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Beneath a Meth Moon
Laurel Daneau has moved on to a new life, in a new town, but inside she’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved mother and grandmother after Hurricane Katrina washed away their home. Laurel’s new life is going well, with a new best friend, a place on the cheerleading squad and T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team, for a boyfriend. Yet Laurel is haunted by voices and memories from her past.
When T-Boom introduces Laurel to meth, she immediately falls under its spell, loving the way it erases, even if only briefly, her past. But as she becomes alienated from her friends and family, she becomes a shell of her former self, and longs to be whole again. With help from an artist named Moses and her friend Kaylee, she’s able to begin to rewrite her story and start to move on from her addiction.
Incorporating Laurel’s bittersweet memories of life before and during the hurricane, this is a stunning novel by one of our finest writers. Jacqueline Woodson’s haunting—but ultimately hopeful—story is beautifully told and one readers will not
want to miss.
When T-Boom introduces Laurel to meth, she immediately falls under its spell, loving the way it erases, even if only briefly, her past. But as she becomes alienated from her friends and family, she becomes a shell of her former self, and longs to be whole again. With help from an artist named Moses and her friend Kaylee, she’s able to begin to rewrite her story and start to move on from her addiction.
Incorporating Laurel’s bittersweet memories of life before and during the hurricane, this is a stunning novel by one of our finest writers. Jacqueline Woodson’s haunting—but ultimately hopeful—story is beautifully told and one readers will not
want to miss.
182 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2012
About the author
Jacqueline Woodson
77 books8,903 followersI used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 947 reviews
February 26, 2017
Jacqueline Woodson is a leading young adult novelist, and her books are usually autobiographical in nature and poetry in motion. Most recently, her books Another Brooklyn and Brown Girl Dreaming have won multiple awards and fit the above description nicely. Under a Meth Moon is out of this comfort zone because does not appear to be autobiographical or fluid poetry. Rather, Woodson has penned the story of teenaged Laurel Daneau, a victim of Hurricane Katrina who has moved to Iowa with her family to try to recover the remnants of her life.
I enjoy Woodson's writing because of its poetic nature, but I do not enjoy reading about substance abuse. Woodson has touched on this issue before in Tupac and D Foster, but in that book, it seemed that the issue hit closer to home for her. In Meth Moon, Woodson is describing a rural Iowa community where most people pine to leave, a far cry from the bustling streets of Brooklyn. It is little wonder to me that teenagers like Daneau, who is struggling after traumatic events changed her life, would turn to drugs as a way of moving past both the upheaval and boredom.
Woodson's writing is still beautiful as she describes Daneau and her path to addiction and recovery, but it is not quite as poetic as her other books. It takes courage to write out of ones usual comfort area, so I give Woodson credit for picking a topic that is not easy to write about. Still, it was hard for me to relate to the some of the central, drug-addicted characters. I rate Under a Meth Moon 3.5 stars; 4.5 for Woodson's writing and 2.5 for the story I was not as captivated by as her other work.
I enjoy Woodson's writing because of its poetic nature, but I do not enjoy reading about substance abuse. Woodson has touched on this issue before in Tupac and D Foster, but in that book, it seemed that the issue hit closer to home for her. In Meth Moon, Woodson is describing a rural Iowa community where most people pine to leave, a far cry from the bustling streets of Brooklyn. It is little wonder to me that teenagers like Daneau, who is struggling after traumatic events changed her life, would turn to drugs as a way of moving past both the upheaval and boredom.
Woodson's writing is still beautiful as she describes Daneau and her path to addiction and recovery, but it is not quite as poetic as her other books. It takes courage to write out of ones usual comfort area, so I give Woodson credit for picking a topic that is not easy to write about. Still, it was hard for me to relate to the some of the central, drug-addicted characters. I rate Under a Meth Moon 3.5 stars; 4.5 for Woodson's writing and 2.5 for the story I was not as captivated by as her other work.
August 12, 2012
Teaching middle school, I'm always a little edgy about ordering substance abuse related fiction. This one was a stellar purchase, though. Laurel has lost her beloved mother and grandmother who were killed during Hurricane Katrina because her grandmother refused to leave her coastal Mississippi home. Laurel's father moves the family to central Iowa, where they try to pick up the pieces. Starting a new high school is stressful enough, but Laurel seems to find a place with the cheerleading squad, her new friend Kaylee, and her basketball star boyfriend T-Boom. T-Boom introduces her to the moon... crystal meth. He cooks it and sells it out of an abandoned house, and once he gives Laurel a taste of the moon, she's hooked. It's not just the incredible good feeling she got the first time -- when all her sadness seemed to float away and suddenly the world seemed full of possibility. It's the itching, creepy crawling sensations she gets when it wears off... and if she could just have a little more, it would all go away. As her life spirals downward, the cravings for meth replace everything for Laurel, including her father and her four-year-old brother. She is reduced to a homeless beggar, living in the dark unheated back room of an abandoned hardware store in the next town. When she meets Moses, she is at the point where she can't bear to even look at her reflection in windows... she has that filthy, emaciated, malnourished meth user look to her. Moses sees a spark of something in her, though, and as he paints memorials to other young people who died from meth use, he gently encourages Laurel to see that she's not completely lost yet. Powerful writing that shows the curse of this particular drug epidemic realistically, but also hopefully. Absolutely amazing.
April 5, 2012
This left me disappointed, given the heavy topics dealt with. It was too slight. Laurel lost her mother and her grandmother in Katrina, and when she, her father, and baby brother move up north, she finds herself falling for a boy who leads her to meth.
