Kuuvalgel unistajad

The Moonlight Dreamers #1

by Siobhan Curham, Lii Tõnismann (Translator)

Viieteistaastane Amber ihkab põnevust ja seiklusi. Koolis on teda aga juba pikemat aega taga kiusatud, sest tal on kaks isa, ja koduski ei näi elu kuigivõrd parem. Saanud inspiratsiooni oma lemmikkirjanikult Oscar Wilde’ilt, mõistab Amber, et miljonite londonlaste hulgas peab ometi olema teisigi, kes mõtlevad samamoodi nagu tema – teisi unistajaid, kuuvalgel unistajaid.
Juhus toob Amberi teele kolm pealtnäha väga erinevat tüdrukut, Maali, Sky ja Rose’i, ning peagi kutsub ta nad enda asutatud Kuuvalgel Unistajate salaseltsi. Tüdrukud avastavad, et neil on rohkem ühist, kui arvata võis. Neil on kõrini sellest, et neile kõik ette dikteeritakse: kuidas välja näha, mida mõelda ja kuidas käituda. Kas sõpradeks saamine annab neile julguse olla nemad ise?
Siobhan Curham on auhinnatud briti kirjanik ja nõustaja, kelle sulest on ilmunud hulganisti noorteraamatuid. Muu hulgas on Siobhan Zoe Suggi rahvusvahelise menuki „Tüdruk Online“ kaasautor ja oma loomingu eest on ta pälvinud Young Minds Book Awardi peapreemia. Siobhanile meeldib aidata kirjutamisega seotud unistusi ellu viia – selleks on ta loonud programmi "Dare to Dream" (Julge unistada).

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Fiction, Friendship, Young Adult Contemporary, Teen

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2016

About the author

Hi, I’m Siobhan - which for those of you not familiar with the wonder of Irish names, is actually pronounced, Shiv-on!

I’m an award-winning author of over 50 books, fiction and non-fiction, for adults, young adults and children, and my first book was published back in 2000, so I’ve been at this writing game for almost a quarter of a century now.

I’m also a former council estate kid and a university drop-out - I dropped out because I didn’t think I had what it took to make it in the middle class world of publishing. Thankfully I managed to overcome my self doubt and fear and achieve my writing dreams, and now I love helping others do the same through my mentoring, courses and talks.

I don’t know about you, but during the pandemic I felt as if my life had collapsed in on itself and I’d had to shrink myself to fit this strange new world of lockdowns and zoom calls (oh, so many Zoom calls!) and working from home and working alone. Even when things returned to some semblance of normal back in 2022, I felt that I’d lost sight of who I was and I’d definitely lost my joy for living.

Then, an unexpected trip to Jamaica changed everything, jolting me back to life and reminding me of who I truly am. In a bid to never lose sight of myself and my sense of wonder and purpose again, I started travelling more and writing a weekly Substack letter called Wonderstruck. And in September 2023 I gave up my home in the UK and pretty much all of my worldly goods to solo travel the world while I write my books and mentor other writers.

I send Wonderstruck out to my subscribers every Sunday morning, writing about the places I visit and the lessons I learn there. My sole aim for writing this letter is to inspire others to rediscover their own sense of purpose, wonder and adventure.

If you've enjoyed reading any of my books I'd love it if you joined the Wonderstruck community over on Substack.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my books, I really appreciate it!

Siobhan

Substack: siobhancurham.substack.com
Facebook: Siobhan Curham Author
Instagram: @SiobhanCurhamAuthor
Twitter: @SiobhanCurham

For more information about my books, mentoring and courses, please visit: http://www.siobhancurham.com

Reviews

[Gabby gcdeditorial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a quick and fast paced book is all you need to satisfy your reading cravings.

I received this book from Walker Books earlier on in the year, and I decided to read it this month before its release in July. I ended up finishing it in a day which shows just how great this books is!

CHARACTERS: The four main characters, Amber, Rose, Sky and Maali, are all completely different and helped add to the story. Sky misses her mum who passed five years ago and is trying to find the confidence to perform her poems, Amber struggles to get a long with one of her dads and deals with the bullies at her school, Rose is sick of her mum forcing her to be someone she's not and her boyfriend is pressuring her into doing something she doesn't want to do, and Maali is trying to work up the courage to talk to boys. I loved how much each girl differed from the other, but how all four of them got a long so well. It really shows how opposites to attract, and diversity is important in friendship circles.

PLOT / STORY LINE: The story line focused mainly on friendship, family relationships and identity. It's not often that you can read a contemporary book, or any book for that matter, that isn't focused on romance. I thought there would be an aspect of romance throughout the book, however there wasn't and I didn't think it was needed. The only minor issue that I have with the plot is that there was no real rise in the complication. I would have liked to see something a bit crazier or dramatic happen just to keep me as the reader slightly more excited. However, I think Curham did a great job at telling the story of each character without making it complicated. It was easy to keep track throughout the whole story, and I wasn't once bored with the story line.

