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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Content warnings: child abuse. See more on my book trigger list.
Reminiscent of books such as [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|Mark Haddon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479863624s/1618.jpg|4259809]The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344265419s/7937843.jpg|9585076]Room, Ginny Moon (also sometimes titled The Original Ginny Moon) is written in a rather childlike voice, which is probably the only thing that kept me from rating it 5 stars. Although of course everyone on the spectrum is different, I felt like the writing style was a bit too juvenile for a fourteen-year-old. Compare it to the writing style of Rachael Lucas’ contemporary YA novel [b:The State of Grace|32187354|The State of Grace|Rachael Lucas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488066143s/32187354.jpg|52827054]The State of Grace, about a fifteen-year-old autistic girl, and you’ll see a clear difference. (And I had thought the writing in that was juvenile when I read it.) It’s not something that bothers me to a great extent, but it’s certainly an interesting thing to have noticed.
If you know a thing or two about autism, you can definitely recognize the signs in Ginny’s behavior. Rules & routine are what keeps her sane, she doesn’t see danger, she takes everything very literally, and she would definitely ‘fail’ the Sally/Anne Test.
Ginny Moon is a great example of a story that shows that autism isn’t just this one way. Ginny is very sassy, which I loved. She struggles with lying but still occasionally tells lies, or deliberately keeps things from her family and therapist. Many people think that autistic people are incapable of lying or being manipulative, but I think that’s infantilizing and so it’s great that this book shows that autistic people are just as diverse as non-autistic people.
If you’re interested in reading about autism, child abuse, and the foster care system, definitely pick this one up.
Read more short book reviews like this in my seasonal book review blog posts: Summer Book Reviews.
Reminiscent of books such as [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|Mark Haddon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479863624s/1618.jpg|4259809]The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344265419s/7937843.jpg|9585076]Room, Ginny Moon (also sometimes titled The Original Ginny Moon) is written in a rather childlike voice, which is probably the only thing that kept me from rating it 5 stars. Although of course everyone on the spectrum is different, I felt like the writing style was a bit too juvenile for a fourteen-year-old. Compare it to the writing style of Rachael Lucas’ contemporary YA novel [b:The State of Grace|32187354|The State of Grace|Rachael Lucas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488066143s/32187354.jpg|52827054]The State of Grace, about a fifteen-year-old autistic girl, and you’ll see a clear difference. (And I had thought the writing in that was juvenile when I read it.) It’s not something that bothers me to a great extent, but it’s certainly an interesting thing to have noticed.
If you know a thing or two about autism, you can definitely recognize the signs in Ginny’s behavior. Rules & routine are what keeps her sane, she doesn’t see danger, she takes everything very literally, and she would definitely ‘fail’ the Sally/Anne Test.
Ginny Moon is a great example of a story that shows that autism isn’t just this one way. Ginny is very sassy, which I loved. She struggles with lying but still occasionally tells lies, or deliberately keeps things from her family and therapist. Many people think that autistic people are incapable of lying or being manipulative, but I think that’s infantilizing and so it’s great that this book shows that autistic people are just as diverse as non-autistic people.
If you’re interested in reading about autism, child abuse, and the foster care system, definitely pick this one up.
Read more short book reviews like this in my seasonal book review blog posts: Summer Book Reviews.
I recieved an ARC giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed seeing the world through Ginny's eyes. When I first heard about this book, I thought it would be similar to "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon but the only thing similar about the two books are that the main characters are autistic, their journeys are completely different which is a good because I enjoyed both stories.
“Ginny Moon” by Benjamin Ludwig is story of a special teenaged girl who had been through some rough times before being adopted by her forever parents. Even after being adopted, she still has some trouble. This story has a whole lot of emotions packed into every page. Having the book from Ginny’s perspective really helps to understand how she processes the events around her and allows the reader to understand some of the issues she is facing from internal issues to external problems that she has no control over. Benjamin Ludwig does a great job of allowing situations to be understood from a child’s point of view. As an adult, understanding what to do in particular situations is common sense but for an autistic child, the same reasoning and understanding may not be the same. Although Ginny is a smart girl, because of the situations she was in before she was adopted into her forever home, she lacked some of the basic knowledge that most children learn at a young age, and for example, stealing is wrong.
