Moonrise
Sarah Crossan
Rating 4.5*
I picked up this gem from the library purely based on the cover. Isn't it gorgeous? I'd heard of Sarah Crossan a lot on Twitter but this was my first time reading one of her books and I'm not going to lie to you, I didn't even realise it was written in verse instead of prose until I started page 1.
This review is going to be short and sweet, because it has actually taken me a while to write. This was the kind of book that left me thinking, unable to pick up another one. I had a book hangover, basically. Nevertheless, I have decided to give this book 4.5*, mainly based on the fact that a tweet got me thinking the other day about how often I award 5* to a book. The answer: too often. So, I am reserving the precious award of 5* to books that left me screaming about it. This book, while leaving an affect, left me brooding and thoughtful, but not screaming. Heartbroken might even be another word for it.
Moonrise follows Joe as he visits his older brother in jail for the first time in 10 years due to his upcoming death sentence. His brother is falsely accused of killing a cop; his innocence is clear. Everyone, even the cop's family, advocates against the death sentence. I started to hope, even think it would all wrap up nicely with a little bow.
But Crossan does something different. She doesn't tell nice tales; she points out hard truths. She doesn't back down from pain; her writing is ruthless.
At times I didn't identify with Joe. But I think that is the point. From his point of view, he is very conscious of his image as white trash; the low expectations everyone has for his family. His sister is unable to visit until the very end of his sentence due to a lack of money. In any other book, the sister would have been introduced earlier to tug on the heart strings more, but in Moonrise, the focus is on Joe's experience; his anger at the system, his hope and lack of with the lawyer, and his internal conflict between the memories he has of his brother and how he sees him now, ten years later. Joe does nothing special; he has no power or influence over Ed's case. We literally just follow him as he helplessly says goodbye to his brother.
Often, I find verse books forced: the spacing, such as leaving one word on its own line for emphasis, is never-ending and every other word is emphasised in some way. But here, there is a mix. The emphasis is where it needs to be, of course, but long sentences a text messages creep up. Nothing is forced. I'll use the word again: authentic.
What I liked most was how the plot progresses. Due to the short nature of the verse chapters, Crossan can switch from different timelines and focusses very quickly. First we'll have a memory of his brother, then a text from a friend, then a conversation in prison, and back to him sitting alone in a room thinking about food. His narration felt authentic. I was following him in the quiet times as well as the eventful, because he only gets to visit his brother an hour a day, and that is reflected in the tale as well.
So yes, a well-earned 4.5* and a definite recommendation from me.
Happy Reading :)