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    Graffiti Moon
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    Graffiti Moon
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    Graffiti Moon
    Audiobook6 hours

    Graffiti Moon

    Written by Cath Crowley

    Narrated by Ben Maclaine, Hamish R. Johnson and Chelsea Bruland

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Senior year 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. He's out there somewhere-spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night-and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 14, 2012
    ISBN9780307968180
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Graffiti Moon

    4.5/5

    148 ratings32 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Graffiti has always entranced me. There's something about the sweeping murals, painted in secrecy, that hold a certain power over me. After reading Graffiti Moon, I think my love is even stronger. Before I delve into anything else about this book I need to share how much I loved that Cath Crowley made graffiti into art. Shadow doesn't paint on anything that belongs to anyone, he doesn't tag for a gang, instead he paints the beauty, pain and sorrow that are inside of his soul onto the walls of broken down areas. Unloved areas that crave color. In this book, graffiti is turned into an expression of feeling. Crowley allows her characters to use art in general as an outlet for their emotions. It's a beautiful thing.

      This is a story about feeling lost and alone, and searching out the one thing that will bring you back. For Lucy, her parents are the source of her confusion. I love how Crowley portrays them in this book, because it is so realistic. They love one another, they love her, they just can't always be around one another. On the other hand, Shadow's nemesis is a matter of self doubt. How can he move forward if the one holding him back is...him? These two characters are the main focus of the story, and they are beautifully portrayed. To say I fell in love with them is a given.

      I wish I could more aptly express how sweeping this story is. Crowley has a way with words that just allows you to get lost in the story. Lucy is looking for a mysterious artist, one who will take her breath away. What she doesn't see is that the boy right in front of her is just as wonderful. In this story Lucy and Ed navigate the land of second chances. They discover that sometimes first impressions aren't always what they seem to be. Shrouded in the protective cloak of night, these two learn a lot about themselves and one another. Their dialogue is true to life and unabashedly honest. I can't express enough how amazing these two really are.

      Beautiful. That's my review in one word. What Cath Crowley has written in Graffiti Moon is a look deep into the inner thoughts of lost teens. A nighttime adventure that takes them through their deepest secrets. This book captivated me, and I guarantee that it will do the same for you.
    • 5/5
      Once upon a time there was a girl who loved a mysterious guy she'd never met before. A guy that painted walls in the night with visions she could only imagine until she saw them and she thought she knew him from his paintings from his graffiti art and his name Shadow. Once upon a time there was a boy, who's father ran out on his pregnant sixteen year old mother and who quit school in the 10th year because he got caught cheating. But the words were his, just not the writing. So he quit and got a job and became a shadow, The Shadow, expressing himself through art saying what he couldn't say in words. And one girl could read what he said. This is their story.I highlighted about three quarters of this book, the poetry used to describe the pictures Shadow paints it's just beautiful. I didn't know graffiti could be so beautiful, so detailed, have so much imagery in it. I'll admit I have a bias towards graffiti, I always see the gangs marking their territories, racial slurs and who loves who. I've never seen really beautiful graffiti. Or maybe I've never looked for it. But this story it's only about graffiti. It's a coming of age story that happens overnight---a long night---in Australia after everyone, all but one that is graduates from high school.Everyone has their own issues they are dealing with, Jazz's parents have had her on lock down studying since midterms and they are away in Germany so she's out to have a good time. Daisy wants a new boyfriend after Dylan, her boyfriend of 3 yrs egged her Jazz and Lucy in the head after school today. And Lucy, she wants to find Shadow because she knows from his paintings they will have everything in common and she has stopped going out since that ill fated date with Ed in tenth year, shortly before he dropped out of school. It's obvious from the way Ed describes his problems in school that he has a learning disability but Leo has helped him get by until tenth year. Then he got caught pulling an essay out of his pocket and the substitute teacher went bat crazy on him. It was, I think in Leo's handwriting so rather than get him in trouble, even though it was Ed's words, he quit. He got a job at a paint store and worked for a man that was a pseudo father and bolstered his self esteem. But he died and Ed hasn't had a job since then and can't help his mom pay the rent. So that's where things are when these six meet. It's hilarious at times like when the girls are all in the bathroom and Dylan asks, "What do you think they're talking about in there?" "I'll take a wild guess and say us," Leo tells him. Then they guys all go the the bathroom and it's been awhile and Lucy asks, "What do you think they're talking about?" "I'll take a lucky guess," Jazz says, "and say us." (p52 of the ARC).There are other funny parts but other equally heartbreaking parts. Cath Crowley takes the reader on an exquisitely emotional roller coaster ride. We are almost at the top about to know it all, or at least Lucy is and then it's snatched away as we plummet down to the bottom of the hill. And every time it happens it makes it takes them that much further from the truth, from the beginning of something wonderful. Even though the events happen over the course of a night, it seems like it is much longer. Not because the story lags or the pace is slow, but because Ed and Lucy get to know each other so well. The chapters are told alternating between Ed and Lucy and it works really well. Lucy's idea of love is romance and that's what she thinks Shadow represents, because he understands art and is sensitive according to what she sees. And for Ed, he sees himself through the eyes of others as a dropout with no future, going nowhere, painting on walls and he sees nothing. But he and Lucy share their thoughts on Shadow's paintings and art and life throughout the night ans some other adventures.The writing is beautifully done and easy to read. It's not overly flowery. It's spare but poetic if that makes sense. I escaped onto the wall, a painted ghost trapped in a jar. I stood back to look at it and I knew the sad thing wasn't that the ghost was running out of air. The said thing was that he had enough air in that small space to last him a lifetime. What were you thinking little ghost? Letting yourself get trapped like that? p.61 ARCThere's just no other way to say that it's a completely addictive novel. It was a day and a half read for me but only because I started late in the day. I loved the writing style, the narration and the characters. I didn't say much about them. Leo is a man of words, a guy after my own heart, though after this novel, I'm not so sure. He writes poetry and he's really good. Again, his poems are spare, but to the point. They get right to the point. And he's the best friend a guy like Ed could ever ask for. And vice versa. Dylan is a bit stupid. I think he's smart, he just acts before he thinks, like egging his girlfriend. But he's a bit more of a secondary character than the others are. Jazz is a good friend to Lucy. After all, she's the one that gets her into this night and helps her see it through. And its a night she'll always remember. And Daisy, well she's a bit like Dylan in the role she plays, just a bit character. There are parents! It runs the gamut from crap to very well meaning and meddlesome. And there are other adults involved in the lives of the characters lives.There is a very lit bit of swearing an some talk of doing it but that is it. Use you best judgement.HeatherI was provided an ARC of the through NetGalley from the publisher Knopf Books for Young Readers and Random House. I was in no way compensated for my review.
    • 5/5
      On the night following their last day in twelfth grade, Lucy and some friends go out to celebrate. Little does Lucy know that the guy she's known for years and is now out with, the one who says he will show her the work of the mysterious graffiti artist she admires, is more than she suspects.
    • 4/5
      Lately, I've been trying to pick up new things, and try books about new things, and I stumbled upon this book two days ago so I decided to give it a shot.
      I have to admit I'm glad I did.

      This was such a fun read, not only was it easy to go through but it was beautiful and the characters were all relatable to a certain extent.
      I liked how each one of the characters had their own kind of art they were interested in, I loved how they found beauty in each other's art and they were open to other things and ideas.
      I really liked the concept of Shadow and Poet, a poet and an artist working as a team, one drawing and the other expressing himself with words.
      Lucy was also an interesting character, she wasn't my favorite, but she was really cool. I loved the way she thought and how she just blurted out whatever was on her mind.

      My favorite parts in the book were definitely Poet's chapters. He was a poet in some and a social commentator in others, but I liked them.

      The overall writing style of this book was awesome and kept me hooked from the first chapters.

      All in all, this was such a fun read, I highly recommend it to anyone who likes contemporaries that have kinda adventures in the middle of the night
    • 5/5
      I knew within a few chapters that I was going to love this book. I was so confident I'd already reserved another of Crowley's books to read. And my instinct was sound.

      The two main characters are genuine on every level, the supporting cast is dynamic and the plot is just unique enough to escape the moniker of "formulaic". At a time when books for girls flood the market, this is a romance that a guy could pick up and not hate immediately. That's quite an accomplishment.

      I appreciated how Crowley approached the soul of artists from multiple perspectives and crafts. Many books that address art focus on just one medium, this compares and contrasts between several. It creates introspection about the emotional and creative life of artists.

      This story will resonate with anyone who views the world differently than the mean (that's my way of describing what others usually call the norm or average, because when people say the average or norm they are really talking about the people who fall in the middle of the continuum of whatever is being contemplated, discussed or experienced.)
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved this book!

      It's sweet, sad and funny and all thing YA novels are supposed to be!

      I'm starting to think there's something in the water Down Under because these Australian authors really know how to write really meaningful tales about teens.
    • 5/5
      You guise.

      I just don't even know where to start with this review. This book did what very few books do: grab me, hold me, and keep me interested, all the while making me swoon at the pretty words.

      Crowley's writing style is nothing short of lyrical. Her prose is so, so pretty that I found myself re-reading passages just to bounce the words around in my head one more time. Oh, sure, I've read pretty words before. But they can sometimes overtake a story where it's hard to concentrate on the actual storyline. Crowley does a fabulous job of using just the right amount to make me preach about the prose, but not so much that the story gets lost in it.

      This is told in 1st person, alternating POVs. We meet Lucy first, who is relatable, likable, just a little snarky, and most importantly believable. She acts like a teenager, though not an annoying one. She says stupid things sometimes, she gets embarrassed, and she has an infatuation with a certain someone. *cough Shadow cough*.

      Now, let's talk about Shadow, should we? His POV is the other main alternating one, and Crowley does a fabulous job of making the two have very distinct voices. We find out very early on who this is, though Lucy is kept in the dark for much of the book. His outlook and personal perspective is heartbreaking, quite honestly. You can't help but feel for him. I wanted to fold him up and stick him in my pocket.

      Told in a single night, the story is fast paced and woven beautifully together. Even though it took place over the course of a few short hours, nothing felt rushed or forced. I could quote so much of this book, and I did over on my status updates, so if you want a taste of her words, go have a peek.

      I loved every minute of this. I only wish there was more of it to read.
    • 5/5
      I started this a couple of times, but every time something distracts me. It's no secret that I love Aussie lit, so I always meant to come back to it, and this time I was determined to finish it.

      And I am so glad I did.

      Every now and then you read a book that makes you want to not read other books so it stays as long as possible with you. This is that kind of book. Because it's the best thing ever. It's like rainbows in words. Things that make you happy just because they exist. This is it.

      I loved all the characters and their little stories and how they unfolded, but I have to say that I liked Ed a bit more than Lucy. Lucy's a great girl, smart, an artist, just a tiny bit starry-eyed. But Ed is such a complex character that you can't help but fall in love a little with him. I loved their back story. I loved the dynamic between the boys and between the girls, and between the boys and girls. And I loved their friendships. I loved the way Lucy and Ed are wary around each other but eventually just let go of that. I loved...

      Actually, it's easier to tell you what I didn't like about this whole book - NOTHING. I wouldn't change a thing, and it was such a satisfying read, with perfect pace and unforgettable characters. I could go on and on about the story and how much I liked it, but I don't want to - just read it!

      So, about those rainbows? I rarely ever do this, but:
      We'll meet and click and sit up all night and everything will tip out of me and into him and the other way around and while we're tipping the night will fade and the world will get pink and in that pinkness he'll kiss me.
      I'm sorry, but if this isn't the prettiest piece of writing I have ever read, I don't know what is.
      But, there's more!
      I told her yeah, but there was no skin on my voice and she heard the bones in my words like I did.
      And even more!
      I want to run right into Shadow and let the force spill our thoughts so we can pick each other up and pass each other back like piles of shiny stones.
      I don't know. I don't have words. It's one of the best books I have ever read, and I'm really sad it was so short! This, combined with my love for graffiti (I was once madly in like with a graffiti artist - I was over it pretty soon, but the love for street art remained) makes this an instant favorite with me.
    • 4/5
      Great Characters, sweet story with elements of danger. It is the characters that make this book. I found myself chuckling along with some of their lines and waiting with baited breath for the moment when Lucy would figure out who Shadow is I was so happy that she figured it out on her own and that we aren't told exactly when she did so or how long she pretended not to know.

      Teaching Note:

      - Recommended for grade 9 and up.
    • 4/5
      This book. What to say...Cath Crowley certainly paints a lovely story. There is something so entirely lovely that turns me green with writer's envy when an author can turn thoughts and feelings of a character into poetry, pictures, glass, and light, and tumble it all back into words. Heartbreak, love, and all the feels in between. Excitement, risk, and lessons learned. Disappointment, new beginnings, and the unknown roads taken to discover each. Its a girl falling for a Shadow, a dream - and still missing the big picture. Its a boy with boxed hopes and filleting his heart on a wall in aerosol colors. This is a simple, yet honest story of when dreams slowly and delightfully unfold, sometimes right in front of us, and how those aerosol colors can speak louder than the most complicated words.
    • 5/5
      On the night following their last day in twelfth grade, Lucy and some friends go out to celebrate. Little does Lucy know that the guy she's known for years and is now out with, the one who says he will show her the work of the mysterious graffiti artist she admires, is more than she suspects.
    • 5/5
      This book totally earns every star. Because Crowley writes in a way I never seen before and the characters and the situations they've been through are the real deal.

      Just...god....
    • 4/5
      Dad .. Dad please I want to study in Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology :'(
      I want to write a book like this !
      If you ask me how you reach this book , I don't know what I'll answer but it was Great
      the style of writing ,the characters and the dialogue.
      and what encourages this is that I'm in love with Australia and I really saw the difference between the American atmosphere in the story and the Aussie one.
      here we can say that the centering is on the feelings on the mind's of the heroine and the differences in each others Point of view while in the American Style we see the description of bodies , desires , kisses and it is too much !!!
      after I read the Aussie one I prefer it :D

      I like like like the unknown-guy relationship she just love what he draws , understand his feeling, his personality hisgoal behind every brush path without seeing him or without even talking with him !
      that's so ideal ! you may like people by their appearance , their body type or their smile that's could be but when you like someone's own personality it's the Best of the BEST ;) and it is assured

      "I get this
      heavy feeling when I daydream about him. I’m not awake and I’m not asleep. I’m in a soft blue
      corridor that runs between the two."

      "I feel very sure about that. He’ll be a guy who talks about art,
      not an arse grabber. And like Dad says, love and romance are things worth waiting for."

      yes that's a prove

      Note: the cover is GREAT :"D
    • 5/5
      Graffiti Moon has a lot of elements in it that I enjoy in contemporary books. I love books that take place over 24-hours, and this adventurous tale takes place over the course of an evening. The city hums with energy and there is a sense that anything can happen. The characters are all a little older, just facing adulthood and ready to conquer the world. Art is in the backdrop of the story, with Lucy’s glassblowing, Shadow’s graffiti art, and Poet’s poetry adding a creative vibe.

      Lucy is smart and artistic and has a great sidekick, the psychic Jazz. She feels she and Shadow may be soul mates, but she keeps just missing him whenever she tries to find him. Ed has had a tough time of things, after dropping out of school, losing his girlfriend, and losing his mentor. He is feeling lost and directionless, though is passionate about art. He thought Lucy was someone who understood him, but their comically bad date seems to have shut the door to their relationship. They seem to barely tolerate each other at first, and it is fun to see them get reacquainted.

      The story is told through Ed and Lucy’s alternating POV, so we can get a sense of who they are and their feelings toward each other. Over the course of the night, Lucy and Ed’s quirky friends, and the colorful strangers they encounter make for a fun and eventful evening. There is so much going on with them as they run around town on their quest, and even have to dodge a bad guy who is hot on their trail.

      Reading this book is such an exhilarating experience. The chemistry and passion of the characters and energetic nature of the story makes it easy to fall for. The writing is vivid and gorgeous with sharp and witty dialogue. I could just picture Shadow’s paintings that covered the city. This exciting, hope filled time in their lives is expressed brilliantly and honestly. I didn’t want their night together to end.

      This artistic and expressive story is easily one of my favorite reads of 2011 and one of the books that has me wanting to seek out more contemporary books. The friendships, passion, beauty, and adventure all added up to a breathtaking read that is reminiscent to Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. If you are looking for an absorbing and heartfelt coming of age with romance and excitement, give this one a try. I can’t wait to read more from Cath Crowley.
    • 5/5
      This outstanding book by yet another terrific Australian young adult author is set in Melbourne, Australia, and alternates narration among several likable and talented teens who make up for lack self-confidence with a great deal of heart.Lucy loves art, and likes people who are unusual. Her best girlfriends are Jazz and Daisy, girls who don’t “follow the rules of high school geography.” She also thinks that a mysterious, visionary graffiti artist known as “Shadow” would be her soulmate - if only she could find out who he is. Ed is Shadow - he dropped out of school because of his dyslexia. Although he can’t read and can barely write, his head is full of ideas, and his pictures are full of expressiveness and beauty. Sometimes they are accompanied by verse by his friend Leo, who goes by the sobriquet Poet. Chapters narrated by Leo are in the form of poems.Lucy doesn’t realize that she actually went out with Ed two years before, and broke his nose on their one and only date. As the story begins, Lucy and Ed are thrown together again because Lucy’s friends, Daisy and Jazz, want to hang out with Ed’s friends Leo and Dylan. So Lucy and Ed end up paired off, much to their mutual chagrin. Lucy tells Ed about her admiration for Shadow, and how much she wants to find out who he is, and Ed offers to take her places where he might show up. As they travel by bicycle around the city, Ed takes Lucy on a tour of hidden sites where he has painted graffiti. The haunting and stunning pictures lay bare Ed’s emotional landscape. Lucy sees that Shadow feels there are doors in his head that let in sound but not meaning; that he feels trapped; that he his heart has been “rocked by earthquakes and disappointed seas.” The story of Shadow's pain and fears is expressed by graffiti moons and bricked-in birds; he thinks no girl would want him if she knew who he really was, with his limitations.But Lucy, who works as a glass-blower, knows that even some of the most beautiful pieces of glass have cracks running through them. If ever she and Ed could be honest with themselves and each other, maybe they could figure out how to open some of those locked doors.Discussion: The writing in this book is exceptional. The prose is very often poetic without falling into the trap of being “bore-geous” as author Ayelet Waldman calls writing that’s gorgeous but pointless or meaningless.
    • 3/5
      Graffiti Moon has hundreds of glowing reviews so I think it's safe to say it has wide appeal and has captivated many readers. The book's description didn't give me much of an idea of what to expect or what kind of tone the book would have so I was really curious as to what I'd find. While I really liked Graffiti Moon, I didn't adore it and it didn't take my breath away. It was a good, quick read that I was done with in a few sittings but not one that will stay with me forever.

      Graffiti Moon is the story of a group of young people on the night they finish year twelve. It specifically focuses on Lucy and Ed. Lucy is searching for someone- the graffiti artist whose art she has fallen for after seeing it pop up all over her town. She is really determined to find ''Shadow'' and has definitely romanticized him in her mind. I liked Lucy a lot! I didn't expect her to be so fun. I liked the way she views the world and enjoyed her observations. Her family is a little wacky and so is she. She's independent and I enjoyed that about her.

      Ed is hiding secrets of his own. I didn't enjoy his narration as much as Lucy's. It wasn't bad but I just didn't find it very interesting. Some of the phrases he said when contemplating situations were written nicely but for the most part I didn't find him to be an incredibly exciting character. He was however well developed and certainly believable. He's just a regular guy who has a lot of stuff going on in his personal life. I liked that he was so loyal to those around him and willing to forgive peoples' mistakes!

      I enjoyed their journey through the night at the beginning but did grow weary of it after a while. There is a lot of talking and contemplating and sometimes I found it hard to concentrate on just wanted to skim it. By the last 50 pages or so, I was just wishing the book would hurry up and end already! It just lost its spark for me and I felt like in the end, the book really hadn't built up to all that much. Overall, I definitely have mixed feelings about this one but I'd recommend it as I can see why many people would love it.
    • 5/5
      I didn't just read Aussie author Cath Crowley's novel - I inhaled it. I read the entire two hundred sixty seven page novel in just under a three hour period; I couldn't put it down to eat, play with the dogs or even move from my desk to the reading chair. It's gripping, consuming and alive in a way very few stories are - and more should be. I want to pull huge sections from the narrative to quote - my whole review would be quotes if I were clever enough. This is, simply put, a beautiful book - beautifully written, carried, developed and ended. Graffiti Moon is a young-adult novel that transcends the genre of its origin; all ages of readers who appreciate a deftly woven, compelling read would treasure this book. It's brilliantly descriptive and full of evocative and moving imagery. This book moved me.The story begins and ends with Lucy, a teenage girl who just wants to find something real; a boy that she can understand, one that likes what moves her in her core: art. Out of a graffiti artist known only as 'Shadow', Lucy creates her dream guy - one that is perfect for her and utterly unlike the fellow from the one date she's ever had ("I spent the weekend after our date wishing I could stab him with my Fluffy Duck pen and staring at the phone hoping he'd call. Dating is a very tricky business.") Lucy is distinctive and an incredibly relatable character; almost every part of her narrative sent a wave of remembrance or nostalgia for my own teenage years into my head. Crowley captures the feel, the urgency and frailty of teens perfectly - Lucy is vibrant, delightfully individualistic (one character asks her, "Are you doing that thing where you stare at the stars until your problems seem insignificant?"), but also vulnerable. Also, she is hilarious and just different ("'I sit down next to him and concentrate really hard. 'What are you doing?' he says. 'Trying to bend the laws of time so I can get here five minutes earlier.'") See - told you I want to quote the whole book at you. Every line is perfect, every chapter moves at just the right pace, every character nuanced and interesting.Ed, both the unbeknownst-to-Lucy Shadow and the one she would desire to stab with a pen for the bad date, was my absolute favorite character. I loved Lucy, but Ed came alive for me as a reader. He's the secretly creative, artsy guy, hiding behind the stereotypical 'tough guy/hard case', when he's truly something much more. Being a typical teenage girl, Lucy does not see the wonderful, deep man in front of her, only seeing the hard edges and the wall around his heart. The only way Ed can express himself is through his painting ("See this, see this, see this. See me emptied onto a wall."), and boy does he. The descriptions of Ed's art were animated and alive. It's almost a compulsion Ed cannot stop; after losing Lucy, his father-figure Bert, and his mom-supporting job, Ed has only painting as an outlet for his pain. He sees himself as a "painted ghost trapped in a jar," one of the more revealing self-portraits Ed paints. Ed's quiet but intensely personal heartbreak and desperation are in sharp contrast to Lucy's more stable life, though her need to belong draws her to Shadow.The two main background characters, that of Lucy's best friend Jazz and Ed's cohort in crime/best friend Leo were also pleasant, if not as fully developed. Jazz was a splash of whimsy and crazy, and Leo was a more romantic exploration of the same problems as Ed. I appreciated the functional, healthy friendship depicted between the two girls (and another, Daisy). I grow very tired of the catty teen girl in fiction, and this kind of believable and genuine bond is a nice change of pace. As for Ed's best friend/occasional roommate Leo, I liked him well enough, but I must admit his (admittedly rare) poem POV's were the weakest parts of the novel. I had a favorite poem of "Poet"'s (Here, p. 242) but on the whole, I wished the POV had been limited to just Ed and Lucy. The "villain" of the novel is much reduced and serves as a mere plot point for the real story: that of looking beyond the exterior and seeing the beauty within. Since the novel takes place over a single night, the book moves at a brisk pace, but one that is extremely easy to fall into.The final chapter is moving and beautiful - happily, without veering into saccharine territory or overt teenage melodrama. It's hopeful, without being absolutely definite and final. Lucy and Ed will go on - maybe with each other, maybe not, but hopefully together. While the pairing off of three couples might strain my credulity, one minor gripe against the face of all the awesome --- this is a book not to be missed. Major kudos from me to Ms. Crowley - this is something special, this is a novel I'm going to love forever. I received the NetGalley eBook, but when this is republished in February I will be buying my own copy to treasure and love.
    • 3/5
      A young glass blower spends a night searching for the graffiti artist she is sure she’s in love with. Her guide in none other than the artist himself but he doesn’t tell her until the very end of the night. Star crossed lovers end up with each other in the end. Good 4/13
    • 5/5
      Sometimes when I have a book I'm really looking forward to, I find myself procrastinating when it comes to actually reading it. (Mostly because I have such high hopes for it and I HATE disappointment.) This was one of those books for me. I fell in love with the premise of Graffiti Moon months ago, and bought it as soon as it became available. I finally just made myself start it, and I'm so glad to say that I absolutely loved it!It reminded me slightly of An Abundance of Katherines by John Green which I also loved. I just love when you get to see the thought processes of the characters. I like to know why they do and say the things that they say and do. It was a really interesting story too, but the writing style was the kind that I really enjoy reading. I have the audio version of the book, and the narrators were awesome! The main girl and main guy did excellent jobs, which just made the whole experience even better. Quote: "Where's the fire, Lucy Dervish?" "In me. Under my skin." (a thought, not an actually quote, but I loved it)
    • 4/5
      There are some young adult books that center on teen-aged characters and the storyline is very, well teenage in maturity level. These books are written solely for a younger audience. Then there are young adult books that have teen-aged characters and the storyline is one the resonates with audiences of all ages. This last kind of young adult book is where Graffiti Moon falls. Graffiti Moon is a coming of age novel told from the alternating view point of two characters – Ed and Lucy. The story is simple and sweet. The characters have reached a point in their life where they are leaving behind the markers of childhood and moving on into the first stages of adulthood. The book takes place over one night; one night that the characters have decided is their night to grow up and define how their young adulthood will begin. Graffiti Moon’s story is enriched through the characters’ memories of happenings and events over their lifetime and brought to the pages through flashbacks. I feel like if I call Graffiti Moon a sweet love story, it will confuse what this book is about. But I cannot leave out that there is a sweet love story taking place and developing throughout the story. I think that if I call this book simply a “coming of age” novel, then that categorization misses the mark in describing how deeply this story can affect people who have truly moved beyond their own coming of age moment. Graffiti Moon is the story of two teenagers who are done with high school and high school jobs and may or may not have hopes for the future but they are no longer kids. The characters have romantic fantasies about their ideal boyfriend or girlfriend and intense loyalty to their friends. Small events become big and crazy in the way that can only happen when one is a teenager. I really liked Graffiti Moon, it is funny with witty dialogue and some interesting surprising turns in the storyline. I was rooting for Lucy and I was rooting for Ed, even when they were stupid and making such silly -- well teenaged motivated – decisions. Have you ever had the fantasy of what a perfect boyfriend would be? Do you remember keeping a list of what you wanted in a guy? He has to like X and he has to do Y. Well Lucy is no different. As the story unwinds Lucy has to realize what all the readers have likely learned themselves by now, that love and romance does not come in perfect packages. The book has quite a few funny scenes between Lucy and her friends and then between Ed and their friends. The dialogue is witty and the jokes are good, but I did find that there were a bit too many of these scenes and admittedly skimmed a few of them. However, the book is short and these scenes demonstrate the strong friendship between the two sets of friends. The ending was sweet and of course everything was wrapped up rather perfectly, but it is a young adult story. I could not have asked for or wanted more.
    • 5/5
      I love this book! It was recommended to me by another fellow blogger and once I read the blurb, I knew I had to read it. It was everything I had expected it to be and more. Cath Crowley’s writing is almost poetic. I was quickly lost inside the book and couldn’t get out until I was done reading it. It’s such a fast read and very easy to follow. There is nothing complicated about it. Graffiti Moon is told from three different perspectives, Lucy, Ed, and Leo’s points of views. Let me tell you how much I loved getting inside the heads of these three. They were hilarious and I truly felt a connection to all three of them. I also really liked that Leo’s parts in the book are written in verse. I thought that was a nice change. Lucy is set on finding the street artist named, Shadow. She feels this huge pull to his art and thinks that Shadow is everything she wants and more. Only problem is no one knows who Shadow and his partner in crime, Poet, really are. Their identity has never been revealed. She sets out with her closest friends one night to find Shadow, only to end up bumping into three guys she could care less about. Especially since one of them is Ed, the boy she went out on a date with once and the date had ended in pure disaster and left Ed with his nose broken. Lucy and her friends tag along with the three boys to a party and things just get crazy from there. Ed agrees to help Lucy find Shadow, even though he doesn’t quite understand her obsession with him. Once they set out the story just gets even more interesting. I loved every minute of it. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot more contemporary YA and loving them. This is definitely a book I think should be added to everyone’s list of MUST-READ, MUST-BUY. Cath Crowley’s descriptions of Shadow and Poet’s artwork were very easy to picture in my head. I don’t have one negative thing to say about this book. It’s a beautiful story full of art and realistic characters. The characters are relatable and their lives are easily believable. There are so many moments in Graffiti Moon that made me laugh out loud, and a nice romance that builds very slowly, but perfect in every way. A Good Choice for Reading!5 out of 5 Stars!
    • 5/5
      This book captured my heart and made me fall in love with YA for the millionth time, again. Astounding in its characterization, brilliantly developed in its plot, and gorgeously poetic in its writing, Graffiti Moon is the first 2012 book to make it to my all-time favorites (And only two 2011 book managed that). I've been telling everyone I can to read it, because it portrays exactly what I love the most about well done contemporary, with a great I-hate-you-but-I'm-attracted-to-you romance, and breathtaking writing, that apparently one gets from being born in Australia because I can only compare it to Melina Marchetta.The story is told from alternating point of views from Lucy and Ed. It allows us to know more than they do about what's really going on and it makes the story even more gripping. You're desperately waiting for *the moment* when they'll both know everything we know. It was just perfect. The other aspect that I particularly enjoyed in way that no book has ever allowed me to enjoy, was the setting. It made this book more than special for me. I know it's set in Australia and I've never been, but it must look exactly like my city (Caracas, Venezuela) because I felt at home. You can tell it's nothing like America. It was quite unbelievable for me to finally find a book that resembled my teen experience a little. Therefore, the setting was extremely rich and vivid and also very 'artsy' another aspect I adored.If you love contemporary, if you enjoyed Stephanie Perkins, if you want to peek at how YA should always be written, or all the above... YOU NEED TO READ THIS.