ENDING: Such a sweet and heart warming ending to a beautiful book. Everything concluded nicely and the characters all got the closure that I needed. I finished the book in less than a day with a smile on my dile, and I love books that have that affect on me. All the events that occurred throughout the book wrapped up in a way that was realistic and practical. This wasn't just a typical YA contemporary, but it was real. I think all young readers struggling with something in life need to read this.

I decided to give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 (when working from half ratings). The reason I went with 5 rather than 4 on Goodreads is because I couldn't really fault anything that was worthy of losing a whole star. The only minor issue I had was that there was no major rise. Overall this was a great read and I highly recommend to teenagers and readers of YA.

[kim hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ┊ 4 stars

Beauty isn't skin-deep. It's bone-deep. Heart-deep. Soul-deep. Only put to sleep. When we prick our finger on fear. Beauty can't be bought or made. It can only be awoken through laughter, and living, and love. Through being you and being true.

Such a beautiful story about friendship and the hardship of growing up differently or being different to what people want to think as 'normal'.

4 girls. 4 different stories all intertwined into one great dream.

It was a beautiful read. Inspirational.

I just wished we had more time with the girls near the end.

Why, in a world where there is love, would you ever choose hate?

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colour me surprised! I ENJOYED A CONTEMPORARY!!!

[Sameer Khan Brohi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bible for dreamers. A true masterpiece, I was attracted to its aesthetically pleasing book cover and with heaps of expectation I picked this book and know what? It boomed 💥 the dopamine out of my craving mind. This was the story that my mind was longing for a very long time. About celebrating life, finding ones tribe and become a moonlight dreamer. Amber and Mali were gem 💎 characters. From the shop of Retro GO Go to the dusty farm where Mali’s crush worked. Every location, and every thing was just mind blowing. Each and every bit of the paragraph was like sorcery of another dimension. The book highlights the subject of friendship, bullying, love and so onnnnnn 😆🤩. But the main theme played in the story was of the subject of friendship.

[Billiebumblebee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute and funny read.

Yes, the plot was predictable and yes, it lacked a bit of balance between the four main characters stories, but that is easily forgiven. Because for a couple of hours I got to meet these wonderful girls and their story entertained me.

Very enjoyable!

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Moonlight Dreamers from Walker Books Australia to review. I cannot believe how long it took me to pick this book up… I’ve had it for a long time now.

I loved this book! The story brings together four very different girls and they all need the Moonlight Dreamers for different reasons. And I think they bring out the best in each other too.

I didn’t really relate to what any of them were going through but I did like each of the girls. I don’t think I have a favourite.. I love them all. But I did think Maali was too young to want to meet her “soul mate” – I mean, had she even had a boyfriend yet? Live some more Maali before you start thinking about soul mates…

The Moonlight Dreamers is full of diversity and struggles that teenagers – or most people actually – go through, like bullying, parents dying, relationship problems, peer pressure, and I’m sure it was hinted that one character was struggling with their sexuality.. Although I might have just picked up on it because I thought it was obvious. And I felt like all of this was handled in a really honest way.

I also liked that Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose didn’t want to follow the crowd and do what others at school were doing. They were happy being different and being themselves. I think a lot of people would be happier if they stopped caring what others thought of them.

I have already read Tell It to the Moon and will be posting a review of that soon hopefully. I still need to write the review.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes things don't work out the way we want, but it's OK because something else good happens instead."

This book is a really difficult one to review - because on the one hand it is so full of hope and resonated very deeply with me, and on the other hand it lacked in ways that really bothered me.

I am not the target group for this book at all anymore, but the Moonlight Dreamers reminded me a lot of how I was as a kid and young teenager: A dreamer, always lost in thought, feeling alone in a world where I didn't seem to belong. And coming up with the idea to founding a secret society is exactly the kind of idea I would've had back then.
I loved that about the book: that it didn't feel forced. That the characters didn't feel like little adults stuffed into 15 year olds. In many ways the way the characters look at themselves and their dreams is a naive and refreshing way. They don't know everything, but they aren't afraid to ask questions.

They all have different struggles and dreams, come from different backgrounds, but all of them are taken equally seriously.
This book is a love letter to young girls feeling lost and feeling like their pain isn't significant enough to matter - because no matter what you're going through, you always matter.

This book is so full of hope. I loved how meeting eachother didn't immediately turn the characters lives into this magical happy-be-good fantasy world. Actually things still went pretty bad for them, maybe even worse than before. But knowing they weren't alone, that they had someone that believed in them, that liked them for who they were, and that they could talk to without being shamed ended up giving them strength.

I never founded a secret society, but as I grew older I found this place - maybe my own Moonlight Dreamers - within the queer community. There is just so much power behind actually finding a place where you can feel seen and be yourself without being afraid. This book captures that beautifully.

