like an alien in his high school environment; believing he’s the only teenager that doesn’t focus on the latest apps or what sports team won the game that particular night. The book was about feeling that one does not belong in their ‘natural environment’, and wanting to find a place where everything felt like it was in place. Ironically, when mal had finally gotten what he had wanted in the end; he was faced with bigger issues that he had never considered when he did leave Earth.
Another interesting point I’d like to bring up would be how Mal dictates he’s not the person people see him as, but then judges other people the same way. For example, he sees Josh and the jocks as dumb, shallow teenagers while seeing Posey as the popular girl with a great physique. I think all people have a natural trait of judging others before truly knowing what’s going on behind the appearance. The value of open-mindedness applies here.
Overall, I think that “First Day on Earth,” is an average novel with a suitable title. It paints the picture of all people being ‘eccentric’ or rather “alien” in a way, but also having the same core emotions. As much as I enjoy poetry and descriptive language, Castellucci did a good job of depicting scenes with blunt statements. Similar to impressionism, we get a vague but obvious idea of what she is trying to say. “ Up here, in space, this human decides to go back. Back down there, to live on a planet called Earth. Or, as I like to call it, home” (Castellucci 150).
(less)

like · see review

May 04, 2012 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-with-characters-i-want-to-mar, borrowed-at-library, fiction, covet-these-covers, kept-me-guessing, read-in-2012, romance, science-fiction, young-adult

I picked this book up on a whim because I've been looking to get into more science fiction lately and this only had a vague hint of it. And what might that hint be? Aliens. Yes, who can resist that? Not me, of course. I wanted to see how the little green guys-or Mal's gray people-fit into the tale. It was a quick but surprisingly insightful read.

Mal is an interesting character. His dad left the family, his mother is an alcoholic, he has no friends, he was abducted by aliens. Basically, if anyone...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mal is not your average teenager. Yes, he has not-uncommon teenage problems (he doesn't really fit in; his parents are divorced) but there are also ones that most people don't have to deal with (his mom is an alcoholic and so he takes care of her instead of the other way around; his dad walked out and Mal hasn't seen him since) and the problem that is almost unheard of (Mal believes he was abducted by aliens). Not surprisingly, Mal keeps all these problems to himself, but especially that last on...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Dominique Cheung (The Book Vault) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Review originally posted here at The Book Vault

This book was very different from what I expected; when I first read the plot I thought it was going to be a considerably thicker novel (First Day on Earth is just 150 pages) that focused not only on Mal's journey towards self-discovery, but also on theories about extraterrestrial life and specifically Mal's interactions with them. However, the novel focuses mainly on Mal's self-discovery.

Mal is what most people would consider a loner; he doesn't ha...more Review originally posted here at The Book Vault

This book was very different from what I expected; when I first read the plot I thought it was going to be a considerably thicker novel (First Day on Earth is just 150 pages) that focused not only on Mal's journey towards self-discovery, but also on theories about extraterrestrial life and specifically Mal's interactions with them. However, the novel focuses mainly on Mal's self-discovery.

Mal is what most people would consider a loner; he doesn't have many friends and is 'the quiet kid in the corner' at school. Ever since his Dad left him, his Mom's been a wreck and a drunk, leaving Mal to take care of himself and her. Years ago, he went missing for three days and the police found him in the middle of the desert. Everyone thinks he had a seizure or some sort of medical issue that caused him to wander into the desert, but Mal thinks he was abducted by aliens.

Mal finds solace in helping small animals he finds (often taking them to the nearby shelter for help) and goes to a support group for abductees. There, he meets Hooper, whom he gets to know better. Hooper tells Mal he isn't from around here--he's actually from another planet. It seems to make sense, afterall, Hooper does have some weird habits and did seem kind of odd ever since Mal met him!

