Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
Compelling coming-of-ager blends sci-fi and folklore.
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything, by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, is a coming-of-age story with prominent folklore and sci-fi elements. It tells the story of Sia, a teen whose mother was taken by ICE agents and deported to Mexico, and Sia's high school experinces and eventual encounter with aliens. Mature sexual content includes brief but explicit descriptions of receiving oral sex, having an orgasm, and bringing a partner to orgasm through clothing. Kissing is described in detail physically and emotionally. Feeling an erect penis is described several times. There are lots of positive examples of asking for consent. Violence includes a descriptoin of a past sexual assault, fights, a gunshot to the head, and illegal medical testing that involves inflicting pain on victims in lots of different ways. Lots of strong language including "s--t," "motherf---ing," "c--t," "t-ts," and "d--k." Parental loss is a prominent theme. Lots of positive representations of people of color. Individual and systemic racism, especially to do with immigration policies like separating families and locking children in cages, are strong themes.
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What's the Story?
SIA MARTINEZ AND THE MOONLIT BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING tells the story of 17-year-old Sia (short for Artemisia). Sia's been grieving the loss of her mother for about three years now, since her mother was taken by ICE agents and deported to Mexico. Sia knows the chances her mother is still alive are slim to none, knowing that her mother tried to cross the desert on foot to get back and hasn't been heard from since. But she can't quite give up all hope. As she starts falling for the cute new guy at school, tries to put a racist classmate in his place, and deals with a best friend who's drifting away, an alien spacecraft crashes into Sia's special place in the desert, and the pilot who walks out of the vehicle is the last person on Earth Sia expects to see. A vast conspiracy is revealed, and Sia with her friends and family find themselves on the run from an armed security force that will stop at nothing to get their pilot back, and to keep a tight lid on the truth.
Is It Any Good?
This well-written novel takes on a lot of issues thoughtfully and gracefully, but there's a split down the middle that may make some readers feel like they're suddenly reading a whole different book. The first half reads like a lovely coming-of-ager, with Sia grieving her mother, falling in love, dealing with racism, trying to recover from a sexual assault, and more. These elements are all effectively and compellingly blended with memories of her mother and grandmother telling her stories that connect her to her past, and to the whole universe. About halfway through, it suddenly becomes a sci-fi action thriller with spacecraft, aliens, a huge conspiracy, the whole nine yards. It's an exciting, well-written, and fast-paced thriller, for sure. But instead of seeming like an unexpected twist, it feels more like it should've been its own, separate book.
There's one small part of the wrap-up that doesn't ring true, but otherwise Sia is a believable character teens will easily relate to as she tries to find her place in her world and in the universe. Mature sexual content and lots of strong languag and violence make it best for older teens and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the strong sexual content in Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything. How much is too much? Is reading about it different from seeing it in movies, videos, or other media?
What about the violence? Same questions: How much is too much, and is reading different from seeing it in other media?
Why is it important to see different types of people and different skin colors represented in media? How do you feel when there's a character you can identify with? What can you learn about people who are different from you?
Book Details
- Author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon Pulse
- Publication date: August 11, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 432
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks
- Last updated: October 14, 2020
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