I could go more into the story, about how it challenges our expectations and makes us question our own dreams and prejudices. But I'll let you read that for yourself.

I do want to adress some things that bothered me though.

It's not uncommon to feel lost and alone as a teenager - or at any age really. And we probably all know about the "I am not like other girls" trope. It is always great to embrace our differences, to celebrate our authenticity, but this trope often falls into judging those who do subscribe to traditional femininity.
Whereas we do see diet culture and beauty standarts harshly criticized when it comes to Roses mother and the pressure that is put on Rose herself we also see it being used to paint character flaws in Roses and Ambers classmates ("the ones who starved themselves until their heads looked to big for their bodies and wore so much make-up their skin looked as if it had been painted on from a tin"). The book makes us try to look past first impressions and prejudices, yet it continues to paint young girls as shallow because they talk primarily about looks, fashion and boys.

I do understand that it's difficult to paint that picture from the perspective of teenage girls that feel the pressure of not fitting in every single day of their lives - but I would've wished for more reflection as the book moves on.

This leads me to the second thing that really bothered me: the final rule of the Moonlight Dreamers is not only that they are proud of being different, but that they'd rather die than be like everybody else. Is that a realistic rule kids would come up with? Absolutely. But it also an incredibly dangerous message.
Ultimately what this book tells young girls is not only that it is okay and great to be different - but also that it's a bad thing if you are "just like everyone else". And of course we are all individuals and ultimately none of us are the same and it is absolutely important to support individuality and celebrate authenticity - but liking the same things as the other people in your class, being into the same topics and clothes, isn't a bad thing. I am always up for criticizing to a society that pushes us to conform to feel validated and uplifiting authenticity - but shaming those that do seem to fit society's boxes or who feel safest conforming to the expectations laid upon them, isn't the way to do this.

The next thing that made me squirm a bit was Amber being so obsessed with who her biological dad was. I understand the curiosity and I know this is common. But as a queer reader her continuously describing her non-biological dad as "not her real dad" really hurt - and yes, there plays a lot more frustration into this and I must say I did really like the conflict between Amber and her dads beyond that.

Lastly, the characters in this book come from incredibly privileged backgrounds. That's not per sé a bad thing, but other than with Rose we do not see that being reflected upon. Rose does paint Sky and her dad as basically poor and the book barely challenges that whereas he is a private yoga teacher to celebrities - and also Amber appears to come from a pretty rich and privileged background. But as Rose is painted as the rich one it paints the image that Amber and her dads having a house to themselves on Brick Lane and being able to easily afford a trip to Paris is "normal", when it's a far away dream for most of us and probably most readers too.


Okay, now I feel I have criticized a lot. I did actually really love the book.
It was a light and casual read - but don't be fooled: it's not a painfree feel-good book.

I also fell a bit in love with Maali and her sweet, insecure, uplifting spirit and refreshing look on life.

CWs for the book: attempted rape, diet-culture, bullying, death of a parent (past), racism

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, heart-warming read that dealt well with some of the difficult issues that young women and girls have to face today. I thought it was incredibly inspirational and thought-provoking.

[Carrot]

To read-
I already know that this series is highly, highly underrated

[Pocket Full of Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Moonlight Dreamers’ by Siobhan Curham .

Publisher: Walker Books.

Published: July 7th 2016.

Page Count: 352 pages.

Genre: YA Contemporary.

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

Synopsis:

Amber, Rose, Sky, and Maali may be very different, but they all have one thing in common: they’re fed up with being told how to look, what to think and how to act.

They’re not like everyone else and they don’t want to be.

Becoming friends gives them the courage to be themselves.

Review:

Firstly, a huge thank you to Walker Books Australia for sending us a gorgeous copy of ‘The Moonlight Dreamers’ to review.

The Moonlight Dreamers takes place around Brick Lane which is located in London. The four main characters; Amber, Rose, Sky, and Maali are all unique, different and find it extremely hard to be themselves. This helps add to this beautiful and heart-warming story. Amber struggles with a dreadful school experience due to the bullies at her school as well as feeling conflicted whilst trying to connect to one of her two dads. Rose, is sick and tired of her mom forcing her into a life she doesn’t want to live. She also has the problem of her boyfriend pressuring her into something she isn’t ready for; she feels helpless and alone. Sky, misses her mom dearly who passed away five years ago. She tries to find her confidence to perform her intriguing poems in a poetry slam. Sweet and quiet, Maali is trying to work towards building the courage to communicate with boys or in particular a boy called Ash.

We loved how the author created characters with different struggles. Siobhan Curham really shows us that opposites are drawn to each other, and that diversity is definitely important in friendships. We should absolutely be seeing more of the same diversity in more Young Adult fiction.

The story was focused on the main themes of friendship, family relationships, finding our own identities and looking for the smaller things in life that truly make us happy. It was definitely a surprise that we loved how the plot wasn’t related around romance. We loved how the author didn’t focus on this aspect as the love for friendship brightly shone through as we constantly flipped through the pages. We would have loved for there to have been a greater and more dramatic complication. However, Curham did a truly magnificent job at portraying each of the girls stories without making the story really bizarre and complicated!! We also absolutely adored the characters and the storyline, it was definitely entertaining.

We loved the author’s writing style!! Her immediate perspective revealed a determined sensitivity to many key issues that young men and woman face today such as body image, peer pressure, social media, friendships and working towards the things that truly make you the happiest. Portrayed in her beautifully written words are positive messages that encourage a resistance to social media and a love to find our confidence within ourselves.

The four young characters all come from diverse and cultural backgrounds. They discover sisterhood when the secret ‘Moonlight Dreamers’ club is formed. Guided by the inspiring wisdom of Oscar Wilde, the sisterhood provides each girl with a supportive and secret environment where they can be themselves and confront their issues. Guided by each other, inspiration and dreams are created.

Now encouraged to be ourselves, this book is beautiful and heart-warming!! You would never expect the power of friendship to form so strongly! We loved the ending and all the characters found the closure that they needed. We were definitely left with smiles on our faces.

We recommend this gorgeous and inspirational read to all YA readers! Especially those who are struggling with any issues in their lives.

Book Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.

[Maddie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda bad but like it was ok 😑

[Waniya Aneel · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOODNESSSSS. The Moonlight Dreamers is literally one of my favourite book of January now. I mean I have never read such a great book till now! Everything was literally soo perfect in it, the characters, the plot, the storyline and I mean LOOK AT THISSSS COVER!!!! How can a book be soo perfect? HOW!? My favourite character is all the four girls but Sky and Maali are just soo cool. Goshh this book is highly recommended. i am not making this a spoiler review cuz I want you all to read it okay!?

Also make sure to follow my Instagram account to stay in touch with me!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaPFQZGrP...

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really excited when this book arrived as I always enjoy Siobhan Curham's books and I didn't even know this was on the horizon.

I loved this book for several reasons.

I loved the girl relationships within this book. Don't get me wrong they aren't perfect especially between the step sisters in the book but it is nice to see a book where the teenage girls support each other and are actually nice to each other rather than the bitchy back stabbing which often gets portrayed.

I loved the diversity in this book. The characters are all from very different backgrounds some of which I haven't seen portrayed in YA before and it was nice to see stereotypes challenged and representation of these sort of girls out there because in every case the girls are so well done.

All in all a brilliant read which I can't recommend enough

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Yes: I am a dreamer: For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

"Better to live your own life imperfectly than live it by some eejit's idea of perfection."

"Sometimes it feels as if things will last forever, Maali said softly, especially the bad times. But they never do, because all things are just passing by, just passing through life."

Soundtrack: Dreamers by Oh Gravity

[Rhia · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is probably the very first contemporary YA novel i have read and i was really happy it was this.
i loved every single character relating especially to amber and skye. i can now call myself a moonlight dreamer and have memorised the quote.

[Kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin? Or even, how do I begin? I finished this book a few hours ago and I deluded myself into thinking that time would help me formulate words adequate enough to describe the astronomical love I have for this book but hours have passed and I'm still wondering how I can put my adoration for this book into words. There hasn't been a book I've read in a very long time that has spoken to me in the way that The Moonlight Dreamers did. I absolutely loved everything about this book, it was so heartwarming and it made my heart so happy and gosh, this book just means the world to me, really. I felt like this book was written for me. It was me. The Moonlight Dreamers is the kind of book that melds with your being and settles inside your heart and you know, with an unyielding certainty, that it is a book that is the missing piece to the puzzle of who you are as a person. It was breathtakingly beautiful, it was comforting, it was everything I wanted, and everything I needed.

One of the reasons I loved this book so much was that it was a book that found me when I needed it the most. Confession: lately I've been struggling with finding friends and with accepting my shy/awkward personality. I've been battling to accept the fact that I'm introverted and conservative about things that most people wouldn't bat an eyelash at, I'm not that into makeup, partying and fashion like a lot of girls my age. And quite a lot lately I've been wondering if I'll make friends who are similar to me. People who would rather sit and stare at the stars and discuss the meaning of life while classical rock music intertwines itself with the night air, people who would rather sit at home, eating pizza and reading then going partying. People who aren't going to settle into a pattern of being like everyone else, people who I belong with – people like the Moonlight Dreamers. This novel finding me at this point in my life is something like fate, I am certain of that. Within the first few pages I was reduced to tears, not sad tears, but tears of relief, happy tears because within the first few pages I formed a friendship with the characters. Characters who felt exactly the way I did. A character who echoed my thoughts so spectacularly that I felt as if the author had been inside my mind. They were me and I was them and in that moment of pure serendipity, I felt as if I belonged. This quote specifically knocked the breath from my lungs and made me clutch the copy of my book because for once, I felt understood and isn't that what we all want?

