I don't cry while reading books. I feel emotions deeply, but I am not a big crier when I read.
So when I say I was bawling my eyes out while reading this, it is a big deal.

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun was a poignant LGBT coming of age novel that follows Julián, who has been suffocating under the expectations of others, pushing down his true self. When one reckless moment results in him suddenly coming out, Julián's life immediately gets more complicated. Luckily, he has an amazing Twitter friend/crush, Mat, who slid into Julián's DMs.

This book was heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny, and sad. I loved watching Julián with his friends as they helped him through some of the toughest things queer teens face. I also loved watching Mat and Julián's relationship develop, despite being fifteen hundred miles away from one another.
If you want to read something that pulls at every one of your heartstrings, I implore you to pick up this book. You will not regret it.

trigger warnings: past & present parental abuse, physical abuse (chapter 14 & 28), homophobia, outing, mc gets kicked out

Content warnings: Homophobia, parental abuse (verbal and physical), grief..

Representation: Mexican American MC, Vietnamese American LI, and a full cast of BIPOC side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Affirming and so necessary, FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN is an incredible YA contemporary romance.

It follows Jules Luna, a Mexican American teen, who drunkenly comes out on Twitter, only to wake up to his Twitter crush, Mat, having slid into his DMs. This begins their long distance romance as they aspire to attend college in LA next year together.

I loved the balance in this book, how Jonny Garza Villa deftly managed the boys’ blossoming love, with Jules’ desire to be his true self. When I finished this book, my eyes were wet, that’s how much I loved this. I can’t wait to get my physical copy!

FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN was equally emotional and painful and uplifting and filled with so much JOY! I loved the friendship dynamics and the strong sibling relationships. I feel like this book could truly change a teenager's life. This book certainly isn't easy (and I would place a heavy trigger warning on homophobia and emotional and physical abuse from a parent). Overall, a really good read.

This is a book about Julián, a senior in high school who is in the closet in Texas. The novel follows him as he comes out and meets a boy online. He is also juggling family issues and insecurities about being gay.

Pros: Every main character in this book is a person of color, which is awesome! We can have diversity with no white people. It can be done and this book shows it. I thought the fact it focused on a Latinx teen was a refreshing perspective. Even though the coming-out story usually feels cliche, the different perspective elevated it to something a little fresher.

Cons: I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. It felt very okay and relied too heavily on physical description at the expense of emotional weight. I wish it spent more type building the emotional weight and connections instead of describing the clothes people were wearing or the food they were eating. BUT that is just me. I also thought the plot didn't really go anywhere. Things happened and that was basically it, but this would probably be good for younger YA readers making the jump from middle grades to more complicated YA narratives.

I really wanted to love this book but it sadly didnt do it for me. The writing style felt very flat and boring to me and the plot very unrealistic. The relationship felt very confusing to me as they met online through twitter and in the span of days were dating. It progressed way to quickly and lacked any chemistry. And I loved cemetery boys for the spanish integrated in the text, but this one went a bit to hard on it to the point it was hard to read as a nonspeaker.

I will admit that, when I first finished Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun, I was overflowing with so much emotion, I wasn't sure what to do with it. Happiness, grief, love... it all warred within me. I didn't know what to feel first, and as a result, was a bit overwhelmed for a little while. So, I'm sure you can understand from an introduction like that, I had a lot of feelings for this book.

Julián Luna is one of the most likable main characters that I've read in a long while. He's an adorable disaster, the type that somehow manages to pull it together at the last minute, but only by chance, force of will, and sometimes the sheer audacity that he and his friends circle have honed to a fine weapon. The book itself covers a full year in Julián's life, including a less than graceful announcement of his sexuality, conflict between friends, home stress, re-found connections, and most of all, love.

There were so many instances in this book where I literally laughed out loud at some of the antics, and there were more than a few times that I teared up, both in sadness and in utter and complete happiness. Also, I loved being able to read all of the Spanish in the book. It took me back to being a kiddo, when my father and his sister used to fire back and forth at each other with quips and playful insults, and I couldn't wait to learn more Spanish so I understood more (we are Puerto Rican).

The author has a playful way of making everything seem so real. These aren't characters in a book, they're people you might hear about, or even know. What happens in the book isn't just a story, it's something that your curious tía might share with you over dinner or drinks. I felt that I was a part of the story, that I was so heavily invested in these kids, their struggles and triumphs, their happiness and their sadness.

