Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

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.
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published February 14th 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers (first published August 1st 2010)

 

Five Stars: A book with enticing and captivating writing! You want this one on your shelf! 

 

Lucy is celebrating her last day of high school.  A night out on the town with her girlfriends is a perfect way to end the day.  She is at the crossroads of life.  Lucy is leaving her childhood behind, ready to step into the adult world.  Tonight, she wants more than anything to find the enigmatic Shadow, a graffiti artist.  His works adorn the sides of many buildings, they are swirls of colors in dreary places.  A splash of vision in the city streets.  Lucy is certain that a boy who can paint such visionary pieces of art is the one for her.  She is inexplicably drawn to his work, she must find the one called, Shadow. 

Ed, also known as Shadow, is also at an intersection in his life.  He dropped out of school in the tenth grade.  He was lucky enough to find employment at a paint store, taken in by a kindly, elderly gentleman named, Bert.  Working at the paint store gave him purpose and access to paint.  With a can of paint in hand, the world is his canvas.  He sprays the thoughts that swirl in his head and brings them to life.  Now, with the death of his boss, he is out of a job, unemployed and unsure what to do with his life.  Chance brings Ed and Lucy together for one magical night.  Lucy insists on hunting for Shadow, not knowing that he is standing next to her, but she doesn't even consider him as a candidate.  She and Ed have a rocky history, once he made her heart zing, then a date between the two ended catastrophically with an arse grabbing and a broken nose.  Can Ed make Lucy see the boy behind the Shadow?  Can a girl who loves art, glass blowing and drawing wishes in the air find love with a boy who spray paints the night?

What I Loved:

• First and foremost the writing.  Cath Crowley is one of those authors you won't forget. She is a word artist extraordinaire.  From the opening  paragraph, I was under her spell.  She takes the simplest words and paints them into sentences filled with magical beauty.  Her phrases will captivate and enchant you.  If you appreciate literary art, this is a book you must read.
• The characters, Lucy, Ed and Leo.  I liked that they were teenagers with their feet hesitantly stepping into adulthood.  Yet, they wavered, unsure of the correct path, and a little reluctant to leave the past behind.  For Ed he is struggling with losing Bert and his job, unable to find employment, he lacks confidence and self worth.  Leo, is trying to restore his broken heart and find an acceptable outlet for the snippets of poetry that flow in his head.  Lucy, longs to see her parents reunite.  She worries her parents will divorce after her dad has spent months living in the backyard shed.  She wishes for a chance at love, with someone who loves art as she does.  The best part about Lucy is she isn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself, despite the sticky consequences.  Lucy can throw a mean punch!  These characters are awkward, shy and unsure of their futures, that is what makes them so realistic and easy to relate to.  
• Leo, a.k.a. Poet, his chapters are little splices of poetry that are simplistic, and yet they speak volumes.  I loved his poems! 
• As an American, I enjoyed immersing into the Aussie culture.  I liked learning little tidbits and sayings pertinent to Australia.  So much fun.
• I thoroughly loved that Ms. Crowley was able to take me back to my teenage days.  Lucy reminded me of what it was like to find a boy that sends thrilling tingles through your body.  Lucy still dreams, makes wishes, hopes for love and happy endings.  As adults sometimes we forget those shy, hesitant moments of first loves, it was fun to live vicariously through Lucy and remember the magic of youth.  
• I loved the art and the descriptions of Shadow's graffiti. I wished the book was illustrated, so I could see the works.  Yet, I think the pictures couldn't compare to the vivid, rich and detailed descriptions that Ms. Crowley colors with her words.  Her words are magic! 

And The Not So Much:

• There is not too much to complain about with this outstanding novel.  My only consideration was that the book is too short, I wanted more and the story is rather simplistic.  The entire book revolves around a one night adventure, so there is not much room for extensive plot development.
• This book has three points of view.  Lucy, Ed and Leo.  Leo's chapters were easy to detect because they were verses of poetry.  For some reason, and it may just be me, there were a couple of times in the book where I was confused on who was narrating. This was a minor problem though.

Graffiti Moon is one of those reads that will leave an indelible mark in your head.  This simple story of chasing shadows through the night will make you smile.  This book is a captivating literary work of art that you don't want to miss.  Set aside some time and dive into this memorable book.  You will come away happy that you read such an astounding work!  Go get your copy now! 

Favorite Quotations:

"I liked that he had hair that was growing without a plan.  A grin that came out of nowhere and left the same way."

"Paint sails and the things that kick in my head scream from the can to the brick.  See this, see this, see this.  See me emptied onto a wall."

"Mum says when wanting collides with getting, that's the moment of truth."

"I stayed there till the sun blurred the dark."

"The light coming over the buildings was burning back the night."

"The water was lower than it had been for a while because rain was starting to feel like a story people told."

"We'll meet and click and sit up all night and everything will tip out of me and into him and the other way around and while we're tipping the night will fade and the world will get pink and in that pinkness he'll kiss me."

"The definition of crazy is doing something close to the same thing twice and expecting a different end."

"You ever notice how the night changes shape?" ..."It starts out thick with people and sound and then gets thinner till in the middle there's almost nothing in it but you."

"My dad was a magician too.  Got in his car and disappeared."

"Dad says a boy needs a good sense of humor to get through his love life."

"Guys find snorting girls who run over them with bikes very sexy."

"Everything's hard to see when you've got your eyes closed."

"He works his way back to my mouth and my blood is hot glass, caramel and shiny, moving with his breath."

See what I mean about the writing..I could go on and on with favorite quotes! 

