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The Moon Without Stars
The New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor–winning author of Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All explores the way growing up, finding friends, and discovering who you are can be both awkward and empowering in this heartfelt middle school novel.
★ "Genuine and poignant; has the makings of a modern classic.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, Luna is somehow swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she's going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for?
Featuring author-illustrator Chanel Miller’s signature line drawings, The Moon Without Stars is a deeply personal and often funny novel about what it means to lose and then find yourself again during the vulnerable, life-changing years of middle school.
★ "Genuine and poignant; has the makings of a modern classic.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, Luna is somehow swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she's going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for?
Featuring author-illustrator Chanel Miller’s signature line drawings, The Moon Without Stars is a deeply personal and often funny novel about what it means to lose and then find yourself again during the vulnerable, life-changing years of middle school.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 13, 2026
78 people are currently reading
6604 people want to read
About the author
Chanel Miller
3 books4,713 followersChanel Miller is a writer and artist. Her memoir, Know My Name, was a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, and a winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Ridenhour Book Prize, and the California Book Award. It was also a best book of the year in Time, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, NPR, and People, among others. She was named one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 and a Time Next 100 honoree, and was a Glamour Woman of the Year honoree under her pseudonym Emily Doe.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
January 20, 2026
i will read everything chanel miller writes, including middle grade
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
After adoring Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All, talk of another middle grade novel by Miller had me on the edge of my blue sofa. But with a comp like Judy Blume’s iconic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (a comfort book of mine), I cozied up with this moving story featuring 12-year-old Luna the day it arrived. When classmates begin confiding in the seventh grader, she and her best friend, Scott, create zines to uplift them. Delving into attentiveness, insecurities, friendship, and growing up, this—with its Mean Girls vibes—made me laugh, and I marked up so many passages and hearted so many sentences that my copy resembles a bathroom stall wall. —Connie Pan
After adoring Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All, talk of another middle grade novel by Miller had me on the edge of my blue sofa. But with a comp like Judy Blume’s iconic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (a comfort book of mine), I cozied up with this moving story featuring 12-year-old Luna the day it arrived. When classmates begin confiding in the seventh grader, she and her best friend, Scott, create zines to uplift them. Delving into attentiveness, insecurities, friendship, and growing up, this—with its Mean Girls vibes—made me laugh, and I marked up so many passages and hearted so many sentences that my copy resembles a bathroom stall wall. —Connie Pan
November 25, 2025
As an adult I found this book extremely readable and entertaining. I'm very happy to NOT be 13. This is supposed to be for ages 10 and up but Idk about that.
January 17, 2026
I think Chanel Miller wanted to write a self-help book, but after Magnolia Wu’s success, she stuck with the middle grade thing. I haven’t disliked a book this much in a while….
Main character Luna is obnoxiously full of pseudo-sage observations and advice—mostly about self image. But also, in-depth period management. We get a thorough explanations of period products and their options (length, absorption, wings) as well as step-by-step of how to insert a tampon, complete with TSS warning. Okay, fine…maybe this is useful information for some readers. But is this literature? Does it advance the plot or serve the story in anyway? I don’t think so. Such digressions are abundant.
In business school, we called this “scope creep.” Someone needed to help Miller tighten this up and figure out what this story was really about. Instead, self-help is dressed up with some figurative language and packaged into a contrived backstory about Luna receiving the books of a deceased former classmate, which she then distributes as “prescriptions” to help her peers with personal issues. Exasperatingly, we never even hear the titles of these books; this reinforces how underdeveloped the novel really is.
It took until nearly 50% for the plot to get off the ground. This was when Luna starts hanging out with a middle school version of The Plastics. Instead of a burn book, these mean girls have “fix-it books,” cruel suggestions for personal improvement. To me, borrowing from Mean Girls was further indication that the plot here is an afterthought.
Parents, teachers, librarians may want to know about some vocabulary that felt mature for the audience—such as the use of the word “horny” and phrase “masturbated by grinding against my pillow.” Hearing that read aloud on the audiobook by a youthful sounding voice was honestly just disturbing. Then imagine a fourth grader who thought this book might be about astronomy and asks you what “dolphin rape” is; yes, I know who Chanel Miller is, but the adults who put books into the hands of children need to know if those children are ready for them.
Main character Luna is obnoxiously full of pseudo-sage observations and advice—mostly about self image. But also, in-depth period management. We get a thorough explanations of period products and their options (length, absorption, wings) as well as step-by-step of how to insert a tampon, complete with TSS warning. Okay, fine…maybe this is useful information for some readers. But is this literature? Does it advance the plot or serve the story in anyway? I don’t think so. Such digressions are abundant.
In business school, we called this “scope creep.” Someone needed to help Miller tighten this up and figure out what this story was really about. Instead, self-help is dressed up with some figurative language and packaged into a contrived backstory about Luna receiving the books of a deceased former classmate, which she then distributes as “prescriptions” to help her peers with personal issues. Exasperatingly, we never even hear the titles of these books; this reinforces how underdeveloped the novel really is.
It took until nearly 50% for the plot to get off the ground. This was when Luna starts hanging out with a middle school version of The Plastics. Instead of a burn book, these mean girls have “fix-it books,” cruel suggestions for personal improvement. To me, borrowing from Mean Girls was further indication that the plot here is an afterthought.
Parents, teachers, librarians may want to know about some vocabulary that felt mature for the audience—such as the use of the word “horny” and phrase “masturbated by grinding against my pillow.” Hearing that read aloud on the audiobook by a youthful sounding voice was honestly just disturbing. Then imagine a fourth grader who thought this book might be about astronomy and asks you what “dolphin rape” is; yes, I know who Chanel Miller is, but the adults who put books into the hands of children need to know if those children are ready for them.
February 10, 2026
I think writing middle grade is one of the hardest things someone can do and Chanel Miller has the perfect voice for it. Reminds me of a modern day Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and I thought this was perfect from beginning to end. I thought the characters all sounded and acted realistically 12 and 13 and I loved that it didn't shy away from the language that tweens use in real life while also not sounding exaggerated. Lastly, I loved how this book is about trying to live your life without expectation and that your value and life are not tied to your mistakes.
January 29, 2026
I love this book so much and I adore Chanel Miller. The Moon Without Stars is truly the modern day "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" I laughed, cringed, got tears in my eyes. I wish I could go back to my 12 year old self to give her this book - and tell her it will all be okay.
"Turns out seventh grade was complicated because the number 7 was shaped like a cliff, and all of us were suddenly dropping off the safe, flat land of childhood into free fall. We were tumbling, arms flailing, unsure how any of us were going to land on our feet."
"Turns out seventh grade was complicated because the number 7 was shaped like a cliff, and all of us were suddenly dropping off the safe, flat land of childhood into free fall. We were tumbling, arms flailing, unsure how any of us were going to land on our feet."
January 20, 2026
EXCELLENT book for today’s middle-schoolers. Chanel Miller is a brilliant writer.
December 27, 2025
Chanel Miller has really tapped into the mind of a middle schooler in her soon to be published book, The Moon Without Stars. This book is filled with the typical social hierarchy of middle school and through Luna she has captured all of the awkwardness, anxieties, and apprehensiveness of seventh grade.
I love how this delves into the mind of a 7th grade girl exposing all of the secrets and shame most preteen girls are too embarrassed to talk about.
While this is YA I think it’s an important read for parents of middle schoolers as well. Ms. Miller has so beautifully captured middle school and reading this will help parents remember what it was like and give a better understanding to what their children are dealing with.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced copy of this. The Moon Without Stars hits the shelves on January 13.
Some favorite quotes:
“You are fierce. You are the one to be feared. Don’t let small minds define you.”
“Being self conscious took up so much of my brain space. And as soon as I accepted it, it freed up all this room to think about other things.”
“All adults had forgotten what it was like to be in the seventh grade.”