"For the first time all day, Amber felt a prickle of hope. She was in the heart of London, surrounded by millions of people. Surely there must be other people like her out there somewhere. Other people who didn't fit in, or want to fit in, other people who craved excitement and adventure. Other moonlight dreamers."

There were pieces of me in every character and reading about them, being with them, made all the shards of my heart that had been punctured from being labelled "too quiet" or "too nerdy" or "too anxious" were stitched up in a way that made me feel whole again. The Moonlight dreamers collected all my doubts and insecurities and discarded them, leaving in its place. the exceptional serenity of acceptance and understanding.

The characters were all so wonderfully written. They were real, they were flawed, they had insecurities and worries, they had hopes and dreams - reading this book made me feel like I had made the most extraordinary of friends. The positive female friendship was stunning, the writing was scrumptious and the plot riveting. I devoured this book in two or three sittings and it was one of those books where as I read, reality peeled away and I was left in the stunning kaleidoscope of ebony and ivory, paper people that feel as if they're spun from love, dreams and spirit - just as we are. Once you start this book, you will be entirely transfixed. You won't be able to maneuver your eyes from the page, nor would you want to.

As I said, the characters are so, so amazing and I wish that I was able to teleport them out of the book and into my world so I could have them as a group of friends. Every time I was away from this book and engaging in activities that seemed tedious in comparison to spending my afternoon in this novel, I missed the characters. I genuinely missed them because within a few chapters they had captured my hearts with their quirks and their oddities. I opened up this book and I climbed inside it and I felt as if I was walking into a place I called home.

We have Amber, the girl who is in love with Oscar Wilde (I love Oscar Wilde too so when I read that I was like "Very good choice, Amber!"), who is fascinated by words, the girl with two dads and the girl who feels like an outsider because she dares to be herself in a world that demands her to be something else. I absolutely adored Amber and she was a character I immediately clicked with. I love the fact that she dreams herself a better life and makes a plan to turn those shooting star wishes into a reality. She made me realise that there are people like me out there, I just have seek them.

We also had Sky. A home schooled girl who lives on a boat with her father, a girl who is in love with writing poetry and a girl still reeling from the loss of her mother. I absolutely adored Sky! She was so sweet and kind. I loved the fact that she was home schooled (like me!) and she wasn't portrayed as stupid or socially inept as many people still believe that stereotype of home educated people that is quite frankly very insulting. So thank you to Siobhan for including a home schooled character that wasn't a cliché.

Then we have Maali who was probably my favourite character. She's a hopeless romantic who daydreams about finding love but she's incredibly shy and awkward around boys and I could relate so much. She acted exactly as I do whenever I have to speak to guys and her misadventures in trying to find love made me giggle and had me saying “SAME” throughout the entirety of the book. Not only was she funny, she was such a lovely character. It's quite rare in books to ever see characters that are like that and characters who are really set in their faith so YAY for that! She was also a diverse character as she was Asian and from the Hindu faith, so it was interesting seeing her culture interwoven through the book.

My other favourite character was Rose who I adored despite her determination to uphold the facade of being a catty brat. Rose was a complicated character but I loved her nonetheless. She's the daughter of a top supermodel and a famous actor and her mother wanted nothing more than for Rose to follow in her footsteps and insert herself into the modelling industry but Rose wants to ride motorcycles and bake cakes that taste as if they're made from love and miracles. She didn't desire fame and fortune but instead wanted to continue to find the solace she felt when she was in the kitchen, concocting delicious treats. I could even relate to Rose in a way, as she had moved from the States to the UK and she missed her home. Although she wasn't incredibly homesick, there were times where she longed to be in her home country and once again, I found the characters echoing my sentiments. What I also really liked is that the author showed that even if a person is beautiful, rich and seemingly confident, they also have dreams and deep thoughts and doubts and that there's always more to a person than meets the eye.

Besides the spectacular cast of characters, there were other things that made this novel so incredibly. Falling in love with this book came as naturally as breathing. There was a positive female friendship in this book and practically no romance. I absolutely love romance in books but it was so refreshing reading a book where friendship is the primary focus. I loved how authentic the girls' friendship was. I loved how it showed how having friends can turn your life from a washed out world of monotone colours to a sparkling kaleidoscope of happiness, acceptance and hope. I also liked how realistic this book was. There were girls who didn't get the guys, there were competitions that weren't always won, it didn't give an unrealistic view of life - that things will always go to plan and that the road ahead will be how we want it to be. It was realistic, it was genuine and it was a novel that exhaled hope. Not only that, but the writing in this book is glorious. My copy of this book is scattered with tabs because on almost every page I was able to find a delectable quote or a sentiment that had me giggling or perhaps even reduced me to tears. All I can say is that reading this book felt like dancing in a pool of moonlight - extraordinary and magical.