While it was sad, I didn't feel like there was much character development, and I found the treatment of the subject matter didn't give it the sort of impact it should have had. This is a really stripped down story and Woodson writes it well, but it needed just a bit more. It seemed too easy and quick for Laurel to go from grief to drug addict living on the streets. What I did believe and really appreciated was the manner in which rural meth use impacts communities.
I can see reluctant readers liking this one a lot because it is fast-paced, it delves into a series of really powerful topics, and it doesn't waste a lot of time getting from point a to point b.
While it was sad, I didn't feel like there was much character development, and I found the treatment of the subject matter didn't give it the sort of impact it should have had. This is a really stripped down story and Woodson writes it well, but it needed just a bit more. It seemed too easy and quick for Laurel to go from grief to drug addict living on the streets. What I did believe and really appreciated was the manner in which rural meth use impacts communities.
I can see reluctant readers liking this one a lot because it is fast-paced, it delves into a series of really powerful topics, and it doesn't waste a lot of time getting from point a to point b.
February 9, 2015
Jacqueline Woodson's YA substance abuse tale Beneath a Meth Moon--an elegy is, fortunately, not nearly as 8th-Grade-Health-class-scare-tactic-filmstrip-esque, or as elegiac, as the somewhat unfortunate title might indicate. (To be honest, if even strangely perverse, I chose this from the library after being blown away by her National Book Award-winning autobiography in verse, brown girl dreaming. I picked the title I thought I'd. least enjoy first and work my way through her {pretty extensive} back catalogue to see if her other titles were as worthwhile).
I did enjoy this sad tale (insofar as one could enjoy a book featuring a fifteen year-old girl falling down the abyss of meth addiction). We follow Laurel from Pass Christian, Mississippi (where Hurricane Katrina wipes out her family's hometown, and her mom and grandmother) to the town her father can find work in: Galilee, Iowa. There she becomes a cheerleader for the town's high school, and falls for a basketball player who "likes to party", and begins her downward spiral.
While I was not real impressed by the story (or lack of it: it's only 170 pages long), I did like the non-preachy, stripped-down, and often sadly beautiful prose Ms. Woodson employs to convey Laurel's path toward self-destruction. This could've easily become a shamelessly ham-fisted public service announcement, but the histrionics and drama are reined in and what's left is a pretty effective cautionary tale that doesn't condescend to its target audience.
I did enjoy this sad tale (insofar as one could enjoy a book featuring a fifteen year-old girl falling down the abyss of meth addiction). We follow Laurel from Pass Christian, Mississippi (where Hurricane Katrina wipes out her family's hometown, and her mom and grandmother) to the town her father can find work in: Galilee, Iowa. There she becomes a cheerleader for the town's high school, and falls for a basketball player who "likes to party", and begins her downward spiral.
While I was not real impressed by the story (or lack of it: it's only 170 pages long), I did like the non-preachy, stripped-down, and often sadly beautiful prose Ms. Woodson employs to convey Laurel's path toward self-destruction. This could've easily become a shamelessly ham-fisted public service announcement, but the histrionics and drama are reined in and what's left is a pretty effective cautionary tale that doesn't condescend to its target audience.
August 5, 2021
اتمام: ۱۵ مرداد ساعت ۱:۲۲
July 22, 2024
انصافاً کتاب بیخودی بود. نتونستم تمومش کنم.
July 27, 2021
همه میدونیم که کتابای که درباره مشکلات نوجوونها و جوونها باشن، خیلی زیادن.
مشکلاتی مثل درگیر شدن با یه بیماری خطرناک، یا طلاق گرفتن پدر و مادر ویا از دست دادن یکی از اونها، یا حتی جابجایی و دوری از دوستان و دورهی بلوغ؛
ولی کمتر کتابی رو میبینیم که به مشکل اعتیاد بین نوجوونها میپردازه. دلیلش رو نمیدونم؟ شاید بهخاطر اینهکه صبحت کردن دربارهش خجالتآوره؟ یا هنوز کسی دوست نداره باور کنه که نوجوونهاهم درگیر اعتیاد میشن.
این کتاب همزمان به چند موضوع پرداخته : از دست دادن افراد نزدیک و یکی از والدین، دورهی بلوغ، مسئولیت پذیری و اعتیاد.
یکی از نقاط مثبت و خوب این کتاب، این بود که همهچیز دقیق توصیف شده بود و به راحتی میشد با کتاب همراه و وارد دنیای کتاب شد.
نویسنده کتاب، ژاکلین وودسون، به خوبی تونسته بود احساسات یه نووجونی که درگیر اعتیاد میشه و بعد تلاش میکنه برای خوب شدن، برای رها شدن از ماه.
مثل اینکه نویسنده به مدت یکسال توی مرکز بازپروری مشغول به کار بوده تا بتونه احساسات و حال و احوال افرادی که قبلا اعتیاد داشتن و حالا سعی دارن ازش فاصله بگیرن به خوبی توصیف کنه و بهشون بپردازه.
مشکلاتی مثل درگیر شدن با یه بیماری خطرناک، یا طلاق گرفتن پدر و مادر ویا از دست دادن یکی از اونها، یا حتی جابجایی و دوری از دوستان و دورهی بلوغ؛
ولی کمتر کتابی رو میبینیم که به مشکل اعتیاد بین نوجوونها میپردازه. دلیلش رو نمیدونم؟ شاید بهخاطر اینهکه صبحت کردن دربارهش خجالتآوره؟ یا هنوز کسی دوست نداره باور کنه که نوجوونهاهم درگیر اعتیاد میشن.
این کتاب همزمان به چند موضوع پرداخته : از دست دادن افراد نزدیک و یکی از والدین، دورهی بلوغ، مسئولیت پذیری و اعتیاد.
یکی از نقاط مثبت و خوب این کتاب، این بود که همهچیز دقیق توصیف شده بود و به راحتی میشد با کتاب همراه و وارد دنیای کتاب شد.
