What do you think?
Rate this book
They Came from Below
Seventeen-year-old Emily and her best friend Reese can't wait for summer vacation on Cape Cod. Every year, it's the same thing: high hopes that they may finally hook up with some cool guys...and it never happens. But this year, they're sure it's going to be different. So it's totally amazing when out of nowhere they meet two unbelievably adorable boys who are just too cute to be true! Which, they soon discover, may be the case. A lot of odd things happen when Steve and Dave are around. Reese figures it's because they're not from around here. So where are they from, France? Well, not quite...
Summoned from the depths of the sea by the dire threat of global pollution, friendly aliens "Steve and Dave" have manifested themselves in human form and come ashore in a last desperate effort to save the oceans.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2007
7 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Blake Nelson
27 books402 followersBlake Nelson grew up in Portland, Oregon. He began his career writing short humor pieces for Details Magazine.
His first novel GIRL was originally serialized in SASSY magazine and was made into a film staring Selma Blaire and Portia De Rossi.
His novel PARANOID PARK won the prestigious International Grinzane Literary Award and was made into a film by Gus Van Sant.
His most recent Young Adult novel THE PRINCE OF VENICE BEACH has been shortlisted for the 2015 Edgar Award.
His 2011 novel RECOVERY ROAD has been adapted into a television drama for ABC FAMILY and will premier in January of 2016.
His first novel GIRL was originally serialized in SASSY magazine and was made into a film staring Selma Blaire and Portia De Rossi.
His novel PARANOID PARK won the prestigious International Grinzane Literary Award and was made into a film by Gus Van Sant.
His most recent Young Adult novel THE PRINCE OF VENICE BEACH has been shortlisted for the 2015 Edgar Award.
His 2011 novel RECOVERY ROAD has been adapted into a television drama for ABC FAMILY and will premier in January of 2016.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 30, 2018
What a fun read! Blake Nelson is always a great read, and this book, his first Sci-Fi, was no exception. Emily and Reese are back on Cape Cod for another summer of the beach and boys and hanging out when two very unusual strangers shift things drastically...along with a mysterious creature that came from below the sea. Emily's marine biologist dad tries to identify it, Emily and Reese begin falling in infatuation with the strangers, the other tourists on the beach get involved, the local cops are confused - it's a great read in how it comes together. Best of all, it's funny. Really enjoyed this one! (P.S. Wish Follett Titlewave let you order this one! Need to order it from Amazon to add it to my school's collection.)
April 28, 2020
So I’m really not sure who this book is for. It’s clearly not for me. It’s not for children. Maybe it’s for young teenagers? I don’t know. The writing is simplistic and stereotypical and unrealistic. I guess I shouldn’t expect much considering I got my copy of this book because it was withdrawn from my high school library (presumably because it wasn’t checked out very often). The writing was lackluster, and the characters were flat, but it only too two hours to read, and I was entertained. 2 stars.
April 29, 2018
Not bad, but tween me would’ve enjoyed it more. And I can’t believe there wasn’t a second one after that ending, like c’mon, my dude.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Becca Boland for TeensReadToo.com
Okay, I'm going to tell you the secret. The mystery to be solved, the secret to be unlocked. Ready? Here it is -- they came from below.
Every summer, Emily Dalton leaves Indianapolis to spend the summer with her scientist father on Cape Cod. She spends most of her time in South Point going to the beach, eating pizza, and meeting boys with her best friend, Reese. A week into the summer, they meet Steve and Dave, two of the cutest boys they have ever seen. They feel drawn to them in a way they have never felt before, almost like they are not human.
Strange things seem to happen wherever the two of them go. A boy falls off of a roof at a local party and breaks his neck, but after a couple of minutes with Steve and Dave, he walks away unharmed. Emily and Reese realize that these guys are not just tourists. They came from below, and they need to find their way back to the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, they cannot return to their home until they rescue their friend from a top-secret government facility, and they need Reese, Professor Dalton, and Emily to help them do it.
