nannahnannah's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, I know this book has a lot of awards and rave reviews, but it felt like two separate stories with separate moods and writing styles. I’m not sure that they really came together the way the author intended them to at the end. So I think the book had great promise? Just that maybe the ideas were clumsily executed (I’m sorry!).
Once Upon a Time (basically, how the novel is written) there was a Bog. A great big bog and a bog monster and a poet. They’re all the same, and his name was Glerk. And Glerk loved a witch named Xan--and they all live together with a Perfectly Tiny Dragon named Fyrian. He provides some rather cringy comic relief, to be honest, twirling like a ballerina and acting like a child--or rather, like how an adult who doesn’t know how to write children writes a child:
“‘Why are we up here?’ Fyrian wanted to know. / ‘Hush,’ Luna said. / ‘Why must we hush?’ Fyrian asked. / Luna sighed deeply. ‘I need you to be very, very quiet, Fyrian. So I may concentrate on my drawing.’ / ‘I can be quiet,’ Fyrian chirped, still hovering in front of her face. ‘I can be so quiet. I can be quieter than worms, and worms are very quiet, unless they are convincing you not to eat them, and then they are less quiet, and very convincing, though I usually still eat them because they are delicious.’” … etc.
Anyway, near this bog is a town called the Protectorate, a sad place where its citizens live in fear of the Witch in the woods. Every year they offer the youngest of their babies to it so the Witch won’t terrorize the town. What they don’t know is that there is technically no witch out there devouring or stealing their babies, and that Xan is the one picking them up so the kid doesn’t die. She takes them to a nearby village so they can survive.
Now Luna, the protagonist, is one of these babies, one of these Star Children (because Xan feeds them starlight so they can survive the trip). But by mistake, Xan feeds her moonlight, which Enmagicks her. Because of this, Luna becomes unpredictable and dangerous with magic. To protect her, Xan and Glerk (the bog monster), hide her magic till she’s twelve years old, even if it hurts Luna, and will drain all life and magic from Xan when Luna becomes twelve.
Meanwhile (whew), Antain, a man from the Protectorate, decides to take fate into his own hands and kill the witch so he won’t have to offer up his firstborn child. And that’s where things get messy and Luna’s storyline intertwines with that of the Protectorate’s.
Quite honestly, this book was an easy and fun read, but the two storylines were VERY different in mood and pace. Luna’s was overall pretty silly and fun, with bits and pieces very serious when the PoV swung over to Xan and even Glerk on occasion. But Antain’s was overwhelmingly serious and even grim. And when years passed and he became a married adult, Luna only aged a year; it was jarring.
There were also the villains to consider here: the Grand Elder Gherland (of the Protectorate), who was nearly cartoony, and where the novel was a bit heavy-handed with its morals. I know this is middle grade, but it kind of felt like speaking down to the age group … maybe I’m wrong, but it’s the impression I got.
The other villain is maybe a spoiler, but they're involved in the climax, which was extremely anticlimactic. It was basically saying to the villain but don’t you remember loving someone, too? And having the villain break down crying -- and that was the end of that. I’m all for non-incredibly-violent climaxes too, but this was just way too easy.
ALSO: I'm soooo done with characters called/labeled/whatever the "madwoman". Descriptions were "she was, in fact, quite mad" etc. Can we just ... be done with that sort of thing, collectively, as a society, etc? Using this trope to further the plot is just ableist and hurtful to everyone (ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES). Just ... full stop.
I’m getting really negative here, but I didn’t … not enjoy it? It just wasn’t overwhelmingly good. Just kind of … eh, an okay read in an interesting world. The mythology of the world and its Bog was probably my favorite part.
Once Upon a Time (basically, how the novel is written) there was a Bog. A great big bog and a bog monster and a poet. They’re all the same, and his name was Glerk. And Glerk loved a witch named Xan--and they all live together with a Perfectly Tiny Dragon named Fyrian. He provides some rather cringy comic relief, to be honest, twirling like a ballerina and acting like a child--or rather, like how an adult who doesn’t know how to write children writes a child:
“‘Why are we up here?’ Fyrian wanted to know. / ‘Hush,’ Luna said. / ‘Why must we hush?’ Fyrian asked. / Luna sighed deeply. ‘I need you to be very, very quiet, Fyrian. So I may concentrate on my drawing.’ / ‘I can be quiet,’ Fyrian chirped, still hovering in front of her face. ‘I can be so quiet. I can be quieter than worms, and worms are very quiet, unless they are convincing you not to eat them, and then they are less quiet, and very convincing, though I usually still eat them because they are delicious.’” … etc.
Anyway, near this bog is a town called the Protectorate, a sad place where its citizens live in fear of the Witch in the woods. Every year they offer the youngest of their babies to it so the Witch won’t terrorize the town. What they don’t know is that there is technically no witch out there devouring or stealing their babies, and that Xan is the one picking them up so the kid doesn’t die. She takes them to a nearby village so they can survive.
Now Luna, the protagonist, is one of these babies, one of these Star Children (because Xan feeds them starlight so they can survive the trip). But by mistake, Xan feeds her moonlight, which Enmagicks her. Because of this, Luna becomes unpredictable and dangerous with magic. To protect her, Xan and Glerk (the bog monster), hide her magic till she’s twelve years old, even if it hurts Luna, and will drain all life and magic from Xan when Luna becomes twelve.
Meanwhile (whew), Antain, a man from the Protectorate, decides to take fate into his own hands and kill the witch so he won’t have to offer up his firstborn child. And that’s where things get messy and Luna’s storyline intertwines with that of the Protectorate’s.
Quite honestly, this book was an easy and fun read, but the two storylines were VERY different in mood and pace. Luna’s was overall pretty silly and fun, with bits and pieces very serious when the PoV swung over to Xan and even Glerk on occasion. But Antain’s was overwhelmingly serious and even grim. And when years passed and he became a married adult, Luna only aged a year; it was jarring.
There were also the villains to consider here: the Grand Elder Gherland (of the Protectorate), who was nearly cartoony, and where the novel was a bit heavy-handed with its morals. I know this is middle grade, but it kind of felt like speaking down to the age group … maybe I’m wrong, but it’s the impression I got.
The other villain is maybe a spoiler, but they're involved in the climax, which was extremely anticlimactic. It was basically saying to the villain
Spoiler
ALSO: I'm soooo done with characters called/labeled/whatever the "madwoman". Descriptions were "she was, in fact, quite mad" etc. Can we just ... be done with that sort of thing, collectively, as a society, etc? Using this trope to further the plot is just ableist and hurtful to everyone (ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES). Just ... full stop.
I’m getting really negative here, but I didn’t … not enjoy it? It just wasn’t overwhelmingly good. Just kind of … eh, an okay read in an interesting world. The mythology of the world and its Bog was probably my favorite part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
skudiklier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book was really sweet, and I loved the way it was written. It touches on some really important ideas and I'm glad I'll get to talk about it with others in my book club. I'd recommend this to fantasy fans, and people who want a complicated but mostly heartwarming story about love and found family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Murder
Minor: Self harm, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Animal death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Minor: Genocide, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, and Death
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a middle grade fantasy about a witch who rescues babies who are left for dead in a sacrificial ritual every year. One year, she accidentally feeds one of the babies moonlight and enmagicks her. She decides to keep the child as her own and protect her from her mistake. Of course, it's a little more involved than that, but I'm so bad at summarizing which is why I rarely do it, oops.
Anyway though, this book was surprisingly dark for a middle grade read, which I kind of loved. The writing is really great and the characters are loveable. Fyrian, the dragon, was such a delightful character and I love him with my whole heart. Additionally, I just thought that the whole story had a certain charm and whimsy about it that I haven't encountered in a long time. I think this book has a lot to say about the power of hope, family ties both biological and found, and coming of age. There were some parts that dragged for me and I don't think it needed to be as long as it is, but in general, I really enjoyed my time with it.
Anyway though, this book was surprisingly dark for a middle grade read, which I kind of loved. The writing is really great and the characters are loveable. Fyrian, the dragon, was such a delightful character and I love him with my whole heart. Additionally, I just thought that the whole story had a certain charm and whimsy about it that I haven't encountered in a long time. I think this book has a lot to say about the power of hope, family ties both biological and found, and coming of age. There were some parts that dragged for me and I don't think it needed to be as long as it is, but in general, I really enjoyed my time with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Murder
happylilfaerie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
2.75
The main issues that bought the star rating down: the absolute misogynistic, abliest way the woman who's child was taking away was framed and treated throughout this book. I understand the villain characters gaslighting her and calling her a "madwoman", I have no problem with that. What I do have an issue with is the narrator doing it too?? It was very disappointing, this could have been addressed and shown how she was a woman in grief, abused and mistreated and had every right to act the way she did without being labelled as "crazy", instead the narrator went along with it as if there was no problem in the way the town's people treated her and that the problem truely lay in her.
Also this novel did SO MUCH telling and not showing. We're constantly told how the male character is so brave and such a good person and everyone loves him and how his love interest is of course not like other girls in the town, and she's so kind and so smart and bla bla and we are never shown any of this. We're told at the end that she always knew there was something up and who the villain was but of course it was her kindness that led her not to take any action until it personally affected her(!)
Don't get me started on how bafflingly stupid the witch is and all the decisions regarding the mc were, how did she think that was going to work out?? why didn't she record the important things that she needed to remember if she knew her memory was so terrible? why didn't she write everything down to be passed down if she thought she won't be around to explain everything? why didn't she try to undo the spell? why did she leave so much to chance? it was infuriating and seemed to only exist to drive the plot for the author.
I don't know, I expect a lot more out of this the way everyone hyped it up and was very disappointed.
Also this novel did SO MUCH telling and not showing. We're constantly told how the male character is so brave and such a good person and everyone loves him and how his love interest is of course not like other girls in the town, and she's so kind and so smart and bla bla and we are never shown any of this. We're told at the end that she always knew there was something up and who the villain was but of course it was her kindness that led her not to take any action until it personally affected her(!)
Don't get me started on how bafflingly stupid the witch is and all the decisions regarding the mc were, how did she think that was going to work out?? why didn't she record the important things that she needed to remember if she knew her memory was so terrible? why didn't she write everything down to be passed down if she thought she won't be around to explain everything? why didn't she try to undo the spell? why did she leave so much to chance? it was infuriating and seemed to only exist to drive the plot for the author.
I don't know, I expect a lot more out of this the way everyone hyped it up and was very disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death
zombiezami's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Body horror, Mental illness, Confinement, and Ableism
Minor: Child death, Vomit, Death of parent, Animal death, and Sexism
saneism, incarcerationlittlecat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
I really liked reading this, the found family relations and the hope and love it has for the world just made me feel better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
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