Miss Page-Turner's City of Books: Book Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Title: Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: February 14^th 2012

Length: 272 pages

Genre: YA, contemporary

Source: Netgalley

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

Summary by Goodreads

YA Aussie authors, that’s the new magic word! I’ve read a lot of Aussie books lately and I must say that they’ve indeed got something special down under. Cath Crowley is one ot the authors that have a strong signature. Her words seem to flow easily and I devoured them in a rapid pace. She’s got so many artistical elements incorporated into her newest book out in the US, GRAFFITI MOON. Great!

Main topic or motif in GRAFFITI MOON? Definitely arts. Lucy, Ed & co. Have a strong connection to arts in general, various artists and to their preferred working material which could be glass, words or walls and colours.

We are involved in the discussion and thoughts about the meaning of art in life, for your personality and relationships. I am a huge fan of art, I like to paint so I could easily identify with this very dominant aspect.

There’s glass, memories, dares, paintings on walls. The description of every single graffiti sounded so stunning, I wished they were all painted in my town so I could gaze at them on my way home.

The chapters are told from Ed’s, Lucy’s and Poet’s point of view. Ed and Lucy are great together. He is such a thoughtful boy. His own thoughts and actions stand in huge contrast to the way other people might see him. Lucy is this very casual art chick. I would definitely want to chat with her about all the awesome paintings and pieces of art out there.

Chapters of Ed and Lucy often overlap in course of action so that the reader gets the chance to read both perspectives on significant moments. These are only short parts that you listen to twice and it didn’t bother me at all. Cath Crowley applied an efficient technique to offer the reader a double portion of experiencing her characters’ story.

I was so engaged in Lucy and Ed’s night they’re spending together with their friends who we get to know a bit about, too. The difference between Lucy’s and Ed’s growing relationship, their past and their mutual task of finding someone who’s with them all the time is the most interesting plot string in GRAFFITI MOON. The brooding romance between Lucy and Ed held me captivated throughout the entire read. I loved and enjoyed GRAFFITI MOON pretty much.

1) of alluring words and meaningful walls

2) of a pretty entertaining shadow hunt

3) there’s static

4) a first date needs to set a statement

5) it inspires us to create our very own special art

5/5 ***** GRAFFITI MOON – An outstanding adventure to the heights of art that adds so much more colour to the YA genre.

GRAFFITI MOON is an artsy and melancholic, but mostly a very thoughtful read. Read Cath Crowley’s newest US release and follow the pretty lively and colourfully painted story around Ed and Lucy, their friends, lives and the beautiful and mysterious moments of an exceptional night.