A Review for Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley + Author Interview + UK/IRE Giveaway

Posted by Donna

UK Release Date: July 5th, 2012

Finished Date: April 15th, 2012

Publishers: Hodder Children's Books

Source: ARC For Review

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 272
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."


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.

The Review:“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.

Author Interview with Cath Crowley

How did you come up with idea for the book? Are the characters inspired by anyone?

The idea for Graffiti Moon came from a few places.

Shadow and Lucy, the main characters, connect through art. So the conversations that they have are inspired by the artists I love - Mark Rothko, Sam Leach, Rosemary Laing, Jeffrey Smart, Pablo Picasso, Johannes Vermeer, Michael Zavros, Rosalie Gascoigne, Bethany Wheeler, Ghostpatrol and Miso. I wanted to write about two people who speak through images as well as words.

I met a boy, one night in park who, told me he was a nighttime poet. I met a girl who told me she was psychic. I met a boy who told me he knew someone who had blue haloed on his hands. I met a boy who had egged his girlfriend and then she’d dumped him.

But all of those things were just the initial sparks. Then I made the characters.

The strange thing is I can’t remember getting the idea for Lucy chasing a Shadow she’d never met. I remember being in the car talking to a friend about it, but I can’t remember how the idea arrived. I like that there’s some mystery to its arrival. It suits the book.

How long did it take to write?

It took about two years to work out the novel, to write a draft that I thought was all wrong. And then about two months to write a version that worked. Plus, there was a lot of editing. I guess, all up, thinking, writing, wrong turns and editing, about three years. I write very slowly.

The book is based around art, are you a fan of art and do you draw yourself?

I don’t draw, but I do love art.

I like most ways that people tell stories or convey emotion – poetry, songs, visual art, dance.

What do you like most about Lucy & Ed?

I like that Lucy and Ed are passionate about art. I like that they connect because of this passion. I like the way they talk to each other – there’s a spark and a play to their language. And I like that they’re both willing to change how they see the other person. I think that’s a hard thing to do.

 What was the biggest challenge when writing this book?

My biggest challenge is always the structure. I know the characters a long time before I’ve worked out what happens to them. I loop around in circles and then eventually give in and ask someone to help me.

 Who would play your dream cast if Graffiti Moon was optioned for a film?

I don’t know about all the characters – to be honest, I’ve never met anyone who fitted Lucy or Ed. But I think George Clooney could play Al quite nicely. And perhaps Taylor Kitsch could be Poet. Clearly, I’ve just watched Friday Night Lights.

All the book covers for Graffiti Moon each represent something from the book, do you have a favourite cover?

I love them all for different reasons. I love the bird on the UK cover. I think it’s gorgeous.

What’s your favourite quote from the book?

Maybe this one - “Open skies painted above painted doorways and painted birds skimming across bricks trying to fly away. Little bird, what are you thinking? You come from a can.” 

And the marshmallow one makes me laugh because I can’t remember writing it.“I guess love's kind of like a marshmallow in a microwave on high. After it explodes it's still a marshmallow. but, you know, now it's a complicated marshmallow.” 

Can you tell us what you’re working on next? 

I’m working on a book called The Howling Boy. It’s told from the perspectives of Audrey and Crow, both seventeen. It’s a mystery and a love story.

Fun Questions:

Hot or Cold? 

Hot.

Cake or Pie? 

Cake. But apple pie would tempt me away from cake.

Chocolate or Sweets? 

Chocolate.

Walk or Car? 

Walk

Day or Night? 

Really early in the morning or really late in the night. Sunrise or the stars.

Favourite Movie? 

One of my favourites is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But one I re watch a lot is High Fidelity. And I can watch anything with John Cusack.

Favourite Country?

I like living in Australia, but I’d like to visit Finland again.

Favourite Seasonal Holiday? 

Anywhere I could be warm swim, and read every day.

Thank you so much for joining us Cath!

Giveaway!

Hodder Childrens Books have kindly donated one copy of Graffiti Moon to one lucky UK/IRE winner. 
So want to enter?  Fill in the rafflecopter form below.
Giveaway ends on July 15th Extra entries are available but of course are optional. UK/IRE only.

** A huge thank you to Hodder Childrens Books for donating this prize**

a Rafflecopter giveaway