Graffiti Moon on July 5 2012 Pages: 305
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
"We've got at least seven hours to get what we want before the sun comes up."
School is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. Somewhere in the glassy darkness, he's out there, spraying colour, birds and blue sky on the night. And Lucy knows that a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for, really fall for.
The last person Lucy wants to spend this night with is Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since punching him in the nose on the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells Lucy he knows where to find Shadow, the two of them are suddenly on an all-night search to places where Shadow's pieces of heartbreak and escape echo off the city walls. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.
Graffiti Moon is a truly exceptional book. Wonderfully written, with deep, well-drawn (pun intended!) characters and a simple yet affecting story, I just cannot say enough good things things about it. I had read through many of the reviews so had a fair idea that I would enjoy this one, but it more than lived up to my (already high) expectations.
Graffiti Moon is told in dual narrative from the perspectives of Lucy and Ed. Lucy is a young girl who is obsessed with art, in particular a young graffiti artist who calls himself Shadow. Shadow has created art all over the city. Lucy is drawn to his vision but she has never met him, has come close on occasion but always seems to have just missed him.
She is desperate to find him, as she believes that he could be the one who really understands her passion for art. Lucy is a dynamic character – she says exactly what she is thinking at any given moment and is not afraid to go after what she thinks she wants.
Ed is a former classmate of Lucy’s. They have a history – she broke his nose during their one and only date a few years prior – and when they find themselves on a night out together to celebrate the end of Year 12, neither is particularly pleased to be forced into spending time with the other.
Ed is my favourite character in the book. He also has a passion for art but dropped out of school early for reasons he does not like to discuss. He feels he is going nowhere fast in life. Ed is a sweet but also awkward character. He never seems to do or say the right thing yet he is also quite a sensitive soul, as Lucy will come to realize throughout the course of the novel.
Ed knows something about the mysterious Shadow’s true identity and takes Lucy on an adventure round the city, visiting the various sites where the graffiti artist has laid bare his soul.
I really loved the characters in this book. Ed, as mentioned above, was my favourite but I also had a soft spot for Leo (Ed’s partner in crime and best friend). Jazz, Lucy’s best friend, was also an engaging character and although they did not get much page time, I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of Dylan and his girlfriend Daisy. The characters all felt wonderfully real and I could relate to all of them.
I have enjoyed quite a number of Australian ya books of late and Cath Crowley is another author whose other works I will now be on the hunt for. If they are even half as enjoyable as Graffiti Moon I will not be disappointed.
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