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Moonflower
National Book Award winner Kacen Callender delivers a captivating novel about a child facing the other-worldly shadows of depression.
Moon has been plunged into a swill of uncertainty and confusion. They travel to the spirit realms every night, hoping never to return to the world of the living.
But when the realm is threatened, it's up to Moon to save the spirit world, which sparks their own healing journey through the powerful, baffling, landscape that depression can cause.
From this novel’s very first utterance, author Kacen Callender puts us behind Moon’s eyes so that we, too, are engulfed by Moon’s troubling exploration through mental illness.
Moon’s mom is trying her best, but is clueless about what to do to reach the ugly roiling of her child’s inner struggles. At the same time, though, there are those who see Moon for who they are – Blue, the Keeper, the Magician, Wolf. These creature-guides help Moon find a way out of darkness. The ethereal aspects of the story are brilliantly blended with real-world glimmers of light. Slowly, Moon grows toward hope and wholeness, showing all children that each and every one of us has a tree growing inside. That our souls emerge when we discover, and fully accept, ourselves.
Drawn from the author’s own experience through depression as a young person, this carefully orchestrated, unique novel is deeply spiritual. Moonflower will challenge you to think beyond traditional storytelling – to reach. To weep. To discover. To cheer this feat of nuanced writing that speaks directly to the heart.
Moon has been plunged into a swill of uncertainty and confusion. They travel to the spirit realms every night, hoping never to return to the world of the living.
But when the realm is threatened, it's up to Moon to save the spirit world, which sparks their own healing journey through the powerful, baffling, landscape that depression can cause.
From this novel’s very first utterance, author Kacen Callender puts us behind Moon’s eyes so that we, too, are engulfed by Moon’s troubling exploration through mental illness.
Moon’s mom is trying her best, but is clueless about what to do to reach the ugly roiling of her child’s inner struggles. At the same time, though, there are those who see Moon for who they are – Blue, the Keeper, the Magician, Wolf. These creature-guides help Moon find a way out of darkness. The ethereal aspects of the story are brilliantly blended with real-world glimmers of light. Slowly, Moon grows toward hope and wholeness, showing all children that each and every one of us has a tree growing inside. That our souls emerge when we discover, and fully accept, ourselves.
Drawn from the author’s own experience through depression as a young person, this carefully orchestrated, unique novel is deeply spiritual. Moonflower will challenge you to think beyond traditional storytelling – to reach. To weep. To discover. To cheer this feat of nuanced writing that speaks directly to the heart.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2022
About the author
Kacen Callender
19 books2,641 followersKacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
April 25, 2023
I've read quite a few five stars this month and I'm glad to add another one. This middle grade is about depression and about difficult feelings. One of the books I wished I could have read as a kid. Think it portrays depression and emotional in an easy yet beautiful way that is easy getting invested to. Wonderful audiobook and a very compelling story.
March 5, 2022
can't wait to watch Kacen win the National Book Award again because holy moly this book is special
September 26, 2022
this is, i think, the easiest five star i've given out all year.
it is also the book i cried with the most.
the story itself is extraordinary and i hope that kacen callender gets the recognition and love and applause that they deserve. i'd already known that they were my favorite middle grade author, not that i thought i'd have one as I'm approaching 30, but this solidified the WHY. i cannot imagine anybody else writing such a heavy story and inserting so much whimsy and magic into it. writing something so deeply emotional while not being triggering and instead accessible, and a vessel for people to see themselves in.
it's hard for me to keep summing this up objectively, because most of all, it was a mirror for me.
(i'm going to be a sap from here on out)
i am so thankful.
thank you for writing something so recognizable. thank you for telling me i wasn't alone back then. thank you for capturing the longing, the numbness, the sadness, the pain, the frustration, the despair, the stubbornness, the all-encompassing, the unspoken, the unspeakable, the careful hope, the anger of depression, as experienced by someone who hasn't come into their own. thank you for the joy reading this gave me, and for how much it made me cry. it allowed me to finally feel everything i stopped myself from feeling when i was just about 12, like Moon, and sadness was starting to take root.
thank you, most of all, for including words and phrases like my dear little child and similar, because it allowed my inner child to come through and feel seen. she read it just as much as i did and i don't know how to repay that other than boosting this book whenever i can.
i am so happy for any other child who will read this and see themselves and finally have the language to describe what's happening to them/with them/what they're feeling.
it is also the book i cried with the most.
the story itself is extraordinary and i hope that kacen callender gets the recognition and love and applause that they deserve. i'd already known that they were my favorite middle grade author, not that i thought i'd have one as I'm approaching 30, but this solidified the WHY. i cannot imagine anybody else writing such a heavy story and inserting so much whimsy and magic into it. writing something so deeply emotional while not being triggering and instead accessible, and a vessel for people to see themselves in.
it's hard for me to keep summing this up objectively, because most of all, it was a mirror for me.
