Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sia Martinez & The Moonlit Beginning of Everything is a genre-bending atmospheric novel that switches from contemporary to sci-fi - with some magical realism thrown in - while weaving relatable teenage experiences with current political and social issues. Sia Martinez manages to touch on so many themes, including: immigration, abuse (in multiple forms), racism (especially racist violence), sexual assault, PTSD, parental death, friendship, and romance - and that’s not including the parts about aliens, government corruption, or conspiracy theories.

My favorite aspect of Sia Martinez was definitely Gilliland’s beautiful prose and her magical descriptions of the desert. I also really enjoyed the magical realism of Sia’s abuela and the cultural stories and folklore she passed down to Sia. There’s also untranslated Spanish interwoven throughout the story, something I appreciated and wish I came across more.

However, I often found myself struggling with the pacing of the novel (I thought much more time was passing between events than actually was) and never really connected to several of the characters (for instance, I really don’t enjoy friendship issues as plot points - especially when it’s over new relationships). So, by the time the story shifted from contemporary to sci-fi I wasn’t as invested in the plot as I wish I had been. Even though this didn’t turn out to be the story for me, I did enjoy how it was written and I know it will definitely find its audience.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.