Not your typical YA novel, but I rather liked it. It's different and the style works nicely as well. It's short, to the point with nothing drawn-out. Explores a teen's life as he wanders on the path towards self-discovery; a path that we all know is by no means a flat, carefree walk in the park! Sure, he's got some of that teen-angst going, but Mal genuinely does want to figure out who he is. Everyone's felt lost at some point, and with life-changing events, it can be easy to lose your sense of self-purpose and direction. I feel that the author does a good job conveying this feeling of loss and the desire to find oneself throughout the novel, despite how short it was. Characters were also reasonably well-developed for the brevity of this novel, and I must say, I really enjoyed Hooper's character. He was quite a hoot; nice comic relief for the more depressing moments Mal had!(less)

like · see review

Jan 07, 2012 Pamela Kramer rated it 4 of 5 stars

First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci is an unusual young adult book. It has a strong message, but it's a very mysterious story.

Mal, whose father abandoned Mal and his mother, live together. Mal's mother is a drunk with mental problems and he cares for her but gets no support from her. Mal really gets no support from anyone and that's the biggest problem.

He is alone. Mal feels totally alone in the world. Except for the aliens who abducted him and probed him, examined him, and communicated wit...more

like · see review

Dec 26, 2011 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks, fantasy

Mal has an assortment of problems that make life miserable. He is misunderstood; a loner who is too weird for the "average" kids and his mother is an alcoholic. But the biggest problem of his life is unusual; he believes he was abducted and probed by aliens. Because of this trauma, Mal has a great deal of rage bottled up. But Mal also has great tenderness and potential for love. He brings abandoned pets to the local vet when he finds them dying by the side of the road. He is also attracted to Po...more

like · see review

Nov 29, 2011 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mal is the kid on the fringes of everything, and that’s where he likes to be, since he doesn’t fit in anywhere else—not at school, not at home, not anywhere. But just because he’s quiet and rarely speaks up doesn’t mean he doesn’t have anything to say, especially about what happened to him years ago. When he was much younger, he disappeared for three days. Everyone else thought he ran away and had a seizure and explained his disappearance in rational, medical terms. But Mal thinks it was somethi...more Mal is the kid on the fringes of everything, and that’s where he likes to be, since he doesn’t fit in anywhere else—not at school, not at home, not anywhere. But just because he’s quiet and rarely speaks up doesn’t mean he doesn’t have anything to say, especially about what happened to him years ago. When he was much younger, he disappeared for three days. Everyone else thought he ran away and had a seizure and explained his disappearance in rational, medical terms. But Mal thinks it was something else. He thinks, no he knows that it was an alien abduction. The hope that there is intelligent life elsewhere is what has gotten Mal through the worst parts of his life, because that means they could come for him again and he can escape his life on Earth. And when Mal meets Hooper, a guy with some possibly otherworldy secrets, at an abductee support group, he’s closer than ever to getting what he wants most. But is escape from Earth really what Mal wants or even what he needs?

First Day on Earth is a quick and thoughtful look at learning to accept and appreciate the hand you’re dealt, so to speak, in the context of science fiction. Everyone’s wished to escape from their life at least once, but Mal’s desire to escape is so great that he wants to even leave planet Earth. Castellucci’s sparse yet powerful prose really draws readers to the heart of Mal’s pain and desperation. What we get is a sad but ultimately sweet and hopeful story as Mal tries to figure out whether to try to escape with extraterrestrials or to keep living on Earth. Though I most certainly enjoyed reading First Day on Earth, I can’t say that the story or its ending particularly grabbed me in the way Rose Sees Red, another novel by Castellucci that I’ve read, did. I think this is due to the fact that Mal isolates himself so much, even from the reader, that I never felt entirely invested in his life, disappointed by the bad things that happened to him, or buoyed by his moments of optimism. Nevertheless, First Day on Earth remains a worthwhile read and a good pick especially for readers looking for only a dash of sci-fi.

First Day on Earth is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman, Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, and other novels by Cecil Castellucci.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Reading Teen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It's certainly not a book I would normally read, and I'm actually not sure why I picked this one up. It may be because it was so short. I flipped the book open and read the first chapter in a matter of seconds, and each chapter was, at most, a couple of pages, and at least, only one sentence, giving me a feeling of accomplishment.

