How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe - by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Breathlessly atmospheric...A gorgeous, hopeful book." --Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow

The Hating Game meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in this Pura Belpré Award-winning novel that's an irresistible romance starring a Mexican American teen who discovers love and profound truths about the universe when she spends her summer on a road trip across the country.

When her twin sister reaches social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepts her fate as the ugly, unwanted sister hidden in the background, destined to be nothing more than her sister's camerawoman. But this summer, Moon also takes a job as the "merch girl" on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers and her fate begins to shift in the best way possible.

Most notable is her bunkmate and new nemesis, Santiago Phillips, who is grumpy, combative, and also the hottest guy Moon has ever seen.

Moon is certain she hates Santiago and that he hates her back. But as chance and destiny (and maybe, probably, close proximity) bring the two of them in each other's perpetual paths, Moon starts to wonder if that's really true. She even starts to question her destiny as the unnoticed, unloved wallflower she always thought she was.

Could this summer change Moon's life as she knows it?

Review Quotes

* "Amazingly realistic, this book is the coming-of-age story that teens need, wrapped in a gorgeously poetic package" -- Booklist starred review

* "Readers will fall in love with this poignant, powerful, and poetic coming-of-age tale." -- Kirkus starred review

* "[This] will please those who...love honest, romantic stories about young women surviving and thriving." -- BCCB starred review

* "Moon's strong voice shines amid magic and indigenous knowledge, even as she struggles with her mother, colorism, and fatphobia. Readers will cheer for Moon as she learns to embrace her own beauty and power." -- Publishers Weekly starred review

* "Gilliland's prose is a soft, dreamy wonderland, wrapping scenes in 'warm sheets of sunset light, ' offset by Moon's gleefully snarky narrative voice." -- Shelf Awareness for Readers starred review

"Written with hilarious relatability and palpable humanity, this is a charming novel that will leave you thinking." -- Shondaland

"Breathlessly atmospheric, with a voice that grabs you on page one and doesn't let go. A gorgeous, hopeful book about spirituality, sexuality, and self-acceptance. I fell in love with Moon falling in love."----Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow

About the Author

Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2017. She's most inspired by fog and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants and they tell her stories back. She lives in Tennessee with her beloved family and mountains. Raquel has published two books of poetry. She's the author of Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything and How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe.