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Blue Moon #1
Blue Moon
Fifteen-year old Mia lives with her dad in a small rural community. When she discovers that she's pregnant she doesn't know where to turn - her elder sisters have left home, her mum left when Mia was six, her boyfriend, Will, is too scared to be anyhelp and her dad tries to push her into an abortion. Backed into a corner, she runs away and joins two women on a canal boat. Nobody can find her now but she discovers that the women have their own tragic stories. A fire on the boat makes her realise that she must take responsibility for the baby and herself and that home is the most likely place to get help. Her mother re-enters her life and Will's mother involves herself. Mia learns about love and realises how much her father has done for her.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 2, 2020
I don't know why this appealed to me so much, but it did.
The topic of teenage pregnancy is hard to address in fiction as there appears to be so much stigma surrounding it, but luckily, Julia Green had a wonderful knack of writing a realistic story.
Mia is only 15 when she finds out she is pregnant. And sadly for her, she feels like she has nowhere toturn. Her mother left when she was six, her boyfriend suddenly doesn't want to know and her father is terrified of her becoming a mother and tries to pressure her into an abortion.
Overwhelmed, she runs away and becomes entangled with 2 young women who live on a canal boat, but sometimes things turn out alright... once in a Blue Moon.
I loved this so much I had already ordered the sequel before I finished.
The topic of teenage pregnancy is hard to address in fiction as there appears to be so much stigma surrounding it, but luckily, Julia Green had a wonderful knack of writing a realistic story.
Mia is only 15 when she finds out she is pregnant. And sadly for her, she feels like she has nowhere toturn. Her mother left when she was six, her boyfriend suddenly doesn't want to know and her father is terrified of her becoming a mother and tries to pressure her into an abortion.
Overwhelmed, she runs away and becomes entangled with 2 young women who live on a canal boat, but sometimes things turn out alright... once in a Blue Moon.
I loved this so much I had already ordered the sequel before I finished.
August 31, 2013
I discovered Julia Green’s ‘Blue Moon’ when I went to a secondhand book sale a few weeks back. The central theme of the book was appealing to me and so I thought I will get it. A couple of days back when I thought that I should pick a light novel which can be read quickly, I thought I will read Green’s book. Not exactly because the theme is light – because it is not – but because it is a YA book and so I thought the prose will be simple and the book will be plot-driven and so it will be a quick read. I read most of the book yesterday – yes, it was a quick read. Here is what I think.
‘Blue Moon’ is novel on teen pregnancy. Mia, the heroine of the story is fifteen. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her dad. Her eldest sister is on holiday and will be going to university soon while her middle sister has taken a gap year and is travelling to France and Italy. Mia likes a boy in school called Will and they start going out together. Then one day she discovers that she is pregnant. She doesn’t know whom to talk to, about it – she thinks her dad will get angry at her, Will will stop talking to her and nobody will listen to her point of view. Finally she confesses to her friend Becky and Becky is supportive of her. Mia is undecided on what to do – whether to have the baby, or have the baby and give it up for adoption or have an abortion. Then her dad gets to know Mia’s secret. And as Mia suspects, her dad gets angry at her. He says that she has to get an abortion and he fixes a time at the hospital. But on the day the surgery is expected to take place, Mia decides that she wants to have the baby and become a mother. She runs away from the hospital. After wandering around she ends up meeting two women who have their own boat. They give her shelter in the boat and are initially supportive of her. After a while, however, they say that she has to help them in their work in the boat. Then they start sailing to a new town. What adventures Mia has on the way and whether she has the baby and finds happiness in the end form the rest of the story.
When I started reading ‘Blue Moon’, I was thinking of the movie ‘Juno’. I love ‘Juno’ and have watched it many times. But the central idea of the movie has now become very clichéd after getting repeated so many times in other movies and TV series – a teenage girl gets pregnant, her parents are supportive, her friends are nice to her, she has the baby and then gives it up for adoption and then returns to her former life at school – that I was hoping that ‘Blue Moon’ was not another story like that. Fortunately, it wasn’t. In this story, Mia’s dad is shocked and is angry at her. He takes him a while to understand things from her perspective. Mia feels lost as she doesn’t have anyone to talk to and confide her feelings with. When she is pushed to the extreme (atleast that is the way she seems to look at it) she runs away from home. All these are realistic scenes in the story which make ‘Blue Moon’ different from the typically hunky-dory teenage pregnancy novel.
I loved the first part of ‘Blue Moon’ till the time when Mia runs away from the hospital. This part, though it was plot driven, had many beautiful sentences. Like this :
She imagined spitting the words out, bouncing them over the hard floor, translucent like marbles, each one with its coloured spiral trapped inside.
And this :
She opened the back door to let the cat in and then stepped right out on to the wet grass. The cold stung her bare feet, but she liked the feeling : sharp, more alive.
And this :
There was a shadow over the garden now. The day had lost its shine, its early morning promise.
And this :
Water drops flew off its fur in a perfect circle of fine spray.
And this :
She knocked the soap into the bath by mistake and it slipped like a fish in her hands as she tried to scoop it back up.
Simple sentences which describe everyday scenes, but they are so beautiful aren’t they? It looked like Julia Green had spent time polishing these simple sentences with a lot of love and made them shine.
My favourite lines from the second part of the book were these :
It was cold this morning, although the sun was shining through a thin veil of cloud. She could see her breath. White puffs of smoke. Dragon’s breath, they used to call it on frosty mornings when they walked down the lane to the primary school…
I didn’t love the second part of the book as much, but I still liked it. It was interesting and Mia’s evolution as a person through the second part of the story was quite nicely told.
The title of the book is from a W.H.Auden poem (I tried finding out the name of the poem, but it became quite complicated and so I won’t get into it here), the lines of which go like this :
But once in a while the odd thing happens,
Once in a while the dream comes true,
And the whole pattern of life is altered,
Once in a while the moon turns blue.
Well, you can imagine what must have happened at the end of the story. The moon does turn blue. To find out in detail what that means, you should read this book.
I discovered to my pleasant surprise that Julia Green has written a sequel to this book called ‘Baby Blue’. I hope to read that sometime.
Have you read ‘Blue Moon’ or any other books by Julia Green?
‘Blue Moon’ is novel on teen pregnancy. Mia, the heroine of the story is fifteen. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her dad. Her eldest sister is on holiday and will be going to university soon while her middle sister has taken a gap year and is travelling to France and Italy. Mia likes a boy in school called Will and they start going out together. Then one day she discovers that she is pregnant. She doesn’t know whom to talk to, about it – she thinks her dad will get angry at her, Will will stop talking to her and nobody will listen to her point of view. Finally she confesses to her friend Becky and Becky is supportive of her. Mia is undecided on what to do – whether to have the baby, or have the baby and give it up for adoption or have an abortion. Then her dad gets to know Mia’s secret. And as Mia suspects, her dad gets angry at her. He says that she has to get an abortion and he fixes a time at the hospital. But on the day the surgery is expected to take place, Mia decides that she wants to have the baby and become a mother. She runs away from the hospital. After wandering around she ends up meeting two women who have their own boat. They give her shelter in the boat and are initially supportive of her. After a while, however, they say that she has to help them in their work in the boat. Then they start sailing to a new town. What adventures Mia has on the way and whether she has the baby and finds happiness in the end form the rest of the story.
When I started reading ‘Blue Moon’, I was thinking of the movie ‘Juno’. I love ‘Juno’ and have watched it many times. But the central idea of the movie has now become very clichéd after getting repeated so many times in other movies and TV series – a teenage girl gets pregnant, her parents are supportive, her friends are nice to her, she has the baby and then gives it up for adoption and then returns to her former life at school – that I was hoping that ‘Blue Moon’ was not another story like that. Fortunately, it wasn’t. In this story, Mia’s dad is shocked and is angry at her. He takes him a while to understand things from her perspective. Mia feels lost as she doesn’t have anyone to talk to and confide her feelings with. When she is pushed to the extreme (atleast that is the way she seems to look at it) she runs away from home. All these are realistic scenes in the story which make ‘Blue Moon’ different from the typically hunky-dory teenage pregnancy novel.