    • 4/5
      Lucy is in love! Only problem, she’s in love with a graffiti artist know as “Shadow”. Lucy would give anything to find Shadow…she’s convinced that she truly knows him through his art. Lucy is an artist too, only she works with glass.One night, Lucy and her friends meet up with Leo, Ed, and Dylan. They claim to know Shadow and promise to take Lucy to where he will be later in the evening. Only problem…Lucy knows Ed, he took her out on her one and only date, which ended with her breaking his nose! While looking for Shadow, Ed and Lucy spend a lot of time discussing Shadow’s art and the work of other artists…they soon discover they have more in common than their first date ever uncovered.This tale is told in shifting perspectives…at times when Ed is done with his side of the story, Lucy’s picks up and rehashes what we just read from Ed. I thought that reiteration was redundant since we didn’t learn anything earth shattering from the new perspective. That would be my only complaint with this book!Lucy and Ed both see the beauty in the world around them. Ed is compelled to paint and Lucy to blow glass. One of the things I did enjoy was when the characters referenced an artist or piece of work. I always have to go see it online so I can see what it is they talking about. In this work, a couple of my favorite artists were discussed which always adds to the appeal! My only wish was that I could have seen Shadow’s work! It sounded so fascinating and while Crowley does a beautiful job of describing the work, I know my mind’s eye isn’t as good at rendering it. I would have really loved to see Lucy’s bottles too!It’s amazing how much can happen to two people in one night. There was some fantastic and snarky dialog between Ed and Lucy as they worked through their first date and Ed’s subsequent nose breaking. I love good snark and Cath Crowley had it in spades! This was a fun and funny read! I would really like to read more from Crowley in the future!
    • 5/5
      Reading Graffiti Moon was an absolute pleasure. Not only was the book beautifully written, but setting the story around art--specifically 2 art forms (graffiti and glass-blowing) that are not really focused on in most novels, is pure genius. I'm not sure if this book is a product of research or if the author grew up around graffiti artists and glassblowers. Whichever it is, Cath Crowley did an amazing job with her descriptions of Shadow's many walls throughout the city and Lucy's passion for glass-blowing.Graffiti has always been an interesting art form to me. It's fascinating how someone can take a basic idea, object, or thing and blow it up on a wall to either express how they feel or to convey a message to the world. And how fast the artists work! I know for many it's the adrenaline rush that gives them the energy to work feverishly.The glass-blowing aspect was a pleasant surprise. I knew the book was about a girl who is searching for a graffiti artist named Shadow, but I never expected Lucy to be a glassblower! The reason this excites me is because I live in the South Jersey area (in the US) and grew up near a place called Wheaton Village. It is the home of the Museum of American Glass and when I was a kid, I would go on class trips there. And guess what? We got to actually watch glassblowers do exactly what is described in Graffiti Moon! So talk about bringing back childhood memories!Even though the book is under 300 pages and majority of the story is told within a 24 hour period, the story is packed tight with different themes that many teens go through. Also, strong characterization earned Graffiti Moon a star alone. Cath Crowley is a master of detail. As I was reading along, I couldn't help but take some character notes. Check out my notes below:----- ----- -----Lucy: In search of a mysterious Graffiti Artist named Shadow. She is very artistic herself-- she practices glass-blowing. Her parents are very eccentric and because of this, she has perhaps a little more freedom then most teens her age. Her father, who currently is staying in the shed, is a magician, working on his jokes and tricks. Her mother is in the process of writing a novel. Although her parents try to explain to Lucy that they just need space during these creative processes, she thinks they are headed for a divorce. Do they eventually get a divorce? Will Lucy find the ever allusive Shadow?Jazz: Jazz is Lucy's best friend and claims to be psychic. She has a flair for drama and wants to go into acting. Since this is their last year of high school, she wants to find passion--in the form of a kiss-- to use that "experience" during auditions once they graduate. Could Leo be the muse she is looking for?Ed: Ed lives with his mother in a tiny flat. His mom is putting herself through nursing school while working nights. Ed was working in a paint store until the owner, Bert, died of a heart attack. Ed once had a thing for Lucy. They went on a date but like most young men, he let his hormones get the best of him and he touched her butt. She instinctively elbowed him in the nose, breaking it. Two weeks later, he drops out of school. Could Ed still have feelings for Lucy? Why did he drop out of school?Leo: Leo is Ed's best friend and he writes beautiful poetry. He borrowed money from Malcolm Dove and has only a certain amount of time to pay him back before Dove and his goons come after him. Leo devises this plan for him and Ed to break into the school and steal supplies so they can get cash to pay Malcolm back. When he meets Jazz, feelings he thought were long buried because of another girl, start to resurface. Could Jazz be a game changer? Why did Leo borrow money from Malcolm Dove? Will his plan work or will he drag Ed down with him?----- ----- -----Besides excellent characterization, I mentioned before that Cath Crowley has a beautiful way with words. Perspectives alternate between Lucy and Ed, but right before Ed's sections start, Leo's poetry is on display, some assignments for school, and others...well, you will see. Not only is the poetry moving, but Crowley's use of imagery throughout the novel is astounding. Here is one of my favorite examples, Ed describing how he feels about Lucy: “I kept dreaming her and me were tangled like that. Kept dreaming of this spot she had on her neck, this tiny country. I wanted to visit, to paint a picture of what I found there, a wall with a road map of her skin.” Beautiful, right?Here is another great quote, Ed describing how he feels about art and his struggle with reading and writing: "Feels like art's the only thing I ever figured out. Words, school, I never got the whole picture...I'd try to make a tunnel round the teacher's voice so it came to me clear. Most days I couldn't do it. I'd hear it all and so I'd hear nothing. Like I was standing in a place where every sound was the same level and I couldn't separate the threads."I can keep quoting this book forever. Here's one more before I move on to my last point. When Lucy tells Ed that her father is a magician. He says, "My dad was a magician too. Got my mom pregnant and disappeared."I want to wrap up this review by making people aware that the author is Australian and Graffiti Moon is set in Australia. I love books that are set in other countries because I think it's a great way to learn about a different area, a different culture, etc. And although we may learn different things from other areas, what remains the same is the issues our teens go through on a daily basis all over the world. I'm so happy that someone noticed Cath Crowley's Graffiti Moon and that it's finally being published over here in the United States. I'm sure where ever this book goes, teens and adults alike will see it for the rare gem it truly is.~Mia~
    • 5/5
      Okay, I am not sure if this sounds weird or not, but I have a secret fascination with graffiti art. The vibrant colors, the larger-than-life fonts, the awe-inspiring visuals – I know they can deface a side of someone else’s property without permission, but holy aerosol, there are some stunning pieces of work that make my heart sing!Which may explain why GRAFFITI MOON seems to have left a lasting impression on my heart, but I also think the characters and quality writing may have played a bigger role in making this a book worth remembering.THE GOOD BITS{Story from 3 different angles} I have read stories where multiple perspectives do not seem to work, but GRAFFITI MOON manages to pull it off in a way that each chapter jumpstarts the next one as it ties the characters together. I would say that Lucy and Ed are the main narrators here, but at random intervals we get free verse from Poet (Ed’s partner-in-crime) that literally floored me every time with its depth. Both Lucy and Ed had interesting stories to tell – and I particularly enjoyed hearing each side of their story about how their first and only date failed in epic proportions.{Feed my inner art junkie!} Not only did GRAFFITI MOON capture the vivid intensity of graffiti art, but it also went into breath-taking detail of glass-blowing (another secret admiration of mine) and described Lucy’s genius art project. There is nothing more evocative – or more difficult – than putting to words the energy and passion that comes from art, and somehow Cath Crowley had gathered that up and molded it into a beautiful love story where two artists realize that they speak the same language.THE BAD BITS{Too stinking cute!} Okay, kidding. Well, admittedly, the interactions between Lucy and Ed are pretty adorable even if they prefer not to be in the same room as each other. But in all seriousness, the cuteness is NOT a bad thing. I just cannot think of anything else to say.THE OVERALLLOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I don’t think I can say that enough. GRAFFITI MOON may sound deceptively simple, but I promise that you will fall in love with the characters and be pulled into their artspeak. Funny, heartfelt, and altogether charming, GRAFFITI MOON hit my eye like a big pizza pie and I enjoyed every second of it!
    • 5/5
      I LOVED this book! Right from the start of meeting Lucy riding her bike. Her thoughts of meeting Shadow and what she thought about him, what she knew about him left me intrigued. It's the end of the year and Lucy want to looks for him. The painter after her own heart. The one that creates life like images like a theft in the night. No one knowing who he is, Lucy want to meet him. After the first few chapters, I was ready to set out to look for Shadow who she readily adored.Have you ever been so blinded that you don't see what's in front of your eyes? Well, this happen to me. I met the love of my life when I was just 14. I hadn't know it then. We dated and broke up. We met a few years later after high school and got married. I think about it now and realized "Why didn't I see him then?" I still don't know the answer to that question but Lucy set me on reading adventure that I wanted to go on. Ms. Crowley created such a great book with so much meaning behind it. The writing style of the book hooks to the reader from the very first page. I adore how Ms. Crowely gives the reader several points of view without a confusing mess. Each characters tells their story all connecting to each other. By the end of the story, your in love with what you've read. I laughed at the craziness of what the characters go through, but also see the love that in their hearts.This book has the greatest love interest I have ever seen! I loved that secrecy of the characters. What so great about this book is that just a few chapters in, you know who Shadow is. Ms. Crowley put the reader in the loop and you can't help but giggle with all the craziness of the night. Ms. Crowley lets the reader indulge in knowing the secret while going along with it. For me, it's super fun that the reader knows the secret before the character does.With that being said, read this book. I can't tell you how much you will love it. Both Shadow and Poet are boys you will never forget!*drinking/cursing*
    • 4/5
      Lucy just finished senior year, and there’s one thing she plans to do – find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artists she feels speaks almost directly to her through his art. As she and her friends set out to celebrate the end of high school, she plans to hunt down her mystery man and spend the evening discussing art and poetry and falling madly in love.Ed is a high school drop out, struggling to help his mom pay the bills so they can stay in their apartment while she attends nursing school. Ed reluctantly agrees to accompany his best friend Leo on an illegal job for his brother. It pays well, and since Ed recently lost his job he needs money for rent. The two of them run into Lucy and her friends, and when Ed and Leo tell the girls they know the mysterious Shadow, they all set off to hunt him down.As the night progresses, Lucy and Ed find themselves enjoying each other’s company, despite the fact that they haven’t talked in years – not since Ed asked her out and she ended up breaking his nose before the date was over. The more Lucy and Ed talk, the more Ed begins to fall for her, but he could never be who she wants him to be. Shadow is her dream boy and Ed is just a guy she dated once. Too bad Lucy can’t see what’s right in front of her.I adored this book. Ms. Crowley writes with so much feeling, you can’t help but get sucked into the story. There is a lot of imagery in the text and I could vividly see every piece of art as it was described. The book shifts between the first-person views of Ed and Lucy, and is peppered with poems by Poet, Shadow’s partner in crime. I loved the alternating perspectives as Lucy searches for her mystery man and Ed silently wishes he could be half the guy Lucy describes. The ending was perfect and left me wanting more. It reminded me somewhat of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which I also adored. If you’re looking for a great, contemporary romance, I highly recommend this one.(Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley)
    • 4/5
      Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley is a good book for people who like art. I love art, though I'm pretty terrible at analyzing it or doing it. But I love it nonetheless. Books like Graffiti Moon, make me happy because I can appreciate art and not feel like an idiot while doing it. :)So, you might be thinking, "How can she be appreciating art while she's not looking at any?" That's a fair point. With this book, I wasn't actually looking at any of the art described, but I was still seeing it. I could clearly picture the different graphics as they were described and still got the same feelings I get when looking at art. In fact, I probably got those feelings stronger while reading the book because I was reading the characters thoughts about the pieces, which helped me understand them better myself and made my emotions stronger.While reading any book, my mind is making a mental movie of the actions as they happen. With some books, like Graffiti Moon, my mind is doing more than that. The actions aren't just actions. They're pictures. The writing is so artistically descriptive, I think of pictures instead of movements. I love poetic writing like this because it stands out and adds a layer of creativity to the story. The words flow and move, twisting and turning their way through the story. In many ways, the words shape the story instead of the story shaping the words.Besides the art and the writing, I really enjoyed all the characters. Shadow and Poet have this mysterious existence behind their graffiti. The more we learn about Ed and Leo, the "real people" behind these tags, the more depth and reality I found in the characters. Lucy finds this as well as she goes searching for Shadow. She has this idea in her mind of what kind of person Shadow is, but she only has part of the story. Not only does she only know him through his art, but she has also only seen a fracture of the art he's created and none of the art still inside his head. I enjoyed learning more about Shadow/Ed through the various points of view, as well as learning about him through his art. I think the most insightful moments we're given as readers are things we have to interpret ourselves through the art.Overall, Graffiti Moon is an enjoyable read. It's an introspective look at people in general, as well as the particular characters involved.Final thoughts: Borrow or buy.
    • 5/5
      4.5/5.0Every once in a while a book walks in with magic dancing in almost every sentence:"'Where's the fire, Lucy Dervish?'In me. Under my skin."Oh damn, Lucy. You just made go and miss high school. I remember that feeling, that one of anticipation, the one you have on a night when anything is possible. Right from go, Cath Crowley's language in Graffiti Moon is nothing short of hypnotic. I haven't seen original descriptions like this in. . . well, let's just put it this way: I don't think that I have. You can find quotes you want to write on slips of paper and keep in your pocket for when you need them in almost every chapter. The language is written in bright colors and secret corners, just like Shadow's art. The prose is absolutely lyrical and delightful to read. Do you ever feel like you can reach out and touch a story, like its a painting? That's Crowley's gift. You can feel every brush stroke, every painted layer, every single draft as Lucy and Ed breath deep and try to make it through their night together.The story centers on these two, but it's a six pack as both bring along two sidekicks: Jazz and Daisy for Lucy, Leo and Dylan for Ed. And, of course, Shadow - we can't forget him - the holy grail of crushes that holds Lucy's heart, and her quest for him is what slides the story along its track, until it Ed forces her off the trail (or did he just help her find another path?). Early in the night, the two groups inadvertently meet up - Daisy and Dylan are an item, and Jazz has a thing for Leo. You'd think they'd all be friends, but no, Ed and Lucy are anything but, and Daisy has doubts about Dylan.Sounds easy, right? Sounds high school. Friends, I don't exaggerate when I write that it's so much better than that. What I particularly like about Crowley's writing is that she incorporates a lot of different versions of love and relationships, of how it changes forms and develops as two people move and grow with each other. Of how it can become a poison if it's not nurtured and protected, or if it was never really love in the first place. While primarily a story of two young, talented and wonderful people finding their way through one night with each other, this also is a story that incorporates how families, friends and other loved ones affect us. The weaving in and out of Ed, Lucy and Leo's narratives is packed with hopeful longing and wistful regret, of certain things viewed in the shadow and then again in the light.This almost is a perfect book for me. There is a 'big deal' situation involving Leo, which brings Ed into the fold. The events leading up to it are well-written, but 'the event' itself felt slightly off to me. I also was amazed that all six, including the two that came off the least sharp (Daisy and Dylan), seemed so witty. I kept thinking, "I would have killed to have conversations this good all the time in high school." As enjoyable as it was, I kept thinking that the perfection and timing of the conversations seemed too perfect at times. I actually feel a little guilty for even pointing these things out, because Crowley's prose is so incredible that it far outweighs any minor things I noticed.Three girls, three guys, one night. That's the story. But in one night, you get such a full richness of who they are that you'll be racing back through the pages once you're done, picking out your favorite passages. . . just to catch one more breath of that magical feeling and holding it. Read this one - it's a true delight.
    • 4/5
      Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon is an exquisite exposé of love, lust, street-art, crime, growing up and letting go. Set in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs with a brief foray into the heart of the city, the story follows six teenagers (Lucy, Ed, Jazz, Leo, Dylan and Daisy) as they celebrate the last night of Year 12. Love struck Lucy is the focus of the story as she searches for the elusive graffiti artist known as ‘Shadow’, gallantly accompanied by the boy she once almost dated, Ed. The fact that she broke Ed’s nose on their ‘almost date’ ads to the reader’s intrigue as their rapport develops. Meanwhile there’s a crime to be planned, a cockroach eating gangster to be reckoned with, romances to be navigated and secret identities to be exposed. Her fourth novel for young adults, Crowley’s Graffiti Moon is an enjoyable read as the gritty reality of adolescence is contrasted with a sensitive streak of complex parental relationships, the beauty and poignancy of art, the generosity of loyal mateship and the selfless love of senior mentors. What impressed me most about the novel was the fluidity of the plot, the way the reader was privy to information that the characters were not (e.g Shadow’s true identity) and Crowley’s evocative descriptions of Shadow’s work which leaves the reader feeling as though they have had a tour of Melbourne’s finest laneways by the time they put the book down. Graffiti Moon was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council Young Adult Book of the Year award (2011) and won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult’s Literature, accolades which this book richly deserves. It is a delight to read and a thought provoking novel to share with proud Melbournian’s, street-art aficionados and anyone who appreciates a good yarn.