My Summer On Earth by Tom Lombardi

Before I begin my review I would like to let you know that this book has a large amount of foul language, frank discussions of sex, nudity, and crass humor. This book is intended for young adults who are 16 or older and who are not put off by the previously mentioned items. With that out of the way, I really enjoyed the book and found it extremely funny, and think it would be great for reluctant older male readers.

The main character of My Summer On Earth is Clint Eastwood. Well, it’s actually a “human suit” created by a race of incorporeal aliens to resemble a 16 year old Clint Eastwood, and sent down to Earth to be worn by one of their own adolescent beings. Clint’s mission is to find an alien previously sent to earth who has become a world famous movie star. Unfortunately, Clint’s superiors failed to teach him how to use the suit, or anything about human culture. He finds a friend in 15 year old Zoë, who has run away from home and crashes either with friends or on the beach. Clint also befriends Kip, an older homeless man with a heroin addiction. As a self-focused teen Clint quickly becomes sidetracked by the me-first culture of Southern California. There are many things Clint wants to do, other than his mission (his foremost concern is human lovemaking). Once he finds the alien movie star, he is introduced to Hollywood. The gleam of So Cal life soon becomes tarnished, and Clint discovers just how hard it is to be human.

I loved this book. It was very funny and read very quickly. Because of the adult content it is appropriate for older readers (16+). It would work really well for males who are reluctant readers. The sci-fi aspect is just a MacGuffin for a fish out of water story, and to satirize life in the 21st century. It’s also a coming of age tale where a young man, focused solely on his own pleasure, begins to genuinely care for those immediately around him, and then for all people. The book mainly focuses on its humor but the message is definitely there, it just doesn’t hit you in the face.

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