-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
