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Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

-Contains minor spoilers-
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley is a book that is narrated between two people; Lucy and Ed. It also includes some of Poet’s/ Leo’s poems. For Lucy it’s the end of Year 12. Lucy and her friends, Jazz and Daisy want to go out with a bang. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about. She is also looking for Poet, Poet is Shadow’s accomplice, but mostly she wants to find Shadow.  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.  It was first released in 2010, but I just had it recommended to me my a librarian. 

I REALLY loved reading this book so much and it's up in my top 5 favourite books. I particularly love that the book is set in one night. Most books spend over weeks or month. Graffiti Moon is just a fantastically fast paced novel. Cath Crowley really has this way that really captures the essence of adolescence. It doesn’t feel like an adult is writing this, but rather a teenager who really understands what it means to be a teenager with adult responsibilities. Graffiti Moon discusses the idea of abstract love and family difficulties. This book also has a lot of laugh out loud humour that was just too funny to keep my laughter in.

This book also gave me different insight about things. In this book there is this group of people by who are basically the popular kids who don't go to class they are called the sheddies. I never really thought about it as they might be having a hard time at home.  That it's not that they don't want to go to school, it's that they feel like they can't read or write well. I also loved how art is described in this book. It makes art sound magical and amazing, which is what it is. When I was younger my family used to come out into the city all the time sometimes just to watch from the car, other times just to walk down its streets.  I never really appreciated graffiti art then. Sometimes I’d see vandalism graffiti. It didn't have a purpose or a story. It was just spray paint used to paint mustaches on a poster’s face. Then I would see these awe inspiring pieces. I was too young then to appreciate the art; I just thought that it looked cool. I’m not a very talented artist but I like to draw and paint. There are thousands, maybe even a millions, of words in the English language and sometimes when my friends or family ask me why I like art so much I find myself unable to express why I like it. Cath Crowley did an amazing job describing art and how it isn't just art. It’s an artist’s outlet to be creative and show how their thoughts on a canvas page or wall. Now I have a habitat of analysing the art. I have learnt to appreciate it just as much as appreciate drawings and oil paintings. No matter what some people say graffiti is a form of art and it’s beautiful and that one of the main lessons I have learnt from the book.


The characters within this book are so beautifully written and seem so genuine. Unlike over young adult books these teenagers, seem real and are relatable. The main teens in this book are Ed, Lucy, Jazz, Leo, Daisy and Dylan. Ed is Shadow, the local graffiti artist. His best friend is Leo, who is Poet and he does the writing. Lucy is a glassblower and her best friend is Jazz who claims that’s she’s psychic. Then there is the struggling couple, Daisy and Dylan. Ed is a teenager who is saved by art. At first it seemed that he would be just a hot artist who the main female protagonist will fall for. At the end of the story she does, but the novel also goes through his story in depth. At my school there is definitely a group like the sheddies; those people who seem so care free about school and are willing to ditch class. It was wonderful to reminder that they are still people and that there are always more then what meets the eye. I feel like it was a very wise decision to write the story through both Ed’s and Lucy’s points of view. Lucy is naïve and has a complicated life at home. She has a very loving family though. I feel that she understands that she doesn’t have a normal family, but she doesn't resent her parents for it though. While reading this book I thought that Ed and Lucy would be a perfect match.  Ed is a sort a dark mysterious character and Lucy is the light, who is bright and always so hopeful. My favourite part about her is that she couldn't afford the full price of her glassblowing classes, so she cleans the place so then she only has to pay half. It just gives the readers an insight into her character. It shows that she is resilient and if she finds something she’s passionate about she will find a way to make it work. I laughed out loud when she revealed that she would do it with Shadow. It was funny to think that just told Shadow she wanted to do it with him, but she has no idea who Shadow is. I also felt a sense of elation because throughout the book I knew that Shadow was closer to Lucy then she thought. During my experience reading this book I had this impression that for Lucy it was much more fun to imagine love in abstract rather than experience the messy, frightening reality of getting to actually know and care for a real, flawed person. That’s why she loved the idea of an invisible graffiti artist. The book shows teenagers in a realistic way. They are flawed and they accept it and do not deny it. I felt like I knew the characters enough to understand why they did things, and was crossing my fingers for them. The aura of extraordinariness of the night can be felt, and it's filled with so much anticipation.

Leo doesn’t exactly have the ideal life. He lives with grandma and has debt to Malcom Dove. Leo is described as a big muscular guy who can look after himself. In the novel the reader doesn't get to read through his point of view. Instead the reader gets to read his poems. His poems are his personal why to express his feelings. While reading Graffiti Moon it didn’t feel like Leo is a two dimensional character. I understood his motives and why he did what he did. I also got a feel of how much he cares about his grandma. Jazz is such a fun character. I laughed out laugh at her psychic prediction at Lucy being allergic to guava juice. She’s that friend that you want to look out for and never want to lose. She was just a great fun character. Dylan and Daisy are truly the cutest couple. Daisy is a strong independent and Dylan is a clueless, but sweet boyfriend. There are very obvious cracks in their relationship, but they seem to work around them. The readers can feel Dylan’s love for Daisy and how desperate he is for her not leave him. I also wanted to mention Lucy’s parents. They are very minor characters, but they convey the impression that Lucy’s character is mainly thanks to them raising her well. They have an unusual sleeping arrangement, but it’s obvious that they care for each other and Lucy.

My favourite part of the part of the book was when Ed said a quote about Shadow being everything she had idolised until she meets him Land how Lucy’s romanticising and idealising will only leave her disappointed when she meets Shadow. (I couldn't find the exact quote, but if I do I’ll put it up.) It’s just an example how good and sentimental the dialogue in this book are, because I think everyone has those moments when they romanticise and idealise something and have such high expectations that they are bound to be disappointed.  The dialogue in this book is so well written and feels genuine and authentic. I another reason loved how this book is set in Melbourne, Australia. Most of the books I have read are set in America are some over place where I'm not familiar with. While reading Graffiti Moon I felt a connection with the characters because I am familiar with the landscape. When they were going down Flinders street I could see all the buildings and the lights. It just deepened my connection with the book and the characters. It helped me see everything more vividly.

 I haven’t read any other Cath Crowley’s works, but if they are even half as good as Graffiti Moon I’m sure that I will enjoy it. Graffiti Moon has a beautiful atmosphere and eclectic characters that are very hard to dislike. The author should be praised due to her skill with words. The dialogue has the right amount of realism to it. I loved how the story was not only narrated between Lucy and Ed, but also with Leo's poems. It truly is a phenomenal book that is worth the time reading.
-The girl with her head in the clouds

“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.”


PS I was going to meet Cath Crowley and A. J Betts for a workshop thing and I was so excited, but it was fully booked. My school was then going to meet her for a different workshop with just her, but no one knew who she was so we decided to go to another one. Then the next night I read the book. I’m so sad that I’m not going to meet her and that I had read her book before so that I had known her so that I could vote to go see her. L



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