Has one book made such a big mark on you that it stays with you for the rest of your life? That is what The Girl Who Drank the Moon did to me. The plot revolves around a girl, Lundi and her caretakers and friends, Xan the witch, Glerk, the swamp monster, and the dragon, Fyrian. The story moves smoothly and beautifully. At the end, the conclusion blossoms like a pink rose in spring.
One way it changed me was how I thought about generic “witches” in fairy tales. Most had puke-green faces, warts, and a pointy black hat along with matching black robes. They rode broomsticks and were evil. The witch Xan is not evil, she is gentle and caring, but all the people in the village think that she is evil. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a fictional story with magical elements, but I think it tackles some problems about stereotyping in the real world, too.
Luna's rashness in the beginning of the story also reminded me of my own cheerful and mischievous childhood. Luna acted so upbeat but ten times as troublesome as your average toddler. Seeing her antics that caused serious damage, like turning a barn into a gingerbread house, made me giggle and shake my head at the same time. It was exciting to see a young me in the book.
Finally, when I realized the true antagonist of the book, my first thought was, "Whoa, I don’t want to be like that when I grow up!” And do you know what’s sad? The antagonist could have become a nice normal person. They just made the wrong choices. I plan on not making the wrong choices.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon has impacted me in so many ways. It was a great book, and it has changed me a lot.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Algonquin Young Readers, 2019. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
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