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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Beautiful story. Audiobook had a great narrator!
The ending was less than I wanted, but it's a cute story.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful prose and storytelling. Unfortunately the book never quite moves past the setup—after explaining the setup and reason for the title and timeline until Chekhov’s gun goes off, the characters all procrastinate, conceal from each other, and forget until the metaphorical gun goes off. So the entire book is spent waiting for the characters to remember and discuss the events of the first few chapters. It makes the book feel longer and more frustrating with each repetition of “she is here”.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse
Chapters of a woman who goes mad with grief and is institutionalized and gaslighted. A child is experimented on magically (not described in detail).
The writing style is enchanting; it read like poetry at times. The only reason it’s doesn’t get a full 5 stars is that it was a bit abstract at times, which some people do love.
This one is tricky.
For the first 100ish pages, The Girl Who Drank the Moon was enchanting. Whimsical and charming, Barnhill's peculiar world piled one delight on top of another.
And then, it just... kept going. And going. And going. To the point where everything that had charmed me began to grate on me, like a sweet song that starts fun but gets cloying really fast.
Ultimately, I think The Girl Who Drank the Moon was too long by around 100-120 pages. I think if Barnhill had condensed this story, it would have been a 5-star for me. And, as it stands, I did end up enjoying it again by the final chapters. I especially appreciated the way death is viewed and discussed by the characters (and narrator)—I wish I had encountered more stories with this kind of perspective when I was a girl.
So how to rate this? Parts of The Girl Who Drank the Moon were 5-star-whimsy, and parts were 2/3-star-exhausting. I'm ending up at a 3.5, I think... despite the book's shortcomings, Barnhill's writing is beautiful and her characters are both realistically flawed and realistically lovely. I don't think I'll read this again, but hopefully, there's a kid out there with more patience than I do for overly long and sweet stories who will enjoy my copy.
For the first 100ish pages, The Girl Who Drank the Moon was enchanting. Whimsical and charming, Barnhill's peculiar world piled one delight on top of another.
And then, it just... kept going. And going. And going. To the point where everything that had charmed me began to grate on me, like a sweet song that starts fun but gets cloying really fast.
Ultimately, I think The Girl Who Drank the Moon was too long by around 100-120 pages. I think if Barnhill had condensed this story, it would have been a 5-star for me. And, as it stands, I did end up enjoying it again by the final chapters. I especially appreciated the way death is viewed and discussed by the characters (and narrator)—I wish I had encountered more stories with this kind of perspective when I was a girl.
So how to rate this? Parts of The Girl Who Drank the Moon were 5-star-whimsy, and parts were 2/3-star-exhausting. I'm ending up at a 3.5, I think... despite the book's shortcomings, Barnhill's writing is beautiful and her characters are both realistically flawed and realistically lovely. I don't think I'll read this again, but hopefully, there's a kid out there with more patience than I do for overly long and sweet stories who will enjoy my copy.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Poetic. Fragmented. Fantastical.
It took me about 100 pages to feel invested but it really was a beautiful read. This story captures the mystery and depth of love in all its facets.
A few favorite quotes (see my highlights for more):
“Human babies are only tiny for an instant— their growing up is as swift as the beat of a hummingbird’s wing.”
“Poetry will help. The study of language ennobles the rowdiest beast.”
“How can a child be naughty when she is studying the stars?”
“Just because you don’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Some of the most wonderful things in the world are invisible. Trusting in invisible things makes them more powerful and wondrous. You’ll see.”
It took me about 100 pages to feel invested but it really was a beautiful read. This story captures the mystery and depth of love in all its facets.
A few favorite quotes (see my highlights for more):
“Human babies are only tiny for an instant— their growing up is as swift as the beat of a hummingbird’s wing.”
“Poetry will help. The study of language ennobles the rowdiest beast.”
“How can a child be naughty when she is studying the stars?”
“Just because you don’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Some of the most wonderful things in the world are invisible. Trusting in invisible things makes them more powerful and wondrous. You’ll see.”
I decided to give this book a chance bc a student recommended it to me AND I LOVED this story! All of the characters were either interesting, lovable, or loathed. But I had strong feelings for them all! I would love for the author to write a prequel including Xan’s early years. And we never find out about the crescent moon birthmark. Anyway, the cover doesn’t do the book justice so just read it!
It sucks. Nothing happens. What a disappointment.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes