The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal)

I recently read "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" and it quickly became one of my favorite books. This enchanting story, written by Kelly Barnhill, is a deserving winner of the prestigious 2017 Newbery Medal.The novel is a beautifully crafted tale of magic, mystery, and adventure that captivated me from the very first page. The characters are vividly drawn and I found myself deeply invested in their journeys and the connections they form with each other.One of the most compelling aspects of the book is the lyrical prose and rich world-building. Barnhill's writing is both poetic and poignant, drawing the reader into a world of wonder and imagination. The narrative is full of twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout.The themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of stories are woven seamlessly throughout the book, making it both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. By the time I reached the end, I was deeply moved by the profound messages and the satisfying resolution.I highly recommend "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" to readers of all ages who enjoy a compelling and beautifully written fantasy story. It is a true gem of a book that will stay with me long after I have turned the final page.

At the San Francisco Writer’s Conference 2017, I heard this book repeatedly recommended by the agent Mary C Moore whenever discussing middle grade fantasy. After the conference, I put it on my reading list. In the past, I had the opinion that the best books are children’s books: an opinion that had faded of late. This book reaffirmed that faded opinion.The first thing that struck me was the writing. It’s frequently said, of course, that every line must serve a purpose, drawing the reader in. Yet I can’t remember the last time I read a book that executed that theory so well as this one did. From the start, the characters and their conflicts are crystal clear; and with a baby being sacrificed to a witch that the Elders know does not exist, the stakes are high. I only felt the story slow down as the writing took time with characterization in chapter two, when we meet said non-existant witch and her magical companions.The second thing that struck me was the diverse age range of our cast of characters. There is the elderly witch; the child that she adopts; the teen-turned-young-man that defies the culture of sorrow of the town in which he was born and raised; and the middle-aged woman who lost her daughter. Each of these characters is confronted with problems of their age. The child wants to find out who she is. The young man learns to push past his mother’s expectations to find a vocation he loves and the love of his life. The middle-aged woman has lost sight of the young woman she used to be in the face of the soul-rending grief of losing a child. The elderly witch is faced with her own mortality.I was also struck with admiration by the time course of this book, which takes place over the course of thirteen years. Of course, there are many stories that do this: Harry Potter and In Malice, Quite Close are only a few examples of books that begin with a set up a decade or more before the meat of the story begins. However, I am accustomed to such stories dedicating only a chapter or two to the set-up before diving into the main meat of the story. This is not so in The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Here, we are nearly half way through the book before we hit the “present,” or the meat of the story. Yet the first half of the book—covering nearly 12 years in the lives of several characters—felt neither tediously lengthy nor overly rushed.Barnhill doesn’t necessarily elaborate at length about her characters or her world. Yet she chooses her words with exceptional skill, weaving a simple world infused with depth to the reader who cares to look beneath the surface.This, I thought as I read, is what truly makes a children’s book ageless: a story so simple that children can enjoy it, but infused with so much depth and complexity that it can be meaningful at any age.The foremost theme from the onset of this book is Sorrow. The people of the town live their lives buried in sorrow and grief; meanwhile, the witch does not allow herself to feel sorrow. In the book, of course, there is a supernatural reason behind this. Taken at face value, one might interpret the story as a manifesto against the human tendency to sink into sorrow or grief. However, I don’t choose to see it that way. At the end of the book, sorrow has ceased to be a liability as it was in the past. The town is no longer perpetually sunken into grief, but nor is there a need to prevent oneself from feeling sorrow for the sake of self-preservation. I choose to see the theme as demonstrating the futility of either extreme: for while they do not wallow, there is still sorrow in the end, though it is presented in a form more complex than any previous form.The world and the story, though original, had a familiar feel to them that made them highly accessible and an easy read, but nevertheless one that made me think.I highly recommend this book.

