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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
From the book jacket: When her twin reached social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepted 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.
My reactions:
This is a pretty typical enemies-to-friends-to-lovers scenario. It’s also a YA coming-of-age book that deals with bullying, body-image, and self-confidence. Moon and Star’s Mom is a religious fanatic who has always favored Star, the fair-skinned, blonde “good girl.” It takes a group of strangers, and one in particular, to get Moon to recognize her own gifts and talents, and to help her find her own path to success.
The up-and-down, on-and-off romance drove me a little crazy, but it’s part of the package for this genre. Although the sex scene was still unrealistic, I’m at least glad that Gilliland chose to have them get to know one another over several months before they acted on the attraction.
As for Star … I’m not sure I would have forgiven my sibling so easily for behaving the way she did.
My reactions:
This is a pretty typical enemies-to-friends-to-lovers scenario. It’s also a YA coming-of-age book that deals with bullying, body-image, and self-confidence. Moon and Star’s Mom is a religious fanatic who has always favored Star, the fair-skinned, blonde “good girl.” It takes a group of strangers, and one in particular, to get Moon to recognize her own gifts and talents, and to help her find her own path to success.
The up-and-down, on-and-off romance drove me a little crazy, but it’s part of the package for this genre. Although the sex scene was still unrealistic, I’m at least glad that Gilliland chose to have them get to know one another over several months before they acted on the attraction.
As for Star … I’m not sure I would have forgiven my sibling so easily for behaving the way she did.
alexsanch25's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Raquel’s writing is so beautiful and Moon is such a wonderful character.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
2.0
2/5
I found this to be alright, the plot was a little uneventful sadly and I felt like it was dragged out.
I found this to be alright, the plot was a little uneventful sadly and I felt like it was dragged out.
annamickreads's review against another edition
5.0
WHERE is Ms Moon Fuentez's Netflix movie????? I'm serious I want her to have the FULL "To All the Boys" treatment right now!!!!
Not only is the cover absolutely gorgeous, but from the very first few sentences, everything about "How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe" blew me away. Moon's voice is clear as a bell, and not only is she hysterical, the way she sees the world is absolutely gorgeous. I love her narration and the stories about her life interwoven with the present. I love her hobbies and her passions (!!) and I think they're super relatable and interesting.
All her life, Moon has felt second-string to her twin, Star, who is a social media phenomenon and Christian influencer. Moon, on the other hand, is more interested in learning divination and tarot from her aunt, and she's certainly not a virgin. When Moon is dragged along on her sister's press tour, she ends up selling merchandise alongside Santiago, a fellow sibling-of-influencers who annoys her to no end.
Moon has a secret Instagram account where she posts art of nature, but she'd never let her family know. Her ultimate dream is to turn her art into a tarot deck to sell and maybe help her get into arts college far, far, away. Oh, and did I mention she's convinced she unleashed a family curse when she lost her virginity?
There are so many wonderful conversations happening in this book it's hard to talk about them all at once. Between Moon's interest in exploring religions outside the hypocrisy and rigid rules of her mother's Catholicism, her grief in losing her father as someone who recognized HER value outside of her sister, and her struggle to stop comparing herself to her sister, I love that Moon is always unafraid to speak her mind, open about her sexuality, and above all, sticks to her guns.
TL;DR Moon Fuentez deserves the world and YOU deserve to enjoy this book!!
Not only is the cover absolutely gorgeous, but from the very first few sentences, everything about "How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe" blew me away. Moon's voice is clear as a bell, and not only is she hysterical, the way she sees the world is absolutely gorgeous. I love her narration and the stories about her life interwoven with the present. I love her hobbies and her passions (!!) and I think they're super relatable and interesting.
All her life, Moon has felt second-string to her twin, Star, who is a social media phenomenon and Christian influencer. Moon, on the other hand, is more interested in learning divination and tarot from her aunt, and she's certainly not a virgin. When Moon is dragged along on her sister's press tour, she ends up selling merchandise alongside Santiago, a fellow sibling-of-influencers who annoys her to no end.
Moon has a secret Instagram account where she posts art of nature, but she'd never let her family know. Her ultimate dream is to turn her art into a tarot deck to sell and maybe help her get into arts college far, far, away. Oh, and did I mention she's convinced she unleashed a family curse when she lost her virginity?
There are so many wonderful conversations happening in this book it's hard to talk about them all at once. Between Moon's interest in exploring religions outside the hypocrisy and rigid rules of her mother's Catholicism, her grief in losing her father as someone who recognized HER value outside of her sister, and her struggle to stop comparing herself to her sister, I love that Moon is always unafraid to speak her mind, open about her sexuality, and above all, sticks to her guns.
TL;DR Moon Fuentez deserves the world and YOU deserve to enjoy this book!!
tontina's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
fieldsandfeels's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This one hit really close to home with Moon’s relationship with her family, and how she forms a bubble of shame around herself. While it’s fairly “textbook,” pathologically speaking, the reality is that the specificity of these characters acting the way they do is endemic to Latine culture and a complex history of imperialist, colonialist, and religious trauma. Seeing Moon slowly fall in love, and doubt it at every turn because of what she’s been fed by her mother, sister, and society is something that I don’t think gets discussed enough, esp in YA literature. I just loved everything this book managed to tackle while simultaneously keeping it light-hearted, funny, and accessible.
tammys_readinglog's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0