Terrestrial

by Suzy Eynon

While skipping class one day, seventeen-year-old Daisy finds a mysterious message in the girls’ bathroom. Though she’s not sure if it’s meant for her, she’s determined to find the sender. Every message has a sender. Soon she begins witnessing strange lights in the desert surrounding the small Arizona town from which she’s determined to escape. Before she can go far, however, she must face the parts of herself she wishes to rewrite. Inspired by the Phoenix Lights phenomena of the late 1990s, Terrestrial explores themes of isolation, communication, place, and the desert as both a home and a questionably inhabitable environment.

EARLY PRAISE:

“Quirky, thoughtful, and heartfelt, a coming-of-age journey that might be enjoyed alongside the works of Kevin Wilson or Marie-Helene Bertino. Here, Eynon writes with poetic precision about contradictions: her characters are charming and awkward, vast and introspective. Her focus is on the lonely, the mundane, and the spectacular. Terrestrial is wildly human while exploring that which makes us alien to ourselves and each other.” 

– Joey Hedger, author of In the Line of a Hurricane and Deliver Thy Pigs

“In Terrestrial, teenage Daisy is disappearing in so many ways; even in fantasy she imagines herself as a person who doesn’t show ‘excessive human need.’ But in Suzy Eynon’s careful hands, these moments of intense, palpable loneliness are buoyed by hope and the possibility of meaningful connection. Eynon crafts Daisy’s rich inner world with such tenderness, and the backdrop of the alien desert is both haunting and gorgeous. Eynon masterfully plays with color and texture—pastels and creams, stucco and carpet, sweaty gum-sticky paper—and light—blinding oranges manipulated by miniblinds, or the mysterious ones in the night sky. Terrestrial feels, itself, like a secret message, blinking out to anyone who has ever felt alone.”

 – Emily Costa, author of Girl on Girl and Until It Feels Right

“In this taut novella, we are transported to the sprawling Arizona suburbs with their faux adobe houses and dusty, cracked cul-de-sacs. In this barren landscape, we scramble along with Daisy as she searches for signs of life and connection, human or otherwise. Terrestrial aches with the turmoil of adolescence.” 

– Drew Buxton, author of So Much Heart and Daytona Teddy Riggs

Genres: Fiction

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Suzy Eynon is the author of Terrestrial from Malarkey Books and the prose chapbook Being Seen from Ethel. Her work has been published in Passages North, Roanoke Review, The Dodge, and elsewhere. She lives in Seattle.

Reviews

[T.J. Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bruised my heart; such a familiar ache. Told through the lens of an awkward, painfully self-aware adolescent, this is a brilliant depiction of attempting to decipher the cryptograms that others seem to present. Messages are sent and received throughout—or so it seems. If one is looking for something, the old saying goes, one typically finds it; and the person at the heart of this story is desperately lonely, the last firefly of summer, blinking out in the backyard. But what if she, herself, is meant to be the receiver of a message... and doesn't know it? This possibility, which becomes available to her almost immediately in the story, opens up new doorways for her, and begins to change how she thinks about communication entirely.

Though the actual narrative here to any other eye might seem rather quotidian, each event is imbued with meaning, courtesy of Daisy's restless, pattern-seeking mind. As a result, the story is full of vibrant, unique descriptions of the physical world while also simultaneously, delicately questioning its objective reality. This expressionistic doubling reminded me of the speculative lean, the philosophical pitch and slant, of Gregg Araki's films—and the novella is also suffused in that same instantly-recognizable atmosphere of the 90s, but evoking it so distinctly as to transcend the membrane of mere nostalgia. I was never bored or even impatient once with this slim novella, even despite the narrative's emphasis on minutiae and everyday routine; the author infuses these constant observations with honest pathos and even humor, allowing direct access to the layered world of Daisy—a flower that, out of place in the middle of the desert, struggles to grow.

By the end of this read, I felt slightly altered—even dazed—as if I myself had been spotlit by the tractor beam of the smart, sensitive prose. Highly recommended; I will be eagerly looking forward to whatever this author publishes next.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautifully written novella that captures the mood and the interior of a high school student, Daisy, who is exploring the unbounded exterior. The geography of a small town in Arizona, "the low desert of the valley" that is "all-consuming, like a sea in which Daisy may drown" is in contrast to Daisy's quiet introspection.

I loved reading this and it's one of those books that makes you glad you're reading indie, with all its nuance.

[Jesse Hilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 rounded up.

A very earnest evocation of teenage years, of wondering what is out there, who might be thinking of you or going to see you for who you really are. And not in an exceedingly paranoid way. I appreciated that this novella had just enough darkness to provide an edge of suspense but it didn’t go too dark. I was worried that an avalanche of darkness and misfortune was coming. And glad that the book kept it balanced.

