Book Review | A Nearer Moon by Melanie Crowder

A Nearer Moon is a middle grade fantasy from Melanie Crowder.

In a small river village where the water is cursed, a girl’s bravery—and the existence of magic—could mean the difference between life and death in this elegant, luminous tale from the author of Parched and Audacity.

Along a lively river, in a village raised on stilts, lives a girl named Luna. All her life she has heard tales of the time before the dam appeared, when sprites danced in the currents and no one got the mysterious wasting illness from a mouthful of river water. These are just stories, though—no sensible person would believe in such things.

Beneath the waves is someone who might disagree. Perdita is a young water sprite, delighting in the wet splash and sparkle, and sad about the day her people will finally finish building their door to another world, in search of a place that humans have not yet discovered.

But when Luna’s little sister falls ill with the river sickness, everyone knows she has only three weeks to live. Luna is determined to find a cure for her beloved sister, no matter what it takes. Even if that means believing in magic…

I loved this book. My plan was to read A Nearer Moon over the weekend, but once I opened it Friday night, I didn’t move until I had read the entire thing.

Luna and Willow live in the swamp. For good reason, their mother has strict rules regarding where the girls are allowed to go.

Don’t go past the bend in the river.
Don’t go below the dam.
Steer far away from the slick.

The villagers know the swamp is cursed. The villagers know a creature lives beneath the slick. Luna followed all the rules, and Willow still fell sick to the swamp’s waters. Maybe Luna needs to break those rules to save her.

A Nearer Moon is a gorgeous middle grade fantasy about the love between sisters. It’s imaginative and heartbreaking, and it’s brilliant.

Simply put, A Nearer Moon is one of my favorite fairy tales of all time.

10/10: Awesome Read

Have you read A Nearer Moon? Do you enjoy reading fairy tales? I love darker fairy tales, and I just really loved everything about the curse and the creature in A Nearer Moon. What are some of your favorite fairy tales?

Review copy provided by publisher