نویسنده کتاب، ژاکلین وودسون، به خوبی تونسته بود احساسات یه نووجونی که درگیر اعتیاد میشه و بعد تلاش میکنه برای خوب شدن، برای رها شدن از ماه.
مثل اینکه نویسنده به مدت یکسال توی مرکز بازپروری مشغول به کار بوده تا بتونه احساسات و حال و احوال افرادی که قبلا اعتیاد داشتن و حالا سعی دارن ازش فاصله بگیرن به خوبی توصیف کنه و بهشون بپردازه.
November 29, 2017
کتاب رو صبح تو مترو شروع کردم و عصر تو تاکسی قلپ قلپ باهاش اشک ریختم و شب تو خونه تقریبا به هقهق رسیدم تا تموم شد. فکر کنم واکنشم به داستان و درگیریم باهاش طبیعی نبود. داستان در واقع در مورد اعتیاده اما من چند روزه مدام درگیر «از دست دادنها»ام و حالا با قهرمانی روبرو بودم که خونهش رو کاملا و خانوادهش رو هم تقریبا در طوفان از دست داده بود و شرح این کمبود من رو بیچاره میکرد.
توصیف لحظات غصه و از یاد بردن گذشته با مواد خیلی درگیرکننده بود اما به نظرم بخش آخر کمی سر دستی نوشته شده بود.
اگه با نوجوونها کار میکنید بخونیدش. ممکنه بچهای رو ببینید که معرفی کردن این کتاب بهش براش مفید باشه.
رو به ناشر: کتاب واقعا به ویرایش احتیاج داره و خیلی عجیب بود برام که نشر افق در این حالتِ انگار غیرآماده کتاب رو چاپ کرده.
توصیف لحظات غصه و از یاد بردن گذشته با مواد خیلی درگیرکننده بود اما به نظرم بخش آخر کمی سر دستی نوشته شده بود.
اگه با نوجوونها کار میکنید بخونیدش. ممکنه بچهای رو ببینید که معرفی کردن این کتاب بهش براش مفید باشه.
رو به ناشر: کتاب واقعا به ویرایش احتیاج داره و خیلی عجیب بود برام که نشر افق در این حالتِ انگار غیرآماده کتاب رو چاپ کرده.
March 10, 2012
This is an author who does not disappoint. An award winning Newbery and Coretta Scott King recipient, this latest book packs a wallop.
When 15 year old Laurel Daneua moves to a new area with her father and little brother after her mother and grandmother were killed in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina, despite the incredible grief and heartache,the family valiantly tries to pick up the pieces and start again.
Finding a new friend who introduces her to meth quickly equates to a life swirling into a deep, dark tunnel. Even though Laurel has a support base of those who love her, she chooses the drug to mask the pain of loss.
Woodson powerfully portrays the gritty down fall and harsh reality of the frightening power of meth.
Highly recommended.
When 15 year old Laurel Daneua moves to a new area with her father and little brother after her mother and grandmother were killed in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina, despite the incredible grief and heartache,the family valiantly tries to pick up the pieces and start again.
Finding a new friend who introduces her to meth quickly equates to a life swirling into a deep, dark tunnel. Even though Laurel has a support base of those who love her, she chooses the drug to mask the pain of loss.
Woodson powerfully portrays the gritty down fall and harsh reality of the frightening power of meth.
Highly recommended.
April 24, 2012
Fabulous book! Jacqueline Woodson is an amazing writer. This is not just a book about meth addiction. This is not just a book about the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. The author combines them both with breathtaking writing. I highly recommend it!
October 11, 2015
I've been seeking out some titles that might appeal to juvenile offenders or that horribly-named demographic -- "at-risk" teenagers -- that concern characters in difficult, "urban" situations but are not graphically violent, offensive or sexual. It's hard to even say that this book is "urban", since it takes place in small-town Iowa. I don't know a better word -- street lit? Regardless, Woodson is kind of the queen of teen street. Most junior and high school teachers rely on her works for their urban reluctant readers, and this one should be no exception. Being an Iowan myself, I groan a little whenever Iowa and meth are linked in the same sentence, but the truth is, methheads are everywhere around here, especially in rural small towns. This story hits home in a big way. Would I recommend this in a classroom or school library? Yes, here's why:
1. No bad words, no sex, no R ratings here, yet not a condescending or G rated plot, either
2. The central character (in fact, all the characters) is likeable
3. Readers have the opportunity to empathize both with a drug addiction experience and the trauma of surviving Katrina
4. The story ends with hope -- maybe a tad unrealistic-- but it really needs to end this way
5. Homosexual character included, but not central to the plot -- just a part of real life, and he's a hero (not because he's gay, but because he's a good guy)
This is a great book for the right reader, and I could imagine some great discussions coming from it.
One thing I don't like: horrible title. Wish she'd just called it "Moon".
1. No bad words, no sex, no R ratings here, yet not a condescending or G rated plot, either
2. The central character (in fact, all the characters) is likeable
3. Readers have the opportunity to empathize both with a drug addiction experience and the trauma of surviving Katrina
4. The story ends with hope -- maybe a tad unrealistic-- but it really needs to end this way
5. Homosexual character included, but not central to the plot -- just a part of real life, and he's a hero (not because he's gay, but because he's a good guy)
This is a great book for the right reader, and I could imagine some great discussions coming from it.
One thing I don't like: horrible title. Wish she'd just called it "Moon".