“When adults wanted to avoid reality, they drowned themselves in work, booked a trip to Aruba, or joined a new Zumba class. Not us at thirteen. To be a seventh grader was to be stuck inside your circumstances…”
“You were sent to school relentlessly, nonnegotiably, even if it meant getting eaten alive.”
I love how this delves into the mind of a 7th grade girl exposing all of the secrets and shame most preteen girls are too embarrassed to talk about.
While this is YA I think it’s an important read for parents of middle schoolers as well. Ms. Miller has so beautifully captured middle school and reading this will help parents remember what it was like and give a better understanding to what their children are dealing with.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced copy of this. The Moon Without Stars hits the shelves on January 13.
Some favorite quotes:
“You are fierce. You are the one to be feared. Don’t let small minds define you.”
“Being self conscious took up so much of my brain space. And as soon as I accepted it, it freed up all this room to think about other things.”
“All adults had forgotten what it was like to be in the seventh grade.”
“When adults wanted to avoid reality, they drowned themselves in work, booked a trip to Aruba, or joined a new Zumba class. Not us at thirteen. To be a seventh grader was to be stuck inside your circumstances…”
“You were sent to school relentlessly, nonnegotiably, even if it meant getting eaten alive.”
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January 30, 2026
Trigger & Content Warnings
:
Racism
Vaping mentioned (on-page, secondary character)
Drunk-driving car accident mentioned (a teen crashes into a store & an employee’s hand is injured by broken glass)
Biking accident mentioned, resulting in minor nose injury
Bullying & vandalism discussed
Racism
Vaping mentioned (on-page, secondary character)
Drunk-driving car accident mentioned (a teen crashes into a store & an employee’s hand is injured by broken glass)
Biking accident mentioned, resulting in minor nose injury
Bullying & vandalism discussed
February 11, 2026
In these pages Chanel Miller has captured the feelings of being in middle school: the naïveté, the angst, the longing to belong, changing and refusing to change for others, the friendship woes and wins, the discomfort of your own skin, the mistakes and failures and learning, always learning.
I can’t wait for my 12 year old to read this. Recommended for 12+ and a great one to read together.
I can’t wait for my 12 year old to read this. Recommended for 12+ and a great one to read together.
February 10, 2026
“Life is not meant to be solved only to be lived as best as you can. I hope you explore new ways of being and shrink your inner critic to the size of a pea because your worth is already whale size and your one job in this life is to be gentle to yourself as you go,”
January 16, 2026
The Moon Without Stars is Chanel Miller’s second middle grade novel and this one reads a little older. When Luna begins 7th grade, she becomes somewhat of a “book doctor” with her best friend, Scott. Classmates trust the pair with their struggles and embarrassments. At first, Lunda prescribes them books, but eventually she and Scott create personalized zines to make them feel less alone. They learn that everyone has struggles, some are just better at hiding it.
Eventually, Luna falls in with the popular group of girls. She leaves Scott behind, learns a new way of life very quickly, and is pressured to turn her zines into something more sinister.
Miller is honest with readers about a wide variety of serious struggles including accepting one’s multicultural identity, puberty (including how to use a tampon, body hair, bra shopping), eating disorders, drunk driving, grief, parent mental health, and especially bullying. Miller importantly emphasizes that these aren’t all problems Luna can help on her own, so she sometimes refers classmates to the counselor and takes breaks from book doctoring when she needs to.
I wish that there were not so many metaphors. I understand Luna is burgeoning author and learning to express herself, but with her own metaphors and those in the text, they lost some of their impact.
This felt like Mean Girls x Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret x something else book-related.
I hope this book teaches young readers that their words have power, and they shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Eventually, Luna falls in with the popular group of girls. She leaves Scott behind, learns a new way of life very quickly, and is pressured to turn her zines into something more sinister.