Within the pages of The Moonlight Dreamers I lost myself, but is was within these pages that I found myself too. A sensational, unforgettable novel l that has stolen a piece of my heart. One of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of falling in love with.

[Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

For some reason, I went into this book thinking I wouldn't like it. And, I mean, fair enough, because I've read many a contemporary novel over the past few years, and have hated them equally. So, naturally, going into this, I thought it was going to be hella clichéd, all about teenagers and love and them being entitled brats who have everything and yet complain about anything.

Boy, I was wrong. And I'm so glad that I was. This book, strangely enough, really resonated with me. I didn't make me feel like I was an adult reading a book about teens. It didn't even transport me back to my teen years (god, if it had done that, I would have DNF-ed). It just told a story. And, sometimes, that's all you need.

It was a really easy read to begin with. The plot was slightly predictable (the revelation of Amber's biological dad, the Rose storyline, Rose and Sky eventually becoming good mates - the only thing that threw me off course was Maali not ending up with Ash (but I'm kinda glad she didn't)), but still flowed. The characters were likeable. But, you know, I think the thing that stands out for me the most is that it doesn't hide the fact that you can become friends straight off the bat with people who are complete strangers.

I think the book does friendships really well. That instant bond over something (in this case, the moon, or, indeed, Oscar Wilde's quote about being a dreamer). Having people in your life that just get you, even when you don't get yourself. People who are genuinely interested in getting to know you, who care enough to ask about your day, to celebrate the small stuff with you. I found that through the Harry Potter fandom and through Twitter - so, not quite the same, but very similar to what these girls found in each other.

Again, as with every book, it does have its flaws. I found it to be a little cringy (okay, so, maybe I did slightly mind that it was about teenagers, cos, man, teens are weird) and pretentious at times (all that poetry!). Predictability made for an easy read too. But, really, the book makes up for it with its heartwarming characters. I will happily read the second book to find out what's next for the Moonlight Dreamers.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book to follow the sisterhood of traveling pants and a beautiful tribute to the moon and Oscar Wild.
Great inspiration to everyone living the life in creative sphere, great motivation for those who feel freakish in their life.
All and all - beautifully written book with a light but meaningful meaning.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome book
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NCEA Reading Response:

The Moonlight Dreamers by Siobhan Curham is such a beautiful, heart-warming story about 4 very different girls - Amber, Rose, Sky and Maali. Amber is being bullied at school for having two dads and her life at home isn’t much better. Inspired by Oscar Wilde (her hero) she realises that there must be other girls her age in London feeling the same way. After chance encounters with Maali, Sky and then Rose, Amber forms The Moonlight Dreamers. Amber, Rose, Sky, and Maali may be very different, but they all have one thing in common: they’re fed up with being told how to look, what to think and how to act. They don’t want to follow the crowd and do what others at school are doing. They are happy being different and being themselves. The girls share their dreams with each other and vow to support each other in the pursuit of their dreams. The Moonlight Dreamers motto is a quote from Oscar Wilde that goes “Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

I liked how Amber, Rose, Sky and Maali support each other throughout the story even though they are all very different and come from totally different backgrounds. Amber has two dads, Maali is Hindu, Sky lost her Mum to cancer, is home-schooled and lives with her dad on a houseboat, and Rose has two famous parents who are divorced.
An Important part of the book is when Sky takes Rose to her houseboat to get away from the world and the paparazzi following a tough couple of days after her ex-boyfriend posted a nude photo of her on Instagram. Everyone thought that it was Rose that posted it and no-one had bothered to ask Rose what happened. When Sky’s Dad finds Sky and Rose at the houseboat, everyone becomes more understanding when they find out how the photo got on Instagram, ' “She didn’t post that photo on Instagram. Someone else did.” Sky turned away, her face flushed bright pink. “Is that true?” Liam asked Rose. Rose Nodded. [....] Liam [Sky’s Dad] held out his hand. “Group hug,” he said, beckoning her [Rose] over. As Liam and Sky wrapped their arms around her it took every fibre in her body not to dissolve in a pool of tears.' This part of the book shows the power of words and that there are always people in this world who care about you. No problem or predicament is too big and everything can be talked through. Nothing will ever seem as big as it was compared to before you talk to others and share the load with them.

[Sobiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was rlly cute. It was a very average book, since it wasn't anything special. The writing was nothing extraordinary and the concept was a bit cringey. It wasnt the worst though. It wouldn't recommend it, but i wouldn't not recommend it either. I know I would've absolutely loved this when I was younger!

