This Is the Year

Gr 9 Up–Set in a dystopian future where climate change has ravaged the Earth, this sci-fi novel follows Juli as she attempts to join an elite group of space rangers set to prepare the moon for a space station colonization. Meanwhile, she begins to reconnect with her estranged friends and starts to wonder if she truly wants to leave Earth behind. Grief is at the forefront of the novel, as Juli struggles to see a future without her twin sister, Ofe, who died a year earlier. Told from Juli’s perspective as if she is speaking directly to Ofe, the novel palpably depicts the teen’s emotions. However, this narration does make the novel feel a bit scattered at times, with a time line that is occasionally confusing. Muñoz intersperses the narrative with poetry, which is beautifully written, but does not help with the scattered feel. The world is depressing, but there is a note of hope as Juli realizes that no matter how bad the climate disasters are that destroy the Earth, there will always be people working together to help their community and the planet. Juli is Colombian American, and most of her friends are also Latinx.