I loved the first part of ‘Blue Moon’ till the time when Mia runs away from the hospital. This part, though it was plot driven, had many beautiful sentences. Like this :
She imagined spitting the words out, bouncing them over the hard floor, translucent like marbles, each one with its coloured spiral trapped inside.
And this :
She opened the back door to let the cat in and then stepped right out on to the wet grass. The cold stung her bare feet, but she liked the feeling : sharp, more alive.
And this :
There was a shadow over the garden now. The day had lost its shine, its early morning promise.
And this :
Water drops flew off its fur in a perfect circle of fine spray.
And this :
She knocked the soap into the bath by mistake and it slipped like a fish in her hands as she tried to scoop it back up.
Simple sentences which describe everyday scenes, but they are so beautiful aren’t they? It looked like Julia Green had spent time polishing these simple sentences with a lot of love and made them shine.
My favourite lines from the second part of the book were these :
It was cold this morning, although the sun was shining through a thin veil of cloud. She could see her breath. White puffs of smoke. Dragon’s breath, they used to call it on frosty mornings when they walked down the lane to the primary school…
I didn’t love the second part of the book as much, but I still liked it. It was interesting and Mia’s evolution as a person through the second part of the story was quite nicely told.
The title of the book is from a W.H.Auden poem (I tried finding out the name of the poem, but it became quite complicated and so I won’t get into it here), the lines of which go like this :
But once in a while the odd thing happens,
Once in a while the dream comes true,
And the whole pattern of life is altered,
Once in a while the moon turns blue.
Well, you can imagine what must have happened at the end of the story. The moon does turn blue. To find out in detail what that means, you should read this book.
I discovered to my pleasant surprise that Julia Green has written a sequel to this book called ‘Baby Blue’. I hope to read that sometime.
Have you read ‘Blue Moon’ or any other books by Julia Green?
July 13, 2021
I remember reading this book many years ago while I was still at school and being fascinated by it. Reading it now as an adult I was able to process it better. It was an easy read that I was able to finish in one sitting. A lot happens in such a small amount of time. There were moments, I really disliked characters and was also confused about what was happening. Even in the end, questions went unanswered..
Overall it was a quick and interesting read that I'm glad I read. I will definitely be reading the next instalment really soon.
3.5 stars!!
Overall it was a quick and interesting read that I'm glad I read. I will definitely be reading the next instalment really soon.
3.5 stars!!
May 12, 2021
So nice to just curl up with an easy read all day, haven’t read a book in a day for a while! I read this when I was a teenager and it really haunted me for some reason. So I thought I’d go back to it, funny how much I remembered! Loved it
August 11, 2025
really makes you think about the way your words, your love and your care (or, lack of) can change a person. all of this pressure on a young girl, and not a single person was there for her until the very end.
January 28, 2021
I really didn't like this book, I got through it quickly because it's short but honestly I felt like not much happened. I might read the next book but who knows
November 29, 2023
One of the best books I've ever read. I love how Julia goes in depth with description of scenery, it's as though I'm there and I'm living in the settings. Blue moon is very similar to the movie Juno. Both are based on teenage pregnancy, but for Blue Moon, the main character goes through a phase where she thinks she has no support from friends, family and even her significant other. It's truly a neatly written and put together book, describing and touching on the challenges of teenagers in this day and what can be done to support them in their time of need.
Will continue to recommend till the end of time. 5 stars lol
Will continue to recommend till the end of time. 5 stars lol
August 7, 2024
"Narodení na nešťastnej planéte. Ako my."
"...Ja nebudem ako Laura a Kate. Ja nechcem ísť na vysokú, ani inde na školu. Ani maturitu na jednotky. Na mne ušetríš."
Ocko, nejdem do školy, lebo mi je nevoľno od žalúdka, je mi zle, som unavená, lebo som v tom.