(i'm going to be a sap from here on out)
i am so thankful.
thank you for writing something so recognizable. thank you for telling me i wasn't alone back then. thank you for capturing the longing, the numbness, the sadness, the pain, the frustration, the despair, the stubbornness, the all-encompassing, the unspoken, the unspeakable, the careful hope, the anger of depression, as experienced by someone who hasn't come into their own. thank you for the joy reading this gave me, and for how much it made me cry. it allowed me to finally feel everything i stopped myself from feeling when i was just about 12, like Moon, and sadness was starting to take root.
thank you, most of all, for including words and phrases like my dear little child and similar, because it allowed my inner child to come through and feel seen. she read it just as much as i did and i don't know how to repay that other than boosting this book whenever i can.
i am so happy for any other child who will read this and see themselves and finally have the language to describe what's happening to them/with them/what they're feeling.
March 3, 2023
A truly stunning and magical depiction and exploration of depression. The fact that books like this now exist for younger (and older) readers fills me with so much hope for a future that treats depression with less stigma and more empathy and understanding.
TW: depression, suicidal ideation
TW: depression, suicidal ideation
December 5, 2022
Might get a full five the more I think about it...
Easily one of the best depictions of depression that I've read and brought me back to my days of being severely mentally ill with no diagnosis or anything to help me in middle school. I do wish that it had been a little bit longer though. Kacen Callender is easily one of the best voices in MG.
Easily one of the best depictions of depression that I've read and brought me back to my days of being severely mentally ill with no diagnosis or anything to help me in middle school. I do wish that it had been a little bit longer though. Kacen Callender is easily one of the best voices in MG.
November 12, 2022
J. K. Rowling:
"I hate trans kids and I enjoy watching them suffer. I'm rich so I don't care what you think, but also if you call me out I'll write a 20,000 page novel whining about being bullied. How dare you? Do you hate women? I've spent my career empowering women, which is why they're never the focal characters of my stories."
Kacen Callender:
"The more that you define your power by the pain of others, the less true power you have."
------------------------------------------------
Other choice quotes:
"I think we should create a new language. Words that we can use to describe the feeling when you sit and breathe and grow an entire universe, blossoming and curling and dying in your chest. What is the word for that?"
"There's been so many nights when I've hidden beneath my bed's covers as I cried, whispering that I wanted to die. I prayed that if there is a God, I would be taken away in my sleep so that I wouldn't have to live another day. I would be so disappointed whenever I woke up again. I wondered then: What is the point of life? What is the point of being alive, just so I will feel sad all the time?"
"Transgender and nonbinary people, told that we don't exist, and don't deserve the same rights as everyone else."
"Moon, please choose grammatically correct pronouns. (Wolf reminded me that our spirits are not defined by the body we are born into, and that before our current civilization, humans naturally understood this across the world and celebrated the uniqueness of bodies that captured multiple, shifting energies that had lived hundreds of thousands of lives before. We were considered sacred, once upon a time.) I will not refer to you as a 'they.'"
"I wish I was in an alternate universe right now. A universe where people liked it when other people are different from them. It would be a good thing, in this alternate universe, that people were really weird, or that they had too many ideas that were new, too many thoughts that were puzzling and confusing, too many questions that asked others to think in a different way."
"Our bodies are borrowed from the earth, like plants growing from the ground, walking and talking and moving around. And when we die, our bodies go back to the earth again."
"When people want me to be happy, I think it's because they're uncomfortable with the fact that I'm sad. It's the same reason why, when someone asks, 'How are you?' with a smile, all they want to hear is 'Good!' even though most of the time we're not really okay at all. If you actually say how you're feeling, people will look at you like you're weird."
"I think I really do feel ashamed of my own existence."
"I hate trans kids and I enjoy watching them suffer. I'm rich so I don't care what you think, but also if you call me out I'll write a 20,000 page novel whining about being bullied. How dare you? Do you hate women? I've spent my career empowering women, which is why they're never the focal characters of my stories."
