Friday, April 13, 2012

Graffiti Moon: One night I never wanted to end...


Graffiti Moon
Hardcover, 272 pages
Random House, February 14, 2012 (US)


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.

This is the first book reviewed in the 2012 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by the Story Siren.


After waiting and waiting and WAITING for the US Debut of Graffiti Moon, I finally grabbed a copy and breezed right through it in one morning. I literally could not put it down. (A big thanks to my family for feeding and playing with my children so I could be a zombie eater for a few hours.)


Told in alternating voices, Crowley paints a clear picture of Lucy and Ed's fears, insecurities, and pleasures. I loved their banter and their he-said/she-said. I laughed out loud a few times. The descriptions of the artwork really blew me away: I wanted to picture the art on the walls; I wanted to sit in a museum interpreting a piece's meaning; I wanted to get my hands on a piece of charcoal and try sketching. And even though there were some tough decisions and topics that came up, Crowley knew just how to touch on the seriousness of the topic without making it overly heavy.


With so many different characters, I was worried they would all sound somewhat the same or be so drastically different. To my surprise, each of the characters had a unique voice. Also, Crowley was able to show that boys do have that sensitive side to them without making them appear typically "weak."
I enjoyed the lingo, and it made me feel like I was right there in Australia. 

Content Advisory: My only disappointment with the book was the unnecessary frequent usage of the f*** word: someone needs to clean out that boy's mouth.

It's an enjoyable read from a talented writer: one that will not disappoint.


Rated: 4 Zombie Bites.


Graffiti Moon is available in bookstores everywhere.


Wanna taste? Check out the following excerpts:


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