Few books have impacted me, personally, as PRIME MERIDIAN by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This one blindsided me by the relatively unassuming(but beautiful) cover. I really couldn’t be more happy with this literary, sci-fi novella.

Amelia is in a hard place. She finds herself trying to shoestring her budget as she lives with her sister in near-future Mexico City. All of the typical problems of an urban city center are exasperated here, with cruel industries squeezing the have-nots. Amelia works as a friend for rent, and sells her blood, yet, she dreams of Mars. She only needs to save enough to earn her ticket to a colony, but there’s seemingly no way out. When an old flame comes back into town, Amelia may find the motivation she needs.

Every page is  drawn out, with the strain of daily life, overburdened by a thousand different worries, anxieties, and with only fleeting moments of calm. While, the beats of this novel may not take some readers entirely by surprise, the struggle of Amelia is heartfelt throughout. This is even to say that Amelia is not an all around likable character, given that even as a protagonist remains an authentic person amidst a difficult situation. No one is truly all around likable and being someone who has experienced real hardship and loss, this strongly resonated with me.

This is a brief little novella, just barely 115+ pages long, but it packs a punch that left me thinking of it often over this last week. If you want close idea of what it looks like to struggle and dream and someone to root for, then look no further than picking up this book!