I enjoyed listening to this YA novel set in Arizona that follows 17-year-old Sia Martinez in the aftermath of her mom’s death attempting to cross the Sonoran after being deported. The story highlights her relationships with her dad, her best friend, and the new guy at school. When a mysterious thing happens in the desert when working on an astronomy project, Sia as sucked into a world of aliens and conspiracy theories. 

In typical YA style, this books gives a fair amount of focus to interpersonal relationships. Sia has to navigate feelings for a new guy and changes with her best friend, all while handling the racism of schoolmates and the grief of losing her mother. There is also a solid adventure component that arrives in the second half. 

Overall, I liked the book and thought the character development was mostly good (aside from two characters: River and Katia). I was definitely invested in the story. Sia was relatable and I really appreciated the spirituality incorporated with Sia’s garden and grandmother. 

My main criticism is around the last 15% or so. The story’s conclusion was unsatisfying to me and felt pretty rushed. A number of things where left unresolved while others felt tied up too cleanly. Finally, and this is specific to the audiobook, I was somewhat turned off by the narrator’s voices for the characters which came off a little overdone. All that to say, I’d still recommend it, especially if YA novels are your jam!