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Monarchs in the Wild
After witnessing the tragic death of a classmate, seventeen-year-old Cal desperately searches for a way out of his blink-and-you'll-miss-it rural town of La Sombra, California--before he, too, becomes a nobody-migrant statistic.
Set in the summer of 1994, in California's Central Valley, seventeen-year-old Cal "California" Garcia is a Latine boy who can't seem to escape the gossip and horrified looks of the La Sombra residents. They judge him on nothing more than the long scar on his face, his beat up '68 Mustang, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Cal constantly feels set up to fail. His pa left his family after the tragic accident that gave him his scar. Ma spends all her time at church enchanted by the words of a crooked pastor. And his new-old Mustang brings more trouble and chaos than it's worth. On top of this, his life is turned upside down when he finds Nora, valedictorian Nora, having jumped off a bridge, ending her life. The monarch butterflies stitched onto her jeans are seared into his memory forever. Cal, having found the body, becomes a suspect in Nora's suspicious death and frantically searches for a way to escape accusation in La Sombra.
Through a string of increasingly devastating events, Cal is guided by the unlikeliest of people: Two down-on-their-luck cholos, looking for some "easy" money; a bruja who lives on the edge of town, imparting ancient wisdom and car parts; and a greasy mechanic who might or might not have stolen Cal's money.
With time running out and nowhere to hide, Cal must decide who he is and what he deserves in a world where he's seen as just another nothing-statistic in a migrant, farm-worker town.
Set in the summer of 1994, in California's Central Valley, seventeen-year-old Cal "California" Garcia is a Latine boy who can't seem to escape the gossip and horrified looks of the La Sombra residents. They judge him on nothing more than the long scar on his face, his beat up '68 Mustang, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Cal constantly feels set up to fail. His pa left his family after the tragic accident that gave him his scar. Ma spends all her time at church enchanted by the words of a crooked pastor. And his new-old Mustang brings more trouble and chaos than it's worth. On top of this, his life is turned upside down when he finds Nora, valedictorian Nora, having jumped off a bridge, ending her life. The monarch butterflies stitched onto her jeans are seared into his memory forever. Cal, having found the body, becomes a suspect in Nora's suspicious death and frantically searches for a way to escape accusation in La Sombra.
Through a string of increasingly devastating events, Cal is guided by the unlikeliest of people: Two down-on-their-luck cholos, looking for some "easy" money; a bruja who lives on the edge of town, imparting ancient wisdom and car parts; and a greasy mechanic who might or might not have stolen Cal's money.
With time running out and nowhere to hide, Cal must decide who he is and what he deserves in a world where he's seen as just another nothing-statistic in a migrant, farm-worker town.
- GenresYoung AdultGrief
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 11, 2026
Monarchs in the Wild by debut novelist Israel Moya is a transportive novel. It not only transports you to a place that only a certain segment of America ever gets to see and experience, it transports you through time to the 1990s.
It encapsulates the mind and enraptures the senses, capturing you with it’s tale of a boy coming of age, of someone trapped in a small town that he can’t escape through a combination of his own actions, bad-timing, and a system created to keep his kind on the literal other side of the tracks and tethered to the dirt. It captures life that is rarely acknowledged by the mainstream and has never been presented in it’s entirety, blemishes and all, in all its raw and visceral glory. It delves into how the underprivileged must struggle twice as hard, play thrice as nice, and barely make a living wage — if that.
Monarchs is a character study about a rat caught on a hamster wheel built to keep him stationary no matter how hard or fast he runs. He’s not meant to achieve escape velocity. He’s meant to stay and live and work and wither away on a deadend street in a go nowhere town. He’s not an every man on an adventure, he’s a nobody on a circular track without an exit, where the whole of his existence can be viewed from atop a bridge that shows his small town, the fields, and the prison — like he eats in a cafeteria where these three dishes are the only options.