[Chloe Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve had this on my bookshelf for about ten years, and I can imagine as a teen I would’ve loved this and found it an important coming-of-age story. As a twenty-four year old, it didn’t quite hit the same.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - it was different and sweet! Even though it absolutely wasn't a fantasy it felt a little bit magical.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due for a re-read!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book over at Maximumpopbooks in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book all about friendship.It was a cute, fun and heart warming read and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.

Amber is sick and tired of being treated differently at school, she is not one to conform. All the girls at school are obsessed with beauty, fashion and boys! All she wants is to have a proper conversation with someone her own age about her interests and not to be judged on her views. Inspired by her favourite author Oscar Wilde she plans to start a group called the Moonlight Dreamers, where she can find like-minded people, others who have dreams,others that are different and can talk about anything in the group without being taunted. Four girls join the group but they couldn’t be more different.

Amber,Sky, Maali and Rose couldn’t be more different. Amber is being bullied at school, the main reason being that she has two dads, also she is not getting on with one of them and is leaving her quite stressed. She tries to de-stress with writing on her blog and starting the Moonlight Dreamers. Sky is still grieving for her mother, trying to become a poet and perform in front of others whilst her dad is canoodling with a celebrity. Maali is trying to get the courage to speak to boys so one day she will find her soul mate and Rose is sick and tired of being told what to do by her mother and feeling pressurised by her boyfriend. These girls were so different from one another,we had different religions, race and backgrounds. There was also so much creativity from poetry, writing, art and baking.The diversity in this book was amazing. As soon as I had read that Amber had two dads I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, I have never read anything where there have been same-sex parents and loved that Siobhan Curham added it into the book. There were parts in the book where I was so worried for some of the characters that I was reading as fast as possible to make sure they were alright.

" Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

The book is mostly about developing friendships, families and identity. I liked that this book had no romance in it and it wasn’t needed as there was so much going in on with the girls lives that you were focused on their individual issues. The book was fast paced with a short paragraph or two from each of their point of views. There were also different formats used such as texts, emails and notes from blogs which made the book read quicker.

This book was so honest and relatable,the problems that Teenagers go through at school such as not fitting in, bullying,boyfriends,sex etc etcera. Parents are being……well… Parents!,you know what it’s like when your young, your parents are insufferable, embarrassing and doing everything in their power to make your life hell. I think this book will be great for teenagers and very influential, I personally would have loved a secret society when I was at school.

The ending was really heart warming and wrapped up nicely. My favourite characters from the book are Rose and Maali, I would say this book is for younger YA readers from 13+

I rated this 4.25 out of 5 stars

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title from Walker Books Australia for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
Amber hates how the girls at school treat her and dreams of being different. After reading a quote from her idol, Oscar Wilde, Amber comes up with a plan to meet kindred spirits and the Moonlight Dreamers is born.

I have to say that if ever there was a book for younger readers that could be a poster-child for upliftivism, then The Moonlight Dreamers is it. While some unfortunate things do befall the characters in the novel, the overall feel of the book is so warm and subtly positive, that you just know that each girl will eventually find her way. The book begins with Amber, a young woman with two dads who faces bullying at school, ostensibly because she is "different". Amber decides to take a risk and passes out invitations to form a secret society - the Moonlight Dreamers - to girls she encounters that look like they might share her desire to revel in uniqueness and go after their dreams.

The characters in the book struck me as particularly authentic creations. Maali, the youngest of the group, possesses a wonderful naivety and sense of openness to the world around her - yet struggles with the simple task of talking to a boy. Amber, on the outside, has all the makings of a confident young woman who isn't afraid to walk to the beat of her own drum, but worries endlessly about being too different for people to like her for who she is. Skye is still grieving the death of her mother and desperately wants to take the next step and perform her poetry in public, but is in conflict with her father over his new relationship. And Rose, the accidental Dreamer, seems so worldly-wise, but desperately needs the approval of friends who are prepared to get to know her outside of her famous parents' shadows, in order to gain the confidence to follow her dreams.

There's something amazingly engaging about watching these characters tackle what are, for the most part, typical problems that many teens face. The story is told in alternating perspectives so by the end of the book, the reader has had plenty of time to get to know each of the girls as individuals and watch how their interactions propel them towards facing their fears. There's a refreshing simplicity in the telling of the story that allows the characters to come to the fore without being shackled to the stereotypical portrayals that are grist for the mill of many contemporary YA books, where the focus is on predictable romantic relationships or fitting into expected social roles at school. The author has managed to clearly show the girls as they are, and want to be, because the girls themselves - rather than their romantic interests or school troubles - are the focus.

If you know a young reader (or an older one!) who could really do with a bit of positivity in their lives and an affirmation that they are perfectly okay just as they are, then I would highly recommend getting a copy of The Moonlight Dreamers into their hands. Apart from the fact that it will inspire you to pursue your dreams under fortuitous moonlight, it's just a cracking good read and a story to soothe the fears and worries of the troubled soul.

