Imaginary Borders is a blend of narrative and informative writing that talks about climate change. Climate change is a hot and sometimes controversial topic in today's world. There's an increasing divide between those who advocate for change and those who are suspicious about the activism devoted to climate change. Over the last few decades, this topic has received more and more attention, with this book being just one of the many examples of how people have used their voices to address the situation. Here, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez uses a casual tone where he's almost having a conversation with the reader. Martinez recollects stories in informal ways but manages to be incredibly informative at the same time.

What distinguishes this from other climate change books is how it incorporates many different ideas such as music and social class. Martinez provides a fresh perspective as a musician who has toured worldwide to spread his message on climate change. While he talks about how music has changed his life, he also talks about poverty and wealth. He talks about the usual climate change information like carbon emissions and whatnot. Still, he expands upon that idea to tackle politics and how the wealthy can avoid being blamed for the consequences of climate change. Aside from the social divide, his most notable take was how climate change isn't just an issue of transitioning to renewable energy. The media tends to be very focused on getting rid of fossil fuels as the prime solution, but at the end of the day, almost everything about modern society needs to change for a more effective solution.

So far, I've talked about Martinez's take and perspective on the whole climate change issue. And what do I think? Most of what he says is the standard climate change topics that I agree with, such as the need to pressure those in charge to take action. Still, as mentioned earlier, the desire to change society as a whole is an intriguing take. I think we're at a time in which we need to change how society functions to stop being so reliant on resources that destroy our planet. There are plenty of ways to do this, such as reducing and restricting the power of corporations that influence climate change. But this is an even messier and more controversial issue to tackle.

Climate change is a huge issue within my generation. I may not be an activist, but I think climate change is the problem that has already damaged our planet beyond repair. At this point, reducing the effects of climate change, to some degree, would be the best course of action. So long as the voices that oppose climate change remain strong and prevalent, fighting this issue will remain difficult.

Review by: Yves Mojica

Yves is a senior at John F. Kennedy High School who volunteers for the Mid Valley Regional Library branch. In his free time, he enjoys listening to rock/indie music, playing bass guitar, learning to program, and watching dark or thriller shows.

—Michael Baradi, Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library