Kacen Callender:
"The more that you define your power by the pain of others, the less true power you have."
------------------------------------------------
Other choice quotes:
"I think we should create a new language. Words that we can use to describe the feeling when you sit and breathe and grow an entire universe, blossoming and curling and dying in your chest. What is the word for that?"
"There's been so many nights when I've hidden beneath my bed's covers as I cried, whispering that I wanted to die. I prayed that if there is a God, I would be taken away in my sleep so that I wouldn't have to live another day. I would be so disappointed whenever I woke up again. I wondered then: What is the point of life? What is the point of being alive, just so I will feel sad all the time?"
"Transgender and nonbinary people, told that we don't exist, and don't deserve the same rights as everyone else."
"Moon, please choose grammatically correct pronouns. (Wolf reminded me that our spirits are not defined by the body we are born into, and that before our current civilization, humans naturally understood this across the world and celebrated the uniqueness of bodies that captured multiple, shifting energies that had lived hundreds of thousands of lives before. We were considered sacred, once upon a time.) I will not refer to you as a 'they.'"
"I wish I was in an alternate universe right now. A universe where people liked it when other people are different from them. It would be a good thing, in this alternate universe, that people were really weird, or that they had too many ideas that were new, too many thoughts that were puzzling and confusing, too many questions that asked others to think in a different way."
"Our bodies are borrowed from the earth, like plants growing from the ground, walking and talking and moving around. And when we die, our bodies go back to the earth again."
"When people want me to be happy, I think it's because they're uncomfortable with the fact that I'm sad. It's the same reason why, when someone asks, 'How are you?' with a smile, all they want to hear is 'Good!' even though most of the time we're not really okay at all. If you actually say how you're feeling, people will look at you like you're weird."
"I think I really do feel ashamed of my own existence."
May 15, 2023
At first, I was all in and hoped to give this book a 5 but it became more preachy than philosophical (at least for me).
April 17, 2022
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
What a powerful little story! The author pulls from personal experience to introduce us to Moon, a young child who suffers from depression. Moon visits the spirit realm and, with the help of guardians and others, learns how to love who they are.
The reader is taken on a fascinating journey. If one has never experienced depression, it is an eye-opener. If one has experienced depression, this story feels like being understood on the deepest levels. This little book has the potential to give voice and hope to so many children. I cannot wait to place it on the shelf at my library.
What a powerful little story! The author pulls from personal experience to introduce us to Moon, a young child who suffers from depression. Moon visits the spirit realm and, with the help of guardians and others, learns how to love who they are.
The reader is taken on a fascinating journey. If one has never experienced depression, it is an eye-opener. If one has experienced depression, this story feels like being understood on the deepest levels. This little book has the potential to give voice and hope to so many children. I cannot wait to place it on the shelf at my library.
October 4, 2022
Beautiful words written by someone who understands.
February 7, 2024
my first (and hopefully only) kacen callender fail :(
April 15, 2024
This was a 2.5 star read for me, rounded up to a 3 because I find the subject matter to be so important. Unfortunately the story couldn't keep my attention for a number of reasons. Most notably, the text was very repetitive, and restated the same ideas and counterpoints over and over. I also listened to the audiobook, and I wasn't a fan of the narration style. Because my mind often wandered while listening, I'm sure a lot of metaphors of the story were lost on me, too.
My favorite part of the book was when Moon was visited by Miss Stella and she was able to tell him about her own experiences. That was EXCELLENT. The rest felt very lofty and dramatic.
I hope there are more books written about suicidal ideation in youth so that young readers have some options!
My favorite part of the book was when Moon was visited by Miss Stella and she was able to tell him about her own experiences. That was EXCELLENT. The rest felt very lofty and dramatic.
I hope there are more books written about suicidal ideation in youth so that young readers have some options!
May 26, 2022
An incredibly innovative book by Kacen Callender that turns the experience of living with depression into a fantastical world of going into a spirit realm. For some readers this will be the exact book they need. For others it will be triggering. I found it to be both, which is why, despite the short page length, it took me over a month to complete. As teachers and librarians, we need to be aware that just because students might identify with the main character's struggles, it might be too tender a subject for them to read at a given time.
May 24, 2023
2.5
Difficult topic for young readers...this was VERY heavy and I found it to be overwhelming at times.
Though I understood the story I didn't enjoy it. :-/
This felt like a big story for adults masked as a young reader piece.
Difficult topic for young readers...this was VERY heavy and I found it to be overwhelming at times.