[KooperAmused · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good general read. I found it was almost a different take on ‘The Sisterhood of Travelling Pants', but without the separation and an Oscar Wilde quote being the thing that connects them. A cute little fluff read for young teenage girls.

Story:
Four different young teenage girls connect through a desire to reach each of their goals. The friendship that blossoms is important to each of them, to find others that feel misunderstood and who just wanting to be who they are, without fear of bullying or parental relationship breakdown. They’ll support each other through tough times and help celebrate each other’s successes.

*Spoiler Alert*
What I liked:
- Issues. It tackles a heap of this generations issues like use of twitter, instagram and cyber bullying. Bullying in general and parental relationships are still issues but it adds to the mix same-sex parents. But underneath that, with connections to Oscar Wilde quotes, is an urge for people to be more accepting of each other and to not let yourself be trodden down upon.
- POVs. I liked that we got to see what each of the four leads was feeling about their situations instead of just the one view.
- Oscar Wilde quotes. I found myself drawn to the main quote and the one Rose uses in her interview with Amber ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ It’s an identity crisis we all have and some still have (including myself).
These really connected me tot eh characters and to my own struggles.
-Friendship. I really wish that I was able to form friendships like the four girls (even if they are unsure of themselves). The tentative bond and need for each other’s friendship despite their difference is beautiful.
-Formats. Not just chapter based but incorporated emails, tumblr posts, text messages. These combinations of formats are my favourite types of book.

What I didn’t like:
-Maali. I know some people will hiss at me, but I thought her character was a last minutes addition. It also seemed her issues/identity was the least important or really showed the least effect in the story. The others were tackling such hard issues and then there is Maali. Always so happy and just having some simple confidence issues, I just felt it was a bit of a cop out. That’s why I only gave it a four. Also after some discussions with a fav pal of mine (Star), we highlighted that there was a serious missed opportunity. Maali was photographing things when we first met her and that seemed to be her niche but then there was nothing about it again. She could have been really interested in photography but had serious body image ideas and so never had photos of her taken....or something that involved photography.

Overall, I give this a 3.5 out of 5 Koopers.

[Vasilisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I bought this book more than a year ago, but decided to read it only now and I can't understand why I didn't pick it up sooner! The Moonlight Dreamers is such a nice, fast-paced, inspirational read; it's definitely isn't a masterpiece but it for sure keeps you hooked. Four main characters are very different from each other, but they all are very likable (my favorite was probably Rose). I only wish that we've seen more of their story together, not individually.

[Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in love .

....... ,💕💕

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok story, but I didn't like how the story of Matt and rose (one of the Moonlight dreamers) ended, he got violent when she rejected his sexual advances and he also posted her nudes online as revenge. But it's ok yall, cause he cried and apologized and said he would've never raped her *sarcasm* which is incredibly hard 2 even believe since he would've if she hadn't kneed him.

Amber was a bit interesting but I really liked rose and maali, they're friendship was so cute (which is why I gave it a 2 stars) and I wished there were more of their interactions. Sky and her dad were ok, kinda boring to me.

This is a book I would've enjoyed greatly and would've been my favorite if I was 12-13, an okish read, it was light hearted enough but not sth I'd reread. I know there's a squel but I will not be reading it.

[Aurelia Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware that this review contains some spoilers (although many of them are from the sequel)
This is definitely the most relatable book I have ever read, because of how relatable the main characters are. They aren’t just 4 typical teenage girls, or at least, they’re not trying to be. They’re not who they want to be. Amber wants to be friendlier, Maali wants to be more confident, Sky wants to just stop and stay how she is, and Rose doesn’t want to be like her mum. They all just want to be heard (except for Rose, who would probably quite happily just disappear). This book follows 4 teenage girls, living in London. They’re all completely unique, yet so similar. They don’t want to be like everyone else. My favourite character is definitely Maali. She finds pleasure in the smallest of things, and whilst she is not a very loud character, her feelings are so relatable, from the struggles of speaking up, to having a sick family member.

My favourite quote from this book is ‘Why, in a world where there is love, would you ever choose hate?’. This means, why would you ever choose wrong when there is right? I like this quote because it makes you stop and think. Why would you tell someone that their hair looks messy when you could tell them that you like their jacket? Why would you ruin someone’s day when you could make their day better? Why would you choose wrong over right? This quote is almost trying to make you feel guilty, and makes you ask yourself, do you need to say that? It almost makes you question how you treat others.

This book made me think about what is really happening in someone’s life. It made me think about how many people look like they are having a good life when really they are struggling. And it could be with just about anything, from family, to school, to money, to social media. Because no one can really have a picturesque life. This book also made me wonder what the world would be like if everyone had more confidence in themselves. If everyone had faith in themselves, to try a new thing, and not just push away opportunities. I think everyone needs to read this book (and the sequel, Tell it to the moon' because it is definitely one of the best books I have ever read.