This book is smart and funny. Emily and Reese are like any teens you might meet on your summer vacation. They are interesting and quirky and fun. It is so easy to get wrapped up in their story of crushes and friendship that you might not realize what the book is truly about until you have finished it. It is also about close encounters of the third kind, but it is so much more than your typical sci-fi alien encounter book. The aliens look and act like humans, but their emotional range is much deeper than anything we can feel. They experience the world in a way that we cannot imagine.
THEY CAME FROM BELOW also looks at the way that we treat the Earth. In my opinion, this is the best kind of book; one that keeps your interest, has a great story, and delivers a message with a strong impact that does not get in the way. It is science fiction, but reads like contemporary fiction. Definitely worth picking up!
Okay, I'm going to tell you the secret. The mystery to be solved, the secret to be unlocked. Ready? Here it is -- they came from below.
Every summer, Emily Dalton leaves Indianapolis to spend the summer with her scientist father on Cape Cod. She spends most of her time in South Point going to the beach, eating pizza, and meeting boys with her best friend, Reese. A week into the summer, they meet Steve and Dave, two of the cutest boys they have ever seen. They feel drawn to them in a way they have never felt before, almost like they are not human.
Strange things seem to happen wherever the two of them go. A boy falls off of a roof at a local party and breaks his neck, but after a couple of minutes with Steve and Dave, he walks away unharmed. Emily and Reese realize that these guys are not just tourists. They came from below, and they need to find their way back to the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, they cannot return to their home until they rescue their friend from a top-secret government facility, and they need Reese, Professor Dalton, and Emily to help them do it.
This book is smart and funny. Emily and Reese are like any teens you might meet on your summer vacation. They are interesting and quirky and fun. It is so easy to get wrapped up in their story of crushes and friendship that you might not realize what the book is truly about until you have finished it. It is also about close encounters of the third kind, but it is so much more than your typical sci-fi alien encounter book. The aliens look and act like humans, but their emotional range is much deeper than anything we can feel. They experience the world in a way that we cannot imagine.
THEY CAME FROM BELOW also looks at the way that we treat the Earth. In my opinion, this is the best kind of book; one that keeps your interest, has a great story, and delivers a message with a strong impact that does not get in the way. It is science fiction, but reads like contemporary fiction. Definitely worth picking up!
November 12, 2011
I would have loved this book had it not been for the odd-ness of the writing. The tone shifted rapidly from thoughtful, poignant, rare for YA to ehmagawd-quickread-typical YA lit writing. There was definitely potential for more solid, but interesting writing that would've made the book a bit better.
However, the plot was really captivating, and I'd definitely reread this book if only for the strange, sad, sometimes random, but all coming together somehow-ness of it. I'd argue that no, the book wasn't preachy about the environment and being green and whatever. It was actually more accented in the (maybe one too many) scenes when the main character starts to notice the harmony of the Earth, etc. Which sounds really cheesy, but it wasn't.
Then there were the characters. The main character had, as I said previously, no distinctive voice, and she didn't seem like that distinctive of a person, either. I found her quietly-hip-but-really-insecure friend more interesting, especially as her insecurity becomes more evident towards the end. The "aliens" that come from the ocean are mediocre as characters, but it's fun to watch them grow to be a part of the human world and yet understand it very deeply.
The author kind of took the easy way out by making her dad COMPLETELY unquestioning of whatever she's doing, and understands the aliens better than she does. Hmm.
Overall, it's a pretty easy read when it comes to the depth of the writing and the short chapters, but once you reach the end, there's a lot to think about that's NOT just save-the-planet. I'd recommend it.
However, the plot was really captivating, and I'd definitely reread this book if only for the strange, sad, sometimes random, but all coming together somehow-ness of it. I'd argue that no, the book wasn't preachy about the environment and being green and whatever. It was actually more accented in the (maybe one too many) scenes when the main character starts to notice the harmony of the Earth, etc. Which sounds really cheesy, but it wasn't.
Then there were the characters. The main character had, as I said previously, no distinctive voice, and she didn't seem like that distinctive of a person, either. I found her quietly-hip-but-really-insecure friend more interesting, especially as her insecurity becomes more evident towards the end. The "aliens" that come from the ocean are mediocre as characters, but it's fun to watch them grow to be a part of the human world and yet understand it very deeply.