Mia je mladé pätnásťročné dievča, ktorej mešká menštruácia pár týždňov a potom zistí, že je tehotná s jej priateľom Willom, ktorý má len šestnásť. Je vystrašená a nevie čo s touto informáciou robiť. V škole má problémy a snažia sa zistiť, čo za tým je.
Každý jej hovorí ako by sa mala zachovať, že interupcia je najlepším rozhodnutím, lebo dieťa nemôže mať dieťa.
Will sa bojí, nevie ako sa chovať, asi tak ako tehotná Mia.
Mia najprv súhlasí s otcom ako postupovať, no potom to rozhodnutie oľutuje, utečie a stretne sa s náhodnými ľuďmi, ktorí jej majú pomôcť.
Potom sa však aj tak rozhodne úplne inak.
Ako prvé asi poviem to, že knižku som dostala ako darček a bol to veľmi zlý darček. Osobne by som za ňu tých sedem eur neobetovala.
Kniha je preložená, no chýba v nej priama reč, čo ma úplne vytáčalo, pretože som koľko razy niečo čítala a priama reč nebola ukončená a potom som ničomu nechápala. Opis príbehu vám stačí natoľko, že knihu som ani čítať nemusela a ak by som nebola taká pokojná, tak knihu ani nedočítam.
Názov, aleže úplne iný, než originál. Ak by som ho preložila doslova, tak by sa kniha mala nazvať Modrý mesiac, nie prekliate Rozhodnem sa sama.
Začiatok sa mi páčil, docela aj prvá zápletka toho, že vysvetľuje život mladého tehotného dievčaťa, ktoré je odsudzované.
Príbeh sa mi vôbec nepáčil, nedával mi logiku, nepáčil sa mi, niektoré strany som dokonca preskočila, lebo som stratila vždy na chvíľu nervy.
Veľa ľudí však hovorí, že je to to najlepšie, čo čítali, ja ich neodsudzujem, toto je čisto môj osobný názor, no knihu, keby nebola darom, tak ju spálim.
Celkovo jej dávam dve hviezdičky. Prvú za to, že sa mi páčil nápad autorky a druhú za ochotu vydavateľstva niečo takého vydať.
Ak by ste však mali záujem o knihu v zlacnenej verzii, tak ju nájdete na mojom Vinted účte v mesiaci marec.
Dovtedy prajem príjemné čítanie.
"...Ja nebudem ako Laura a Kate. Ja nechcem ísť na vysokú, ani inde na školu. Ani maturitu na jednotky. Na mne ušetríš."
Ocko, nejdem do školy, lebo mi je nevoľno od žalúdka, je mi zle, som unavená, lebo som v tom.
Mia je mladé pätnásťročné dievča, ktorej mešká menštruácia pár týždňov a potom zistí, že je tehotná s jej priateľom Willom, ktorý má len šestnásť. Je vystrašená a nevie čo s touto informáciou robiť. V škole má problémy a snažia sa zistiť, čo za tým je.
Každý jej hovorí ako by sa mala zachovať, že interupcia je najlepším rozhodnutím, lebo dieťa nemôže mať dieťa.
Will sa bojí, nevie ako sa chovať, asi tak ako tehotná Mia.
Mia najprv súhlasí s otcom ako postupovať, no potom to rozhodnutie oľutuje, utečie a stretne sa s náhodnými ľuďmi, ktorí jej majú pomôcť.
Potom sa však aj tak rozhodne úplne inak.
Ako prvé asi poviem to, že knižku som dostala ako darček a bol to veľmi zlý darček. Osobne by som za ňu tých sedem eur neobetovala.
Kniha je preložená, no chýba v nej priama reč, čo ma úplne vytáčalo, pretože som koľko razy niečo čítala a priama reč nebola ukončená a potom som ničomu nechápala. Opis príbehu vám stačí natoľko, že knihu som ani čítať nemusela a ak by som nebola taká pokojná, tak knihu ani nedočítam.
Názov, aleže úplne iný, než originál. Ak by som ho preložila doslova, tak by sa kniha mala nazvať Modrý mesiac, nie prekliate Rozhodnem sa sama.
Začiatok sa mi páčil, docela aj prvá zápletka toho, že vysvetľuje život mladého tehotného dievčaťa, ktoré je odsudzované.