The image of a huge, bright moon, a tiny dragon, a cloaked girl, and glowing paper birds quickly grabbed my attention. The lovely blue shade also caught my eye. Did I mention the 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓫𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓜𝓮𝓭𝓪𝓵, prominent on the lower right?𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤! 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.I turned the book over and words like baby, witch, moonlight, magic, Tiger’s heart, rescue, and extraordinary sparked my interest and sealed the deal. ɪ’ᴍ ʜᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ. ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ!A beautiful tale of change and growth, coming into your own, good and evil, set in a magical world with witches, dragons and monsters, it’s perfect for the whole family. Sure, there are some big words in there that will likely obfuscate your 9 year old, but all easily explainable.Chapter 3 was a favorite! I wish the word “enmagic” could be used on a daily basis. To be able to greatly bless or endow others with positive energy/good vibes/magic is something we all need more of.No spoilers here, but let me say that “baby offering” in the plot of a children’s fiction book is quite unusual… Will it turn out gruesome and give your child nightmares? Don’t worry. The author handles it very well, initially showing the story from two points. The Protectorate’s side is dark, gloomy, and traumatic and we are introduced to Antain and his uncle. Keep reading and get past that part. There is a bit of a twist when Xan, a main character, is introduced. Xan lightens up the doom and gloom. She is full of hope, light, and humor. She is the reason you will want to continue reading. Later in the story, another point of view is revealed, involving another character.For 11 year olds and above, go ahead and read the book or ebook. I have both versions. 48 chapters without illustrations may be daunting at first, but the story is told well, different characters are focused on, and each chapter has a different style of story-telling. There’s even a bit of poetry! Some chapters leave you wondering who those people were. The author will not spoon-feed the answer so keep reading . You’ll figure it out in the end!For younger kids, Audible may be a better choice. 386 pages comes alive with Christina Moore narrating. She was excellent, performing all the characters, but I like how she did the parts of Xan. She does a great “angry”/‘scary” voice as well.“The world is good. Go see it.” Luna, another main character, says this at the end.🆃🅷🅸🆂 🅱🅾🅾🅺 🅸🆂 🅶🅾🅾🅳. 🅶🅾 🆁🅴🅰🅳 🅸🆃!I rate this book 5 stars ★★★★★.I had a great time reading the ebook/book and I would read it again! Great on Audible as well!The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Written by Kelly Barnhill and published by Algonquin Young Readers in 2016.

Adorei

Format: HardcoverGenre: Fantasy/YA/Childrens/MagicReview: I started reading this book with my 11 year-old daughter. She, like her mother, loves magic, fantasy, the moon, and the stars, and this book seemed like the perfect one to capture her attention (she isn't big on reading). And for awhile, it was. We made it to chapter 13 (about 1/4 of the way through the book) before some more violent descriptions, blended with my, ahem, rather dramatic reading style, scared her too badly for her to continue wanting to read the story. Despite being very into it myself at that point, I put it to the side in the hopes that she would come around. She never did.So, months later, I picked it back up on my own and binged the rest of it.The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a perfect blend of darkness and light. We see both the good and the bad in humanity, the love, the kindness, the care, but also the fear, the decisions made from places of desperation, and the decisions made from places of control. There are no one-dimensionally "good" or "bad" characters in the story. All of them are "flawed" to some degree. They are all so very human. Even the very worst of the worst show gentleness and warmth towards certain characters, care and love that they may not want to feel but undoubtedly do. That raw humanity is what makes the book so powerful.Not that alone, of course. Kelly Barnhill is a great writer. I probably don't need to mention that - after all, she won the Newbery Medal for this novel. But I will reiterate it. She's a great writer. Her style draws you in and keeps you reading, which is especially important in books aimed for children since their attention spans can be incredibly limited. The skill she has when weaving her words together, blended with the strength of her characters, makes this a powerhouse of a children's novel.Am I upset that my daughter couldn't finish it? No. Perhaps disappointed, but not upset. I hope that in time, she'll come back to it on her own. She'll decide when she can face the darker aspects this book brings to the fore. Until then, it will sit on my shelf, a lovely reminder of time spent reading with my little girl, and a story that I won't soon forget.

Mi hija lee mucho y se ha vuelto un desafío encontrarle libros interesantes y cautivadores para su edad - 10 años. Así que probé con este, basado en todas las reseñas, y me alegra haberlo hecho. ¡Ya va por la mitad y le encanta!

Good quality 👌. Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill is an enchanting and beautifully crafted tale that captivates readers of all ages. Thank you amazon for making it available 🙏

Wonderful fairy tale story with lovely characters!