Honestly, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's both comforting and compelling. I wasn't able to put it down, and on the few occasions that I managed it, all I wanted to do was pick it up again. I read it over two days, and I cannot wait to have the physical copy in my hands so I can read it again. Please go read this book. It will absolutely brighten your day, week, month, and maybe even year.

My biggest issue with my bookshelf is its lack of diversity. It not only has a shockingly little amount of POC books and LGBTQ+ books, especially being a bisexual brown girl myself. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to read a debut novel about a gay Latinx boy coming to terms with himself, and proceeding to find himself in a long-distance relationship, I just jumped at the chance. Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa writes a wonderful, lighthearted, coming of age novel, opening the doors for so many people to connect with characters and plot lines on another level. I have never in my life felt so seen and heard as a result of a book.

Before proceeding, there is a TW of abuse and homophobia in this book.

The book itself starts off strong and fast-paced. It establishes the characters, and each of their place in Julian Luna, the main character's, life. I instantly feel connected to each of them and throw myself into the story. The chemistry between the group of friends, consisting of Jordan, Itzel, Roe and Lou is impeccable, becoming the type of group I crave. While the beginning pulls me in instantly, it quickly began to drag. Though the idea itself is very entertaining, and the writing style itself is beautiful, the repetition becomes tiresome. Simultaneously though, each of these slower scenes leads to small yet relevant details, stumping me on my feelings towards many parts of the book. The only thing is that as a result, details are lacking in parts that matter. [For example, the description, or lack of, in matters such as the abuse he faced seemed rushed and overlooked in comparison to his relationship with Mat. Granted this could be focusing on the idea of him being his sunshine, therefore focusing on the good. However the story has the opportunity to touch on an important subject, and one many people face, but based on the brief description of his reactions, it seems overlooked. As much as I love reading about Julian and Mat's relationship, I think it would have been more interesting to see into his trauma and more on how he overcomes it. It's also a big reason why I've rated it four stars. Despite it being important details, it isn't keeping me hooked continuously. Another factor towards the four stars is its excessive use of Spanish. I actually love how the language is incorporated. It shows its importance and does not whitewash their characters, thoroughly showing the Latinx culture. The part that throws me off is that the only Spanish I know is what I learned from Dora the Explorer when I was a child. That being said, I in no way want there to be less Spanish dialogue, I just think that there being access to English translation would be helpful for non-Spanish readers. Not understanding some of what is said confused me, and I tend to find myself guessing their conversation.

In the end, I did rate it four stars and while the characters' friendship, the overall story and Xo, in general, are major factors, the obvious reason is Julian and Mat's relationship. As I mentioned, the story follows Julian, a closeted Latino in Texas, who finds himself forced to be himself. At the same time, Mat, a Vietnamese boy from LA reaches out to Julian, and their relationship grows. The only thing between them: fifteen hundred miles. Let me tell you if Mat wasn't gay, I would jump him myself. Honestly perfect. He and Julian are absolutely adorable! Yes, it is corny and cringes, no doubt, but their love is so pure and innocent (minus the dirty jokes) that it's okay.

I honestly love this book, in fact, I cried at the end, not because it's sad but because I'm sad it's over. I feel so loved and accepted, and it gives me hope for my own future. I truly wish it could have come out earlier and I could have read it then as well because it would have helped me come to terms with myself so much quicker. I would love to see a sequel to this or even Mat's POV. All I know is I don't want to draw myself out of Julian's world. I don't want his story to end.

The book comes out June 8th, and if not pre-order I highly recommend buying it at some point.
And thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the e-ARC!

A gripping coming of age insta love YA novel. There was a lot more Spanish in this book than I expected, but I could sort of figure out it from context clues. I am always happy to see queer representation in YA books and this one felt so realistic to me, especially when Jules wonders why it can't be like in the movies (although by the end it kinda was ;))

4.5 stars --

This book was unlike anything I've ever read.

It navigates some really important topics about sexuality, family, friendship, culture, romantic relationships, and self-discovery, and the author tackles these with an achingly beautiful (and engaging) voice. What results is a captivating combination of heartbreak, humor, meaningful messages, and SWOON. OMG SO MUCH SWOON. (Also, s/o to the Texas nods!) It's an unapologetic, but compassionate story of love, hope and healing.