Príbeh sa mi vôbec nepáčil, nedával mi logiku, nepáčil sa mi, niektoré strany som dokonca preskočila, lebo som stratila vždy na chvíľu nervy.
Veľa ľudí však hovorí, že je to to najlepšie, čo čítali, ja ich neodsudzujem, toto je čisto môj osobný názor, no knihu, keby nebola darom, tak ju spálim.
Celkovo jej dávam dve hviezdičky. Prvú za to, že sa mi páčil nápad autorky a druhú za ochotu vydavateľstva niečo takého vydať.
Ak by ste však mali záujem o knihu v zlacnenej verzii, tak ju nájdete na mojom Vinted účte v mesiaci marec.
Dovtedy prajem príjemné čítanie.
October 2, 2012
Blue Moon had one of the best beginnings I’ve experienced in a book.
The action sucked me in straight away. Although the prologue was a little flowery and unnecessary, the first chapter heads straight to the action –when Mia begins accepting there may be something wrong with her.
However, the storyline went downhill. Mia’s impulses, although characteristic, contributed annoyingly to the story. Indeed, she was stupid to get herself into this mess –realising every-time she had a physical relationship with somebody, even using protection, there’s a chance of getting a baby. That was the main reason I felt annoyed with her.
She took the same path I would’ve; tried to find a way to keep the baby. But her adventures were a little too melodramatic. She should’ve fought for her right to have the child, rather than run away. I realise it was all in Mia’s character, but her character infuriated me too much.
The ending came too quickly. The quote at the end seemed a little corny.
It had an amazing plot, but wasn’t substituted to its best ability.
May 21, 2012
I decided to read this book because I choose it whilst at school from the library, and I got into it quite quickly and easliy. The category in the bingo board this book ticks off is, "A book with themes related to those we've studied in term one." In term one, we studied the topic,' Beauty' I think it relates to beauty because she didnt want anyone to know that she was pregnant and was trying to hide her body image. Because I feel having a baby is special and beautiful in the correct situation. My favourite quote in this book is, "I'm just tired dad, I just need a day off school." I like this quote, because she used it for several weeks, and it got her off school, that was how she hid the truth from her father. The setting I found interesting was how she was just travelling around the world in a strangers small boat. I liked the way the stranger invited her aboard and welcomed her kindly.
July 19, 2013
Unlike other Julia Green books, Blue Moon was to me, a disappointment. Yes, it had a stereotypical plotline, but that didn't mean it had to be dead from the first page - yet sadly it was.
I feel like a lot of the book was underdeveloped: the relationships, the characters and the simple mindedness of the narrator, which in the end became mildly endearing, was probably the worst part about the book. She makes stupid decisions, for stupid reasons and she never admits when she's in the wrong. Overall she was a weak protagonist.
If you have nothing better to read, read this, but the chances are you'd better enjoy some of Julia Green's other books such as (book: Drawing with Light), (which I and my friends loved), or (book: Breathing Underwater).
I know I have extremely critical of this book, but it is the bitter truth. It's hard for me to change my opinion of this awfully cliche (in a bad way) book.
I feel like a lot of the book was underdeveloped: the relationships, the characters and the simple mindedness of the narrator, which in the end became mildly endearing, was probably the worst part about the book. She makes stupid decisions, for stupid reasons and she never admits when she's in the wrong. Overall she was a weak protagonist.
If you have nothing better to read, read this, but the chances are you'd better enjoy some of Julia Green's other books such as (book: Drawing with Light), (which I and my friends loved), or (book: Breathing Underwater).
I know I have extremely critical of this book, but it is the bitter truth. It's hard for me to change my opinion of this awfully cliche (in a bad way) book.
January 28, 2015
Un'estate, quella di Mia, ricca di scoperte e sorprese: le prime cotte, la voglia di indipendenza e un pesante segreto.
Mia scopre di essere incinta. Per la prima volta ha paura, teme la reazione di suo padre. Di sua madre non le importa, alla fine è stata proprio lei ad andarsene lasciando suo padre e le sue sorelle.
