Parents' Guide to

Moonrise

By Mary Cosola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Boy reconnects with brother on death row in haunting tale.

Moonrise Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

Heartbreaking!

A heartbreaking free verse poetry by Sarah Crossan. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, but I've been hesitant. I'm glad I finally got my hands on it, and I was relieved that the swearing was way less than I expected. Due to some minor content, I would recommend it to readers 18+.

This title has:

Educational value

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (4 ):

In this bittersweet, heartbreaking coming-of-age story, a teen boy gets reacquainted with his older brother, who only has two weeks until his execution date in a Texas prison. The poetic, free-verse style of Moonrise lets the words and thoughts of Joe, the main character, flow into each other in a dream-like way. With these snapshots of his emotions and memories, the reader gets an intimate, touching look at Joe's struggles.

The only downside is that the story is so internal that a feel for Joe's surroundings and the depth of some of the other characters are lacking. We do get to see how Joe and his siblings lovingly supported one another, given that their drug- and alcohol-addicted mom was largely absent or useless. The story provides a sobering look at the ripple effect incarceration has on loved ones and how the justice system treats the poor.

Book Details

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