This YA is important to me, and I know it's going to be important for SO many others. Bravo, Jonny!

A big thank you to Skyscape and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I just finished fifteen hundred miles from the sun thanks to the arc netgalley gave me and I need a few hours to process everything but this is probably my favorite book of the year and Jonny Garza Villa might became one of my favorite authors ever. I'll write a better review once I processed everything but I am the happiest ever with being able to have the opportunity to read this book and fall in love with every character in it, being a Latin American lgbt+ teenager and seeing myself so represented in this book made me cry so hard like a hundred of times and you can really see the love they have for their characters and their history. It hit too close to home so many times but i saw myself in every character and in every little piece of Latin America I read. I honestly think everyone should read it I wanna thank them for such a great job with everything in this book and the representation, even seeing so much of Argentina made me happy. Sos une gran autore, gracias por hacerme sentir aun más orgullosa de quien soy y por darme el mejor libro del 2021.

My full review in goodreads will be posted tomorrow on my account @drkduet and it has been already been posted in my Twitter Account @drkduet

It’s been a while since I could definitively say I got a new favourite YA contemporary, and I am thrilled to report Jonny Garza Villa’s Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun has joined my list of auto-recommends. Poignant, heartfelt, unflinching in its portrayal of the very real and often undiscussed bigotry faced by gay Latinx teens, and buoyed with enough love and support to show a different path forward, I loved every minute of this book.

Julián and Mat, our two main characters, captured my heart from the very beginning. When Julián accidentally outs himself after a drunken night at a party, it paves the way for a long distance friendship with his Twitter crush Mat, a friendship that quickly becomes more.

The way an online relationship was portrayed in this novel was one of my favourite things about it. Especially in the world today, our online connections have become more valued and necessary than ever. Particularly for the queer community, oftentimes our online communities are our ONLY sources of support. Mat feels just as and more developed as Julián’s other in-person friends, and the way they navigate the challenges of their long distance relationship is both authentic and touching in equal measure.

Julián’s friend group definitely gave me all the found family vibes and they were a vibrant, distinct cast in their own rights. One thing done particularly well in this novel is capturing the teenage, Tumblr-esque voice without coming off as stilted or awkward while doing so. Everyone is so charmingly a senior in high school in this novel all the mess and emotions and love that come along with it. I also appreciated working in frank discussions of safe sex practices in a YA appropriate way; normalizing those topics especially for queer teens is so, so important.

Though the heartwarming romance and wonderful friendships take center stage and will win over many, this novel isn’t without its serious topics. There is enough trauma (in particular homophobia and child abuse; please check other reviews for more detailed content warnings) that I would recommend making sure you’re in a place to handle it before beginning. I promise the support and love makes it worth it—unlike some other YA contemporary novels I have read in the past year—but to ignore the more difficult subjects would be doing this novel a disservice.

I just want anyone who remotely enjoys YA contemporaries to read this novel. Not only am I thankful Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun exists because it’s a wonderful and expertly told story, I am extra glad for this to find its way into the hands and hearts of QTBIPOC teens. Please pre-order and/or buy and/or library request this one because it’s amazing and absolutely worth it.

Thank you to Skyscape and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Skyscape, for the chance to read and review this book!

TW: homophobia, homophobic slurs, emotional, physical and psychological parental abuse, forced coming out, bullying

Julián Luna only wants to graduate, get into UCLA a move away from Corpus Christi, Texas and the people's, above all his own father, expectations. He's forced to live an inauthenthic life and hide himself, fearing for his safety and struggling with intrusive thoughts and feelings. But a drunken mistake leads to an unexpected coming out on Twitter and Julián's life is abruptly changed. The world knows and while Julián is afraid of being rejected and even more bullied, the upside is that he can finally be his real self. When a cute and kind crush starts to message him on Twitter, Mat, Julián right away connects with him. They can tell anything to one other, they click, they fit, but when Jules's fears about coming out come true, Mat is fifteen hundred miles away and he's forced to face them alone.

Fifteen hundred miles from the sun is one of the most beautiful novel I've ever read. It's a story about coming out, first love, being yourself, even in the face of the world and the people who should protect and love us no matter what.
Jules is the main character and he's brilliant, sardonic, funny and strong, so relatable in his desires, fears and wants.
He's been forced to hide himself all his life, pressured to be the kind of man his father wants him to be, "this rigid presentation of heterosexual machismo Mexican American young man" (quote from the earc, so it can be subject to changes) in order to keep the peace, to feel safe, not to anger him. The fears, the hiding, the hope for something better, Jules struggles with these feelings, wanting to get away from his city and his father and reach the sunny California and his dream college. The forced outing, the tweet sent by mistake changes everything, forcing to face the reality and letting him to be, finally, himself.