Though I understood the story I didn't enjoy it. :-/
This felt like a big story for adults masked as a young reader piece.
January 12, 2023
3.75 Stars!
Moonflower is a story about a twelve-year-old boy named Moon who is struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Moon is a non-binary student who escapes to the spirit world at night and doesn’t want to come back to the land of the living. They experience transphobia and bullying from the people around them. Reading some of Moon’s inner thoughts was heartbreaking; especially knowing that some of these themes were based on the author’s experience.
This book is IMPORTANT! And *some* kids need stories like this, but I would say it’s a little mature for majority of the younger middle grade readers. However, for those kids who need this book, they will feel seen! Personally, I think every OTHER person needs to read this book. The people who aren’t open-minded. The people who think they have a right to tell someone else what is correct about their gender and identity. Maybe it’s the teacher in me, but damn…people need to read more books. They need to meet more types of people. They need more acceptance in their lives. This book will help those who feel like they are not being heard or seen.
King and the Dragonflies was one of the best middle grade books I’ve ever read, so I did prefer that book to this one. With that said, I think this is a good book, (and super important) but I don’t think I would suggest putting it in every elementary classroom.
Moonflower is a story about a twelve-year-old boy named Moon who is struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Moon is a non-binary student who escapes to the spirit world at night and doesn’t want to come back to the land of the living. They experience transphobia and bullying from the people around them. Reading some of Moon’s inner thoughts was heartbreaking; especially knowing that some of these themes were based on the author’s experience.
This book is IMPORTANT! And *some* kids need stories like this, but I would say it’s a little mature for majority of the younger middle grade readers. However, for those kids who need this book, they will feel seen! Personally, I think every OTHER person needs to read this book. The people who aren’t open-minded. The people who think they have a right to tell someone else what is correct about their gender and identity. Maybe it’s the teacher in me, but damn…people need to read more books. They need to meet more types of people. They need more acceptance in their lives. This book will help those who feel like they are not being heard or seen.
King and the Dragonflies was one of the best middle grade books I’ve ever read, so I did prefer that book to this one. With that said, I think this is a good book, (and super important) but I don’t think I would suggest putting it in every elementary classroom.
April 11, 2023
This is a very powerful and beautiful book about a young person dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide. I was blown away by the imagery, and the message of this book. A must-read for a lot of kids (and adults!) about acceptance, worthiness, and loving and forgiving yourself and others. Read it!
May 10, 2023
A very beautiful-- if at times hard to read-- story about Moon, a 12-year-old child suffering from depression. At night they travel to the spirit realm, portrayed vividly by Callender's gorgeous prose, and then return to the World of the Living in the daytime. But when they are given the opportunity to stay in the spirit realm, a choice must be made.
November 24, 2023
This is so perfect!
We need ya, wiecie co robić!
We need ya, wiecie co robić!
November 17, 2022
A beautiful & heartbreaking & heartopening dream.
September 5, 2022
Every book Kacen Callender writes has a purpose, a message that gets mulled over during the story. The moment when it all comes together and you can see with clarity the intentions the book was written with, that is the moment that is the sweetest in their books. It’s because they have something important to say, and that isn’t true for every author.
Moon is burdened by their life in the living world. Quite literally on one hand, since every night when they travel to the spirit realm, they can only stay for an hour because of a pesky chain that keeps them tethered to their dimension. In a more figurative sense, they are depressed. Weighed down by their existence and only wanting to run away. But running away only delays problems. In this case, their avoidance leads them to unconsciously aid an enemy and lay waste to the spirit world in the process.
I think this book is special. I have a few things that I wish were different but to explore them thoroughly would undermine how this book–with a lead character who is Black, nonbinary, and depressed–is published in a system where we have barely enough books in general with all these intersectionalities and none yet portrayed in a middle-grade novel.
Oftentimes when I read middle grade–or even YA in some cases–it comes off as patronizing or condescending clearly made by an adult infantilizing younger children. Yes, middle grade is a genre for kids, but that should be reflected in the writing or the depth that the characters can relate to a topic. It should surely not be a question if said: “content” (also known as diversity or discussion of non-superficial real-world issues) is included at all. Kids can understand a lot and empathize but also be the vectors of change we need.