Miller is honest with readers about a wide variety of serious struggles including accepting one’s multicultural identity, puberty (including how to use a tampon, body hair, bra shopping), eating disorders, drunk driving, grief, parent mental health, and especially bullying. Miller importantly emphasizes that these aren’t all problems Luna can help on her own, so she sometimes refers classmates to the counselor and takes breaks from book doctoring when she needs to.
I wish that there were not so many metaphors. I understand Luna is burgeoning author and learning to express herself, but with her own metaphors and those in the text, they lost some of their impact.
This felt like Mean Girls x Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret x something else book-related.
I hope this book teaches young readers that their words have power, and they shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
February 5, 2026
i love you chanel miller
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
"We all do things we're not proud of. We hurt people we love, even if we don't mean to. We learn, then we change, that's the most we can ask for. But none of us will succeed in navigating through life perfectly. And what if that's okay?"
This was a thoughtful and emotional read, and I can really appreciate what the author was trying to do. For me, the story felt a bit heavier and more mature than I expected for the intended audience. I did appreciate the way Luna found herself by the end of the story, but I wish there had been more closure with the students she had hurt along the way. Overall, I didn’t dislike this book, and I think it could resonate more with older readers or those reading alongside an adult who can help unpack the themes.
This was a thoughtful and emotional read, and I can really appreciate what the author was trying to do. For me, the story felt a bit heavier and more mature than I expected for the intended audience. I did appreciate the way Luna found herself by the end of the story, but I wish there had been more closure with the students she had hurt along the way. Overall, I didn’t dislike this book, and I think it could resonate more with older readers or those reading alongside an adult who can help unpack the themes.
November 22, 2025
Book Report: The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller
Middle school is a lot…awkward…emotional…hilarious and weirdly transformative and Chanel Miller captures every bit of that glorious chaos in this heartfelt middle grade novel💫
We follow Luna…a quiet…observant seventh grader who loves writing and making zines with her best friend Scott. But when one of their zines suddenly blows up…Luna is pulled into the orbit of the popular crowd… and soon finds herself facing impossible choices. Can she keep her creativity? Her best friend? Her sense of who she really is? 📝✨
I adored Chanel’s kids’ debut Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All…so I was so excited to see her step into middle grade and she absolutely delivered. I saw someone call this “today’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and honestly? I can confidently say YES 🙌
Even though it’s been a long time since I walked the halls of middle school…this book transported me right back. Luna’s inner monologue was constant…chaotic and painfully accurate. I giggled…I cringed and I felt deeply😂😬💛
This is one of those stories where young readers will feel seen and adults will feel remembered. A relatable and heartfelt look at growing up and finding yourself🌙⭐️
Thank you Philomel Books and PRH Audio for the copy.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
Middle school is a lot…awkward…emotional…hilarious and weirdly transformative and Chanel Miller captures every bit of that glorious chaos in this heartfelt middle grade novel💫
We follow Luna…a quiet…observant seventh grader who loves writing and making zines with her best friend Scott. But when one of their zines suddenly blows up…Luna is pulled into the orbit of the popular crowd… and soon finds herself facing impossible choices. Can she keep her creativity? Her best friend? Her sense of who she really is? 📝✨
I adored Chanel’s kids’ debut Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All…so I was so excited to see her step into middle grade and she absolutely delivered. I saw someone call this “today’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and honestly? I can confidently say YES 🙌
Even though it’s been a long time since I walked the halls of middle school…this book transported me right back. Luna’s inner monologue was constant…chaotic and painfully accurate. I giggled…I cringed and I felt deeply😂😬💛
This is one of those stories where young readers will feel seen and adults will feel remembered. A relatable and heartfelt look at growing up and finding yourself🌙⭐️
Thank you Philomel Books and PRH Audio for the copy.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
January 29, 2026
This slice of life story follows Luna, a Chinese-American 12 year old, through her 7th grade year, complete with friendship highs and lows, first periods, first bras, and first crushes. The depiction of middle school was so realistic that it brought back a little middle school PTSD for me. Chanel Miller, like Rebecca Stead, does a great job of depicting this age group without making them seem too old or too young. She treats their concerns and insecurities with nuance and respect. There are some familiar tropes and archetypes (the quirky art teacher with sage advice, the beautiful and rich mean girl, etc.) but I'm sure they'll feel fresh and still resonate with the intended audience. Definitely recommend.
