Scan barcode
moodreadqueen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
goodem9199's review against another edition
4.0
Jackie Woodson's writing is like butta. I only wish that this would have been longer.
extrastars's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dimples0508's review against another edition
1.0
didn't captivate me at all. don't waste your time with it.
allysonbogie's review against another edition
5.0
I came close to tears many times in this book. As a librarian, I want this review to be accessible to everyone, so I will not include any spoilers. This falls squarely into the high-low category--high interest, low reading level. It is categorized as a book with sentences and vocabulary that a fourth grader could understand, but it is really written for teenagers and categorized as “upper grades” interest level. The biggest issues are meth addiction and death of family members. Laurel is detailed about certain parts of each of these issues, and I would be mindful about who I recommended this book to. It is extremely sad as well as having this fairly sophisticated content. However, it is a beautiful book and I am so glad that I read it.
liftyourheavyeyelids's review against another edition
4.0
Beneath a Meth Moon follows Laurel as she falls into a meth addiction after losing her mother and grandmother to Hurricane Katrina.
Content wise, this is a heavy book, as it deals with both death and addiction. It is well written, and uses southern dialects and language in ways that make this (fictional) story seem more realistic. I will say i'm still a bit confused why this is on the syllabus for our "diversity week" in class...maybe because it talks about poor white people in the south (a topic that not much YA lit has explored)? That being said, I did like reading this one because it is not the kind of book I would have picked up on my own. Recommended for high school teens and up, I think...although it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for a middle schooler to read it.
Content wise, this is a heavy book, as it deals with both death and addiction. It is well written, and uses southern dialects and language in ways that make this (fictional) story seem more realistic. I will say i'm still a bit confused why this is on the syllabus for our "diversity week" in class...maybe because it talks about poor white people in the south (a topic that not much YA lit has explored)? That being said, I did like reading this one because it is not the kind of book I would have picked up on my own. Recommended for high school teens and up, I think...although it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for a middle schooler to read it.
corvingreene's review against another edition
4.0
This is not typically the kind of book I read. I have a difficult time reading drug books. They trigger too many memories of those I've lost. But I read this for a class, and I'm glad to have discovered Woodson. Her lyrical prose gave a new spin on an all-too-familiar story. I'll definitely look into her other books.
audreychamaine's review against another edition
2.0
Teen Laurel lost her mother and grandmother in Hurricane Katrina. Struggling to get back on their feet, she moves north with her father and baby brother. There, things are going okay as she joins the cheerleading squad and meets the basketball star, T-Boom. However, T-Boom likes to party, aka do crystal meth, which he calls moon. Laurel gets hooked and winds up living in the streets, doing whatever she can for the next high.
For being a book about such a serious subject as meth addiction, I thought Beneath a Meth Moon was pretty darn weak. It seemed that Woodson was making an effort at writing an addiction book with flowing, poetic language, but that same writing style robbed the message of its punch. Meth addiction is ugly. Don't believe me? Look at these photos for proof. It's absolutely horrifying, and I'd hoped that this story would be as equally shocking as the photographic evidence. It wasn't.
One issue I had with the writing was the insistence on calling meth "moon." I'd never heard it called that before, and it gave it a dreamy, seductive quality, which maybe isn't what you want in a book that's trying to show you how bad drugs are. I guess this is how Woodson was trying to create atmosphere through names, just like the poorly named "T-Boom," Laurel's boyfriend. Every time I saw that name, I both wanted to laugh and cringe.
Woodson only scratched the surface on a lot of things in this book. Even though she's the first person narrator, I didn't feel like I got to really know Laurel, other than the fact that she's sad about losing her family and she loves meth. None of the characters are fleshed out enough. Also, the many aspects of meth are just touched upon. T-Boom makes meth--why didn't we get a feel for how dangerous that chemical process is, or how often meth labs blow up? I used to live in Southern California's High Desert, where there were regular meth lab explosions. Those areas can remain toxic for years. No mention of that in this book, though.
Sadly, I really didn't care for, or about, this book. If you want to read a teen book about drug addiction, stick with Ellen Hopkins.
For being a book about such a serious subject as meth addiction, I thought Beneath a Meth Moon was pretty darn weak. It seemed that Woodson was making an effort at writing an addiction book with flowing, poetic language, but that same writing style robbed the message of its punch. Meth addiction is ugly. Don't believe me? Look at these photos for proof. It's absolutely horrifying, and I'd hoped that this story would be as equally shocking as the photographic evidence. It wasn't.
One issue I had with the writing was the insistence on calling meth "moon." I'd never heard it called that before, and it gave it a dreamy, seductive quality, which maybe isn't what you want in a book that's trying to show you how bad drugs are. I guess this is how Woodson was trying to create atmosphere through names, just like the poorly named "T-Boom," Laurel's boyfriend. Every time I saw that name, I both wanted to laugh and cringe.
Woodson only scratched the surface on a lot of things in this book. Even though she's the first person narrator, I didn't feel like I got to really know Laurel, other than the fact that she's sad about losing her family and she loves meth. None of the characters are fleshed out enough. Also, the many aspects of meth are just touched upon. T-Boom makes meth--why didn't we get a feel for how dangerous that chemical process is, or how often meth labs blow up? I used to live in Southern California's High Desert, where there were regular meth lab explosions. Those areas can remain toxic for years. No mention of that in this book, though.
Sadly, I really didn't care for, or about, this book. If you want to read a teen book about drug addiction, stick with Ellen Hopkins.
jwinchell's review against another edition
5.0
A GEM. I am in awe of Woodson. She packed so much into this amazing little novel: addiction, recovery, grief, survival, the power of writing, second second chances, making your own way, first loves. Some moments took my breath away, she did expert things with time, and the water metaphor (drinking, rain, floods, hurricane) was so powerful. I couldn't stay away from it. OUTSTANDING.