Moonflower doesn’t stray away from hard topics–much like King and the Dragonflies–but instead answers them honestly. The main character Moon is a bit of a deep thinker, they ponder and talk with their friend Wolf. I think a lot of kids can understand this, can understand being different, being bullied, living in a world that used to be built for you, and having that cultural knowledge erased. I think a lot of kids will value being taken seriously and will value this book. Calling all philosophical, depressed enbys, this one’s for us!
Callender’s writing is always luscious and the chapter headings were fun. Each one was either a fruit, flower, or spice, and then sometimes completely random. I liked this somewhat, with a chapter headed “lemon” I could think about the tart bitter flavor and the smell. I was frustrated by the randomness at times, and could only really appreciate this element until I read an article by the author that explains that some were healing plants, and others were easter eggs. This needed to be further integrated into the story to be effective.
Also near the end, abruptly Moon’s depression severely lessened. Things changed to help them get better–their mom has a lot of things she unpacks, and I liked where it was going with Moon finding the will to work on it, but that’s the expectation, isn’t it? Headlines read: Magically, Depressed Challenging Child is Cured! They Just Needed To Find it Within Themself. It goes on. I just wanted this to defy the boundaries a little more than it already had.
An entirely satisfying read, Moonflower is wonderful. It brings the representation, the writing, and the emotional nuance a book about mental illness needs, did I mention it does all of this while supporting a well-built fantasy world on the side? Add a tantalizing touch of creepy and you end up with this ravishing creation. These are the narratives we need, and I can’t get enough.
---Thank You High Five Books for Providing This ARC---
Moon is burdened by their life in the living world. Quite literally on one hand, since every night when they travel to the spirit realm, they can only stay for an hour because of a pesky chain that keeps them tethered to their dimension. In a more figurative sense, they are depressed. Weighed down by their existence and only wanting to run away. But running away only delays problems. In this case, their avoidance leads them to unconsciously aid an enemy and lay waste to the spirit world in the process.
I think this book is special. I have a few things that I wish were different but to explore them thoroughly would undermine how this book–with a lead character who is Black, nonbinary, and depressed–is published in a system where we have barely enough books in general with all these intersectionalities and none yet portrayed in a middle-grade novel.
Oftentimes when I read middle grade–or even YA in some cases–it comes off as patronizing or condescending clearly made by an adult infantilizing younger children. Yes, middle grade is a genre for kids, but that should be reflected in the writing or the depth that the characters can relate to a topic. It should surely not be a question if said: “content” (also known as diversity or discussion of non-superficial real-world issues) is included at all. Kids can understand a lot and empathize but also be the vectors of change we need.
Moonflower doesn’t stray away from hard topics–much like King and the Dragonflies–but instead answers them honestly. The main character Moon is a bit of a deep thinker, they ponder and talk with their friend Wolf. I think a lot of kids can understand this, can understand being different, being bullied, living in a world that used to be built for you, and having that cultural knowledge erased. I think a lot of kids will value being taken seriously and will value this book. Calling all philosophical, depressed enbys, this one’s for us!
Callender’s writing is always luscious and the chapter headings were fun. Each one was either a fruit, flower, or spice, and then sometimes completely random. I liked this somewhat, with a chapter headed “lemon” I could think about the tart bitter flavor and the smell. I was frustrated by the randomness at times, and could only really appreciate this element until I read an article by the author that explains that some were healing plants, and others were easter eggs. This needed to be further integrated into the story to be effective.
Also near the end, abruptly Moon’s depression severely lessened. Things changed to help them get better–their mom has a lot of things she unpacks, and I liked where it was going with Moon finding the will to work on it, but that’s the expectation, isn’t it? Headlines read: Magically, Depressed Challenging Child is Cured! They Just Needed To Find it Within Themself. It goes on. I just wanted this to defy the boundaries a little more than it already had.
An entirely satisfying read, Moonflower is wonderful. It brings the representation, the writing, and the emotional nuance a book about mental illness needs, did I mention it does all of this while supporting a well-built fantasy world on the side? Add a tantalizing touch of creepy and you end up with this ravishing creation. These are the narratives we need, and I can’t get enough.
---Thank You High Five Books for Providing This ARC---
Want to Read
August 7, 2021"middle grade novel Moonflower by National Book Award winner Kacen Callender (King and the Dragonflies). The story is about 12-year-old Moon who struggles with depression and travels to the spirit realms every night, hoping never to return to the world of the living again. But when the realm is threatened, it's up to Moon to save the spirit world, sparking their own healing journey."
November 22, 2022
This was a very complicated story that involved the spirit world, the real world, and the fictional world that Moon wrote about. In the end these worlds sort of collided. I was not engaged by the story and found it difficult to follow.