Mia, piccola e fragile quindicenne; tutti pensano di sapere cosa dovrà fare, cos'è giusto per lei.
Mia però sorprende tutti, scappa via e porta con sè il minuscolo fagiolino che le cresce in grembo. Tutto in un'estate, un battito d'ali di un gabbiano sopra un mare in tempesta.
Non è il primo libro che leggo di questa serie, l'ho trovato molto delicato ma incisivo. L'autrice focalizza la sua attenzione nel narrare, non la storia di una ragazzina incinta, ma la crescita di una giovane donna coraggiosa e il suo approccio con la vita che le sta crescendo dentro.
L'ho trovato istruttivo e molto bello.
Mia scopre di essere incinta. Per la prima volta ha paura, teme la reazione di suo padre. Di sua madre non le importa, alla fine è stata proprio lei ad andarsene lasciando suo padre e le sue sorelle.
Mia, piccola e fragile quindicenne; tutti pensano di sapere cosa dovrà fare, cos'è giusto per lei.
Mia però sorprende tutti, scappa via e porta con sè il minuscolo fagiolino che le cresce in grembo. Tutto in un'estate, un battito d'ali di un gabbiano sopra un mare in tempesta.
Non è il primo libro che leggo di questa serie, l'ho trovato molto delicato ma incisivo. L'autrice focalizza la sua attenzione nel narrare, non la storia di una ragazzina incinta, ma la crescita di una giovane donna coraggiosa e il suo approccio con la vita che le sta crescendo dentro.
L'ho trovato istruttivo e molto bello.
December 20, 2012
Earlier this year, i read a book, The Opposite Of Chocolate, which dealt with the same issues Blue Moon did. I enjoyed Blue Moon better because i like Julia Green's style of writing anyway, but i thought that the relationship between Mia and Will was more developed and special than the hardly existing relationship of the characters in the other book. I also liked how in this one you were actually told what happened to her in the end whereas the other was a cliffhanger. Blue moon was predictable in places but i didn't mind i still enjoyed it hugely.
July 2, 2016
I read this book with high expectations having read/heard good reviews about it, but I was extremely disappointed. It was an okay read but certainly not was I was hoping for. I found sixteen-year-old Mia annoying and I disliked the way she spoke to her father. The 'little girl' she kept seeing and her time on the boat didn't read true and added an unbelievable element to the story. Overall, a rather ho hum storyline. I won't be bothering with the sequel.
October 12, 2011
I really really liked this book. It was really detailed, so it was like watching a movie in my head. There was a lot of challenges for Mia, but she got through them, even though her dad didn't approve of any of the choices that she was making.
October 15, 2015
Noioso. Pensavo che trattando di gravidanza mi avrebbe coinvolto, invece le mie aspettative sono state completamente deluse. Se cercate un libro sulla gravidanza in tenera età e il tema dell’aborto, questo non è per niente adatto, c’è di meglio!!
April 26, 2011
its good for teenagers who have been wanted a baby just to see how difficult it is and the good and bad sides
September 27, 2010
i thought it was different but i enjoyed the quirkiness in it
April 22, 2012
I enjoyed this, it was captivating and fast moving and I always wanted to know what happened!
July 10, 2013
Loved it, would happily read it again. So touching and girls the same age and older are able to completely relate with such personal feelings.
March 14, 2014
Love this book, read it for the first time when I was around 15 and it's forever stuck with me since. Brilliantly written and puts a new spin on the teen pregnancy.
January 17, 2015
3.5 stars
March 12, 2018
Read this book when I was young. (around 12 or 13 years old). I borrowed it from the library if I remember correctly.
I absolutely loved it at the time of reading. Great story and had me hooked.
haven't read it since so couldn't give a proper adult review, but I would recommend to any teenager or "young adult". Was a great read and I can still remember the gist of the story
I absolutely loved it at the time of reading. Great story and had me hooked.
haven't read it since so couldn't give a proper adult review, but I would recommend to any teenager or "young adult". Was a great read and I can still remember the gist of the story
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews