"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.
Review
Graffiti Moon is a book I was pretty certain I would love even before I read it. Mainly because every person I know who'd read it before me had RAVED about it and the meer mention of it would cause bloggers to flap a bit and gush about how good it is. Plus it's set in Australia and is a written by an Australian author so I've been really lucky of late when picking up books set in places other that the UK or US and have found amazing stories from places I'd love to visit.
Lucy and Ed and two peas in a pod really but they just don't know it because of one bad date many moons again (see what I did there. hahaha) and now they are just part of similar circles of friends but tonight is one night when things will happen to make Lucy and Ed realise they may have made incorrect judgements about one and other the first time round. Though will situations and white lies ruin it for them in the end or will the love of art and hope save the day and give them a spark or romance.
I loved the romance of art, graffiti and the city that made me love the relationships between all the characters to another level. It's almost like you feel that dirty and grubby love for the city streets and how they're transformed with Shadow and Poet's work. It's like they reinvent the city they live in with paint but more to the point; their inner most thoughts and emotions. It's the only way they can share what they think and it touches more people than they realise; enter Lucy who believe's Shadow is 'the one' just because of his art and what it says to her. Plus Lucy and Ed came across as "real" people; they were sarcastic and made mistakes and could be funny and as vulnerable as hell when the moment called for it.
For someone who's a big time fan of books like 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour' by Morgan Matson and 'Saving June' by Hannah Harrington you'll find a book that ticks all the same boxes and has an original flare to it. It paints pictures with words and plays with your emotions but it's worth the ride and odd rants I had reading it such as 'Oh why can't they just kiss NOW?!'
Rating: 8.5/10
Published by Hodder Children's Publishing and is available here and bookshops now
I actually don't think this would be for me (tbh the cover makes it look a bit dark...) but I'm glad you enjoyed it! I may give it a go....some day!
ReplyDeleteit's not really dark. happens at night and the characters lives are a bit messed up and emotional complex so dark in that sense but it's not scary or anything
DeleteAwesome review Laura, I really enjoyed this book as well. Totally agree that the characters felt real, and the book really does make you appreciate the beauty of a city.
ReplyDeleteCait x
thanks so much. glad someone else shared my thoughts :)
DeleteI loved the art in this book almost as much as the equisite writing. A fantastic book.
ReplyDelete*ahem* I obviously meant exquisite...
ReplyDeleteme too. loved it
DeleteKeep hearing really good things about this book! The art aspect sounds so interesting and I like that the characters feel real. Great review, thanks! :)
ReplyDeletethanks. i heard ace things too and it's what made me read it. so worth it
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