Comments

[Carly @Fiction Fascination]

Fantastic review Heidi. I am most definitely going to add this one to my wishlist.The quotes are brilliant. I am so glad you loved it, makes me want to read it all the more. :)

[Jessi @ Reading in the Corner]

Lol, I couldn't pick favorite quotes from this one! The writing was BRILLIANT. I definitely agree that the book was very short, but while I would have loved to spend more time with the characters, I wonder if they would have affected me so profoundly if I had spent more time with them? Who knows...

[Sam]

I had no idea this book took place over one night - I'm not sure how I would feel about that. But I know nearly EVERYONE who has picked up this book has loved it, so I can't wait to get round to it myself. I love your review, Heidi! It's great to see that this got five stars from you. It definitely sounds like it deserves it. :D

[Pooja]

Yay!! It's great that you loved it! I LOVED Crowley's writing as well! It was pure art :D and so agree about the characters and how realistic they were in their hesitance, hopes and everything else! It's one of my favorite books. Reading the quotes made me happy! Great review :)

[rainydayramblings]

@Yes Carly, truly don't miss this one. If you loved the quotes then you will love the book.
@Good point Jess if the story carried on perhaps it would lose the magic. I know about the quotes I had 9 pgs saved on my Kindle and I still added a slew of them.
@Sam, add this to your pile you won't be disappointed.
@Yes Pooja this book is terrific!

[kindlemom1]

I have heard so many great things about this book! I really need to push it up in my TBR pile. I wish I would have known you were reading it Heidi, I totally would have read it with you! :)

Great review!!

[Prangon- The Nerd In Heels]

Why is it that whenever I am in your blog I can not leave without at least putting one book in my TBR?
You my dear are no turtle, you are a rabbit in turtle disguise ;)

[DannyBookworm]

I so love the quotes you picked!! And I heard only really good things about this book and I'm super curious right now! I do get your point with too many POV's sometimes this can be distracting since you have to figure out where you are right now.. But glad you ended up loving it besides this:))

[Maja]

Oh, Heidi, I'm just SO incredibly happy that you loved this, I'm barely even coherent! There were some seriously breathtaking moments in this book, and I still haven't forgotten one little bit, even though I'd read it months ago.
My US edition is here, I should probably read it to compare. I'm very curious about the differences Catie wrote about in her review. :)
Lovely review, as always, darling.

[Jenny]

Yay Heidi! I loved this one so much too! And I agree, I would have killed for a few illustrations of Shadow's work so I could see what was so beautifully described. She did such a stunning job with the descriptions that I could picture the artwork well enough, but I would still have loved to see it in reality. Outstanding review!

[Missie, The Unread Reader]

"She takes the simplest words and paints them into sentences filled with magical beauty. "

YES!! Heidi. I love this review. You nailed my feelings about this book exactly. And I wanted more of the story too! I just have to hope that they'll all be alright.

[VeganYANerds]

I'm so glad you loved this Heidi! And I'm glad you still found it to be quite Australian as I know some things were changed in the US edition.

Also, your rating shows a pic of 4 stars but the description underneath is for 5 stars ;)

[Mimi Valentine]

OH, HEIDI! <3 I'm so absolutely in LOVE with your review! I'm actually reading this book right now and I already know that it's going to be one of those rare novels that stick to me. The way it's written, the characters, and the whole overall beauty of it... you described it perfect! I agree with everything you said even though I haven't even finished this book yet! ;)

Amazingly beautiful review, Heidi! I find that sometimes multiple POVs are hard to distinguish too, but I'm SO SO happy you enjoyed this book despite that! :)

[Candace]

Wow, you're right, those are some beautiful words! I've wanted to read this book for months but now it's out and
I can't afford to buy it so I'll just have to hold off until I can find a used copy. But it's not going to be patient waiting, that's for sure! I can't wait to read it! So happy to see another rave review!

[rainydayramblings]

@Ali read this as soon as you can. It is wonderful!
@Prangon, a rabbit in turtle disguise! I love it!
@Danny the quotes are just a smattering, the entire book is written like this!
@Maja you are righ breathtaking moments...it is one that will stick with me and likely end up on my best of 2012 list.
@Thank you Missie, I am glad you liked my review :)
@Mands, I noticied it this morning and hadn't gotten around to fixing it, thanks for reminding me.
@Mimi I can't wait to read your review.
@Candace I hope you get your hands on a copy soon. Mine is in ebook format or I would be happy to loan it to you.

[Rachel B]

I'm so happy you loved this book, Heidi. I loved this book as well. This past year I've discovered some brilliant Australian authors, and Cath Crowley is one of them. She certainly deserves attention. I don't know about you but the bicycle scene in the park had me laughing to the point of tears! They're were so many funny and touching moments.

[Rachel Bigger]

Rachel B is me, btw. I never know how to sign into typepad. :/

[Job Descriptions]

Quite interesting post certainly. It gives good long lasting impression.

[FABR Steph]

I finished this last night and agree with you, it is a great read! Thanks for your awesome review. It is nice that you have included quotes. I am working on mine this morning.
-FABR Steph@FiveAlarmBookReviews

[Janiera]

So glad you liked it! I won this book from random buzzers and now can not wait to get it! Awesome review!

[rainydayramblings]

@Rachel you are too cute. I knew it was you :) Thanks for taking the time to come by and comment. I appreciate it! I am just discovering some Aussie authors. My first was Shirley Marr, I am hoping we will get some more of these talented authors released here. This book is amazing. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Crowley.
@Hi Job Decription, thanks for taking the time to read and comment, the book is much better than my review!
@Janiera, You will love it, You have one some great books lately!
@Steph, I am looking forward to reading your review!

[Rocapri]

i can't wait 2 finnaly read this1
rad review heidi

[ChelesBells1]

You had me at "word artist" and three different POV's. I'm adding this one to the TBR right now ;)

[rainydayramblings]

Roro you need to read this soon!
@Michele yeah missed your comments! You will adore this book! I know it. Read it soon.