Amber craves excitement and adventure. Instead she is bullied at school for having two dads, and her life at home isn’t much better. Inspired by Oscar Wilde, Amber realises that there must be others who feel the same as she does among the million of people in London. After chance encounters with Maali, Sky, and Rose, Amber soon recruits the three girls to the Moonlight Dreamers. It’s time they started pursuing their dreams, and how better than with the support of friends?
On the surface, The Moonlight Dreamers, seems like light fare. But instead of being a fluffy, full of teenage angst read, it deals with some very difficult and important life lessons. Curham manages to convey those vital messages in an easy to read, relatable book. From dealing with the fallout from an act of rebellion, to how one seeks to fulfil their dreams, this is a book every teenage girl should read.
Each of the four girls is very different – including from different backgrounds not often portrayed in young adult fiction. Curham gently but succinctly challenges the stereotypes and representation of those girls. It is refreshing to read a book where differences are embraced, without sounding holier than thou and, for lack of a better word, ‘preachy’. Curham highlights the importance of togetherness and unity, while embracing our own quirks and personalities. All four main characters are perfect – there’s a part of each of them that will resonate with the reader.
Written from the viewpoint of each of the four girls, and interspersed with emails, poems, Tumblr posts, and even a recipe, Curham is a stellar writer. Her writing sparkles, and the fast-paced book will have you hanging on to every word.
An inspirational, heartwarming book about four girls trying to find their place in the world. Together.
REVIEWER: Rebekah Fraser
TITLE: The Moonlight Dreamers
AUTHOR(S): Siobhan Curham
PUBLISHER: Walker Books
RRP: $18.99