This summer, Boston Public Library's teen volunteer program has gone remote! As part of this program, local high schoolers will be sharing their thoughts on books, movies, and more on our blog. Recently, teen volunteer Mia Ikeda, a sophomore at Wesford Academy, read and adored The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Check out her review below!
This mysterious and poetic novel, written by Kelly Barnhill, is a masterpiece. The Girl Who Drank The Moon is a glowing fantasy, full of magic and a quiet wonder.
This story focuses on the childhood of a young girl named Luna, who was abandoned as a baby. Her village sacrifices a baby every year to keep an evil witch from destroying their lives. Placing a baby at the edge of the deep forest, the village leaves the children to the witch in the woods. In reality, the witch in the woods is very kind. Every year, she journeys across the forest to pick up the baby and delivers them to a loving family in a village that trusts her. Through this annual journey, the kind witch feeds the infant bits of starlight.
One day, while delivering a baby to her new family, the witch feeds the child moonlight instead by accident. And while starlight glimmers with magic, moonlight is magic. As the infant girl becomes too magicked for a normal family, the witch and her friends decide to raise Luna. Readers follow Luna’s story as she grows from infant to young woman. Throughout the book, Luna journeys to discover her roots as well as her own magical ability.
This novel was so well written and magnetic, I immensely enjoyed the poetic quality of the passages and throughout the story. I felt as if the physical pages were quivering with moonlit magic. From the paper cranes to the dragons and even wizards, this story holds an air of curious depth and I was compelled to keep reading page after page. Much like a bedtime story that kept me awake long after its end, readers can discover new connections with the story every time they read.
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