Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is going to be one of the most beautiful books you ever read, and not only because of that supremely lovely cover. It tells one of those mesmerising, cosy stories that stick with you for a long time.
Artemisia Martinez’s mother disappeared in the Sonoran Desert three years ago, after her deportation. Sia knows her mama is most probably dead, but her abuela’s spirit keeps insisting that she’s out there somewhere. So she still drives into the desert every new moon, to light candles at the beginning of the world and hope they guide her mother home.
Sia’s doing her best to keep it together, to not have a fight with her best friend, and to not fall for the (very handsome) new boy in her class. But one night she finds a blue-lit spacecraft in the desert carrying someone she knows all too well, and that’s when her life changes completely.
As the blurb promises, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is a genre-bending novel that merges Mexican folklore and aliens and enhanced human beings with very real issues like immigration and racism. The first half of the book reads like a contemporary story with bits of magical realism thrown in, but it gets persistently weirder as the story hurtles into an action-packed second half and suddenly there are several plotlines coming together as the story takes a shape you wouldn’t have expected in your wildest dreams.
I guess I should warn you that Gilliland’s writing possesses this power to make you feel like you’re weightless and floating through space, so be ready to feel betrayed when you realise the feeling isn’t going to last forever and the book actually ends. She gives Sia a very strong and distinct voice and the narrative doesn’t waver, not for once, which is a true feat considering the bizarre plot that surprises you at every turn.
The best thing about the book, however, was the warm and tender portrayal of the various relationships Sia had with her family and friends. Her bond with her best friend Rose is at once immature and beautiful and even if you’re a non-young adult reading this book, you’ll find yourself relating to Sia’s feeling of abandonment when Rose forgets about the plans they had made together. I really loved Sia’s grandmother who hasn’t let death keep her away from her family, and the achingly sweet relationships Sia has with both of her parents.
With all of that said, it’s not without its flaws. I couldn’t help feeling baffled by all the things going on in this book; the plot zips along too quickly and it gets harder to keep track of it all after a while. What truly didn’t work for me at all, however, was the romance, which was a bit insta-lovey and constantly felt like it was disrupting the otherwise smooth flow of the story.
Despite the things I’ve grumbled about, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything shines for its gorgeous prose and its innovative, unconventional plot and is also an incredibly important book, especially in the times we are living in. Gilliland sheds light on the harsh, stark realities of systemic racism and police brutality and the horrors of deportation, topics most authors tend to veer away from, which makes Sia’s story highly relevant and a must read.
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is a treat for sci-fi fans and contemporary fans alike. If you’re a fan of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz or Pixar’s Coco, this is a book you wouldn’t want to miss out on.
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 11th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets Roswell by way of Laurie Halse Anderson in this astonishing, genre-bending novel about a Mexican American teen who discovers profound connections between immigration, folklore, and alien life.
It’s been three years since ICE raids and phone calls from Mexico and an ill-fated walk across the Sonoran. Three years since Sia Martinez’s mom disappeared. Sia wants to move on, but it’s hard in her tiny Arizona town where people refer to her mom’s deportation as “an unfortunate incident.”
Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home.
Then one night, under a million stars, Sia’s life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia’s car…and it’s carrying her mom, who’s very much alive.
As Sia races to save her mom from armed-quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous in this stunning and inventive exploration of first love, family, immigration, and our vast, limitless universe.
