Graffiti Moon [Paperback]

Lucy, Jazz and Daisy are going to celebrate the last day of school by staying out all night and they all have different goals that they want to accomplish by morning. Jazz just wants to be kissed, Daisy wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Dylan and Lucy is determined to track down the mysterious graffiti artist known only as Shadow. She has been a fan of his work for ages and feels like she has come to know him through his paintings, if only she could actually meet him she is sure they would be perfect for each other. Dylan wants to win Daisy back so he tells them that he knows Shadow and Poet and offers to take the girls to places where they might find them. Ed and Leo are dragged along for the ride but as the friends get sidetracked it ends up being just Lucy and Ed continuing the search.

Graffiti Moon is told from both Lucy and Ed's points of view in alternating chapters with some of Poet's poems scattered throughout the story. This allows us to really get to know both main characters and gives us the advantage of seeing the same scene from their differing perspectives. Lucy is such an interesting character to get to know, she comes from an unusual family and has definitely been raised to think outside the box. Her way of looking at the world is at times innocent but also very astute and her observations about the people and world around her were fascinating. An artist herself Lucy works with glass rather than with paint and I really enjoyed learning a bit about her training as a glass blower. I've watched glass blowers work in the past and was amazed at the way they were able to create such beautiful and intricate works from what is basically just melted sand with a few extra ingredients. Lucy has been falling for Shadow since she first saw his paintings and she is convinced that if they ever met he would be the perfect guy. She has had all these imaginary conversations with him and thinks they would be able to have these fantastic discussions about their favourite artists and paintings.

Ed dropped out of school because he struggled to read and write, he isn't stupid by any means but words always confuse him. I believe he is probably dyslexic but as he was never diagnosed he didn't get the help he needed. He isn't a stranger to Lucy, in fact they even went on a date once but it ended up being a disaster when she broke his nose for touching her arse! They haven't spoken since and both have their own resentments from that night. As Ed helps Lucy search for Shadow she starts to discover that they have much more in common than she ever suspected but will she realise what is right in front of her before it's too late? Ed is keeping secrets of his own and is afraid of the way Lucy will react if he owns up. With their past and secrets between them can they find a way to reconnect?

This was the first book I've read by Cath Crowley but I'm sure it won't be the last, I really enjoyed her descriptive writing style and she really brought to life the paintings she described so I could see them in front of me as I was reading. Graffiti Moon was an enjoyable read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance or who is interested in art.

Every so often you read a book that you never want to leave behind. Well this was one of those books. I fell in love completely with the characters, the gentle but realistic storyline, and the poetic writing. The words were so beautifully written, I felt like I was watching a rainbow intensify in colour in front of eyes. The use of imagery was purely magical.

From the first chapter, the author instantly captures the essence of each character, so that you knew just how you felt for them straight away. As soon as Ed and Lucy met, you were desperate for them to be a couple and cursing as you realised they were keeping secrets from each other, each too frightened to admit the truth. They both came across as fledgling birds, who had fallen badly on their first flight, and you watch anxiously as they take those tentative steps to allow them to fly successfully for the first time.
This book felt like it had an underlying moral. Don't be afraid of who you are - embrace your inadequacies and problems, in order to move past them and succeed.

There is a strong feeling and gushing love for art in this book, as each character expresses their feelings in different artistic forms. Lucy explores how she feels through glass; her portfolio, The Fleet of Memory is something I really want to see as it sounded so beautiful as she expressed her past memories within hand blown glass boats. Ed explored his artistic nature through paintings on the wall, which sounded so much more than graffiti. Leo's artistic flow came via poetry and the poems represented in the book had me reaching for my pen and pad. This book shows that art can be represented in every aspect of life to make it beautiful.
Cath Crowley has successfully managed to capture that feeling of being a teenager on the brink of a bright and unknown future. The picture is blank, you future is not set and a world of opportunities lay at your feet. Where you feel that nothing is impossible; you almost believe you can fly. I wish you could bottle that feeling and sell it to the older generations who have forgotten that life is supposed to be that magical.
I could see this book as a film, it reminded me of a mixture of the Nora Ephron classics such as 'You've Got Mail' and 'Sleepless in Seattle' and the John Hughes Bratpack films. The growth of the main character's friendship through to romance is jam packed with heartfelt emotion. I can honestly see why this book has captured the world in its hands. Everyone is raving about this book and you should definitely read it to see how wonderful it truly is.
This book is set in Australia and shows the world that the teen angst issues and problems are universal. It was so refreshing to read an Australian author like Cath Crowley and really hope to read more of her books.
A truly beautiful modern tale, that makes you wish you could be a teenager all over again.

"I 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."

I just knew I was going to love Graffiti Moon when I finally got my hands on it, because all I'd heard before I started was how fantastic it is, and honestly, it really is a heart-warming, loveable and beautiful book!

Luce is a high school student who is addicted to art. She loves everything about it, but mainly she loves Shadow, a mysterious artist whose art she follows. Shadow paints complex pieces on walls, under trains - anywhere he can and it's all over the City. Because of Luce's connection to Shadow's art, she believes their meant for one another and she sets out to find him. But every time she gets close, she misses him just by a few seconds. When a friend of hers, a boy called Ed, claims he can take Luce to Shadow, so they go on an all-night search to find Shadow. But to find Shadow, Luce needs to a look a little closer because he might be someone she's known all along.

Graffiti Moon is truly an amazing and eye-opening read. I have to admit I've never really been a fan of but what this book did for me was open me up to the world of art. And now because I've seen it through Luce's and Shadow's point of view, I have more of an understanding for it. I have to take my hat off to Cath Crowley because while she was describing Shadow's pieces, it was done so beautifully that the pieces became very vivid. It was almost like I was there with the characters and I loved that.

I absolutely adored all the characters. Both Luce and Ed were amazing and I felt very connected to them. I loved watching their romance grow because it wasn't an instant thing, despite their past relationship with each other. They're both totally in love with each other despite how much they fight it and I was dying for that first kiss. I was very disappointed that didn't happen but the author still did a fantastic job with their relationship.
The secondary characters were second to none. I loved how we got Poet's chapters too. His poems were very in-depth, thoughtful and full of meanings. It was beautiful to read.

Overall, Graffiti Moon was everything I expected this book to be and more. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the near future.