by Kelly Barnhill
Libby eBook 500 or so pages
Published: 2016
Genre: YA fantasy
This book surprised me. I didn't care for it at first, but the characters drew me in.
Xan, the elderly witch who rescues the babies abandoned by The Protectorate each year.
Glerk, the ancient bog monster poet
Fyrian, the tiny dragon who thinks he's Simply Enormous
Antain, the kind-hearted young man who wants to be a carpenter
The madwoman . . .
And of course, Luna, the title character (though she's the one it took me a while to like!)
Chapter 5 (Glerk) - "She is being adorable as some sort of hideous ruse, to spite me. What a mean baby!"
I love how he falls in love with Luna against his better judgment. He is so sweet!
Chapter 5 (narrator) - "Even when Luna was content, she still was not quiet. She hummed; she gurgled; she babbled; she screeched; she guffawed; she snorted; she yelled. She was a waterfall of sound, pouring, pouring, pouring."
That is so true of babies!
Chapter 7 (Xan) - "Memory was a slippery thing - slick moss on an unstable slope - and it was ever so easy to lose one's footing and fall."
The whole theme of memories and forgetting . . . that wasn't my favorite aspect of the book. But I love the language the author uses.
Chapter 8 (storyteller) - "But he didn't kill the Witch. The Witch killed him instead. This is why it doesn't pay to be brave."
I wasn't entirely sure who was telling the story in each storytelling part, but the stories definitely helped fill in some of the legend aspects. The idea that the moral of the story is that "it doesn't pay to be brave" made me laugh.
Chapter 9 (Xan's perspective) - "When Zosimos rescued her and bound her to his allegiance and care, she was so grateful that she was ready to follow any rule in the world. Not so with Luna. She was only five. And remarkably bullheaded."
Oh my! To love and try to teach a small child, especially one who is overflowing with magic and exuberance . . . a distinct challenge!
Chapter 13 (Sister Ignatia) - "Sister Ignacia laughed. 'Oh, sweet Antain! There is no cure for sorrow.' Her lips unfurled into a wide smile, as though this was most excellent news."
She was so clearly evil! It was interesting how the author let us know more about the characters with each successive chapter. The concept of sorrow and how it impacts people was another interesting theme in this story.
Chapter 17 (Luna) - "She loved the moon so much, she wanted to wrap her arms around it and sing to it. She wanted to gather every morsel of moonlight into a great bowl and drink it dry. She had a hungry mind, an itchy curiosity, and a knack for drawing, building, and fashioning."
I do love that Luna was eager and curious. The idea of drinking moonlight is interesting.
Chapter 39 (Luna, about Xan) - "Was love a compass? Luna's mind was pulled to her grandmother's mind. Was knowledge a magnet?"
The idea of love being a compass appeals to me. Love is a powerful force!
Chapter 41 (Xan) - "Everything you see is in the process of making or unmaking or dying or living. Everything is in a state of change."
This is so true, but not a truth that we think about often. I'm often uncomfortable with change, yet it is a constant in life.
Chapter 46 (Luna) - "'Like you, I was brought to a family who loved me and whom I love. I cannot stop loving that family, and I don't want to. I can only allow my love to increase.' She smiled. 'I love the grandmother who raised me. I love the mother I lost. My love is boundless. My heart is infinite. And my joy expands and expands. You'll see."
The ending of the story was very satisfying. I see why this book has won so many awards!
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