At first, I didn't think I was going to like the book. Mal is not a happy person, and seems to be critical and ju...more

like · see review

Oct 19, 2011 Deborah Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've long thought that one reason we love stories about aliens (or sentient nonhuman creatures) is that at one time or another, we've all felt like aliens ourselves. I know I have, and I'll bet that just about everyone who's survived adolescence has, too. (The "just about" is a hedge in case there are, somewhere in the world, people who just sailed through; I'm willing to allow for the possibility, even if I don't know any of them.)

Cecil Castellucci takes that experience and whirls it around in...more

like · see review

Oct 17, 2011 Amy Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I am not a big fan of alien abductions and such, but I decided to give this book a chance since it was sent to me for review. I was actually surprised to find that it wasn't too bad of a book. While I am still not a fan of aliens, the author did a wonderful job in exploring this type of plot line.

Mal lives with his often drunk mother after his father walked out on them years ago. He tries to take care of his mother the best way he can, but he also has issues that he is dealing with and no one to...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2011 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, first-person-narrator-all-ages, guys-read, grief, high-school-and-beyond

Mal is not as he appears; when Hooper says, "Mal means bad." Mal replies, "In Latin or French or Spanish, but I'm not Spanish. And I am not bad.".
He scares people, but takes care of his mother, rescues animals and goes to group. Mom is a devastated mess after Dad sneaks out leaving his family abandoned and confused. They want an explanation, what they get are legal documents. This along with Mom's drunken reaction to it make Mal's life grim. He goes to school, endures derision, comes home, deal...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 08, 2011 Jennifer Rayment rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

Sensitively and beautifully written
Incredibly well drawn and believable characters who develop so well - especially brilliant considering this is such a short quick read
Cecil is extremely talented at setting the mood and landscape of the story.
One of the shortest most outstanding pieces of YA I have ever read - will really speak to those who have felt like an "alien" while growing up
Hopeful and honest
Truly unique and thought provoking - would love to discuss this with others
...more

like · see review

May 04, 2012 Steven R. McEvoy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-best-of, read-2011

To be honest I loved this book so much that it has taken me months to write my review. I wanted to let the book settle and give it a second reading before writing this review. I was concerned that my enthusiasm was so great I would not be objective in my review or just blather on about how great the novel is. I also read it almost 6 months before it came out. I have now waited, gone back and read it again, and still love it. I love everything that Cecil Castelluci has published but there is some...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Catherine Gordon rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Catherine by: Won it from Goodreads

This is a beautiful little book. The story deals mainly with the concept of alienation specifically through the main character Mal. As a teenager he is an outsider, unable to fit in, he has emotional baggage from the abandonment of his father, his mother's alcoholism and his suspicion that he was abducted by aliens. Whether or not the latter is true doesn't really matter as the book explores the deeper themes of the parent/child relationship, friendship in general, and the control that he exerci...more

like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Akanksha Gogi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me just put this out there before I begin. This isn't a big book or anything but it's the first book that I've finished so quickly. Usually it takes me 2 weeks or maybe more since I'm distracted by whats going on with the rest of the world and I actually have a life to deal with, but this took me just a few days. It's also how easily I was able to go through the pages without having to think, what am I reading? Sometimes I do that because I'm not paying attention to the words and it all beco...more Let me just put this out there before I begin. This isn't a big book or anything but it's the first book that I've finished so quickly. Usually it takes me 2 weeks or maybe more since I'm distracted by whats going on with the rest of the world and I actually have a life to deal with, but this took me just a few days. It's also how easily I was able to go through the pages without having to think, what am I reading? Sometimes I do that because I'm not paying attention to the words and it all becomes a blob when that part becomes important to the story. It was easy for me with this story because Cecil, can I call you Cecil, wrote it in the newest format in my opinion. It was simple, organized, and so easy to understand. She made the character real but also mysterious by the lack of information she gave. She just summed it all up for the reader instead of having to read something like:

And as he watched towards the desk, hands frozen from the anxiety and frustration, he felt a change of mind. Was he to do this? Did he want to do this? To this point, he didn't even know what he was doing. His eyes lowered at the book. It was such a simple book and yet him, as complicated as he was could be as simple as the book in a different dimension.