The author kind of took the easy way out by making her dad COMPLETELY unquestioning of whatever she's doing, and understands the aliens better than she does. Hmm.
Overall, it's a pretty easy read when it comes to the depth of the writing and the short chapters, but once you reach the end, there's a lot to think about that's NOT just save-the-planet. I'd recommend it.
December 11, 2007
Emily spends every summer in Boston with her father, a marine biologist from MIT, and spends most of her time on the beach with her Goth friend Reese. This year, they're determined to find the perfect summer romance. That is until something strange washes up to shore and two very attractive boys turn up. But are they simply very foreign exchange students or are they actually from another planet?
So much was going on in this book and I think Nelson did a very good job of balancing out the typical teen summer romance with unusual nearly Lovecraftian aliens from the depths of the ocean. The newspaper articles seemed slightly disconnected from the story, however, and I wish Nelson had worked to tie up those loose ends in a more obvious way.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I have to say a great deal of that is owed to the fact that the book focuses on Emily rather than Reese who is your typical teenager, but learns something from the aliens and this experience. Reese irritated me throughout the book with her clinginess and less than helpful means of dealing with the aliens named Steve and Dave. The themes of pollution were handled skillfully and a message of change was delivered without Nelson being heavy-handed.
So much was going on in this book and I think Nelson did a very good job of balancing out the typical teen summer romance with unusual nearly Lovecraftian aliens from the depths of the ocean. The newspaper articles seemed slightly disconnected from the story, however, and I wish Nelson had worked to tie up those loose ends in a more obvious way.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I have to say a great deal of that is owed to the fact that the book focuses on Emily rather than Reese who is your typical teenager, but learns something from the aliens and this experience. Reese irritated me throughout the book with her clinginess and less than helpful means of dealing with the aliens named Steve and Dave. The themes of pollution were handled skillfully and a message of change was delivered without Nelson being heavy-handed.
Read
December 10, 2008They Came From Below by Blake Nelson
Two things happen while seventeen year old Emily is vacationing on Cape Cod. First, a strange body washes up on the beach and her Dad become part of a hush-hush government investigation which seems to zap all his strength. Second, Emily and her best friend, Reese, meet two guys who seem too good to be true.
Dave and Steve are the best looking guys the girls have ever seen, but the guys act kind of odd; in fact, a lot of odd things happen when the guys are around. The girls don’t think these guys are really foreign exchange students as they claim they are, although there is something “otherworldly” about them alright. They even look a little different each time the girls see them but that doesn’t seem to matter because Emily and Reese feel so awesome when they are around. And after hanging out with these guys, the girls have the most amazing dreams and can’t wait to see them again.
But things get really weird after a beach party one night, when a kid dies as party-goers flee the police—but that’s not the weird part. The weird part is that Steve brings the kid back to life! Who are Dave and Steve? Where do they really come from?
Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Grade 8-12; Age 13 and up
Submitted by Carolyn D. Reed
Two things happen while seventeen year old Emily is vacationing on Cape Cod. First, a strange body washes up on the beach and her Dad become part of a hush-hush government investigation which seems to zap all his strength. Second, Emily and her best friend, Reese, meet two guys who seem too good to be true.
Dave and Steve are the best looking guys the girls have ever seen, but the guys act kind of odd; in fact, a lot of odd things happen when the guys are around. The girls don’t think these guys are really foreign exchange students as they claim they are, although there is something “otherworldly” about them alright. They even look a little different each time the girls see them but that doesn’t seem to matter because Emily and Reese feel so awesome when they are around. And after hanging out with these guys, the girls have the most amazing dreams and can’t wait to see them again.
But things get really weird after a beach party one night, when a kid dies as party-goers flee the police—but that’s not the weird part. The weird part is that Steve brings the kid back to life! Who are Dave and Steve? Where do they really come from?
Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Grade 8-12; Age 13 and up
Submitted by Carolyn D. Reed
June 9, 2011
It’s too easy to say they should have stayed below, and too hard to resist.
This book had potential as a “Creature From the Black Lagoon” parody, and the first dozen or so rapid-fire chapters seemed on target. The two teen heroines are plenty vacuous in their search for sun and summer hookups, and the mystery surrounding Steve and Dave is obvious and ridiculous enough. But parodies need jokes: they don’t need a decidedly unfunny message about how humans are polluting the oceans, and how touchy-feely communication might save us. And while I was ready to accept two local cops shooting each other as a gag, it’s much less successful as a serious ploy to show how awesome the undersea visitors are.
Side note: the girls and their friends are party regulars, but that doesn’t bother me, given that I never found much reason to sympathize with them anyway.
This book had potential as a “Creature From the Black Lagoon” parody, and the first dozen or so rapid-fire chapters seemed on target. The two teen heroines are plenty vacuous in their search for sun and summer hookups, and the mystery surrounding Steve and Dave is obvious and ridiculous enough. But parodies need jokes: they don’t need a decidedly unfunny message about how humans are polluting the oceans, and how touchy-feely communication might save us. And while I was ready to accept two local cops shooting each other as a gag, it’s much less successful as a serious ploy to show how awesome the undersea visitors are.
Side note: the girls and their friends are party regulars, but that doesn’t bother me, given that I never found much reason to sympathize with them anyway.
July 28, 2009
Emily and her friend Reese are expecting a normal summer in Cape Cod until they meet two of the hottest guys they've ever known. Steve and Dave have Brad Pitt looks, but seem a little awkward at first and can speak just about every language in the world. Emily and Reese soon discover that Steve and Dave aren't just normal guys and that they may be connected with a mysterious blob found on the beach a few days earlier. The combination of the books short chapters and immediate first person narrative keep the book moving at a fast pace. Although written in a light-hearted manner, serious subjects lie right below the surface. An ambiguous ending will keep the story going long after the book is closed.
May 10, 2008
Two teenage girls in a small Cape Cod town on the prowl for sun, fun and summer boyfriends encounter two movie-star hot, intelligent and sensitive guys who don't have girlfriends! What's the catch? Oh, they're just a pair of alien lifeforms from the depths of the ocean who have taken on a human form to explore the land and rescue a fellow alien who washed up on the shore. It's always something! I loved this book--It was so funny and fast-paced that I didn't even realize 'til the last 2 pages how deep, sad, and moving it was. Great environmental themes that don't whack you over the head with guilt--this one caught me by surprise.
July 20, 2017
I have to say that this book was not as exciting as I thought it would be. The idea of this story is great, but it wasn't carried through. The plot isn't that clear or organized, and the character development could have been a lot better. There were many good parts and such, don't get me wrong, but it felt like it was missing something. Also, the ending of the story was definitely short lived and ended very quickly. Then if it weren't for the awkward ending the last chapter was just not needed. I didn't feel that it was doing the novel justice to end it right there. The book was an easy read, and I don't plan to read this again.
March 24, 2008
This book is about 2 girls who goes to cape cop for the summer and meet these 2 strange men who actually came from the ocean. they've come up to find their friend and bring him home but the girls learn that the ocean are being polluted by humans and once the planet has died out they will find another home. Through this book i've learn that human influence on the earth is getting worse and worse and that if we don't do something soon it will like this book says and earth will die out in a matter of decades.
August 12, 2012
The ending was very sad. It almost made me cry. Dave and Steve was gone back under the ocean continuing to live like an organism. Emily cried a lot right after they left.
This story is told from the first person's view. This affects the story because the first person always explained whatever was going on inside her mind. She always included what she was thinking.
The reason the author wrote this book, is because he wants his readers to learn a little about science while enjoying the fantasy moments all in this same story.
This story is told from the first person's view. This affects the story because the first person always explained whatever was going on inside her mind. She always included what she was thinking.
The reason the author wrote this book, is because he wants his readers to learn a little about science while enjoying the fantasy moments all in this same story.