His relationship with Mat is one of the most beautiful and intense story. I love their conversations, how they slowly get to know one other, becoming friends, starting to feel something more for each other, trying to make their relationship works even with so many miles apart. Jules and Mat are incredibly cute and sweet and I love how they right away understand, support and love other other. In his struggle, at school, at home, with himself, Jules finds a beacon in Mat and Mat finds the same in him. Their conversations, jokes, flirting, pictures and so on were such a pleasure to read. I was so involved in their relationship and I ship them right away, because they were perfect for one other.
Their love is so pure, intense and strong enough to face miles apart, problematic family members, misunderstandings and problems. I really loved their relationship, I swooned, laughed and cried so much while reading this book.

Jules's journey isn't an easy one. It's intense, filled with sad and hearwrenching moments, above all with his relationship with his father, his fear of not being accepted and loved for who he is. Not only he struggled and struggles with his thoughts, fears and desires for his future, but also with miles separating from Mat, family problems and homophobia. There's pain in this book, from physical and psychological abuse at home, homophobia, fears and hiding.

BUT it's also a book about so much joy and love, filled with intense and cute moments, supportive friends and family, wonderful and sweet boyfriend.
Jules is surrounded by wonderful and supportive friends, his sister Xochi and his grandfather, and I really loved the way they were always there for him, ready to catch him if he struggled and fell, offering him a place to stay, support and inconditional love. So many sweet and cute moments, filled with laughs, cooking, jokes and support.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I fell in love with it right away, because Jules is such a relatable character and his relationship with his friends and boyfriend is wonderfully written, making me feel like I was there with them, laughing, joking and loving one other.
This book is amazing and I'll never stop recommend it enough!

Everything about this book is just fabulous. The overlaying story might seem simple when you think about it. Boy is closeted. Boy accidentally outs himself. Boy meet boy online. They become friends. They become more than friends. Father is homophobic. Friends are family.

But, the truth hidden with this story is breathtaking. Jules struggles with accepting his own sexuality paired with the aggressive masculinity that his dad forces on him. If he comes out, will he lose anything? What will his friends think? What will his sister think?

Jonny tackles all of these things, and so much more, in a splendid way. He weaves together a love story mixed with powerful friendship and acceptance. Jules is not just a gay teenager. He is a Mexican-American teenager as well. Both of these were explored and discussed from Jules POV in this books.

There were so many lines in this book that I highlighted because they felt so authentic and truthful. There were moments where I just said to myself "Yes! This is what it's like being a gay teenager!" Jonny captured so much of this authenticity.

This book reminded me of Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda mixed with elements of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe with little sprinkles of Here the Whole Time.

You have to read this book. You really just have to.

first things first, this cover is gorgeous,

this book is emotional, heartbreaking and the writing is lovely. I loved both Matt and Jules.

This was a quick and cute read. The story was pretty generic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you enjoy cute, gay, romance books with little conflict, this is the book for you. While there were situations in this book that could be triggering (abuse and homophobia), the story did not focus too much of the story on this and, instead, focused on the romance.

I wish there was more depth to this story. Everything felt very rushed and unrealistic. However, the diversity in this book was remarkable and I appreciate seeing all sorts of representation in this book.

I actually started this book after finishing A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire because I needed a break from fantasy and I had to catch up with arcs. Let’s just say that I FREAKING loved this book. Seriously, throughout this book I keep going “awe” and “omg so cute” in a whisper (since it was 1am). This book warmed my heart so much I couldn’t stop smiling. The chemistry and all the things that Mat and Jules went through since they were in long distance relationship was very realistic and I loved how Mat was always there for Jules while he was going through being out in his small town. They started out as friends but they just had so much in common and chemistry that they just couldn’t stay away from each other. Also, the side characters are AMAZING in this book. Jules’ best friends are seriously the best found family that he could have when coming out to his high school and the things that happened with his dad. His actual family like his sister and grandfather made me tear up and just feel wonderful whenever they were there to support him. I’m definitely getting a finished copy when it comes out JUNE 8TH!