Whereas Cecil would make it more of:

That book, he hated that book. He didn't want to read it! Or did he? Just starring at the book caused some temptation. It was hard to put his mind around his opinions. He was, in fact, a very complicated soul.

How much easier is that to read! You get the idea what I'm trying to say. Her writing isn't as horrible as mine but it is much easier to understand than those detailed fatty books.

Now, if some of you may like those never ending books, it's okay. This book is more of a read for the sake of it. Something to pass the time. Those quicky books. I don't really read quick-pick books but I found this book from the White Pine Book Nominees for 2013.

I've also gotten two other books to read from that, Getting Over Garrett Delaney and The Way We Fall, and have started reading The Way We Fall. I must say there may be some big competition. This is my first time reading the White Pine books since I'm in 9th grade and it wouldn't exactly make sense to read White Pine books before since they are specified for age groups. But, yes. I do see some fun this year with the nominees.

In short, read this book if you're thinking about it.(less)

like · see review

Jun 29, 2012 Daniela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, science-fiction, supernatural, young-adult

Age Group:
Young Adult

Genre:
Science Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural

Summary:
Mal doesn't quite fit in at high school. He's got two friends but they aren't very close. And there's this girl named Posey who kind of gets him but keeps her distance. Mal is pretty much a loner. He starts attending group therapy sessions and that's when the secrets start to unravel.

Mal is convinced that when he was seven he was abducted by aliens. Ever since, Mal feels like he doesn't belong - like he would be better off...more

like · see review

Sep 30, 2011 Ken Kugler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mal is an alien(ated) teen who feels he does not belong anywhere. His life is so screwed up that he works against his own best interests. His father walked out without an explanation. Mal and his mom don't cope well with life. His mom goes for the bottle for solstice and he wants to leave this plantet, the one he has not fit into since he had to take over and be the adult in his family. Then Hooper comes into his life. Hooper is a homeless man who tells Mal that he has been trapped on earth but...more

like · see review

Aug 29, 2011 Ben Loory rated it 5 of 5 stars

i met cecil castelluci at a party a couple months ago and talked to her a little bit... she has this amazing personality, sort of radiates strength and wisdom and mysterious good humor, and this book (the first of hers i've read) is the exact same way. there's a lot of space between the sentences, a lot of things that go unsaid, but from behind and between all the words and images you get an intensity of feeling which is really hard to come by; by the end of this book i was literally sobbing and...more

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 17, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature

"I've been to outer space and back again. I've been caged. I've been probed and spliced and diced and I am being tracked. They are going to take me again one day. I know it because I heard them say it in my brain. They are out there and they are watching us. And you just move like a sleepwalker from class to class whenever the bell rings.

I think you are sheep.

But one day, I'm going with them. And I'm going to be free."

Mal moves through his high school as an outsider, with few friends, and minima...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, sci-fi, ya

As much as I harp on about not liking science fiction, I think I subconsciously love it. Seriously, I tore through First Day On Earth by Cecil Castellucci, which okay, reads more like a contemporary young adult book than hard science fiction. But you know what? For a reader like me that is perfect.
Read the rest of my review here

1 like · like · see review

Nov 03, 2011 Natalia Belikov rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, young-adult, received-won

More reviews at http://dazzlingreads.blogspot.com

Contrary to what I usually read, Cecil Castellucci's First Day on Earth was a very particular book to read and, at the same time, absolutely gratifying. With a quick narrative and only 160 pages, Castellucci manages to put a great amount of content that is illustrated in Mel, a teenage boy who, at the age of 12, was abducted by Aliens.

Mel struggles with many problems during this book. It is not only the fact that he was abducted, or so he thinks s...more More reviews at http://dazzlingreads.blogspot.com

Contrary to what I usually read, Cecil Castellucci's First Day on Earth was a very particular book to read and, at the same time, absolutely gratifying. With a quick narrative and only 160 pages, Castellucci manages to put a great amount of content that is illustrated in Mel, a teenage boy who, at the age of 12, was abducted by Aliens.

