A review by lauravreads
Fifteen Hundred Miles From The Sun by Jonny Garza Villa

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book is a YA contemporary romance that follows Julian, a high school senior with the hopes of leaving his hometown in Texas to attend school at UCLA. While partying with his close friends he drunkenly tweets and finds himself out of the closest. Julian has to navigate his last year of high school while living with his homophobic and abusive father. Julian finds companionship and support from a Twitter follower in LA, 17-year-old Mat. Which soon turns into a budding romance. 

This book is fast-paced, hilarious, inspiring, and heartwarming. While Julian’s relationship with Mat is a major focal point in the novel, so is his relationship with his friends and his family. I love it when romance includes a well-rounded support system rather than the protagonist relying solely on the love interest. Julian is an easy protagonist to love, I was rooting for him the entire novel. 

This novel hit a lot of heavy topics, in particular, abusive parents. Graza Villa did a great job in his portrayal of the relationship a child/young adult has with an emotionally and physically abusive parent. I love that Julian was able to stand up for himself and that his facility members who were bystanders to the abuse took accountability and made an effort to change and provide a safe space for Julian. 

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