Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A child found living alone on the Moon is brought to live among humans but struggles with his identity.The child, who has dark brown skin and wavy white hair, lives happily with his adoptive hijabi mother and her loving spaceship community. When he becomes confused about his identity, his unconditionally loving mother suggests he start by choosing a new name, since the old one doesn't fit. Now Indu Wulandari Muliadi and his mom are moving to New Earth, where his mom is getting married. Indu struggles with having a stepfather and stepsiblings and feels isolated because he doesn't know Bahasa Indonesia well. A school pen pal assignment matches him with Chinese Indonesian Noah Wong, a bisexual 12-year-old, and they become friends. Indu, who's gay, might even have a crush on him-but then Noah suddenly stops talking to him. A devastated Indu feels hopelessly alone. When the Moon hears his cries and offers Indu a chance to come home on New Year's and leave the pain behind, he decides to go. Knowing that he's leaving, Indu tries to make his remaining months on New Earth different, which opens him up to unexpected friendships and places and the beauty of his new home and family. This luminously illustrated graphic novel offers readers a lovely story of change, understanding, identity, and belonging. Indu meets other trans people and discovers an incredible queer community. Indonesian culture is woven throughout the text and the stunning artwork.Stellar: both heartbreaking and heartwarming. (Graphic fantasy. 9-13)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Gr 6 Up— Indu is discovered on the moon by his adoptive mother Dariya, who picks him up during a space mission. Indu spends much of his childhood onboard the spaceship Eyesun, which houses an entire community. Indu comes out as trans to his mother at a young age and is easily accepted. However, he has to endure many changes when it is time for them to depart for New Earth—a futuristic, neo-Indonesian planet. Upon arrival on New Earth, Indu is immediately faced with several social challenges. He struggles with a language barrier, transphobia at school, and conflict with his older brother Alon. He is relieved when he starts to receive messages from the moon, which offer to take him back on the night of the New Year, but over time, Indu finds solace in a new pen pal and in the connections he makes at a queer community center. With a renewed sense of belonging, Indu regrets his decision to return to the moon and must decide to stay or go. References to Indonesian queer history emphasize that queer people have existed throughout time and in all cultures. Shifting color palettes set the tone, with warmer colors on New Earth and cooler ones in space. The authors seamlessly weave the lore of New Earth into the story, making it easy to understand without over-explaining. Themes of acceptance and the importance of community make this a great pick for readers who are coming-of-age or struggling with identity. While marketed toward middle grades, this book would be appealing for high school students as well. VERDICT This heartwarming story about found family and finding yourself is an immersive and refreshing shift from traditional science fiction.— Jillian Girardeau

Kirkus Reviews

A child found living alone on the Moon is brought to live among humans but struggles with his identity.The child, who has dark brown skin and wavy white hair, lives happily with his adoptive hijabi mother and her loving spaceship community. When he becomes confused about his identity, his unconditionally loving mother suggests he start by choosing a new name, since the old one doesn't fit. Now Indu Wulandari Muliadi and his mom are moving to New Earth, where his mom is getting married. Indu struggles with having a stepfather and stepsiblings and feels isolated because he doesn't know Bahasa Indonesia well. A school pen pal assignment matches him with Chinese Indonesian Noah Wong, a bisexual 12-year-old, and they become friends. Indu, who's gay, might even have a crush on him-but then Noah suddenly stops talking to him. A devastated Indu feels hopelessly alone. When the Moon hears his cries and offers Indu a chance to come home on New Year's and leave the pain behind, he decides to go. Knowing that he's leaving, Indu tries to make his remaining months on New Earth different, which opens him up to unexpected friendships and places and the beauty of his new home and family. This luminously illustrated graphic novel offers readers a lovely story of change, understanding, identity, and belonging. Indu meets other trans people and discovers an incredible queer community. Indonesian culture is woven throughout the text and the stunning artwork.Stellar: both heartbreaking and heartwarming. (Graphic fantasy. 9-13)