Mel struggles with many problems during this book. It is not only the fact that he was abducted, or so he thinks since he is not even 100% sure of it himself, but many of his problems also comes from his father's abandonment and his alcoholic mother. Mel is a boy who feels absolutely alone. He keeps his abduction in secret and turns into a loner with no one to get comfort from.
I think the sens of belonging was really important in this book and how, just by having it, someone can overcome issues that were impossible to overcome before. Mel is a boy who struggles with teenage and family issues at the same time he struggles with his abduction. But what Mel really want is to be abducted again, leave this Earth, and be light-years away from what is hurting him. Mel, who besides feeling alone, feels alien himself on his own place.

Mel also starts going to an Alien Abduction Support group where he, for the first time, starts telling what happened to him when he was twelve years-old and. In this place he also meets Hooper, a mysterious guy Mel starts, finally, to find friendship. Posey and Darwyn were other key characters that completed the story. The were lovable and special in their own way. I think without them, the end of the story might have been different and the message would not have been the same.

I like the way Castellucci's writing is quick and direct to the point. This, kept me focused in the Mel's issues all the time as well as trying to figure out how Castellucci would give a bright end to a book I was finding so dark. This was, in fact, a short intense read but with a very gratifying resolution and message.

Castellucci's novel was an interesting and rich twist from what I usually find on the shelves and I am really glad I read it. First Day on Earth is a life lesson in a in a short episode of a teenage boy that will nourish readers with great values and and striking experiences.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 Roselyn - bookmarkedpages rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

This book really disappointed me. I am a lover of all things alien, so when I saw a book about an abductee I thought ‘perfect’. But what I got instead was a book about what it means to fit in.

I felt like the whole story was just a metaphor about not running away from your problems and fitting in. Mal believes that he was abducted because it would explain why he doesn’t fit in and wants so desperately to leave the planet that it becomes his whole focus of his life. At the end he realizes that he...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review originally posted on The Book Smugglers

It’s been a rough time for Mal lately: he is angry, frustrated and lonely. His father up and left a few years before and never looked back. His mother is an alcoholic with serious mental problems and is unable to take care of herself much less tend to her son’s needs. If that wasn’t enough, Mal believes he is an alien abductee but no one would believe him. This heavy secret has been gnawing at him not only because of the trauma but above all because...more Review originally posted on The Book Smugglers

It’s been a rough time for Mal lately: he is angry, frustrated and lonely. His father up and left a few years before and never looked back. His mother is an alcoholic with serious mental problems and is unable to take care of herself much less tend to her son’s needs. If that wasn’t enough, Mal believes he is an alien abductee but no one would believe him. This heavy secret has been gnawing at him not only because of the trauma but above all because he wants the aliens to come back and take him away from his miserable life. Then one day he joins a support group for alien abductees where he meets this strange guy called Hooper – who may or may not be an alien stranded on earth. When Hooper tells Mal he is leaving soon, Mal decides he wants to join him. Alongside two unlikely friends from Mal’s school, they embark on a road trip through the desert to meet Hooper’s spaceship.

Sparingly narrated, First Day on Earthis a raw, uncompromising story about what it feels like to be an outsider, an alien. Cecil Castellucci’s prose is effective in portraying just how lonely and apart Mal feels at school and at home. He is the sort of inconspicuous kid that everybody writes-off because he doesn’t look good, doesn’t participate, almost living on the fringes of the world, inviting his own loneliness. When he meets Hooper, part of him believes the guy to be a lunatic and part of him hopes he is really an alien not only because it would be a confirmation of his own story but also it could mean he could get away.

The are-there-are-there-not aliens conundrum is probably my favourite part of the novel because of the numerous questions this doubt brings up. WAS Mal really abducted or did he just block out how badly he felt when his father left? IS Hooper really an alien and if he is, would leaving earth and his mother really solve Mal’s problems? I also enjoyed how the last part of the story turned into this road trip with his new friends Posey and Darwyn, with all the usual road trip trappings with all bickering, adventures, culminating in the ultimate resolution breakthrough.