Mr. Moya serves a scrumptious meal for the hungry, a hearty soup for the soul, and a look into life rarely glimpsed, understood, or fully appreciated by anyone considered middle class or above.
It encapsulates the mind and enraptures the senses, capturing you with it’s tale of a boy coming of age, of someone trapped in a small town that he can’t escape through a combination of his own actions, bad-timing, and a system created to keep his kind on the literal other side of the tracks and tethered to the dirt. It captures life that is rarely acknowledged by the mainstream and has never been presented in it’s entirety, blemishes and all, in all its raw and visceral glory. It delves into how the underprivileged must struggle twice as hard, play thrice as nice, and barely make a living wage — if that.
Monarchs is a character study about a rat caught on a hamster wheel built to keep him stationary no matter how hard or fast he runs. He’s not meant to achieve escape velocity. He’s meant to stay and live and work and wither away on a deadend street in a go nowhere town. He’s not an every man on an adventure, he’s a nobody on a circular track without an exit, where the whole of his existence can be viewed from atop a bridge that shows his small town, the fields, and the prison — like he eats in a cafeteria where these three dishes are the only options.
Mr. Moya serves a scrumptious meal for the hungry, a hearty soup for the soul, and a look into life rarely glimpsed, understood, or fully appreciated by anyone considered middle class or above.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
His central California small town feels like a dead end to aimless Cal. He’s just about at the end of high school with no future plans. His part time job at a local convenience store started out as a positive experience but the overbearing manager is making it miserable. Cal witnesses the accidental death of a classmate and is questioned by the police. He is sure that the police suspect him of being involved in the death. Cal hopes to fix up his 1968 Mustang but every part he fixes uncovers another need. The disintegrating car is a compelling metaphor for Cal’s view of the future. An atmospheric meditation on growing up without hope and then finding insight in unexpected places. Earc from Edelweiss.
June 2, 2026
I adored this book. The author has such a nice balance of quiet character moments, and then plot turns to keep the momentum moving and the stakes present at the front of our minds. I read to be transported, and this book certainly did that. I'm not a car guy. I went to California once, for a wedding. I don't know what it's like to grow up as an outsider in my ostensible home. But Cal, and the author's writing, make these strange experiences familiar to me. And that's what great writing should do--use empathy as a cudgel against distance. I'm so glad I read this.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This was a miss for me for the most part, but it wasn't because the book was poorly written. It touched on some pretty important, very relevant topics. It just didn't appeal to me personally. I can definitely see the value of it, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it so early. Hopefully whoever I pass my copy on to will be able to appreciate it more than I could.
This was a miss for me for the most part, but it wasn't because the book was poorly written. It touched on some pretty important, very relevant topics. It just didn't appeal to me personally. I can definitely see the value of it, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it so early. Hopefully whoever I pass my copy on to will be able to appreciate it more than I could.
June 22, 2026
Overall, Monarchs in the Wild is a compelling and thought-provoking debut novel. Its memorable characters, emotional depth, and strong themes make it an excellent read for young adults and anyone who enjoys realistic fiction. I would highly recommend this book because it offers both an engaging story and meaningful insights about growing up, overcoming adversity, and finding one’s place in the world.
June 23, 2026
Cal is a character any struggling youth can relate to. His inner conflicts and external threats send him on a path to maturity that spoke to my younger self. An amazing read that I cannot wait to share with my son and daughter. Hopefully, it will be required reading in schools by the time they reach of age.
October 14, 2026
A very insightful story of Hispanic life in California's central valley. I was on the edge of my seat hoping to Cal to succeed and find his way. Moya obviously poured his heart into this story. Looking forward to the next one.
July 23, 2026
An exceptional debut novel from a wonderfully talented author. Congrats!
August 23, 2026
An atmospheric and thought-provoking story!
August 30, 2026
I enjoyed reading this and it reminded me a lot of one of my favorite authors, Victor Villaseñor.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews