Book Review: The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Screen Shot 2016-07-31 at 9.46.28 PMPrepare to be enmagicked!

It happened to me before I even read Kelly Barnhill’s THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON. When I saw the enchanting cover art so many months ago, I knew the book would have to be mine. It called me. And then I won an ARC from Goodreads, like it was my destiny.

It arrived the day I got back from vacation. I opened the cover, and it swallowed me whole.

 

It will happen to you too. You are powerless to resist Luna’s story. Stripped from her mother’s hands by the Protectorate and left in the woods as a mere babe. Nurtured by an elder witch, Xan, who accidently lets her drink the moonlight. Moonlight filled with magic.

Luna can’t be left with a good family nearby like the other abandoned babies that Xan has rescued. Her magic makes that too risky. Luna is raised by the witch, a teeny tiny dragon who thinks he’s a Simply Enormous Dragon living in a land of giants, and a swamp monster who writes lovely poetry. To keep Luna safe from her own power, Xan locks the magic inside Luna. It emerges on schedule as she approaches her 13th birthday.

Just. In. Time.

Just in time because things are changing in the safe, magical woods of Luna’s childhood. Dangerous changes. Luna must unlock her magic to protect those who have protected her.

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is filled with deeply drawn characters: sinister, daring, enchanting, and endearing. A thickly satisfying plot, threaded with magic and love and millions of paper birds, makes it an unforgettable read.

Sigh. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time.

But don’t just listen to me, because remember I’m under Kelly Barnhill’s spell. Check out these starred reviews!

“Rich with multiple plot lines that culminate in a suspenseful climax, characters of inspiring integrity (as well as characters without any), a world with elements of both whimsy and treachery, and prose that melds into poetry. A sure bet for anyone who enjoys a truly fantastic story.  ”
– Booklist, starred review

“Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.”
– Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Captivating… Barnhill delivers an escalating plot filled with foreshadowing, well-developed characters, and a fully realized setting, all highlighting her lyrical storytelling.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review

Screen Shot 2016-07-31 at 8.21.29 PM

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is available for pre-order

and releases on August 9th!

Goodreads  |  Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | IndieBound | Algonquin YR

To read an excerpt from THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, click here.

To read Kelly Barnhill‘s beautiful prequel to THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, click here for part one and here for part two.

Check out our INTERVIEW with Kelly Barnhill about THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON!

And always remember…

You are ever so much more than you realize.  —Kelly Barnhill, THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, chapter 28

Subscribe to The Winged Pen and never miss a post, including our monthly #FourOn400 writing contest for middle grade and young adult. Click to SUBSCRIBE!

IMG_2370MICHELLE LEONARD is a math and science nerd, a chocolate biscotti baker, and a SCBWI member who writes middle-grade and young adult fiction. Her young adult sci-fi short story IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT will be published in the BRAVE NEW GIRLS ANTHOLOGY: STORIES OF GIRLS WHO SCIENCE AND SCHEME releasing August 2017. Connect with her on Twitter.

SaveSave

3 thoughts on “Book Review: The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill

    1. You’re making my reading list so hungry! The cover is gorgeous and the story sounds like just the ticket. What excellent reviews you write!

      1. Aww…thanks, ladies. I’m not much into reviewing books, but when I read this story I could not control my urge to tell the world about how amazing it is!

What do you think? Leave questions or comments below!