November 10, 2011
There's a line in this very book that might capture my feelings exactly: "I like to read. . . . A hundred and ten books in my house and counting. I read all of them. Some sucked, but I kept reading, hoping they'd turn good at some point. They didn't though. But you don't give up on something—"
I read this book in about two hours, max. It's fairly insubstantial. I will say that for a title that gives it all away it's not as bleak as I'd been imagining, and all told nothing bad seems to really happen to this addict. There's no plot, no conflict, just a junkie's stream of consciousness. Kind of boring.
I read this book in about two hours, max. It's fairly insubstantial. I will say that for a title that gives it all away it's not as bleak as I'd been imagining, and all told nothing bad seems to really happen to this addict. There's no plot, no conflict, just a junkie's stream of consciousness. Kind of boring.
July 3, 2016
براى منى كه مدتها درگير مسائل اعتياد نوجوونها بودم كتاب جالبى بود. خود نویسنده دربارهى كتابش مىگه: «این روزها میبینم که مواد مخدر در کشورمان بیداد میکند و من وقتی میبینم قدرتی برای مقابله با چیزی ندارم سراغ نوشتن میورم.»
سلاحی قدرتمندتر، سازندهتر و حتی نابودکنندهتر از قلم و نوشتن هم داریم؟!
سلاحی قدرتمندتر، سازندهتر و حتی نابودکنندهتر از قلم و نوشتن هم داریم؟!
August 13, 2021
هیچ نکتهی قابل ذکری نداشت. نه نگاه ویژهای به مسالهی اعتیاد داشت. نه قصهی خاصی رو روایت میکرد، نه قصه رو به شیوهی خاصی روایت میکرد، نه نوع روایت ویژه بود. حتی شخصیتپردازی هم در داستان صورت نگرفته بود و ما فقط و فقط با تیپهایی سر و کار داشتیم که در داستانهای دم دستی دربارهی اعتیاد همیشه باهاشون سر و کار داریم. هیچ هیچی هیچی نداشت. به جرات میگم فیلمهای شبکه یک در مورد اعتیاد هم تقریباً چیزی تو همین مایههان.
ماجرای مادر و مادربزرگ قسمتی از داستان بود که نویسنده خیلی بهش پرداخته بود، اما نه کارکرد داستانی خاصی داشت و نه دلیل و منطق درست و درمونی میشد براش پیدا کرد
جسی جونیور و بلاهت اغراقشدهی تصنعی کودکانهش هم کاملاً روی اعصابم رژه میرفت
تنها نکتهی مثبت ترجمهی نسبتاً خوب کتاب بود
ماجرای مادر و مادربزرگ قسمتی از داستان بود که نویسنده خیلی بهش پرداخته بود، اما نه کارکرد داستانی خاصی داشت و نه دلیل و منطق درست و درمونی میشد براش پیدا کرد
جسی جونیور و بلاهت اغراقشدهی تصنعی کودکانهش هم کاملاً روی اعصابم رژه میرفت
تنها نکتهی مثبت ترجمهی نسبتاً خوب کتاب بود
March 3, 2013
"I celebrated my fifteenth birthday sitting in the rain begging for money. I was living in Donnersville by then. Nights inside that room in back of the hardware store, days walking and begging for money. Always Mama's voice inside my head whispering, "Daneaus don't lie, and they don't steal," so loud and hard that a part of me wanted to scream, "Then I'm not a Daneau anymore!" But scared always that the voice would go away, that her hand on my back, when I was shaking and sick with the need for moon, would lift off and disappear. Forever and ever. Amen."
Fifteen year-old Laurel has recently moved to rural Iowa with her father and younger brother; her mother and grandmother were lost in hurricane flooding back home in Mississippi, and they have moved north to try to start over, and recover from their losses. Laurel makes a new friend, joins the cheerleading squad, and is beginning to find her place. When she meets T-Boom, a star on the school's basketball team, she can't believe it's all happening for her. T-Boom quickly introduces Laurel to "the moon," the meth that has captured so many other young people from the area, and which quickly takes hold of Laurel. Her downward spiral is quick and devastating, and her lies and betrayal in order to score more will test her limits, and those of her family.
I'm going between 3 and 4 stars on this one, and I think I'm being swayed because as I read, I could hear Woodson reading the text aloud. Her lyrical prose is infectious, and this book demands to be read in her quiet, hushed tones. Still, as an account of teen drug use, it's a fairly predictable story; in fact, there's not much action in the book - beyond the frequent flashbacks to happier times, and the flood itself, this is very much Laurel's stream-of-consciousness narrative. The Christian references, while appropriate in spots, seem forced in others. Like poetry, there are some passages that resonate more than others, but I'd still recommend this without reservation.
Fifteen year-old Laurel has recently moved to rural Iowa with her father and younger brother; her mother and grandmother were lost in hurricane flooding back home in Mississippi, and they have moved north to try to start over, and recover from their losses. Laurel makes a new friend, joins the cheerleading squad, and is beginning to find her place. When she meets T-Boom, a star on the school's basketball team, she can't believe it's all happening for her. T-Boom quickly introduces Laurel to "the moon," the meth that has captured so many other young people from the area, and which quickly takes hold of Laurel. Her downward spiral is quick and devastating, and her lies and betrayal in order to score more will test her limits, and those of her family.
I'm going between 3 and 4 stars on this one, and I think I'm being swayed because as I read, I could hear Woodson reading the text aloud. Her lyrical prose is infectious, and this book demands to be read in her quiet, hushed tones. Still, as an account of teen drug use, it's a fairly predictable story; in fact, there's not much action in the book - beyond the frequent flashbacks to happier times, and the flood itself, this is very much Laurel's stream-of-consciousness narrative. The Christian references, while appropriate in spots, seem forced in others. Like poetry, there are some passages that resonate more than others, but I'd still recommend this without reservation.
