Book Review: ‘Graffiti Moon’ by Cath Crowley

By: GabrielleAdelle

Thanks to the folks at NetGalley and Random House, I was able to read an advanced copy of Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. Usually I wait to read ARCs until right before their release, in order to deliver a more timely review. But while going through the galleys, Graffiti Moon struck a chord with me. It sounded very Nick and Norah-esque, and I was in the mood for a story like that, so I dived in. Graffiti Moon is one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in a long while. It’s funny, sincere and interesting. I really can’t emphasize how much I enjoyed reading this book.

Like I said, the setup is sort of like Nick and Norah’ s Infinite Playlist, but the characters, setting, etc. is totally different. The story follows mainly Lucy and Ed, two former high school classmates who aren’t very fond of each other. Lucy is obsessed with a street artist that goes by the name Shadow. For months, she’s been trying to track him down because she feels such an undeniable connection with him through his art. Ed is an unemployed high school dropout, who is mourning the recent loss of his mentor. Ed fills his time doing graffiti art with his best friend, Leo. One night when Lucy and her friends go out to celebrate finishing high school, they meet up with Ed and his friends. Together, they sort of team up to go on a search for Shadow.

The chapters alternate between Ed and Lucy’s perspectives, and occasionally Leo will interrupt with a bit of his poetry. For a story like this, the alternating chapters work so well. We get to see how Lucy and Ed view each other. It makes the story a lot more interesting because the audience is aware of the secrets that Ed and Lucy are hiding from each other. The story pretty much spans the one night in the city of Melbourne, Australia, which is pretty cool because I haven’t read many stories that are set in Australia and not like in the outback or something.

Another thing I loved was that the dialogue was witty and funny. Ed and Lucy have great banter, and it kind of endears you even more to them. Their characters are developed well. I get a full sense of who Ed is and why he does what he does. Same for Lucy. The supporting characters are great. They’re mostly used comically, but they all have a purpose in the story.

Graffiti Moon is a very cool love story. It’s not the melodramatic, sappy stuff we see in some Young Adult literature. It’s about two people connecting through art and life, and as simple as it is, it’s pretty wonderful. I definitely recommend this book to people looking something fun, sincere and well-written.

Graffiti Moon comes out February 14, 2012! You should totally pre-order it from our TYF Store!