Blood Moon
Ratings1
Average rating3
This powerful, timely novel in verse exposes provocative truths about periods, sex, shame, and going viral for all the wrong reasons. After school one day, Frankie, a lover of physics and astronomy, has her first sexual experience with quiet and gorgeous Benjamin--and gets her period. It's only blood, they agree. But soon a gruesome meme goes viral, turning an intimate, affectionate afternoon into something sordid, mortifying, and damaging. In the time it takes to swipe a screen, Frankie's universe implodes. Who can she trust? Not Harriet, her suddenly cruel best friend, and certainly not Benjamin, the only one who knows about the incident. As the online shaming takes on a horrifying life of its own, Frankie begins to wonder: is her real life over? Author Lucy Cuthew vividly portrays what it is to be a teen today with this fearless and ultimately uplifting novel in verse. Brimming with emotion, the story captures the intensity of friendships, first love, and female desire, while unflinchingly exploring the culture of online and menstrual shaming. Sure to be a conversation starter, Blood Moon is the unforgettable portrait of one girl's fight to reclaim her reputation and to stand up against a culture that says periods are dirty.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
Really gripping and captivating. Bullying rates, especially since early 2000s with a modern precedent of being online and social media, have been astronomically high. This book tackled this issue well and especially around bullying stemmed from sexually related experiences and something as innocent of having a period. It's depressing, down right depressing and excruciating knowing so many kids have very little resources or safe outlets to overcome and start the healing process for bullying that they go through. If at the very least we can get media pertaining around being bullied they can maybe, just maybe feel a little less alone during it all.
If you're looking for a book that discusses these topics for yourself or teens in your life - this is a great one to reach for.
Blood Moon follows the story of Frankie, a sixteen-year-old girl who has a close-knit set of friends, supportive parents, and an appreciation with space and physics. Her best friend, Harriet, is outgoing and loves flirting with boys; Frankie, however, doesn't find many of them that interesting, until she starts hanging out with Benjamin more often. After getting to know one another a little, Frankie and Benjamin hook up and Frankie ends up getting her period. Although a little awkward at first, Frankie and Benjamin both agree it's just blood, and there's no need to be embarrassed. Then, a rumor about their experience turns into a viral meme of Frankie, and her life begins to spiral. Frankie wonders if she's as dirty and disgusting as the online comments say she is, and if she can truly trust anyone she cares about.
Cuthew's first novel is told in verse and it is a harrowing tale of bullying (both online and real-life), friendship, feminism, and sexuality. One thing I truly appreciated was that all of the characters were flawed: Harriet is mean and makes mistakes, but she also makes valid points; Frankie is right to call Harriet out on certain behaviors, but she also contributes to some slut-shaming, etc. Their friendship, with all its ups and downs, is a very central part of this story, and it struck me as a bond between two teenagers who are adjusting to looming adulthood and all that entails.
I felt that the ending was a little too tidy and optimistic to strike me as completely real, but that's okay: we need stories of positivity concerning these subjects. Definitely will keep an eye on books from her in the future! 4/5 #NoShames