*Thank you to @netgalley for my free advanced copy. All opinions are my own.*

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This was really cute and heartwarming! I appreciated the author’s note with the content warnings because I started the book with realistic expectations of this story. That is to say not every moment is cute and heartwarming. There are really scary and difficult scenes to get through in addition to casual homophobia in the main character’s everyday life as a gay teenager in a conservative Texas town.

The relationship between Jules and Mat was really sweet. This story covers a full year, and I think the progression of their relationship, although developed mostly online, felt real and natural. The author nailed the banter between these two. They tease each other but they’re also really vulnerable with each other.

Big casts of characters in a friend group are sometimes hard to pull off, but I was absolutely convinced that these characters were 1) best friends and 2) fully developed characters who didn’t only exist to propel the main character’s arc. I really liked Rolie’s development from a cautious friend to a huge supporter of Jules.

I was especially moved by Julián’s relationship with his sister and abuelo. And I liked (sort of spoiler alert) that he cuts off his toxic dad. YA has a tendency to always admit toxic family members back into a character's life but that's not reality for a lot of queer folks.

I will also add that I love that Jules is vegan, makes vegan Mexican throughout the book, and loves salsa verde. Finally, a book with a salsa verde agenda!!!

Jules Luna is just trying to make it through senior year, get out of Texas, and go to UCLA, where he can finally be himself. That straightforward plan doesn’t take into account accidentally coming out to the whole internet (and the whole school) via a drunken tweet, though.

We follow Jules as he navigates his newly revealed identity with his friends, with his family, and with his new long-distance friend, Mat... or, more-than-friend, if he’s being honest.

Jules is immediately likable and relatable as the main character but he also shares the spotlight with a host of dazzling supporting characters who are just as easy to fall in love with and painfully real. Page-turning writing and snappy dialogue (lots of chismoses in this friend group) bring the cast to life.

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun is a beautifully moving book that confronts real pain and trauma (author Jonny Garza Villa recommends adding a box of Kleenex to your cart along with your copy of the book). It’s also uplifting and romantic and sweet and deeply funny.

That’s a difficult tightrope to walk, but Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun does it masterfully. I cannot recommend it enough.

in short: this book has the best found family i've ever read. it physically hurt me to say goodbye to these characters and i think that says enough.

- this book has one of the BEST friend groups i've ever read. no cap.
- when i got to the end of it and i realized that, like jules, i was also saying goodbye to piña, and lou, and rolie, and jordan and itzel, i basically started tearing up and i think that says enough.
- i absolutely love how this book is so POSITIVE. it discusses very hard topics of abuse and machismo and toxic masculinity, but it's also trying to be this beacon of light and i appreciate that so much.
- mat and jules are so adorable it hurt.
- THE FOOD. this book has so much delicious food in it, it actually made me hungry.
- i do wish the narration allowed us more inside jules' head at times. it felt like i was watching a movie more than reading a book.
- on one hand, that's actually pretty great, because it made it so the book was extremely visual. the descriptions of L.A and corpus christ, when we see both mat and jules showing their own city around to the other person, it felt like i was watching a movie montage and it was great!
- on the other, i felt like i couldn't fully connect with jules' character, because i was watching him rather than being inside his head. like when he first meets mat, i could *see* that encounter happening, but i wasn't inside jules' head - we didn't get to read about him being nervous on whether or not mat would like him now that they were face to face; we didn't get to read about him reflecting on the things about mat that felt different in person, like his voice or his laugh or his body; we didn't get to read about him wondering what would that encounter be like if had been mat visiting him in texas - would he have been able to jump in his boyfriend's arms if he thought someone he knew could be watching? and maybe i'm being extra picky, but i do wish the book had just gone *deeper* at times in terms of the character's thoughts/feelings.
- the sex scene in this book was also really awkward lmao i don't think this is relevant at all for my review, but something i learned about myself when reading this, is that: don't throw me into a sex scene if these characters haven't made out or hooked up at least ONCE. pls.
- i still enjoyed this sososoooooo much and i urge anyone reading this to pick it up

This book was wonderful! It had such a clear voice and was such a delight to read. It dealt with some tough topics in the most authentic and heartfelt way. I needed this book when I was in highschool and it is such a thrill that readers will get to have this. The way this book handled senior year, colleges and graduations was just so absolutely on point and accurate.