First Day on Earth

First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"We are all in the gutter,
but some of us are looking at the stars."
- Oscar Wilde

Beautiful, short, but thoughtful, novel. First Day on Earth tackles the subject of alienation - both literal and metaphorical - as well as abandonment, belonging and... space travel. The protagonist, Mal, belongs to Alateen, as well as a support group for alien abductees. A complicated life. There's also enough teenage kick in this book to gain the interest of most YA readers.

I would have liked to have seen the resolution with Mal's father issue handled in a more complex way. Other than that, the novel makes the reader deeply empathize with Mal's heartbreak.

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