September 11, 2024
3.5 rounded up. I started this book so ready to love it—the dreamy writing drew me in, the depression representation was authentic, and I’d loved the previous middle grade I’d read by Kacen Callendar. But unfortunately, the plot was thin, drenched in metaphor that sometimes worked but other times was redundant. None of the characters really felt fleshed out except for Moon, either. I can at least (kinda) excuse the Guardians and other spirits, because of the mystery surrounding these literally immortal beings, but even the human characters felt like props or plot elements. I would’ve liked to see more on Moon’s classmates, for example, especially since they became a central part of their recovery!!
(Also, while I know that people trying to get Moon to talk is supposed to show the issues with therapy that they encountered, why is it that not even the one person who helped Moon could come up with a way to have them talk through writing or even a communication device?? Maybe I was just quick to think of this because I’m sometimes nonverbal, but still.)
I predicted all the plot twists re: the magician and Blue’s story, but I still thought it was a highlight. The balance of depression and dreamlike fantasy was handled a little better in those vignettes, I liked getting to actually meet the magician later on (they were an interesting character! Would’ve liked to know more about them), and I thought the ways that it would question some mechanics of the human world were very creative. In general, though, I liked the fantasy elements when they toyed with a couple real-world concepts. The Spirit World itself was super intriguing and I liked the lore that tied it into Moon’s writing.
I also really appreciated the normalization of nonbinary identities! A lot of this cast is essentially “assume they’re genderless unless explicitly stated otherwise”, regardless of gender presentation. While I’m a little unsure how much of that can be attributed to Moon’s perspective on gender as a nonbinary child, I’d also never seen so many characters in a book that used they/them pronouns lol?? (Which is extremely surprising, considering how many queer books I’ve read. More of that, please.)
This was a little above okay, I liked some parts of it, but I still thought the story could use some improvement. A lot of the plot seems to be a way to vent out Kacen’s own philosophical beliefs, and I’m a little iffy on how Moon’s depression seemed to be (mostly) resolved.
(Also, while I know that people trying to get Moon to talk is supposed to show the issues with therapy that they encountered, why is it that not even the one person who helped Moon could come up with a way to have them talk through writing or even a communication device?? Maybe I was just quick to think of this because I’m sometimes nonverbal, but still.)
I predicted all the plot twists re: the magician and Blue’s story, but I still thought it was a highlight. The balance of depression and dreamlike fantasy was handled a little better in those vignettes, I liked getting to actually meet the magician later on (they were an interesting character! Would’ve liked to know more about them), and I thought the ways that it would question some mechanics of the human world were very creative. In general, though, I liked the fantasy elements when they toyed with a couple real-world concepts. The Spirit World itself was super intriguing and I liked the lore that tied it into Moon’s writing.
I also really appreciated the normalization of nonbinary identities! A lot of this cast is essentially “assume they’re genderless unless explicitly stated otherwise”, regardless of gender presentation. While I’m a little unsure how much of that can be attributed to Moon’s perspective on gender as a nonbinary child, I’d also never seen so many characters in a book that used they/them pronouns lol?? (Which is extremely surprising, considering how many queer books I’ve read. More of that, please.)
This was a little above okay, I liked some parts of it, but I still thought the story could use some improvement. A lot of the plot seems to be a way to vent out Kacen’s own philosophical beliefs, and I’m a little iffy on how Moon’s depression seemed to be (mostly) resolved.
September 25, 2022
"You deserve to exist. If you didn't deserve to exist, then you wouldn't exist. You don't need to feel bad for living, beloved child."
🌚
Moon spends their life traveling from the spiritual plane while sleeping and barely surviving the physical world while awake. Moon much prefers the spiritual world and always hopes to never go back to the human world where everyday is a struggle. Their therapist says they have depression. They struggle to make friends (or to even attempt to try) and their mom is very worried about them. But then the spiritual world is threatened, it’s up to Moon to save it.
🌚
What a beautifully written MG novel about a child suffering from depression. We really get to see and feel what it’s like for Moon to live with this day in and day out. Every person’s struggle with mental health issues is different, but this book makes it I credibly relatable. Another gorgeous choice from @scholasticinc I had the honor of meeting Kacen at the Newbery dinner at #alaac22 and need to read more by them. This is a sad book, no way around that, but the hope that it also gives us the reason why we purchase books on difficult topics for children. This is a novel to recommend to many different types of students because each will take something different away from it.
CW: depression, suicidal thoughts, selective mutism
I believe this one needs to be given to me readers who will get what the author is trying to say and definitely handled with care. So many great topics here from depression in youth to thoughts of suicide to non-binary/trans character to thoughts on the meaning of life to therapy, etc. Not all kids will get what an adult gets out of reading this book so definitely a good pick for a book club.
🌚
Moon spends their life traveling from the spiritual plane while sleeping and barely surviving the physical world while awake. Moon much prefers the spiritual world and always hopes to never go back to the human world where everyday is a struggle. Their therapist says they have depression. They struggle to make friends (or to even attempt to try) and their mom is very worried about them. But then the spiritual world is threatened, it’s up to Moon to save it.
🌚
What a beautifully written MG novel about a child suffering from depression. We really get to see and feel what it’s like for Moon to live with this day in and day out. Every person’s struggle with mental health issues is different, but this book makes it I credibly relatable. Another gorgeous choice from @scholasticinc I had the honor of meeting Kacen at the Newbery dinner at #alaac22 and need to read more by them. This is a sad book, no way around that, but the hope that it also gives us the reason why we purchase books on difficult topics for children. This is a novel to recommend to many different types of students because each will take something different away from it.
CW: depression, suicidal thoughts, selective mutism
I believe this one needs to be given to me readers who will get what the author is trying to say and definitely handled with care. So many great topics here from depression in youth to thoughts of suicide to non-binary/trans character to thoughts on the meaning of life to therapy, etc. Not all kids will get what an adult gets out of reading this book so definitely a good pick for a book club.
December 12, 2022
This was just gorgeous and heart-wrenching, and gave me all the feels!
I had tears in my eyes at various points in this one. For the young me who struggled with my feelings, and because it reminded me of my older daughter in some ways.
Moon is a child that "doesn't want to be here" and deals with feeling othered in myriad ways in the real world. Add to that that they can travel to the magical spirit realm at night, and who would want to come back to the pain of our world each day? My daughter is nearly the same age as Moon, is neurodivergent, struggles socially, and deals with feeling like she wishes she wasn't here when her emotions get to be too much. I wished to take that pain away from Moon just as I do my daughter.
But of course, this story is a journey. And as so many of us know, things do get better. Watching Moon's journey unfold, experiencing their emotions, and watching them grow brought on tears of both melancholy and pride/joy.
I really appreciate that Moon is not the only one to grow in this book. The familial arc in this story is also quite emotional. I think I learned from that as well.
The fantasy/otherworldly elements in this are lush and beautiful.
Kacen Callender is a wonderful writer. I'm so grateful that they wrote this book. While it may be a Middle Grade book, this is one that people of all ages could benefit from.
🌕🌸🌟🐺🥹
I had tears in my eyes at various points in this one. For the young me who struggled with my feelings, and because it reminded me of my older daughter in some ways.
Moon is a child that "doesn't want to be here" and deals with feeling othered in myriad ways in the real world. Add to that that they can travel to the magical spirit realm at night, and who would want to come back to the pain of our world each day? My daughter is nearly the same age as Moon, is neurodivergent, struggles socially, and deals with feeling like she wishes she wasn't here when her emotions get to be too much. I wished to take that pain away from Moon just as I do my daughter.
But of course, this story is a journey. And as so many of us know, things do get better. Watching Moon's journey unfold, experiencing their emotions, and watching them grow brought on tears of both melancholy and pride/joy.
I really appreciate that Moon is not the only one to grow in this book. The familial arc in this story is also quite emotional. I think I learned from that as well.
The fantasy/otherworldly elements in this are lush and beautiful.
Kacen Callender is a wonderful writer. I'm so grateful that they wrote this book. While it may be a Middle Grade book, this is one that people of all ages could benefit from.
🌕🌸🌟🐺🥹
Read
November 27, 2022This is one of those weird fantasy books that I categorized as: adults think children will like this. Think in the vein of A Wrinkle in Time, where you never quite know what’s real and what isn’t. The style of writing is very similar too in that realm of classic fantasy made for kids, that isn’t really made for kids.
Parts of it are in second person, which did go along with that old timey children’s fantasy, but it’s mostly first person and just slips every now and again.