January 28, 2012
Since I've started combing the depths of YA fiction I haven't yet read a drug/addiction/disorder book. This is my first, so I'm kind of a newbie. But I have to say that this book is pretty powerful. I've never struggled with a serious addiction, but I've seen enough people succumb to it. One thing I've noticed that holds true across the board is that addiction is the symptom of a different problem or hurt. Although this is pretty dark subject, the book is written with a hopeful tone.
This book showcases the downward spiral of Laurel. And it's painful to read. The whole time that she is telling her story, how she ended up addicted to moon (meth), I just feel so much sadness for her. I mean, this is real life. Everything is so bleak and covered in a sheen of sadness, but then along comes Moses. His character seemed to shine a light onto the pages, and you see how he has such a great effect on Laurel even when she's at her lowest low.
This book takes you on a journey through addiction. I've seen addiction from the outside, but this book is a raw glimpse into what is going on inside the head of an addict. I'm still playing parts of it through my mind. I guess you could say it's haunting my thoughts a bit. I have three kids of my own that I pray never face this kind of struggle. We all have pain in our lives in some form and deal with it in different ways, but hopefully in a healthy and productive manner.
This book showcases the downward spiral of Laurel. And it's painful to read. The whole time that she is telling her story, how she ended up addicted to moon (meth), I just feel so much sadness for her. I mean, this is real life. Everything is so bleak and covered in a sheen of sadness, but then along comes Moses. His character seemed to shine a light onto the pages, and you see how he has such a great effect on Laurel even when she's at her lowest low.
This book takes you on a journey through addiction. I've seen addiction from the outside, but this book is a raw glimpse into what is going on inside the head of an addict. I'm still playing parts of it through my mind. I guess you could say it's haunting my thoughts a bit. I have three kids of my own that I pray never face this kind of struggle. We all have pain in our lives in some form and deal with it in different ways, but hopefully in a healthy and productive manner.
March 10, 2012
Lisa Campbell
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
This is the story of Laurel Daneau, hurricane Katrina survivor, cheerleader, best friend and meth addict. Hurricane Katrina took the lives of her mother and grandmother and Laurel’s father moves the family from Mississippi to Iowa. Instantly popular, Laurel attracts the eye of T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team. T-Boom introduces Laurel to ‘moon’ and she is immediately in its grip. Laurel descends to living in the streets and begging for money. Everything about Laurel’s life hurts – the deaths in her family, the disappointment in her father’s eyes, and the ache of leaving her little brother. But the thing that hurts most of all is not having meth. Through the help of Moses, a 17 year old street painter, Laurel slowly finds her way home again.
The author, Jacqueline Woodson, is such a beautiful writer. The value of this story lies in its honesty. It is a revelation into the life of a young addict. This book would be of value to any parent or teen trying to understand the drug issues that is affecting their lives. The cause of Laurel’s drug addiction was not family problems, although her life had not been easy, it was simply the addictive qualities of meth. It is a cautionary tale that would of value to any teen.
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
This is the story of Laurel Daneau, hurricane Katrina survivor, cheerleader, best friend and meth addict. Hurricane Katrina took the lives of her mother and grandmother and Laurel’s father moves the family from Mississippi to Iowa. Instantly popular, Laurel attracts the eye of T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team. T-Boom introduces Laurel to ‘moon’ and she is immediately in its grip. Laurel descends to living in the streets and begging for money. Everything about Laurel’s life hurts – the deaths in her family, the disappointment in her father’s eyes, and the ache of leaving her little brother. But the thing that hurts most of all is not having meth. Through the help of Moses, a 17 year old street painter, Laurel slowly finds her way home again.
The author, Jacqueline Woodson, is such a beautiful writer. The value of this story lies in its honesty. It is a revelation into the life of a young addict. This book would be of value to any parent or teen trying to understand the drug issues that is affecting their lives. The cause of Laurel’s drug addiction was not family problems, although her life had not been easy, it was simply the addictive qualities of meth. It is a cautionary tale that would of value to any teen.
January 27, 2012
I love Woodson's poetry and often recognized lyricism in this book about the horrors of meth addiction. Laurel has already suffered so much...the loss of her beloved grandmother, her mother, and her home. She and her father and brother move to rural Iowa from coastal Mississippi. I can understand Laurel's culture shock, but things seem to be going so well...when she falls for the start basketball player and follows him into regular meth use.
Woodson doesn't honey-coat the effects of addiction, or the dangers. She faithfully portrays the hopelessness, of the addict and of the people she loves. Laurel watches the people she loves turn their backs on her and walk away.
I love Moses -- the artist who captures the souls of the dead addicts on his own canvasses...the brick walls of the buildings in town. His back story and his devotion are inspiring.
Woodson calls this book an 'elegy' and it does have the elegiac tone...writing and poetry and stories are important...and the elegy ends quietly, with hope.
Woodson doesn't honey-coat the effects of addiction, or the dangers. She faithfully portrays the hopelessness, of the addict and of the people she loves. Laurel watches the people she loves turn their backs on her and walk away.
I love Moses -- the artist who captures the souls of the dead addicts on his own canvasses...the brick walls of the buildings in town. His back story and his devotion are inspiring.
Woodson calls this book an 'elegy' and it does have the elegiac tone...writing and poetry and stories are important...and the elegy ends quietly, with hope.
August 7, 2018
Well, I read that in one sitting. So much for getting to bed early! I personally loved this book. I loved the poetic writing. It reminded me of Francesca Lia Block with the metaphors and descriptions about a dark topic. It was just scary enough to leave an impression and it had a lot of really impressive techniques to inspire anyone who is struggling with addiction and to try and truly prevent addiction from latching onto someone new. The writing was awesome. I couldn’t put it down.