October 8, 2007
This book is so original and creative. I read it in one sitting! I'm not usually a fan of sci-fi but when I read the teaser for this book I was intrigued. This is also a book that will make the reader ponder topics they have might not considered before.
I don't want to give it away!
The last thing is this: the ending DROVE ME CRAZY! There will definitely be a sequel. There better be at least.
I highly recommend this novel.
I don't want to give it away!
The last thing is this: the ending DROVE ME CRAZY! There will definitely be a sequel. There better be at least.
I highly recommend this novel.
November 21, 2014
We don’t hear a lot about this book but it’s really great. It’s also hard to categorize. It features romance between human girls and supernatural boys, but it’s definitely not a Twilight read-alike. It’s full of action and suspense. It’s about saving the environment. But it’s also told in a voice of a fairly superficial teenage girl so I found it very funny. I wonder if it would get more attention if it was either more of a kooky caper or more of a serious melodrama.
Read
August 26, 2008We don’t hear a lot about this book but it’s really great. It’s also hard to categorize. It features romance between human girls and supernatural boys, but it’s definitely not a Twilight read-alike. It’s full of action and suspense. It’s about saving the environment. But it’s also told in a voice of a fairly superficial teenage girl so I found it very funny. I wonder if it would get more attention if it was either more of a kooky caper or more of a serious melodrama.
LJ@DTH
LJ@DTH
May 7, 2009
This was Blake Nelson's first attempt at science fiction and it was pretty good. This book was aimed at pre-teens and was a fast read. The plot was interesting enough that I actually dreamed about it the night after I read it. It's an environmental book in the tradition of teh Lorax but for a bit older crowd.
June 10, 2011
How have I not heard about this author before? I won an arc of Recovery Road through the Goodreads giveaway, which was amazing and now I found this one in HPB's clearance section. I like how they quietly sneak up on you. It's a great story, I'm racing to finish it, and it's not until I'm closing the cover that I think, "Wow." There's definitely another layer there.
December 30, 2007
While vacationing on Cape Cod, best friends Emily, 16, and Reese, 17, meet Steve and Dave, who seem too good to be true, and whose presence turns out to be related to a dire threat of global pollution.
Read
September 27, 2010Ages 12+ (some underage alcohol consumption, mentions of sex) One summer, a mysterious blob washes ashore on the east coast; two friends meet two mysterious men who seem inhuman - and it turns out they are. A speculative sci fi for people who don't like sci fi.
June 3, 2011
This is one of my favorite Blake Nelson books. What's not to love about this story? Best friends, summer at the shore, a great Dad character, beautiful aliens whom look like Brad Pitt and might be looking for love! Wonderful!
September 27, 2011
Had to force myself to finish. There are a few interesting ideas about 2/3 of the way
through. (Hence the 2 stars instead of 1)
However you have to get through an awful lot of drivel & poor writing to get there.
through. (Hence the 2 stars instead of 1)
However you have to get through an awful lot of drivel & poor writing to get there.
January 23, 2013
It was an enjoyable quick read. Nice combo of sci fi, Buddhist philosophy, and environmental warnings written in a friendly, non-intimidating style. I bought my copy at Dollar Tree- it was well worth the buck I paid for it. Aimed at young adults.
February 10, 2015
I feel like where this book could have gone totally off the deep end in the environmentally-conscious department, it was actually executed very elegantly. It had an Orson Scott Card feel at times with the whole metaphysics of it all. Made me want to read Xenocide all over again.
February 8, 2008
This was entertaining, but the author was unable to disguise his preachiness about environmental issues. At the end I just felt manipulated by Nelson's heavy-handedness. An okay book.
August 9, 2008
Very interesting quick read. Sometimes it came off a little preachy on the environmental issues, not that I can blame him.
April 5, 2009
Quick easy science fiction book that about environmental issues.
October 30, 2009
Very interesting quick read. Sometimes it came off a little preachy on the environmental issues, not that I can blame him.
Want to read
January 10, 2010so far so good
October 15, 2010
This book was good...just make sure no one tells you the ending!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews