Seventeen-year-old self-proclaimed Goth and aspiring writer Julieta Villarreal is drowning. She’s grieving her twin sister who died in a hit-and-run, her Florida home is crumbling under the weight of climate disaster, and she isn’t sure how much longer she can stand to stay in a place that doesn’t seem to have room for her.

Then, Juli is recruited by Cometa, a private space program enlisting high-aptitude New American teens for a high-stakes mission to establish humanity’s first extraterrestrial settlement. Cometa pitches this as an opportunity for Juli to give back to her adopted country; Juli sees it as her only chance to do something big with her life.

Juli begins her training, convinced Cometa is her path to freedom. But her senior year is full of surprises, including new friendships, roller skating, and first love. And through her small but poignant acts of environmentalism, Juli begins to find hope in unexpected places. As her world collapses from the ramifications of the climate crisis, Juli must decide if she’ll carry her loss together with her community or leave it all behind.

Told in gripping prose interspersed with poems from Juli’s writing journal, this genre-bending novel explores themes of immigration, climate justice, grief, and the power of communities.

This Is the Year is a daring experiment of combining prose and verse into a story about dealing with grief and appreciating little things. It tackles futuristic problems from climate change, endangered species, to space travel, that mingle with classic YA problems such as relationship with family, friends, and oneself. The cover is gorgeous, and the color palette fits the story inside. It also centers diverse characters especially Puerto Rican community.

The prose and verse are connecting to each other, but I enjoyed the verse part most. Although it looks like it's written in second person, it's clearly in first person (Juli) who's talking to her sister (Ofe) and not to us the reader. I can't quite pinpoint what deters me from really get what this novel is about initially, because it takes quite long until the space cadet program is introduced, and for involving a multimillion project like flying students to the space, the ending is too easy. Plus Juli seems to get through the program in a breeze (exceptional score, top of her class, praises from others) without showing she's (or used to be) athletic and academically achieved before. It's as if the space travel itself is entirely a metaphor. And it didn't really match the realistic near-future portrayal that carries the atmosphere of this book.

I was also fifty-fifty with the believability of the future here. Some things confuse me like why there are no waterproof eyeliner and mascara (is it to picture how hot Earth is? But even today our beauty products are far superior than a decade ago), why manatees can go extinct (we already have genetic engineering plan about Dodo birds and alike today), 12G signal (if it's as far as version 12, it may as well change the name), and mentions of vintage slangs (this one is interesting though, because it implies that slangs cycle back like fashion trends. Lit is considered vintage while rad and adorbs are in). But I liked that it hints on political climate prediction and how teenagers are becoming more aware of the situation, and more careful to decide.

This book offers unique experience that's different from other prose-poem or prose-verse YA novels. Even though it didn't blow my mind, I'm glad to see many representation and environmental concerns—something that I feel becoming less and less mainstream—here so I hope it helps raise more attention to young adult readers too.

This book hit me hard in so many ways. As a military veteran turned Florida resident who lost a family member recently and who also loves animals and writing, so much of what Juli deals with resonated deeply. I don't often enjoy second person narrative, but this was so well done in that Juli is speaking to her deceased twin sister as she's struggling to move on.

Okay, and the ENVIRONMENTAL aspect? How absolutely terrifying to see a glimpse of what could easily be our future, but it's so devastatingly necessary. And I really loved the poetry interspersed throughout to show a glimpse of what Juli was writing and more insight in how she was feeling.

The only hang-up for me is the way it ended. Not the very end, but the part right before that. It felt...off? Though I did enjoy the lessons she learned along the way, especially regarding her found families.

Anyway, this is an absolutely incredible sci fi read. Definitely will read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was great! The concept was done so beautifully and for being a sci-fi/YA novel it held a lot of realism. I enjoyed the characters and their growth within this story. Gloria Munoz does a wonderfully job at writing about tougher or even touchy subjects. Juli’s use of the poems paired with her character perfectly!

This Is the Year by Gloria Muñoz is an inspiring and uplifting read that truly resonated with me. The story follows a young protagonist as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, tackling challenges and embracing change. I loved how Muñoz weaves themes of resilience and empowerment throughout the narrative, making it relatable and motivating. This book is a wonderful reminder that every year brings new opportunities, and I found myself reflecting on my own goals and aspirations while reading it!

This is the Year is such a beautifully written blend of Young Adult, sci-fi, and current social issues that really made me reflect on the future state of our world. I enjoyed the inclusion of Juli's journal and poems which really brought this story to life.

Thank you so much Netgalley for accepting me to read this great ARC. This was EVERY bit as good as I thought it would be. Gloria is such a talented writer and I can't wait for the next book she writes.

Thank you #NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for allowing me to read an advanced reader's copy of This Is the Year by Gloria Munoz in exchange for my honest review. #ThisIstheYear

Julieta Villarreal is a complex individual who is struggling with two things one her loss of her twin and two what she wants to do in her future. Juli, always had her future planned out with her twin sister Ofe, but her tragic death a couple of years ago makes her life and choices unsettled. Juli, faced with what most teenagers nowadays struggle with what she wants to do seeks guidance from everyone, but herself. One day at her high school this high tech flashy space program called Cometa shows up. In Juli's eyes, this is her future to make this program, get off of the wasteland called Earth, and help her mother get a house away from the ocean. This sounds great and Juli starts focusing on her future in space. In the end, Juli needs to decide her future. To find out the decision she makes read This Is the Year today. #ThisIstheYear

Gloria Munoz crafts verse and prose together, that feels to be unnecessary for the story plot line. Juli herself is a relatable character that all students can connect to, but the conclusion of the novel feels rushed and afterthought. Another consideration is where Juli talks to Ofe, in the novel a lot in the second person at first was confusing. It would have been awesome if that was the focus and not trying to blend prose and verse.

At it’s heart, this is a novel about discovering that running is not a solution to your problems. Escaping doesn’t solve anything, it just leaves other people to fix the issues.

I found moments of this book endearing, but the overall narrative deals with a lot of different threads which don’t always work together. Juli, out main character, does so much that’s it’s a wonder she ever graduates the exclusive space-cadet program she’s part of. She must not sleep! Those threads are there so the book can explore a lot of cli-fi issues, but I think the novel could be tighter if it tried to do less (e.g. cut the volunteering on the poisonous beach plotline, or the roller-derby plotline).

There’s a second person device where Juli is speaking to her [spoilers] dead sister Ofe, yet I think the novel would have benefited from leaning into this more experimental aspect of its constructions.

The rug gets pulled out from under the reader at the end. I always feel like if a story spends its whole time building to something big (in this case, going to space) then it should deliver on that. I get why Juli changes her mind, I really do, but then what was the point of all that training which was the main plot of the book!

Gloria Muñoz’s “This Is the Year” is a captivating young adult climate fiction novel that skillfully blends prose and verse to tackle pressing environmental issues. The author’s unique approach to storytelling creates an immersive experience for readers, drawing them into a world grappling with the consequences of climate change.

Muñoz’s writing style is both evocative and accessible, making complex topics relatable to a young audience. Her ability to weave together personal narratives with larger global concerns demonstrates a keen understanding of the anxieties and hopes of today’s youth. The protagonist’s journey serves as a mirror for readers, reflecting their own struggles to find their place in a rapidly changing world.

One of the book’s strengths lies in its ability to balance the gravity of climate issues with moments of hope and resilience. Muñoz doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of environmental degradation, but she also highlights the power of individual and collective action. This nuanced approach prevents the story from becoming overwhelmingly bleak, instead inspiring readers to consider their own role in shaping the future.

While the novel’s blend of prose and verse is innovative, some readers may find the transitions between styles occasionally jarring. Additionally, certain plot points could have been further developed to provide a more comprehensive exploration of the characters’ motivations.

Despite these minor critiques, “This Is the Year” stands out as a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant addition to the growing genre of climate fiction. Muñoz’s poetic sensibilities shine through, creating a reading experience that is both intellectually stimulating and deeply moving. This book is sure to spark important conversations among young readers about climate change, personal responsibility, and the power of community in the face of global challenges.

GORGEOUS COVER. A beautiful debut.

I really enjoyed the structure of the story, and could sense Munoz's passion on the topics she chose to dive into for this story, Definitely a story for this generation.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This was a beautifully done concept and I appreciated the realism in this scifi novel. It had that young adult element that I was expecting and enjoyed getting to know the characters and world in this story. Gloria Muñoz wrote this in a way that worked and was a great way to talk about harder topics. I thought the use of poems worked with Juli’s characters and was excited for more.

"This is the Year" is a YA science fiction novel by Gloria Muñoz. 17 year old Julieta is still dealing with the accidental death of her twin sister, Ofelia, which happened a year ago. Julieta pulled away from her friend group and now that school is restarting, she begins to reach out. She doesn't know what she wants to do or how she still fits in without her sister. When Cometa, a privately funded space mission comes to the school to recruit potential New American teenages, she applies and is accepted. The book is set in the future where climate change has and is wreaking havoc: constant tornados, hurricaines, temperature changes, animals becoming extinct. Muñoz brings up a lot of hard topics: climate change, death of a loved one, exploitation of lower classes. The book deals with all of these topics well, though it is a heavy book. A must buy for all YA collections.