How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe

By: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Narrated by: Kyla Garcia

SELECTED AS ONE OF THE YOUNG ADULT LIBRARY SERVICES ASSOCIATION’S 2022 TOP TEN AMAZING AUDIOS FOR YOUNG ADULTS!

“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?

Critic reviews

"Narrator Kyla Garcia’s light tone adds humor to the often sarcastic, sometimes self-deprecating Moon Fuentez. But lurking beneath is a darkness of negative beliefs about her appearance and past actions that Garcia makes palpable."

Lovely read with a sprinkle of magic

Read if you like: smart, saucy heroines, grumpy but sweet love interests, falling in love with a curvy body, overcoming family trauma, and a sprinkling of magic.

There are a few tiny things I would change maybe but overall it’s such a fun and satisfying, not to mention beautiful, read

amazing!!

do yourself a favor and read this book immediately! very sweet, emotional, discussion of trauma though

Absolute 5 Stars!

I found myself dreading the end of this book early on. It was immediately captivating and I instantly fell in love with Moon as a character.

This book is breathtaking!

I love this story and the connections in it. I love how it talks about women and our place in the world, how much colonization took away from this world, and how much that is weaponized against indigenous peoples, especially women. The main character is so relatable and sarcastic and funny, and I want to grow into the type of person she’s finding in herself at the end. Dealing with trauma born in religion, in parents, and in fat phobia is so important and this book is so healing and powerful.

Lovely sweet tale of self-acceptance

Lovely sweet tale of learning to accept those things we see as "flaws," which are often not flaws at all, but only the character which makes each of us unique and precious in this world.