I’ll admit that I was pretty sure I was going to love this book before I even started reading it. I mean, it has an endorsement from MELINA MARCHETTA, for pete’s sake. How could it not be good? But as soon as I read this part on page 28, I knew that I was a goner and that there was no coming back: “Anyway. The night didn’t go so well because I broke his nose, which was an accident that happened when I hit him in the face because he touched my arse.” So perfect. See why I fell in love?It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.
His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.
Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.
But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.
Lucy and Ed are some of my favorite protagonists I’ve met in a while. They’re quirky and funny and insightful, each battling their own insecurities and problems while trying to find someone who gets them. And I love their relationship—it’s definitely rocky at first, but as it slowly progresses into friendship, you can’t help rooting for it to develop into something more. And, yes, it does take place all in the space of one night, but the relationship feels real and believable and perfectly paced. I really don’t know how the author managed it, but I’m so happy she did.
The secondary characters are a blast. Lucy’s friend Jazz—the impulsive, fearless psychic—is my favorite of them. She jumps of the page and almost steals every scene she’s in. And I love how Ed and Lucy’s friends are just that—friends. Real friends. The kind who stick with you no matter what and only roll their eyes a little when you do something absolutely whacko.
I honestly didn’t want this book to end. I usually complain about books being too long, but this is one of the few that I wouldn’t have minded being longer. Lucy and Ed feel so real and dynamic, and I adore their narrative voices—the perfect blend of down-to-earth, hilarious, quirky, and insecure.
Overall, duh, I recommend this book. I feel like if Melina Marchetta and Gayle Forman teamed up to write “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” it might end up being kinda similar this book. But, as usual, no comparison between books really captures the book’s true spirit, so give this book a shot and see what you think.
Rating: 5 / 5
I'm so glad you finally got to read this one. I adored it. Love how gutsy Lucy is and that their friends are true friends and not just plot devices used to push them along or to embarrass them in front of people!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this book and I'm glad you loved it too. :) Great review!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so good! I love Melina Marchetta, so anything even slightly in her style must be awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, I've seen this book around A LOT, but I've never really checked it out much. It seems interesting. Great review, I think I may check up more on it and add it to my TBR list. I'm so glad you liked it! =D
ReplyDeleteOh, words cannot describe how much I love this book. You listed quite a lot of reasons why this book totally rocks this world and that makes me very happy, the more people in the Graffiti Moon fan club, the better.
ReplyDelete