One note was that it seemed like more could have been said, that it was clipped to an end too soon. But no, it was actually fine. Some lives and adventures are subtle veerings away from the safety of norms, not wholesale plunging into the unknown. And this is valuable too.

[Samantha Kolber · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Spoiler Review). A glimpse into a depressed teenager coming of age in suburbia. If you grew up in a suburb and are neurodivergent and kept a journal, you’ll probably relate to this story of anxiety and ennui and writing, as I did. Four stars only because the timeframe was confusing; I’d assumed it was the 90s because there were no cell phones and the characters used landlines and went to malls, but then an incident happened with Starlink, or at least something described as such (a line of white stars moving across the sky) and so I feel like the time period was off. But overall a well written novella of despair and longing for connection.

[Alec Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They had a chance to reach others, and they squandered it.”

A lovely piece of fiction, about desperately wanting to send a message instead of being plucked away (and how those feelings are often the same). Great balance between Daisy’s perception of interactions and what the reality is. Felt incredibly realistic without being harsh, and a wonderful story about an awkward child I fear I relate to far too well. Maybe my town has been replaced with aliens too. Maybe not, but man, shouldn’t there be some reason I don’t fit in?

[S. Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I loved all the familiar references to a time and place of my own youth in Arizona. The desert is a canvas of its own making, and Eynon’s character, Daisy, is exposed in a way that feels as vulnerable and tender as her young age. Terrestrial is more about the alienation of our teenage years, something we’ve all experienced trying to find our place in the world. Terrestrial reminds us that we’re not alone, even as we look to the universe for answers, and touches on the cornerstones of our search for a place in this world.

[Joey Hedger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky, thoughtful, and heartfelt, a coming-of-age journey that might be enjoyed alongside the works of Kevin Wilson or Marie-Helene Bertino. Here, Eynon writes with poetic precision about contradictions: her characters are charming and awkward, vast and introspective. Her focus is on the lonely, the mundane, and the spectacular. Terrestrial is wildly human while exploring that which makes us alien to ourselves and each other.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous and weird little book

[Susan Hettinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Terrestrial," author Suzy Eynon creates a haunting sense of the desolate Arizona desert and an emotionally satisfying story of alienation. Protagonist Daisy, a high school girl with a rich fantasy life and a questioning mind experiences social isolation and family disconnection. But she's got grit, brains and a nearly magical notebook. Also a keen interest in a spacecraft crash landing near the local dump. The prose is sharp, witty and elegant. This novella (85 pages) progresses deftly through a short time span and delivers a satisfying and mysterious conclusion.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird

An interesting vignette about being a teenager, feeling lost, and trying to find something to guide you. Kind of surreal, and moving.

[Adam McPhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something people forget about life basically at all times between June 8, 1947 (Roswell, New Mexico headline day) and September 11, 2001 (arbitrary date picked from the calendar) is that we all believed––not necessarily that aliens were real, but that we were going to have to deal with this UFO stuff sooner or later. This book captures that feeling, that belief, and uses it to tell a very powerful story.

It captures a lot of other things too, like the isolation of being a teenager, and the sense of wonder you can develop in spite of that.

Thanks to Malarkey Books for the ARC. Long live Malarkey!

[Joshua Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The faintest flicker dotted the sky, a pinprick of light in all that purpling.”

Growing up is hard on a lot of people. It’s hard on Daisy. Feeling alone and invisible to the world around her, she searches for meaning in anything, even a note left on a bathroom door.

Beautifully subtle, full of quiet yearning. Suzy has written something truly unique. She asks us to consider Daisy and one central question: what if we’re not alone?

[Ivy Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrestrial is a startling, quiet story about Daisy, a girl who has to somehow survive the hellishness of high school. I loved being in her head and exploring her world, a barren desert suburb that made me think of Twin Peaks: The Return and The Goldfinch. This rich and strange novella really surprised me and left me with a sense of wonder. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it!

[Melanie Houghton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel this is more about teenage anguish than terrestrials. It is written well and makes you feel like you are back in high school and all the insecurities that go with it. This is a good change of pace read for the summer.

[Christi Nogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relatable adolescent pain here as well as a stunning evocation of landscape! I will look forward to reading more from Suzy Eynon!

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beguiling little novella that is ostensibly about aliens and UFOs, but asks the question: aren't we all aliens to one another? I enjoyed the strange, dreamlike atmosphere and the painful details about teen life. Sad that after decades since I crept through the halls of high school, it seems like it hasn't changed a bit.