March 26, 2012
This poetic novel is a marvelous look at the suffering of a lovely young girl who quickly becomes addicted to meth. After the loss of her mother and grandmother in a hurricane, she seems to be doing well two years later until a boyfriend gives her the drug. The writing here is beautiful and captures her descent powerfully.
July 30, 2015
A heartbreaking but hopeful story told in exquisite prose.
November 18, 2017
The book is topical, as it deals with the meth crisis and its teen targets, but it actually didn't go deep enough. The topic itself is anxiety inducing for me so I'd rather have gotten anxious reading something more substantial. Here, the writing is poetic which is a nice way of saying that it's vague and ambiguous sounding. Laurel is 13, 14 or 15 when she turns to meth. She's 13, 14 or 15 when she tries out for cheerleader and gets in easily. She's 13, 14 or 15 when she meets T-Boom and she might have gotten her first taste of meth when she was 13, 14 or 15.
I had no idea whether her meth addiction was months old or years. I don't know why she was as susceptible as she was to take it, and why no one really warned her that meth might be a problem in that area. Because apparently everybody knew, and there were enough meth-heads around that people noticed them hanging around town and dying before time. I'm not judging her parent, he had enough to deal with. I'm not even actually judging anyone else, but this girl is supposed to notice things. She wants to seriously become a writer, and there are references to how observant she is, but if she noticed meth heads before, she doesn't mention it. In fact, it's so vague I don't even know if she stayed more than a year in Galilee before losing it completely.
Instead, it's mostly about how she craved the "moon", which isn't a word I've heard before in reference to meth, but admittedly I know little of it. There's seediness inherent with meth usage, but from other books I've read - all fiction so it's not even like there was a necessity to call a spade a spade - it's depicted so much... I don't know that it's better, but it doesn't scratch the surface of this shit. There's only a little bit about how she loses all pain etc., and the craving makes her itch and scratch, and burns on her lip, but what about the needles? What about HIV that's resurgent because of meth? What about the meth houses that blow up? What about police raids? How old is T-Boom anyway because the minute he sees her he talks about cooking meth like he's known it for a while?
I understand why the author felt it necessary to include a happy ending for Laurel, but I'm also not comfortable with the idea. The afterword tells me that Laurel had an inner strength that led her to finally kick the habit, which would have been nice had it actually been shown in the book. She has an episode - does she OD? Or does she have a heart condition because of her abuse? - whatever it was, she lands in a hospital and then she's out. There is struggle but it also sounds suspiciously easy - at the end of it, (is she is 16 now?) she even hands out money to T-Boom who's homeless now and hopelessly addicted. Can she? She's not so far removed from addiction as to casually see and interact with the guy who got her hooked, yeah? I don't know. I do know that 6-8 years down the line when I start lecturing my son on these things, this isn't the book I'd turn him to.
I had no idea whether her meth addiction was months old or years. I don't know why she was as susceptible as she was to take it, and why no one really warned her that meth might be a problem in that area. Because apparently everybody knew, and there were enough meth-heads around that people noticed them hanging around town and dying before time. I'm not judging her parent, he had enough to deal with. I'm not even actually judging anyone else, but this girl is supposed to notice things. She wants to seriously become a writer, and there are references to how observant she is, but if she noticed meth heads before, she doesn't mention it. In fact, it's so vague I don't even know if she stayed more than a year in Galilee before losing it completely.
Instead, it's mostly about how she craved the "moon", which isn't a word I've heard before in reference to meth, but admittedly I know little of it. There's seediness inherent with meth usage, but from other books I've read - all fiction so it's not even like there was a necessity to call a spade a spade - it's depicted so much... I don't know that it's better, but it doesn't scratch the surface of this shit. There's only a little bit about how she loses all pain etc., and the craving makes her itch and scratch, and burns on her lip, but what about the needles? What about HIV that's resurgent because of meth? What about the meth houses that blow up? What about police raids? How old is T-Boom anyway because the minute he sees her he talks about cooking meth like he's known it for a while?
I understand why the author felt it necessary to include a happy ending for Laurel, but I'm also not comfortable with the idea. The afterword tells me that Laurel had an inner strength that led her to finally kick the habit, which would have been nice had it actually been shown in the book. She has an episode - does she OD? Or does she have a heart condition because of her abuse? - whatever it was, she lands in a hospital and then she's out. There is struggle but it also sounds suspiciously easy - at the end of it, (is she is 16 now?) she even hands out money to T-Boom who's homeless now and hopelessly addicted. Can she? She's not so far removed from addiction as to casually see and interact with the guy who got her hooked, yeah? I don't know. I do know that 6-8 years down the line when I start lecturing my son on these things, this isn't the book I'd turn him to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2012
Laurel, her dad, and her 3-month-old baby brother escape Pass Christian, MS just before Hurricane Katrina hits. Her grandmother refuses to leave and her mother decides to stay with her grandmother. As a result, they are killed. After a move to Galilee, IA, Laurel seems to be making a fresh start. She makes a best friend, Kaylee, who is a cheerleader and soon Laurel has joined the squad too. It's through cheering that Laurel meets T-Boom, the basketball team's star player. And it's because of T-Boom that Laurel becomes addicted to "the moon", aka meth. Meth takes Laurel away, gives her the peacefulness she needs to survive the death of her mother and grandmother, fills a hole of loneliness and regret of leaving her mother and grandmother behind. Laurel is soon completely addicted and when her dad discovers her addiction, she runs away. Now homeless, Laurel spends her days begging for money to buy more and more meth. Moses, a street artist, develops a friendship with Laurel and helps her to remember. This book, told through a first person account, is Laurel's elegy to her past now that she has recovered from her addiction.
I actually started reading this book twice. The first time I tried reading it, I had a hard time focusing on the story because of the back-and-forth plot line which takes us back to Laurel's childhood, the death of her mother and grandmother, and current time, which is blurred because Laurel is high on meth through much of the story. As I sorted the story out, I found I couldn't put the book down. I cried at the end when Laurel's dad crumbled under the weight of his daughter's addiction and his feelings of helplessness at the possibility of losing another member of his family. I think the book did a great job of describing how quickly meth addiction can not only take hold (Laurel was hooked after just one time) and how quickly Laurel's life unraveled. I also thought the description of Laurel's relationship with T-Boom was well-done. It is Laurel's need to feel loved, to belong to something other than her past, that drives her toward T-Boom and eventually the drug. And it is the drug that makes her stay with T-Boom long past the time that her love for him is replaced by her love of the drug.
I think it will take a mature student to understand the jumps between the past and present and to appreciate the gravity of the subject but I will have no hesitations in recommending it to students who I think would benefit from reading it!
I actually started reading this book twice. The first time I tried reading it, I had a hard time focusing on the story because of the back-and-forth plot line which takes us back to Laurel's childhood, the death of her mother and grandmother, and current time, which is blurred because Laurel is high on meth through much of the story. As I sorted the story out, I found I couldn't put the book down. I cried at the end when Laurel's dad crumbled under the weight of his daughter's addiction and his feelings of helplessness at the possibility of losing another member of his family. I think the book did a great job of describing how quickly meth addiction can not only take hold (Laurel was hooked after just one time) and how quickly Laurel's life unraveled. I also thought the description of Laurel's relationship with T-Boom was well-done. It is Laurel's need to feel loved, to belong to something other than her past, that drives her toward T-Boom and eventually the drug. And it is the drug that makes her stay with T-Boom long past the time that her love for him is replaced by her love of the drug.
I think it will take a mature student to understand the jumps between the past and present and to appreciate the gravity of the subject but I will have no hesitations in recommending it to students who I think would benefit from reading it!
September 24, 2015
Em's Review: Laurel Daneau has experienced great loss. At a young age she lost her mother and her grandmother to a devastating storm. She lost her home and a big chunk of her heart. A few years later, Laurel and her family (father and brother) move to Iowa hoping to make a fresh start. She joins the cheerleading squad, makes a new best friend, and falls for basketball co-captain T-Boom. Things are looking up, at least from the outside, until T-Boom introduces Laurel to meth (which she calls moon). Soon her attraction to T-Boom is overshadowed by her desire for the moon. As she gets pulled in by the euphoric effects of meth use, she loses herself in the drug, damaging both her body and her connections with those who love her the most. Living on the streets, she meets Moses, a gay street artist who paints memorial murals of loved ones lost too soon. Will Laurel take the path of recovery, dealing with her addiction and her sadness, or will she continue down the road of meth-addiction, numbing herself from the pain, and end up as yet another one of Moses’ mural subjects?
“Kaylee says, Write an elegy to the past…and move on. She says it’s all about moving on.” xvi
The story starts out with a hopeful Laurel – a Laurel who is heading down the road we as readers hope she will continue on long past our time with her – and this sets the tone for the book. While Laurel’s story is filled with sadness and loss, Woodson always gives us hope. Laurel is so lost in her heartbreak and her addiction, that this is almost all that we see of her. We feel her grief and the sense of relief that drug use affords her, and we also see how much she loses and the painful and dangerous path that meth use takes her down.
Woodson’s writing is beautiful as usual. Beneath a Meth Moon is an elegy, filled with sorrow and remembrance. The novel hops around in time from Laurel’s childhood memories before the storm to her recovery from addiction, reminding the reader that depression and addiction are not problems that are simply solved at the end of a novel, but issues that one must continually work on. In a way this is a story about drug addiction, but it’s really more about loss. Woodson doesn’t dwell on the lifestyle, the logistics, or the physical deterioration caused by drug use, though these are touched upon. Instead she focuses in on the emotional impact of both losing loved ones and losing oneself.
“Kaylee says, Write an elegy to the past…and move on. She says it’s all about moving on.” xvi
The story starts out with a hopeful Laurel – a Laurel who is heading down the road we as readers hope she will continue on long past our time with her – and this sets the tone for the book. While Laurel’s story is filled with sadness and loss, Woodson always gives us hope. Laurel is so lost in her heartbreak and her addiction, that this is almost all that we see of her. We feel her grief and the sense of relief that drug use affords her, and we also see how much she loses and the painful and dangerous path that meth use takes her down.
Woodson’s writing is beautiful as usual. Beneath a Meth Moon is an elegy, filled with sorrow and remembrance. The novel hops around in time from Laurel’s childhood memories before the storm to her recovery from addiction, reminding the reader that depression and addiction are not problems that are simply solved at the end of a novel, but issues that one must continually work on. In a way this is a story about drug addiction, but it’s really more about loss. Woodson doesn’t dwell on the lifestyle, the logistics, or the physical deterioration caused by drug use, though these are touched upon. Instead she focuses in on the emotional impact of both losing loved ones and losing oneself.
February 19, 2012
Teen Laurel lost her mother and grandmother in Hurricane Katrina. Struggling to get back on their feet, she moves north with her father and baby brother. There, things are going okay as she joins the cheerleading squad and meets the basketball star, T-Boom. However, T-Boom likes to party, aka do crystal meth, which he calls moon. Laurel gets hooked and winds up living in the streets, doing whatever she can for the next high.
For being a book about such a serious subject as meth addiction, I thought Beneath a Meth Moon was pretty darn weak. It seemed that Woodson was making an effort at writing an addiction book with flowing, poetic language, but that same writing style robbed the message of its punch. Meth addiction is ugly. Don't believe me? Look at these photos for proof. It's absolutely horrifying, and I'd hoped that this story would be as equally shocking as the photographic evidence. It wasn't.
