Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf BFYR
Publish Date: February 14, 2012
ISBN: 0375869530
ISBN-13: 9780375869532
Genre: Fiction – Young Adult
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Synopsis: An all-night cityscape moonlit love story.
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.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Thanks to my good friend Leiah, at whatchYAreading, I decided to read Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon sooner rather than later. She told me that I wouldn’t regret reading it, and believe me I haven’t yet. Crowley is a literary genius. The words flowed like poetry, complimenting each image described. The love was so heart felt, real, and pure. The story? Magical.
Lucy is an artist, but above all, she is a fan of art. Not just any art, Shadow’s art. She spends a lot of time appreciating Shadows art. Shadow is an elusive graffiti artist that inspires Lucy’s hopes and dreams. She feels a deep connection with Shadow’s art, more than she’s ever connected to anything else. To Lucy, and to me, Shadow’s art represents emotions that are purged through dreams. With the help of her friends, Lucy has a chance to find Shadow. And as a result, she will find something more than she ever expected.
Lucy isn’t a typical young adult female heroine. There was something about her, her tenacity, and the attitude of never giving up. I didn’t understand her at first, but as the words were read, and as the pages were turned, I fell in love with her. Lucy is intelligent and definitely artistic. Lucy is witty, and feisty, and most of all, down to earth. She was someone that I would have loved to know in real life. Lucy had a passion, and Crowley chose the write words to make that passion come alive.
I fell in love with the boy named Shadow. I fell in love with how much pain he felt, and how he translated that pain with the one thing that kept him alive. His quick wit was a perfect match to Lucy’s intelligence. Shadow took his misfortunes and turned them into something much more beautiful than he gives himself credit for. It was so easy to fall in love with him. Crowley did such a fantastic job building his character and different levels of persona. To Shadow, he couldn’t be himself, he had to be perfect, but I think Lucy proves him otherwise.
Crowley’s characters are well balanced with each other. There is a spectrum of personalities, like the colors described in Graffiti Moon. They are filled with complexity and vulnerabilities, slowly revealing their hopes and fears to the reader. For me, there is a message of overcoming fears to achieve the best that you can. For me, it was about sacrificing themselves for what they believe in. Lucy, Shadow, and the supporting characters were beautiful and came to life.
The writing is impeccable. Similar to Melina Marchetta, but definitely talent of her own, Crowley writes with the same passion that she talks about. There is a sense of maturity to her words, her world, and her characters, but not so much that I couldn’t relate to it. There are details described with fine and intricate details, allowing me to clearly see gorgeous images in my mind. There is a raw and honest emotion that is portrayed throughout the book, and some emotions definitely brought me to tears.
I read Graffiti Moon in one night. Like Lucy, I needed to know more about Shadow and his art. Like Lucy, I became the eager and determined young woman who wanted to learn more about the one person who understood her.
I absolutely loved Graffiti Moon, and I think you will too. I highly urge you to put this on your TBR lists, and pick it up next week. Definitely perfect for Valentine’s Day.
