The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal)

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By Kelly Barnhill

Publisher Description

Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal ★ A New York Times Bestseller ★ An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2016 ★ A New York Public Library Best Book ★ A Chicago Public Library Best Book ★ An Amazon Top 20 Best Book ★ A Publishers Weekly Best Book ★ A School Library Journal Best Book ★ A Kirkus Reviews Best Book ★ A Booklist Youth Editors’ Choice

With more than a million copies sold, acclaimed fantasy author Kelly Barnhill’s Newbery Medal winner is a must-read for fans of classic children's literature or timeless fantasy fables, described as “impossible to put down… As exciting and layered as classics like Peter Pan or The Wizard of Oz” (The New York Times Book Review).

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge—with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth’s surface. And the woman with the Tiger’s heart is on the prowl . . .

DON’T MISS THESE OTHER ACCLAIMED BOOKS BY KELLY BARNHILL:
The Mostly True Story of Jack
Iron Hearted Violet
The Witch’s Boy
The Ogress and the Orphans

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7915 Reviews

4.0

ArcticGiraffe719

Created about 15 hours ago

ANIK GOSWAMI

Created 1 day ago

“#Title:- The Girl Who Drank The Moon #Writer:- Kelly Barnhill #P_R:- 3.8/5 Follow me on:- https://www.instagram.com/_read_with_anik_?igsh=bHV1d3FkMWp2Zm9i "Human babies are only tiny for an instant—their growing up is as swift as the beat of a hummingbird's wing." Don't pick up this book if the little child inside of you has already died out long ago. Believe me, tho it's a children's book, there's much more to it than that. There is love, immense sorrow, sympathy, care, family, bonding, a WITCH, a SWAMP MONSTER and an ENORMOUSLY TINY DRAGON. Moreover, it's full of magic. ------------------------------------ Plot:- The story starts in a town called 'Protectorate' where each year a baby is sacrificed and is left alone in the middle of a dense forest for a WITCH to devour, to safeguard and spare the townspeople from the wrath of her. But, there's no witch in actuality (that's what the town's authorities believe and know). So, why this sacrifice? (We get the answer at the end.) But, there's A WITCH — who's 500 years old and goes by the name XAN, who takes the babies each year, however not to eat but to protect. She feeds the babies with starlight and enmagicks them and gives them to the people of the Free Cities where they get a new family and a new life. Likewise, another year, whilst going to the city, carrying a newly sacrificed baby girl, Xan stops to feed her on the starlight but unknowingly and unintentionally feeds her on the moonlight that gives the baby witchlike power. Xan decides to nurture the baby on her own and names her LUNA. At Xan's place, Luna meets with a swamp monster called GLERK and an enormously tiny dragon called Fyrian. But with her new power, Luna gets a little unconventional as she grows. Witnessing that, Xan binds her in a spell, concealing her magic, that'll break on her thirteenth birthday. And from there on the story takes on an unexpected turn. — While these things are going on in the one hand, on the other hand, in the protectorate, a new story is being knitted. Luna's mother, at the sacrifice of her child, goes berserk and is entitled MADWOMAN. But, Antain feels something peculiar is being woven throughout the protectorate so he withdraws himself from the distinguished GRAND ELDER training and follows his passion for carpentry. He marries his childhood love Ethyne. Time goes by and they're expecting a baby but, to their misery, the day of sacrifice is also near. But, on the contrary, Antain plots to sacrifice his baby to kill the witch to end this misery once and for all. Antain goes to the dense forest in search of the witch but comes across an acquaintance and a harsh reality. Will Antain be able to kill Xan? Will Luna get her magic back? Why the babies have been sacrificed? What heinous crime one once had committed? With full of questions and emotions, it's an enthralling and magical tale of love and sorrow. ------------------------------------ Themes:- Despite writing a children's book, Kelly Barnhill didn't hold back on her use of bold themes. She used themes of, 1. Sorrow Vs Love -> This theme is the most looked after throughout the story. How the madwoman and the dragon mourn at the demise of their loved ones. How sorrow benefits to gain evil power but ultimately the power of love wins. 2. Oppression & Blind allegiance -> The townspeople have always been oppressed by the town council in the name of faith. They have been disinterested about the real world and believed their sorrowful life only inside the protectorate woven by several falsified tales. 3. Magic realism. -> In the story, magical elements such as Xan's magical abilities, the swamp's strange properties, and Luna's accidental magic consumption are presented as normal and integral parts of the world. The narrative doesn't draw attention to these magical elements as extraordinary or surprising, instead, they are knitted into the fabric of the story, creating a sense of wonder and enchantment. ------------------------------------ Character appreciation:- 1. The character I liked the most was Ethyne. A cool, compassionate and loving woman with kindness to the heart and cunningness to the mind. Even amidst the sorrowing cloud of the protectorate, that blinded everyone about the true world, she has always been conversant about the adversity of the town. 2. The character of Xan, according to me, is of focal interest throughout the story who outcasts the central figure, Luna. Xan is anything but an altruist. She is kind and always tries to protect those who are dearer to her until she dies. 3. Antain on the other hand is determined and is a true family man. Even at the cost of his own life, he tries to protect his family. He's not only brave but also curious. With no magical power of his own, he's a daily man we all relate to. ------------------------------------ The excellences of this story:- • Magical and pleasant atmosphere throughout the story • Appropriate reason for every character's actions • Well-thought characters and a cute dragon • Strong, powerful and loving female characters • A delicate and heartwarming ending. • The enigmatic creation of the free cities, a contrast to the rigid and repressed society of the Protectorate — The drawbacks of this story:- • The story is a slow-burn so some readers might get bored whilst reading and might feel the urge of turning pages vehemently by scarcely reading. • Though all the characters are well written, I felt some characters should've been focused more on. The character of Glerk was really confusing. And it wasn't said if Luna's mother was also magical or not though some traits are shown. • Repetition of certain phrases and scenarios that made the story a bit boring. And, I felt the story could've ended a lot earlier instead of dragging it up to 400 pages. • The climax (Luna's interaction with the Sorrow-eater) wasn't really engaging and a bit bland. I expected them to fight and thus showcasing in the end that the power of love always conquers. ------------------------------------ Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience and a captivating read through MAGIC! LOVED IT.”

Likeable Minor characters stand out Strong relationships Gripping/exciting Loose ends Plot holes Repetitive Slow-paced Well-structured Beautiful Dark Magical Mystical Beautifully-written Clear but uninspired Easy to read Repetitive Grief

MerBrew

Created 2 days ago

Liz Z

Created 3 days ago

Predictable but satisfying Idyllic Magical Mystical Easy to read Straightforward Whimsical tone

Lenmon

Created 4 days ago

About Kelly Barnhill

Kelly Barnhill is a bestselling author of books for children and adults, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the Newbery Medal; The Ogress and the Orphans, a National Book Award finalist; and the highly acclaimed novels for young readers The Witch’s Boy, Iron Hearted Violet, and The Mostly True Story of Jack. She is also a winner of the World Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, the Andre Norton Nebula Award, and the PEN America Literary Award. Kelly lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, and she invites you to visit her online at kellybarnhill.com or on Bluesky @kellybarnhill.bsky.social.