I really enjoyed seeing the world through Ginny's eyes. When I first heard about this book, I thought it would be similar to "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon but the only thing similar about the two books are that the main characters are autistic, their journeys are completely different which is a good because I enjoyed both stories.
“Ginny Moon” by Benjamin Ludwig is story of a special teenaged girl who had been through some rough times before being adopted by her forever parents. Even after being adopted, she still has some trouble. This story has a whole lot of emotions packed into every page. Having the book from Ginny’s perspective really helps to understand how she processes the events around her and allows the reader to understand some of the issues she is facing from internal issues to external problems that she has no control over. Benjamin Ludwig does a great job of allowing situations to be understood from a child’s point of view. As an adult, understanding what to do in particular situations is common sense but for an autistic child, the same reasoning and understanding may not be the same. Although Ginny is a smart girl, because of the situations she was in before she was adopted into her forever home, she lacked some of the basic knowledge that most children learn at a young age, and for example, stealing is wrong.
3.5
نسبت به کتابای کودک و نوجوانی که توی این فضا خوندم و همهشون یه جورایی دارن تکراری میشن دیگه، این از همهشون متفاوتتر بود. دوسش داشتم.
نسبت به کتابای کودک و نوجوانی که توی این فضا خوندم و همهشون یه جورایی دارن تکراری میشن دیگه، این از همهشون متفاوتتر بود. دوسش داشتم.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Have a box of tissues near by. This book made my heart hurt for Ginny, to understand her thoughts when paired with the other characters’ actions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury
The message in this book is so good. The way it was written, though, set my teeth on edge. I admire that it was told through the eyes of the child but it was a tough read. Totally worth it. Just not my favorite. And I did think it wrapped up a little too neatly/quickly at the end.
I have tremendous respect for families with an autistic child after listening to just two of the CDs. I was exhausted by how Ginny relates her story. The repetition of her explanations for why she does things and how she does things ground me down. I could imagine how parents feel in that situation. Her inability to express what her needs are (despite telling everyone over and over how she needs to get back to get her baby doll) was frustrating.
I admire parents with an autistic child for their patience, resilience, fortitude and love.
It reminded me a bit of Still Alice in the way that Ginny relates her thoughts, although reading SA was like reading a horror novel that I couldn't put down.
***Looked for a review with spoilers to confirm how I suspected the book would end. Bingo! I was right on the money. For that alone, I'm happy that I didn't finish the book.
I admire parents with an autistic child for their patience, resilience, fortitude and love.
It reminded me a bit of Still Alice in the way that Ginny relates her thoughts, although reading SA was like reading a horror novel that I couldn't put down.
***Looked for a review with spoilers to confirm how I suspected the book would end. Bingo! I was right on the money. For that alone, I'm happy that I didn't finish the book.
Well, dang! This was such a charming read from start to finish.
Ginny Moon is a beautiful story from debut novelist, Benjamin Ludwig. Ludwig shares in his bio that he is the foster parent of a teen with autism and it is through his own experience (and fellow parents of autistic children) that helped him carve out his character, Ginny Moon.
Ginny Moon had been taken from her neglectful mother and has been living with her new Forever Mother and Forever Father. When her birth mother starts creeping back into her life, Ginny will stop at nothing to get back to her mom and goes to shocking lengths to make that happen. When a new baby then is added to her Forever Family, Ginny becomes increasingly more of a burden to her strained foster parents and they must decide if this is the forever family THEY want. Ginny will stop at nothing though to get back to where she believes she really belongs and there is a pretty surprising reason why. It’s a real page-turner!
Ludwig really sheds light on the difficulties of finding adoptive families for teens of special needs and your heart just breaks for Ginny over the confusion of who her real “forever family,” is.
Ginny Moon is a beautiful story from debut novelist, Benjamin Ludwig. Ludwig shares in his bio that he is the foster parent of a teen with autism and it is through his own experience (and fellow parents of autistic children) that helped him carve out his character, Ginny Moon.
Ginny Moon had been taken from her neglectful mother and has been living with her new Forever Mother and Forever Father. When her birth mother starts creeping back into her life, Ginny will stop at nothing to get back to her mom and goes to shocking lengths to make that happen. When a new baby then is added to her Forever Family, Ginny becomes increasingly more of a burden to her strained foster parents and they must decide if this is the forever family THEY want. Ginny will stop at nothing though to get back to where she believes she really belongs and there is a pretty surprising reason why. It’s a real page-turner!
Ludwig really sheds light on the difficulties of finding adoptive families for teens of special needs and your heart just breaks for Ginny over the confusion of who her real “forever family,” is.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the book and the voice of Ginny. I loved the really short chapters which make you feel like you are plowing through it. The adults in Ginny's life however, are something to be desired. I'm pretty sure I disliked every single one of them. Especially the adopted Mom.
Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig is a 2017 Park Row Books publication.
This is one of those rare novels that everyone should read, no matter which way your tastes in books may run.
I realize the author has some experience dealing with special needs children, which gives him a great deal of personal insight. However, climbing inside the mind of an autistic fourteen year old girl and giving her a voice that is so realistic, is quite a feat.
Ginny will touch your heart in so many ways. She will break it, warm it, and steal it all in one sitting.
Maura and Brian adopted Ginny, an autistic child, who has lived through a disgusting level of abuse. While Ginny is challenging under normal circumstances, the impending birth of the couples’ first biological child, brings about an entirely new set of concerns.
But, what no one seems to recognize is that Ginny has a secret locked inside of her, and it’s ripping her apart. What she knows, and feels, no matter how many ways she attempts to voice it, does not seep into the consciousness of the adults in her life.
She is desperate to find her ‘baby doll’, and no one understands why her quest is so important to her, which explains so much about why she keeps trying to find her birth mother.
I can’t praise the writing enough. The author has done a fantastic job of breathing life into such a precious girl, while highlighting the inward struggle those with autism live with. I felt as though all the characters were well drawn, and very credible.
I admit I have no first -hand experience with autism, but I trust the author’s, and as such, I believe this book is a fine representation of what it might be like to live with the disorder, not only from Ginny's perspective, but also examines the challenges parents and caregivers face.
It is frustrating on one hand, because I knew what was in Ginny’s mind and couldn’t understand why no one else picked up on it, but I could also understand how exhausting it must be, especially with so many other factors involved. I tried not to pass judgement, and understood the feelings of the adults involved were very raw and quite feasible and honest.
Although it is a slow and ‘tedious’ journey, not only for Ginny, but also for her ‘Forever’ family, the rewards made it all worthwhile.
I am so glad I discovered this book! It’s an awesome portrait of a very special young lady, and is a very affecting story that had a big impact on me.
4.5 stars
This is one of those rare novels that everyone should read, no matter which way your tastes in books may run.
I realize the author has some experience dealing with special needs children, which gives him a great deal of personal insight. However, climbing inside the mind of an autistic fourteen year old girl and giving her a voice that is so realistic, is quite a feat.
Ginny will touch your heart in so many ways. She will break it, warm it, and steal it all in one sitting.
Maura and Brian adopted Ginny, an autistic child, who has lived through a disgusting level of abuse. While Ginny is challenging under normal circumstances, the impending birth of the couples’ first biological child, brings about an entirely new set of concerns.
But, what no one seems to recognize is that Ginny has a secret locked inside of her, and it’s ripping her apart. What she knows, and feels, no matter how many ways she attempts to voice it, does not seep into the consciousness of the adults in her life.
She is desperate to find her ‘baby doll’, and no one understands why her quest is so important to her, which explains so much about why she keeps trying to find her birth mother.
I can’t praise the writing enough. The author has done a fantastic job of breathing life into such a precious girl, while highlighting the inward struggle those with autism live with. I felt as though all the characters were well drawn, and very credible.
I admit I have no first -hand experience with autism, but I trust the author’s, and as such, I believe this book is a fine representation of what it might be like to live with the disorder, not only from Ginny's perspective, but also examines the challenges parents and caregivers face.
It is frustrating on one hand, because I knew what was in Ginny’s mind and couldn’t understand why no one else picked up on it, but I could also understand how exhausting it must be, especially with so many other factors involved. I tried not to pass judgement, and understood the feelings of the adults involved were very raw and quite feasible and honest.
Although it is a slow and ‘tedious’ journey, not only for Ginny, but also for her ‘Forever’ family, the rewards made it all worthwhile.
I am so glad I discovered this book! It’s an awesome portrait of a very special young lady, and is a very affecting story that had a big impact on me.
4.5 stars