One issue I had with the writing was the insistence on calling meth "moon." I'd never heard it called that before, and it gave it a dreamy, seductive quality, which maybe isn't what you want in a book that's trying to show you how bad drugs are. I guess this is how Woodson was trying to create atmosphere through names, just like the poorly named "T-Boom," Laurel's boyfriend. Every time I saw that name, I both wanted to laugh and cringe.
Woodson only scratched the surface on a lot of things in this book. Even though she's the first person narrator, I didn't feel like I got to really know Laurel, other than the fact that she's sad about losing her family and she loves meth. None of the characters are fleshed out enough. Also, the many aspects of meth are just touched upon. T-Boom makes meth--why didn't we get a feel for how dangerous that chemical process is, or how often meth labs blow up? I used to live in Southern California's High Desert, where there were regular meth lab explosions. Those areas can remain toxic for years. No mention of that in this book, though.
Sadly, I really didn't care for, or about, this book. If you want to read a teen book about drug addiction, stick with Ellen Hopkins.
For being a book about such a serious subject as meth addiction, I thought Beneath a Meth Moon was pretty darn weak. It seemed that Woodson was making an effort at writing an addiction book with flowing, poetic language, but that same writing style robbed the message of its punch. Meth addiction is ugly. Don't believe me? Look at these photos for proof. It's absolutely horrifying, and I'd hoped that this story would be as equally shocking as the photographic evidence. It wasn't.
One issue I had with the writing was the insistence on calling meth "moon." I'd never heard it called that before, and it gave it a dreamy, seductive quality, which maybe isn't what you want in a book that's trying to show you how bad drugs are. I guess this is how Woodson was trying to create atmosphere through names, just like the poorly named "T-Boom," Laurel's boyfriend. Every time I saw that name, I both wanted to laugh and cringe.
Woodson only scratched the surface on a lot of things in this book. Even though she's the first person narrator, I didn't feel like I got to really know Laurel, other than the fact that she's sad about losing her family and she loves meth. None of the characters are fleshed out enough. Also, the many aspects of meth are just touched upon. T-Boom makes meth--why didn't we get a feel for how dangerous that chemical process is, or how often meth labs blow up? I used to live in Southern California's High Desert, where there were regular meth lab explosions. Those areas can remain toxic for years. No mention of that in this book, though.
Sadly, I really didn't care for, or about, this book. If you want to read a teen book about drug addiction, stick with Ellen Hopkins.
March 31, 2012
So last week, I was perusing the Toronto Public Library website looking for my next great read and though this was a YA title I was really drawn in by the cover and the summary so once again I found myself putting it on hold and when I got it 2 days later I was so excited I read it that very night!
Unfortunately, the book wasn't as good as the summary made it out to be at all. I was expecting this one to be like the book Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks but I was sadly mistake. This one was a very dull read for me. I think that the writer was trying to make it seem heartbreaking and in my opinion she did a very poor job at trying to write about a topic that is affecting today's younger crowd. We all know Meth is killing *beep*loads of kids today and I appreciate that she was trying to shed light on the issue I just think it fell short.
The story was fragmented and I found Laurel to be irritating and unlikeable. I understand that she lost her mother and her grandmother at a young age leaving her with her father and her baby brother after Katrina took them but I hated the way it was written there was very little dialogue and it jumped around more than necessary. One second she was a nice kid just getting to know people and the next she's doing drugs behind a store with T-Boom (What a stupid nickname). It was rididulous and annoying. Yes I know that the main character was a junkie but that doesn't mean that writing the story haphazardly is a good approach. All in all the book was a complete failure for me. I regret wasting the hour I spent reading it and I wish I had never read this one at all.
Honestly, I would never recommend this book to anyone. I don't think that is is worth reading at all but as always I urge you to give it a try and form your own opinion of it. If you do read it and end up liking it comment on my review and leave me a link yours I'd love to read it!
September 1, 2016
در مورد این کتاب چیزی که بیشتر منو به خودش جذب میکرد سبک نوشتار نویسنده در فصل های کوتاه برای بازگویی خاطرات "لورل" شخصیت اصلی داستان بود.
"زیر نور ماه شیشه ای" روایت دختری ۱۵ ساله است که درگیر اعتیاد به شیشه شده و در انتها سعی بر ترک این ماده را دارد.
داستانی تاثیرگذار و در عین حال کمی تکان دهنده که مخاطب را با خودش درگیر میکند.
"زیر نور ماه شیشه ای" روایت دختری ۱۵ ساله است که درگیر اعتیاد به شیشه شده و در انتها سعی بر ترک این ماده را دارد.
داستانی تاثیرگذار و در عین حال کمی تکان دهنده که مخاطب را با خودش درگیر میکند.
December 27, 2018
تنها چيزي كه ميتوان گفت اين است كه كور سوي اميد خاموش نيست حتي در عميق ترين مغاك ها...
به شدت به شدت من رو تحت تاثير گذاشت
خوندنش زياد طول نميكشه توصيه ميكنم
به شدت به شدت من رو تحت تاثير گذاشت
خوندنش زياد طول نميكشه توصيه ميكنم
April 25, 2020
Since I have never taken meth myself, I can't comment on how 'real' or 'authentic' Laurel's story is. But, for someone without that experience, it does feel real. You connect to Laurel. You cheer for you. You cry out for her. You cry with her. This is a truly powerful story, but one that readers should mentally prepare themselves for before picking up this book. This is definitely a book worth reading, but, only if you are ready for it.
March 24, 2022
this was a pretty decent read. really quick and easy to get through. not my typical choice of book and writing style.
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