Summary: The First State of Being
Sweet Michael Rosario is shy and anxious about Y2K. With the fast-approaching dawn of the year 2000, Michael is convinced that all the negative buzz about technological glitches and errors brought on by the date change have merit and has been shoplifting stock for his emergency pile. The only bright spot in his life besides his doting but BUSY (working three jobs) single mother is his babysitter, Gibby, whom he might have a crush on. One day, Gibby and Michael spot an unusually dressed teenager hanging around their housing complex and after a confrontation, they realize he’s a time traveler from the future named Ridge. The chapters alternate between Ridge’s experiences with Michael and Gibby, the script of his mother’s and brothers’ dialogue in the future year 2199, and excerpts from Ridge’s sumbook compiled by his mother about major historical events of the ancient world (especially the 20th century).
The Good
WOW. I loved everything about this book, so of course, I am struggling to articulate why it was exceptional.
Entrada is gifted at conjuring fully formed characters whose fears and inner lives are wholly and sensitively rendered. Each of the kids in this book is distinct and well-rounded, with individual strengths and flaws. Michael has anxiety about everything and has to learn to live in the first state of being, something Ridge explains to him as living in the present. Gibby is a levelheaded teen who loves math and is trustworthy enough to babysit a kid not much younger than she is, and Ridge is a bit of a wildcard, the lost time traveler who has no business being back in the nineties.
Time travel and historical fiction may not be the typical middle schooler’s favorite kinds of stories to read, but in the thick of this story, one doesn’t even remember what genres they’re reading. It’s engaging from the first page and perfectly paced to keep young readers flipping the pages as we see mini plot twist after plot twist and perfectly timed revelations that keep us more invested in the story with each passing chapter.
Throughout the book, Entrada sprinkles profound but easy-to-digest insights about life, the planet, technology, and human behavior in the past vs the present as the characters learn more about each other. The 90s setting will be extremely nostalgic for the 80s and 90s kids who read this one and the futuristic scenes will be thought-provoking for the target audience. I’m so thrilled this book won the Newbery Award in 2025 — so well deserved!
The First State of Being
The First State of Being is a brilliant, highly readable middle grade book from the QUEEN of character-driven middle grade literature. This expansive sci-fi feels at once introspective and cinematic, leaping off the page like something made for a movie. This book will help young people and all readers reflect on our past and future as a human community, especially in terms of health advances, animal extinction, and the potential for technological development. It also highlights the love and fight in a mother and the need to view life through a positive lens by focusing most on the present, not our past or future.
Star Rating
Content Notes
Here are some specifics to know about the content.
Content Warnings
- Death: One side character dies in the course of the story
- Alcohol/substance abuse: None
- Sexual content: None
- Violence: None
- Religious content: None
- Language: None
Diversity
- Ethnic: Diverse. White, Filipino, and Black characters mentioned, although no relevance is assigned to race.
- Sexual orientation: None
Recommended for ages: 10+
Good for kids who like:
- Realistic fiction
- Books by Erin Entrada Kelly
- Middle grade science fiction
- Middle grade books without romance
Publisher Details
| Publisher details | Greenwillow Books |
| Author: | Erin Entrada Kelly |
| Illustrator: | N/A |
| Publication date: | March 5, 2024 |
| Audiobook? | Yes, Libro.Fm |
| Page count: | 272 |
| Cover artists | Designer: |
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