kricketa's review
2.0
a teen grieving her mother & grandmother falls into meth addiction when her new boyfriend introduces her to "the moon." a quick read, and probably very realistic. the writing style and overarching sense of despair were not my personal cup of tea, but i would recommend it to fans of ellen hopkins.
dees_books's review
2.0
Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson is about 15-year-old Laurel Daneau who is healing after losing her mother and grandmother (M'lday) to Hurricane Katrina. Laurel, her father, and her brother move across the South to get a fresh start. When Laurel switches to a new high school, she meets her new best friend Kaylee, joins the cheerleading squad, and gets a hot new boyfriend, T-Boom, who's the star of the basketball team. But then things spiral. T-Boom uses meth heavily and shares his stash with Laurel. Haunted by the memories of losing her mother and M'lady, Laurel is comforted by the effects of using meth, which helps her shut out the past and the pain to feel good in the moment. It quickly overtakes her life. The book follows Laurel's journey as she wrestles with making peace with her past, her present, and how to move forward.
I had a hard time getting into this book. The writing felt pretty melodramatic to me and moved from point to point almost too fast to the point that it impacted character development. The only really nuanced character in this book is Laurel but even she doesn't feel that nuanced to me. The book really reads like 'let me tell you a story about how meth can destroy a young person's life' versus ' let me tell you a story about a teen living with a lot of trauma who's trying to figure out how to move forward and meth is one big piece of that.' Those are two VERY different stories, and I argue the latter gives the main character more agency, engages with drug use with less square-quotes, and addresses trauma in a more nuanced and holistic way. I don't mean to diminish the struggle of using by any means, but I do think this book writes about using in some oversimplified, even seductive, ways that miss the mark.
I had a hard time getting into this book. The writing felt pretty melodramatic to me and moved from point to point almost too fast to the point that it impacted character development. The only really nuanced character in this book is Laurel but even she doesn't feel that nuanced to me. The book really reads like 'let me tell you a story about how meth can destroy a young person's life' versus ' let me tell you a story about a teen living with a lot of trauma who's trying to figure out how to move forward and meth is one big piece of that.' Those are two VERY different stories, and I argue the latter gives the main character more agency, engages with drug use with less square-quotes, and addresses trauma in a more nuanced and holistic way. I don't mean to diminish the struggle of using by any means, but I do think this book writes about using in some oversimplified, even seductive, ways that miss the mark.
whorriorr's review
2.0
Its insane to read a book about how a meth addiction was started in the eyes of a 15 year old addict
afro8921's review
4.0
Loved it. Cried several times. Want my niece and nephew to read it. Really wish drugs like these didn't exist.
melissapalmer404's review
4.0
Book #83 Read in 2012
Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson (YA)
This book tells the story of Laurel, a teenage girl, who is addicted to meth. Laurel's mother and grandmother are killed in a hurricane and that grief spirals Laurel into the grips of a drug addiction that means she risks losing her family, her friends and her life. This book shows what addiction does to people without going into vivid, gory detail.
Woodson is one of my favorite authors for young adult books. Her books are well written, have complex characters and deal with difficult issues. This book continues that pattern.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson (YA)
This book tells the story of Laurel, a teenage girl, who is addicted to meth. Laurel's mother and grandmother are killed in a hurricane and that grief spirals Laurel into the grips of a drug addiction that means she risks losing her family, her friends and her life. This book shows what addiction does to people without going into vivid, gory detail.
Woodson is one of my favorite authors for young adult books. Her books are well written, have complex characters and deal with difficult issues. This book continues that pattern.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
shighley's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to the audio version; the reader was a bit distracting when trying to alter her pitch to voice the male characters, and the sing-song rhymes and cheers were really grating. She did make Laurel sound vulnerable and pathetic at times. I have not read much fiction concerning meth, largely news reports, as it is a huge problem in rural parts of our state. I understand why the book would jump around much as Laurel's recollections would, but it made the story a bit jarring at times, especially in depicting the times her father tried to help her. What a friend Laurel had in Kaylee.
I have to admit that at times my mind probably wandered, as I read most of this while driving. At times I wondered if she really would survive, even though the first chapter really set up the ending. Much of the description of the meth highs seemed repetitive after awhile.
I wonder if Woodson made this book free from swearing and sexual references so that more middle schools would include it; there certainly aren't that many books that address this issue that are readily accessible to students.
I have to admit that at times my mind probably wandered, as I read most of this while driving. At times I wondered if she really would survive, even though the first chapter really set up the ending. Much of the description of the meth highs seemed repetitive after awhile.
I wonder if Woodson made this book free from swearing and sexual references so that more middle schools would include it; there certainly aren't that many books that address this issue that are readily accessible to students.
23missb's review
3.0
I liked this book. I didn't find it overly didactic and although I've read a fair number of books with the main conflict being drug addiction, I've not read any specifically dealing with a teen using crystal meth. Knowing people from my past who have been addicted to meth, as well as relationships with people who are recovering addicts (other substances), it appeared to be pretty accurate in its portrayal, in a skimming the surface type of way. It doesn't deal with the addiction with the intensity that goes hand in hand with addiction.
I know that this is YA fiction and so it needs to grab the reader and forge ahead in a way that will keep them hooked, but I find it hard to not have all the beautiful detail I love so much about the books I read. I think that this book could have easily been another 100 pages. I wanted to understand more who Laurel is. I also wanted to read more about the affects her choices were having on her family. I think we barely scratch the surface of the supporting characters, but I do understand the reasons for that considering the intended audience.
I also enjoyed that the characters were of varied races/ethnic groups and that one of the characters is gay, a subject that Laurel remembers two people she loves very much reacting very differently to. I think this is an important inclusion... the idea that those we care about may not have the same opinions as we do on issues that could potentially be big.
Overall, it's still worth a read and won't take you long to get through, but it's lacking in intensity.
I know that this is YA fiction and so it needs to grab the reader and forge ahead in a way that will keep them hooked, but I find it hard to not have all the beautiful detail I love so much about the books I read. I think that this book could have easily been another 100 pages. I wanted to understand more who Laurel is. I also wanted to read more about the affects her choices were having on her family. I think we barely scratch the surface of the supporting characters, but I do understand the reasons for that considering the intended audience.
I also enjoyed that the characters were of varied races/ethnic groups and that one of the characters is gay, a subject that Laurel remembers two people she loves very much reacting very differently to. I think this is an important inclusion... the idea that those we care about may not have the same opinions as we do on issues that could potentially be big.
Overall, it's still worth a read and won't take you long to get through, but it's lacking in intensity.
ksherrman's review
5.0
Heartbreaking and hopeful story of a girl broken by Katrina and spiraling into an abyss on the wings of meth addicition. Jacqueline Woodson writes another book that will stay with me a long time.
stuhlsem's review
3.0
This book was sad, not super awesome. It was the story of a girl with a meth addiction. She gets over it eventually, but the book is a pretty rocky path.
eshook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5