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A review by stuckinafictionaluniverse
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
3.0
3.5
I like that about art, that what you see is sometimes more about who you are than what’s on the wall.
This would make a great indie movie.
It’s one of those dreamy contemporary stories, almost ridiculously unrealistic but heartwarming all the same.
This wasn’t what I expected. I foresaw a trip through Australia; a hunt for someone who didn’t turn out to be who she thought and plenty of sad moments.
Instead, our main characters meet in the first few chapters. They hate each other’s guts after one unfortunate meeting years ago. Dreamy Lucy doesn’t know Shadow is the boy she’s admired and wanted for so long, and dismisses him as a jerk.
Shadow the artist isn't aware of Lucy's love for him, and is still upset over what happened that night.
When Lucy asks him and his friends to help her find Shadow, he accepts and wonders how long he can hide his secret.
What follows is a long night of adventure, bicycle rides and different types of confrontation.
Despite how much I enjoyed this, there is something lacking for me. Although I liked the characters and related to them, I didn’t deeply care or love any of these people.
The plot didn’t hook me for some reason, and I kept waiting for it to get better. This could've been a five-star read.
What Graffiti Moon needs is more. More witty and bold dialogue; more of a glue that holds the story together; characters that are more fleshed-out and get the spotlight they deserve.
The family relationships had so much potential which they failed to live up to. There’s Lucy’s father, who lives in their backyard shed and is a magician-comedian, her novelist mother who insist on the pair not getting a divorce because it’s just a phase, Leo’s grandmother who we only get a glimpse of but is lovable and caring, and Shadow’s mother who takes care of her son’s best friend as if he were her own.
Now it sounds like I didn't enjoy the book, but I truly did. It simply didn't live up to my expectations, but I would love to read more from Cath Crowley. The humor is light, the dialogue believable and snarky.
This flashback to Lucy's first date was hilarious!
’’You shouldn’t have grabbed my arse. You don’t do that on a first date. Atticus Finch would never have done that.’'
’’You’re out with me and you have a boyfriend?’’ he yelled.
’’No!’'
’’Then who the fuck is Atticus Finch?
’’He’s in the book we’re reading at school.’'
’’You’re talking to me about books? When I’m bleeding all over the road? Shit. Shit.’’
And then there are passages where my heart aches and I envy Crowley's writing. My feelings about this are extremely mixed. In the end, I wanted to like it more than I did.
Final verdict:
A solid contemporary. If you want a bittersweet adventure with likable characters and pretty writing, pick this up. If you’re looking for something more memorable and thought-provoking, you’ll be disappointed.
We sat on a hill near her house and I was quiet and she didn’t break any part of me. We rode our bikes through a sea of sky where all the shitty factories were stars and the world was a place we could swim right through.
I like that about art, that what you see is sometimes more about who you are than what’s on the wall.
This would make a great indie movie.
It’s one of those dreamy contemporary stories, almost ridiculously unrealistic but heartwarming all the same.
This wasn’t what I expected. I foresaw a trip through Australia; a hunt for someone who didn’t turn out to be who she thought and plenty of sad moments.
Instead, our main characters meet in the first few chapters. They hate each other’s guts after one unfortunate meeting years ago. Dreamy Lucy doesn’t know Shadow is the boy she’s admired and wanted for so long, and dismisses him as a jerk.
Shadow the artist isn't aware of Lucy's love for him, and is still upset over what happened that night.
When Lucy asks him and his friends to help her find Shadow, he accepts and wonders how long he can hide his secret.
What follows is a long night of adventure, bicycle rides and different types of confrontation.
Despite how much I enjoyed this, there is something lacking for me. Although I liked the characters and related to them, I didn’t deeply care or love any of these people.
The plot didn’t hook me for some reason, and I kept waiting for it to get better. This could've been a five-star read.
What Graffiti Moon needs is more. More witty and bold dialogue; more of a glue that holds the story together; characters that are more fleshed-out and get the spotlight they deserve.
The family relationships had so much potential which they failed to live up to. There’s Lucy’s father, who lives in their backyard shed and is a magician-comedian, her novelist mother who insist on the pair not getting a divorce because it’s just a phase, Leo’s grandmother who we only get a glimpse of but is lovable and caring, and Shadow’s mother who takes care of her son’s best friend as if he were her own.
Now it sounds like I didn't enjoy the book, but I truly did. It simply didn't live up to my expectations, but I would love to read more from Cath Crowley. The humor is light, the dialogue believable and snarky.
This flashback to Lucy's first date was hilarious!
’’You shouldn’t have grabbed my arse. You don’t do that on a first date. Atticus Finch would never have done that.’'
’’You’re out with me and you have a boyfriend?’’ he yelled.
’’No!’'
’’Then who the fuck is Atticus Finch?
’’He’s in the book we’re reading at school.’'
’’You’re talking to me about books? When I’m bleeding all over the road? Shit. Shit.’’
And then there are passages where my heart aches and I envy Crowley's writing. My feelings about this are extremely mixed. In the end, I wanted to like it more than I did.
Final verdict:
A solid contemporary. If you want a bittersweet adventure with likable characters and pretty writing, pick this up. If you’re looking for something more memorable and thought-provoking, you’ll be disappointed.
We sat on a hill near her house and I was quiet and she didn’t break any part of me. We rode our bikes through a sea of sky where all the shitty factories were stars and the world was a place we could swim right through.