Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

coming of age and first love and all the best pop-culture sci-fi. 'Sia's story is a startlingly beautiful blend of so many things: mythology, spirituality, and the stark realities of racism and deportation in the U.S. 'Debut author Gilliland uses lush descriptions of setting and desert imagery paired with lively dialogue to craft a story that blends science fiction with Mexican folklore, all within a contemporary young adult novel that explores grief, friendship, immigration, consent, and the powerful bond between mother and daughter.highly recommended.' - Library Journal Luminous, genre-bending, and out of this world.' - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The whip-smart humor lends the novel a breeziness that keeps the narrative lighthearted in between the truly hair-raising moments. Spirituality is woven into everything Sia does and will resonate with many readers. 'The poetic prose elevates the story into a magical triumph. Despite its leisurely pace, this is a genre-defying read that is certain to keep readers engaged.' - Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'Gilliland, making her YA debut, uses lyrical prose to weave between contemporary themes of grief, sexual assault, and racial trauma magical realism elements grounded in Mexican American culture and a sci-fi adventure based on real issues surrounding government control over marginalized, undocumented bodies.

Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia's car…and it's carrying her mom, who's very much alive.Īs Sia races to save her mom from armed-quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous in this stunning and inventive exploration of first love, family, immigration, and our vast, limitless universe. Then one night, under a million stars, Sia's life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home. Sia wants to move on, but it's hard in her tiny Arizona town where people refer to her mom's deportation as 'an unfortunate incident.'

Three years since Sia Martinez's mom disappeared. It's been three years since ICE raids and phone calls from Mexico and an ill-fated walk across the Sonoran. Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets Roswell by way of Laurie Halse Anderson in this astonishing, genre-bending novel about a Mexican American teen who discovers profound connections between immigration, folklore, and alien life.

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland