In her second YA novel, Mexican American author and poet Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything) pours luscious prose over an inspiring coming-of-age tale and tops it off with a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance.
Mexican American and recent high school graduate Moon's twin sister, Star, is Internet-famous for her following on "Fotogram." When Star lands a spot on a cross-country influencer tour, the sisters' mother signs Moon up to sell merchandise. Moon is tired of feeling like her abusive, hyper-religious mother's less-loved child, as well as "religious model" Star's less attractive, size-16 sister. Moon dreams of going away to college but needs funds. Vowing to save her meal allowance by cooking on the tour bus, Moon runs afoul of fellow merch-seller Santiago, a gorgeous one-handed giant who considers the kitchen his domain. Despite a disastrous first meeting and plenty of cutting banter, thick sexual tension pervades their every interaction. Moon, whose primary language is English, collects beautiful Spanish words, follows her aunt's botanical folkways and designs tarot cards, while half-Colombian Santiago has a passion for culinary salt varieties. However, a family curse, conflict between Moon and Star, and Santiago's insecurity about his disability create trouble for the two despite their unstoppable chemistry.
Gilliland's prose is a soft, dreamy wonderland, wrapping scenes in "warm sheets of sunset light," offset by Moon's gleefully snarky narrative voice complaining that she needs "a degree in astrophysics to make a stinking omelet." Older teens may best relate to Moon's quiet fight for independence in this body- and sex-positive tale of finding love and loving oneself. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth experience manager, Dayton Metro Library