December 28, 2025
Chanel Miller is proving she can write it all. I’ve read all 3 of her books and recommend them all for different reasons.
Luna is in the awkward phase of being 13, and for many series of events is trying to figure out where she fits in. This perfectly encompasses the social hierarchy, friendships and struggles of being an early teenager. Middle school is brutal and this is a beautiful exploration of it.
Pub date: Jan 13
Thank you penguinteenca for the highly anticipated arc 🤍🤍
Luna is in the awkward phase of being 13, and for many series of events is trying to figure out where she fits in. This perfectly encompasses the social hierarchy, friendships and struggles of being an early teenager. Middle school is brutal and this is a beautiful exploration of it.
Pub date: Jan 13
Thank you penguinteenca for the highly anticipated arc 🤍🤍
January 24, 2026
My 12yo self would have adored this book. And my 37yo self really enjoyed it. The character of Luna is so lovable and relatable. The angst of middle school and all of its challenges were so well depicted. Chanel Miller, are now officially on my pre-order list 😊
January 30, 2026
I loved Chanel Miller’s 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦 (adult book) and 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘶 𝘜𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘐𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘭 (3rd grade +). Her newest book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴, is best suited for middle school.
Luna and her best friend Scott are a best friend duo who love reading and making zines together. But as often happens in friend groups, Luna drifts off to a more “popular” group. As they change, their friendship changes, too.
There was so much to like about this book, but it felt like there were too many storylines going on. This always feels like my biggest criticism of chapter books for kids. When I think of my favorite elementary school chapter books, the “simpler” ones are my favorite. Miller was successful in keeping the story tight in 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘶.
I would still recommend this book!
Luna and her best friend Scott are a best friend duo who love reading and making zines together. But as often happens in friend groups, Luna drifts off to a more “popular” group. As they change, their friendship changes, too.
There was so much to like about this book, but it felt like there were too many storylines going on. This always feels like my biggest criticism of chapter books for kids. When I think of my favorite elementary school chapter books, the “simpler” ones are my favorite. Miller was successful in keeping the story tight in 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘶.
I would still recommend this book!
February 8, 2026
Chanel Miller’s writing is absolutely amazing. This is a quick read meant for middle schoolers, yet I found myself getting emotional as I was transported back to being 12 and all the feelings that go along with it.
January 18, 2026
As the mom of a tween and someone who survived some mean girl moments in middle and high school, this was hard to read at times, but the story was moving, authentic, introspective, and inspiring. Luna’s story will stick with me for a while.
February 4, 2026
So cute and heartfelt. Loved it. Wish I had it when I was in middle school.
November 2, 2025
Luna is a writer. Her idea of a good lunch break is hanging out with Scott while he draws, and she writes, and sure, she isn’t a popular girl, but it is fine.
Then she receives a whole bunch of books that a classmate owned, who died. And she thinks that she should spread the love, so starts recommending books to people. And then, with Scott’s help, starts making zines, when she can’t find a book that would be perfect for everyone.
And this draws the attention of the popular girls, who want to remake her. Show her how to be a real girl. This is when we get into a combination of “Mean Girls” and “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret.” And, like all middle school books, this is about friendship, and what happens when she thinks she has to change herself to fit in with the popular girls, and no longer see Scott.
This is one of those books that draws you in, and makes you stay up until 2am to finish reading to see what will happen, as you try to read through tears that are streaming through your eyes. I swear, this book will both charm you, with some of the descriptions, and then take out your heart and stomp on it. I love everyone, and this so reminds me of what I went through, never quite fitting in, and wondering where the manual that everyone else was reading to make school and life work for them.
Highly recommended. This gets all the stars from me.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be out on the 13th of January 2026.
Then she receives a whole bunch of books that a classmate owned, who died. And she thinks that she should spread the love, so starts recommending books to people. And then, with Scott’s help, starts making zines, when she can’t find a book that would be perfect for everyone.
And this draws the attention of the popular girls, who want to remake her. Show her how to be a real girl. This is when we get into a combination of “Mean Girls” and “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret.” And, like all middle school books, this is about friendship, and what happens when she thinks she has to change herself to fit in with the popular girls, and no longer see Scott.
This is one of those books that draws you in, and makes you stay up until 2am to finish reading to see what will happen, as you try to read through tears that are streaming through your eyes. I swear, this book will both charm you, with some of the descriptions, and then take out your heart and stomp on it. I love everyone, and this so reminds me of what I went through, never quite fitting in, and wondering where the manual that everyone else was reading to make school and life work for them.
Highly recommended. This gets all the stars from me.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be out on the 13th of January 2026.
October 31, 2025
Felt like I was in middle school again.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A bizarre mash up of "Mean Girls" with "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" written for the modern pre-teen, Miller's latest is a wild ride filled with drama, heartbreak, growth, and so much second-hand embarrassment it isn't even funny. Luna's love of writing and language makes her a very fun voice, especially as she learns the power of words to hurt as much as to heal.
November 13, 2025
I adore Chanel Miller, but this wasn’t the slam dunk I thought it would be. It was didactic and overexplain-y in places, and it ended too fast. I guess it covered a school year, but the pacing was jolt-y and the seasons weren’t inhabited enough for me to know.
But the mean girl/weird girl rep was pretty realistic, and the details that didn’t feel forced were often darling.
Can’t wait to see what she does next!
But the mean girl/weird girl rep was pretty realistic, and the details that didn’t feel forced were often darling.
Can’t wait to see what she does next!
January 30, 2026
exactly right
January 7, 2026
After adoring Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All, talk of another middle grade novel by Miller had me on the edge of my blue sofa. But with a comp like Judy Blume’s iconic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (a comfort book of mine), I cozied up with this moving story featuring 12-year-old Luna the day it arrived. When classmates begin confiding in the seventh grader, she and her best friend, Scott, create zines to uplift them. Delving into attentiveness, insecurities, friendship, and growing up, this—with its Mean Girls vibes—made me laugh, and I marked up so many passages and hearted so many sentences that my copy resembles a bathroom stall wall.
from "The Most Anticipated Books of 2026" via BOOK RIOT: https://bookriot.com/most-anticipated...
from "The Most Anticipated Books of 2026" via BOOK RIOT: https://bookriot.com/most-anticipated...
January 20, 2026
Richie’s Picks: THE MOON WITHOUT STARS by Chanel Miller, Penguin Random House/Philomel, January 2026, 256p., ISBN: 978-0-593-62455-5
“After school, I swung open my locker and out slipped a lime green Post-it Note, drifting down like a leaf. It was covered in scraggly handwriting that read:
HELP ME–LUCIFER’S DEAD
A prickly feeling traveled down my spine. Lucifer who?
The name sounded familiar, but my mind was coming up empty. Then I heard sniffling, turned around, and there was Arjun, in his pleated shorts with his face in his hands, weeping full on. He lifted his head, looked me straight in the eye, and whispered, ‘Dead, he’s dead!’ then dropped to his knees, shoulders shaking up and down, that’s how hard he was crying. Then it hit me: Lucifer, of course. He was not somebody’s friend or parent or even grandparent; Lucifer was Arjun’s guinea pig. Arjun was totally torn up about it. Even I was, a little bit.
Last year Arjun brought Lucifer to school on Halloween, draping him in brown fabric with two eyeholes cut out. Imagine this blinking brown cylinder, walking on a leash. People were yelling, POOP ON A LEASH!! And Arjun kept saying, STOPP, HE’S A POTATO!! After that they referred to Lucifer as Poop-tato and called Arjun the boy with the scuttling turd.
You had to give Arjun credit for this stuff, hand-sewing vegetable costumes for rodents.”
Shortly before beginning seventh-grade, main-character Luna, accepts the offer of a mountain of books from the family of a former classmate, an apparently-avid reader, who has recently died after a lengthy illness. Reading nonstop for weeks until school begins, Luna finds herself prepared to then help schoolmates struggling with problems–beginning with the dead rodent situation–by gifting them a book that relates to that schoolmate’s problem. She’s become the resident book doctor!
When she eventually gets stuck, having no obvious book for helping a classmate who has been humiliated by June, the popular girl, Luna and her lifelong friend and confidant Scott (a budding artist!) put together a little handmade zine that empowers and delights the scorned classmate. Word gets around, leading to Luna receiving a stream of locker notes from students dealing with all sorts of personal challenges. She and Scott begin regularly spending lunchtimes plying their new craft and helping their fellow students.
Thus, inch by inch, readers see how Luna finds herself becoming an author amidst the travails of seventh grade which, for her, include her first period and her first kiss.
“Turns out seventh grade was complicated because the number 7 was shaped like a cliff, and all of us were suddenly dropping off the safe, flat land of childhood into free fall. We were tumbling, arms flailing, unsure how any of us were going to land on our feet.”
The question readers will be asking, halfway through, is whether Luna and Scott’s super-close, utterly-innocent, lifelong relationship can survive their falling off the cliff:
“Something had changed; it felt like we were in a play, performing the roles of Scott and Luna, while our real selves were stirring, uncertain, below the surface.”
And what happens when Luna gets mixed up with popular, rich (and quite nasty) June?
THE MOON WITHOUT STARS is a powerful, first-rate, coming-of-age tale. It’s a must-have for any collection serving tweens.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“After school, I swung open my locker and out slipped a lime green Post-it Note, drifting down like a leaf. It was covered in scraggly handwriting that read:
HELP ME–LUCIFER’S DEAD
A prickly feeling traveled down my spine. Lucifer who?
The name sounded familiar, but my mind was coming up empty. Then I heard sniffling, turned around, and there was Arjun, in his pleated shorts with his face in his hands, weeping full on. He lifted his head, looked me straight in the eye, and whispered, ‘Dead, he’s dead!’ then dropped to his knees, shoulders shaking up and down, that’s how hard he was crying. Then it hit me: Lucifer, of course. He was not somebody’s friend or parent or even grandparent; Lucifer was Arjun’s guinea pig. Arjun was totally torn up about it. Even I was, a little bit.
Last year Arjun brought Lucifer to school on Halloween, draping him in brown fabric with two eyeholes cut out. Imagine this blinking brown cylinder, walking on a leash. People were yelling, POOP ON A LEASH!! And Arjun kept saying, STOPP, HE’S A POTATO!! After that they referred to Lucifer as Poop-tato and called Arjun the boy with the scuttling turd.
You had to give Arjun credit for this stuff, hand-sewing vegetable costumes for rodents.”
Shortly before beginning seventh-grade, main-character Luna, accepts the offer of a mountain of books from the family of a former classmate, an apparently-avid reader, who has recently died after a lengthy illness. Reading nonstop for weeks until school begins, Luna finds herself prepared to then help schoolmates struggling with problems–beginning with the dead rodent situation–by gifting them a book that relates to that schoolmate’s problem. She’s become the resident book doctor!
When she eventually gets stuck, having no obvious book for helping a classmate who has been humiliated by June, the popular girl, Luna and her lifelong friend and confidant Scott (a budding artist!) put together a little handmade zine that empowers and delights the scorned classmate. Word gets around, leading to Luna receiving a stream of locker notes from students dealing with all sorts of personal challenges. She and Scott begin regularly spending lunchtimes plying their new craft and helping their fellow students.
Thus, inch by inch, readers see how Luna finds herself becoming an author amidst the travails of seventh grade which, for her, include her first period and her first kiss.
“Turns out seventh grade was complicated because the number 7 was shaped like a cliff, and all of us were suddenly dropping off the safe, flat land of childhood into free fall. We were tumbling, arms flailing, unsure how any of us were going to land on our feet.”
The question readers will be asking, halfway through, is whether Luna and Scott’s super-close, utterly-innocent, lifelong relationship can survive their falling off the cliff:
“Something had changed; it felt like we were in a play, performing the roles of Scott and Luna, while our real selves were stirring, uncertain, below the surface.”
And what happens when Luna gets mixed up with popular, rich (and quite nasty) June?
THE MOON WITHOUT STARS is a powerful, first-rate, coming-of-age tale. It’s a must-have for any collection serving tweens.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
November 30, 2025
A Glorious, Messy Look at the Middle School Coming of Age
"The Moon Without Stars" by Chanel Miller is a beautiful, painfully relatable coming-of-age story that perfectly captures the glorious mess of middle school. Miller takes us right into the heart of Luna's experience, exploring the turbulent, transformative years when every tiny social interaction feels like a matter of life and death.
This book is incredibly honest in its exploration of identity—how it's formed, lost, and rediscovered. Luna's journey tackles so many essential, complex topics: the constant, agonizing struggles with self-image; the sometimes-awkward, sometimes-empowering process of growth and evolving; the confusing flutter of crushes; the bewildering reality of body changes; and the inevitable, painful shifts in changing friendships. Miller does an exceptional job showing how circumstance can change everything, forcing Luna to question her core beliefs about herself and her world.
Chanel Miller’s writing is a standout here. She manages to express the complicated internal landscape of a pre-teen/teenager with impressive authenticity, making it clear just how overwhelmingly complicated life can be at that age. In many places, the book reads like a diary entry, which is its greatest strength. This intimate, unvarnished style creates a safe, comfortable space for the reader to confront their own past or current issues with self-worth, belonging, or changing friendships. It’s deeply resonant and makes Luna’s struggles feel universal.
Overall, the book was entertaining and informative, a contemporary echo of classics like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The emotional arc is satisfying and the themes are powerful. My only minor critique is that I wish there was more to the ending—it felt a little abrupt, and I would have loved a deeper dive into the immediate aftermath of Luna's final choices.
Despite that small desire for a more lingering conclusion, this is a wonderful read that I would highly recommend to anyone—teens looking for solidarity, or adults wanting a compassionate glimpse back at the intense vulnerability of middle school.
"The Moon Without Stars" by Chanel Miller is a beautiful, painfully relatable coming-of-age story that perfectly captures the glorious mess of middle school. Miller takes us right into the heart of Luna's experience, exploring the turbulent, transformative years when every tiny social interaction feels like a matter of life and death.
This book is incredibly honest in its exploration of identity—how it's formed, lost, and rediscovered. Luna's journey tackles so many essential, complex topics: the constant, agonizing struggles with self-image; the sometimes-awkward, sometimes-empowering process of growth and evolving; the confusing flutter of crushes; the bewildering reality of body changes; and the inevitable, painful shifts in changing friendships. Miller does an exceptional job showing how circumstance can change everything, forcing Luna to question her core beliefs about herself and her world.
Chanel Miller’s writing is a standout here. She manages to express the complicated internal landscape of a pre-teen/teenager with impressive authenticity, making it clear just how overwhelmingly complicated life can be at that age. In many places, the book reads like a diary entry, which is its greatest strength. This intimate, unvarnished style creates a safe, comfortable space for the reader to confront their own past or current issues with self-worth, belonging, or changing friendships. It’s deeply resonant and makes Luna’s struggles feel universal.
Overall, the book was entertaining and informative, a contemporary echo of classics like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The emotional arc is satisfying and the themes are powerful. My only minor critique is that I wish there was more to the ending—it felt a little abrupt, and I would have loved a deeper dive into the immediate aftermath of Luna's final choices.
Despite that small desire for a more lingering conclusion, this is a wonderful read that I would highly recommend to anyone—teens looking for solidarity, or adults wanting a compassionate glimpse back at the intense vulnerability of middle school.
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