It has that magically moral at the end that love fixes everything, and that kinda bugged me. It is an own voices story of a child’s struggle with depression, and I get it needs a conclusion, but I just think Moon could have still been sad and it would have been a good ending. Suddenly laughing just felt contrived and lessened everything else they’d been through. After all that the end message was still that depression needs to be fixed, and it was up to them to do it themselves. And while this might be true for some children and resonate with them, it sits funny with me. But mostly I just don’t enjoy this style of classic children’s fantasy writing. It emulates it well, but it just makes everything drag.
Parts of it are in second person, which did go along with that old timey children’s fantasy, but it’s mostly first person and just slips every now and again.
It has that magically moral at the end that love fixes everything, and that kinda bugged me. It is an own voices story of a child’s struggle with depression, and I get it needs a conclusion, but I just think Moon could have still been sad and it would have been a good ending. Suddenly laughing just felt contrived and lessened everything else they’d been through. After all that the end message was still that depression needs to be fixed, and it was up to them to do it themselves. And while this might be true for some children and resonate with them, it sits funny with me. But mostly I just don’t enjoy this style of classic children’s fantasy writing. It emulates it well, but it just makes everything drag.
February 20, 2023
“The first thing you should know is that I am not from your world. Maybe I should have said that first, before anything else, but I know you wouldn’t have believed me, and it was better to start somewhere else, so that you could trust that I am a reasonable sort of person who would not make up something like that.”
TITLE—Moonflower
AUTHOR—Kacen Callender
PUBLISHED—2022
PUBLISHER—Scholastic Press
GENRE—middle grade fiction
SETTING—our worlds
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—nonverbal, nonbinary, & Black MC, childhood, feelings of unbelonging, depression, post-pandemic life, the doors of life & death, the imagination as refuge and sanctuary, spirit worlds, friends & family, finding one’s purpose & path
WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STORY/PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BONUS ELEMENT/S—SO many beautiful, quotable lines!
PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Am I allowed to be sad, even if no one else thinks I should be?”
“‘But why?’ I ask him. ‘Why would anyone want to live? What’s the point of being alive?’
‘I’m excited for the moment you discover the answer to that yourself.’”
My thoughts:
This was such a beautiful, precious book. It was affirming and uplifting and hopeful while still treating some really heavy themes and feelings with honesty, nuance, and respect. I also loved the imagining of the spirit worlds and the depiction of the experience of living life as an embodied being.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has lived with depression or has a loved one who has (especially a child).
Final note: This book is **begging** to be illustrated. 👀
“Did you know that you are already more powerful than you could have ever imagined? You don’t have any idea, do you, child? That you are made of wonders.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
CW // depression & dissociation (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)
September 26, 2022
I think there's a point in time when picking up a middle grade book, that the book really speaks to your inner child. This is one of those books for me.
Being able to identify so many of those feelings that even 12 year olds struggle with and find a magical story to weave around it, is a skill. A skill that Kacen Callender excels at. This book had me smiling, wanting to cry and feeling very deeply. And I am not even the target audience.
This is one of those books that I wish 12 year old me had, but I am so happy that it now exists for any 12 year old child feeling this way.
Being able to identify so many of those feelings that even 12 year olds struggle with and find a magical story to weave around it, is a skill. A skill that Kacen Callender excels at. This book had me smiling, wanting to cry and feeling very deeply. And I am not even the target audience.
This is one of those books that I wish 12 year old me had, but I am so happy that it now exists for any 12 year old child feeling this way.
March 30, 2023
I read this out loud with my husband. And it is touching and beautiful and important. I think I could have really used this book as a kid. There are a few places in the book where I felt it was a bit repetitive. I felt moons descriptions of how they were feeling was really relatable and sad. I though mom modeled a good moment of connection and apology at the end of the book. The world building was lovely and moon pulls no punches about how they are feeling.
December 5, 2022
This is the PERFECT book for a middle grade reader struggling with depression. It was even filled with reminders for me, an adult who has struggled with depression for 30+ years.
I marked over 20 passages and felt validated and seen. If you know a young reader who needs to be reminded of their worth & their value, put this book in their hands immediately.
I marked over 20 passages and felt validated and seen. If you know a young reader who needs to be reminded of their worth & their value, put this book in their hands immediately.
December 29, 2022
saw this book randomly in a bookstore and was intrigued by the cover….I’m so glad I read this I literally sobbed the entire book. although meant for a younger population, this book beautifully tackles topics such as depression/trauma/etc. in a “children’s” story. I feel like this is what midnight library wanted to be….I loved everything about this and finished it in a sitting. Highly recommend.
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