On the down side, because this is such a short story, it felt like certain elements were severely underdeveloped. It was difficult to accept the story’s denouement because Mal’s arc and eventual decisions felt a bit rushed considering the short amount of time it takes for him to reach an understanding. Furthermore most of the secondary characters, including his mother and father but mostly his two new friends Posey and Darwyn read a lot like stock ContempYA characters: the Troubled Mother, the Absent Father, the Misunderstood Popular Girl, the Shy yet Wise Outsider. I expect that a bit more of meaty character development could have turned these into fully fleshed-out characters but as it was they seemed to be merely fodder for Mal’s arc and for the novel’s main theme of how everybody can feel like an alien at some point in their lives.

Despite these misgivings, I actually thoroughly enjoyed First Day on Earthand felt it was a good introduction to Cecil Castellucci’s writing.(less)

like · see review

Nov 19, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

This is a very short novel so my review will probably be short as well. The novel is about teenager (originally reviewed on starmetal oak book blog)

Mal who has a pretty tragic life, living with his alcoholic mother after his dad left the family. This is very character driven, I find, and it's what makes this short book interesting. Not only does Mal have to deal with some pretty serious problems, he also is trying to cope with being abducted by aliens. He goes to group meetings for the contacte...more

like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Elle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I think the bluntness of it, the writing is simplistic, the MC. I can totally relate to Mal except for the being abducted by aliens bit, but his feelings are so easy to relate to and seem genuine. I want to give him a hug and tell him everything will be all right because that's what he needs. I have hope for him and would love to know how his story continues. It's odd that he needs someone not from Earth to get him to realize how he truly feels about his life on Earth...more

like · see review

Nov 02, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

Firstly this is a great book for teens, especially the guys. There is some language but it gives it the perfect tone to tell Mal's story, which could be any one's story.

The problem with being a teenager is that no one understands you. For Mal it is that he really is misunderstood. His Dad left, his Mom is an alcoholic, he has two friends who never talk, and he was abducted by aliens. We start the story in a storm of loneliness and a cloud of depression. Now the difference from other brooding tee...more

like · see review

May 28, 2011 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

This book really grabbed me. It is a thin volume that is spare and packed with meaning.

Mal is an angry teen with good reasons for the anger. His mom is a drunk who just tries to wash down life's disappointments (hubby that left) and Mal is left to pick up the pieces and hold it together.
Mal harbors a secret - he was abducted by aliens, poked, probed and dropped back in the desert. While at a meeting he meets Hooper - who later confides that he is an adventurous, explorer-alien.
In the midst of...more

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 44 45 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Young Adult

32 users

Science Fiction

21 users

Young Adult > Teen

5 users

Mystery

5 users

Science Fiction > Aliens

4 users

Contemporary

4 users

Young Adult > High School

4 users

Fantasy

3 users

Cultural > Canada

3 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Destroy All Cars
by Blake Nelson
All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky
by Joe R. Lansdale
Way to Go
by Tom Ryan
The Taming
by Teresa Toten
All Good Children
by Catherine Austen

About Cecil Castellucci

Cecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books, most notably Boy Proof and The PLAIN Janes. Upcoming in 2012 is her new hybrid prose / graphic novel The Year of the Beasts illustrated by Nate Powell.

She is also the author of First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Beige, The Queen of Cool and Janes in Love. Her short stories can be found in various anthologies such as After, Teeth...more

More about Cecil Castellucci...

Books by Cecil Castellucci

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About First Day on Earth

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from First Day on Earth

“Hello and good-bye are not as simple as everyone thinks.” — 10 people liked it

“My life sucks. So I shave my head.” — 4 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: First Day on Earth
avg rating	preview: First Day on Earth Goodreads rating: 3.32 (419 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10699692-first-day-on-earth?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305849960l/10699692.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10699692-first-day-on-earth?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci[/url]

First Day on Earth

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website