♥ Summary: Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.
♥ Favorite Line(s):
So so so many. Holy bananas. And guess what? For once I'll list them all. Except for my very favorite because I want you all to hopefully stumble onto it and realize the brilliance yourselves.
"First piece I ever did was for her. A girl with roads and rivers and deserts running across her skin."
"Midnight stumbling in his mouth."
"There's nothing you can do for me now Bert. You're dead and I'm buried."
"...I'd draw the hollow I get inside when I see a moon I could drink right out of the sky..."
"I had this urge to throw cans at the windows so I could hear a noise that sounded like escape."
"Be easier if we all called things what they really are."
♥ My thoughts:
This book.
This fricking book.
It seems I'll have to move to Australia after all since now I've developed a possibly unhealthy obsession for Aussie YA. Like, to the point when I see 'Aussie' and 'YA' in the same sentence my ears prick up like a flipping Golden Retriever. First Melina Marchetta lured me in with promises of boys like Jonah Griggs and badass chicks like Taylor. Then Jacklyn Moriarity held me under with fun, original, highly 'quirky in the good way' adventures. Now Cath Crowley has me completely submerged with no hope of coming up soon.
Graffiti Moon, first of all, has a kickass summary. I cannot possibly fathom how someone can not want to read the book after that summary. Nope. Does not compute. Then all of the glowing reviews, most from reviewers I highly respect? Sold. I was completely ready to be taken on a ride with this one, get caught up in the characters and story and run away to Australia for a little while. Ask and you shall receive.
Lucy, Ed, Leo, Jazz, Dylan, Daisy, Shadow, Poet, Al, Bert, and even Malcolm Dove drew me in immediately. They're all distinct and separate, but have one thing in common: they have huge misconceptions about the people around them. I'm abso-friggin'-lutely fascinated and intrigued by how people regard strangers. How we all think we know people when I would argue most of us never truly get to know even two people in our lives. I think it's completely odd how the computer nerd can look at the popular girl and think she's got nothing more to deal with than a broken nail. She might be battling cancer. She might've just found out her house is being foreclosed upon. Or she might really have no problems larger or more pressing than a broken nail. The thing is that no one but her will know until she decides to share.
As you can tell I think about things like this a lot, so when the entire cast of characters {okay, maybe not Malcolm Dove} think they know what the others are thinking and what they'll do and say {one even thinks she's a psychic} I eat. It. Up. I love the conflict that erupts when misconceptions are shot down at close range. When expectations are raised and lowered. Graffiti Moon gave me exactly what I wanted in that department, even some things I didn't know to ask for.
Besides the characters, the plot never bored me and the pacing was pretty great. Even though these events take place mostly over a few hours, I felt like I'd been on a journey with everyone. The writing was poetic and rough and real and I loved the feeling it evoked while reading. I've been waiting for this book. For my new favorite. For something fresh and hopeful and bright with shadows.
♥ Summing it up:
Graffiti Moon is a wonderful celebration of being young and trying to figure things and people out before they're gone, lost. Love love love times ten. Graffiti Moon will officially grace the US with its presence February 14, 2012.
"Valerie"-Amy Winehouse,
