Scan barcode
A review by fuzzyhead
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
2.0
I had high hopes for this book, but ended up disappointed. I loved the concept, and I loved the love story itself, but I found the poetic language McLemore used way too distracting and flowery. It seemed like every other sentence had a simile in it, and most of the time they completely took me out of the story. Seriously. I had to reread certain passages at points, getting caught up in wondering why the author chose to use a certain simile or evoke a particular image that seemed to have no bearing on what was going on. And while I love magical realism as a medium, it needs to serve a purpose, you know? I felt some of the more fantastical elements of the story were just put there for the sake of *~magical realism~*.
It's frustrating, because despite my reservations, I believe McLemore has the potential to be really great. The writing itself is often very beautiful, and it's very clear that telling this story is very important to her. (Honestly, one of my favorite parts in the book is the note at the end where she talks about her and her husband's love story and how it shaped the writing of this book.) I am a cis woman so I can only speak from that perspective, but I found the way she talked about trans identity incredibly moving and sensitive.
I am actually looking forward to reading her next book, Wild Beauty, which comes out at the end of the year, to see how her writing has developed since the this book.
It's frustrating, because despite my reservations, I believe McLemore has the potential to be really great. The writing itself is often very beautiful, and it's very clear that telling this story is very important to her. (Honestly, one of my favorite parts in the book is the note at the end where she talks about her and her husband's love story and how it shaped the writing of this book.) I am a cis woman so I can only speak from that perspective, but I found the way she talked about trans identity incredibly moving and sensitive.
I am actually looking forward to reading her next book, Wild Beauty, which comes out at the end of the year, to see how her writing has developed since the this book.