“The Moonstone Girls” offers a compelling glimpse into the complexities of identity and self-discovery. The novel centers on Tracy, a character who navigates her fluid sense of gender and sexuality with a refreshing openness. Tracy's journey is marked by her struggles and triumphs as she grapples with her identity and familial relationships in a historical context.

The strength of the book lies in its portrayal of Tracy’s non-binary identity and her refusal to conform to traditional labels. This nuanced representation adds depth to the story, making it a notable exploration of gender and sexuality. Tracy’s interactions with her family and her experiences throughout the novel reflect both her internal battles and external conflicts, creating a layered and multifaceted character.

However, the book's execution does not entirely match its intriguing premise. The narrative sometimes falters, with Tracy’s abrasive behavior and rapid romantic developments detracting from the emotional engagement. The explicit content, while adding realism, may feel out of place given the juvenile tone of other parts of the book, leading to a disjointed reading experience.

Additionally, the novel’s pacing and thematic focus may not align with readers' expectations set by its premise. The shift in setting and tone, particularly during Tracy's time in Alaska, creates a fragmented narrative that may affect the overall flow of the story.

Despite these issues, “The Moonstone Girls” presents a heartfelt and authentic exploration of queer identity and the challenges of the 1970s. It’s a story that resonates with its portrayal of personal growth and resilience, offering readers a meaningful, if occasionally uneven, literary experience.

Such a flop of a book for such a gorgeous cover and interesting premise.

One thing I did appreciate about Tracy is that she didn't feel the need to conform to a specific title. She felt like she should have been a boy and felt better wearing masculine clothes, but also felt okay about using feminine pronouns and referring to herself as a lesbian. It was nice to show a character who is pretty fluid and shows that gender and sexuality are never as cut and dry as we may think. That's where my compliments of this story ends.

Tracy is the meanest/most obnoxious character I've had to read about in a long time. Yes, she experiences a lot of trials and tribulations, but she made a LOT of things way harder than they needed to be. Kissing other girls in public, picking fights with her dad when he's not saying anything, being super abrasive with her mom and brother at times... I never really felt for her at all. She would yell at strangers for looking at her funny, but then get mad when they didn't like her. She fell in love with two different girls WAYY too quickly, and somehow everything turned out just perfect for her?

I'm pretty sure this book was meant to be a YA novel, but it is super explicit at times and loves to talk about sex more than almost any other smutty book I've read this year. It felt inappropriate for how juvenile the rest of the book was written to be. I found myself forcing my way through the entirety of the book, and in the end it felt like it was kind of biphobic which I didn't like at all.

Don't waste your time on this one. There are far better LGBTQ stories out there.

This book was very well written and the characters were developed in such a particular way that the reader could't help but to fall in love with them. It's a story that will resonate a lot in the hearts of queer women

This book was a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking. The character building and development were brilliant, and I truly felt as though I could relate to and sympathize with the characters. As someone who identifies as LGBTQI+, I could relate so much to the characters and their hardships through the fantastic emotional writing. The authenticity of the book makes it feel like an autobiography instead of a novel. It’s a powerful story of queerness and girlhood in its many forms. I highly recommend this amazing book.

I read this thinking it was fiction but it seems to be somewhat autobiographical?

It was the cover that initially caught my eye because, well, lesbian flag? I’m a raging lesbian so my brain is permanently on the hunt for this colour scheme. But I also think it fits with the general vibe of the time period aswell.

I love queer books, but I especially love queer history books as I think the people in them are so inspiring but I’m also grateful for how brave they were so I can live as I do now. And this book captures that perfectly. But I do appreciate how both Tracy & her brother can lean on eachother when it comes to their queerness AND they have a supportive mum who loves them just the way they are? I think that’s a trope that’s severely lacking from historical fiction.

This is a story about self discovery, hope & belonging but does have some very emotional scenes so TW for that. Mental health is also a subtle focus as I think the author is trying to teach the reader how big of a negative impact being forced to live a ‘normal’ life can have.

Overall I think it has great queer rep & will defo check out any future books by the author!

For better or for worse, this book definitely is one that readers will keep thinking back to. There are unforgettable moments, both hilarious and gut wrenching and full of emotion, and questions left unanswered, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing really depends on the reader, I think. The writing style was not my favourite, it included lots of monologues and awkward dialogue and I didn't like the pacing. As a teacher, I also didn't really feel that it fit with the YA category, it was more adult than young adult. I think that the book tells some important stories and covers some valuable themes from the time period, it just wasn't quite for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read, as someone who identifies as LGBTQI+ I could relate so much to the characters and their hardships through fantastic emotional writing. The character building and development were brilliant, I truly felt as though I could relate and sympathise with the characters.
Some of the usual queer cliches but I didn’t find it affected the overall read and would definitely recommend!

First, thank you NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, what can I say other than this book is emotional? Like, I cried so much, and I’m not even kidding. This story is, and I can’t stress this enough so great. What I loved most is how it is written. At first, I thought it was an autobiography. It’s written so beautifully, once you started it you cannot stop it, well I did, because I couldn’t see any more with my tears.

Okay, I have to admit that some things bugged me. Mostly, there are so many descriptions of body parts, chest, arms, lips… Also, this book felt like a NA book at some point, not always a YA one. Also, I wish we had seen more of her time in Alaska.

But, it was easy for me to pass through it. Because there were so many beautiful things in this book. What I loved more is the relationship. Tracy with her brother, Tracy with her mother, and Tracy with her friends and lovers. Tracy is such a great character: she’s strong and ready to defeat patriarchy, homophobia, and other social issues. She’s strong in so many ways, but how she comes over all the trauma in her life, how she’s always there for her mother, her brother, and the people she loves. Also, she deserves so much, she doesn’t always allow herself to be sad, but her weaknesses are what make her strong too.

Also, the fact that she’s written as a non-binary lesbian? Awesome

Also the songs? Bops honestly.

Anyway, it’s a great book. Relationships, writing, characters… Everyone should read it. But please be careful of the TW!

TW: War, Homophobia, Suicide, Death of a child, Lesbophobia, Racism, Sexism, Emotional Abuse, Death of a parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Outing, Grief

“The Moonstone Girls” by Brooke Skipstone was a story I was excited for, and overall it was an interesting read that had some issues that weren’t addressed. I’d say check content/trigger warnings.

Although I truly wanted to enjoy this book thanks to its interesting cover and description, I unfortunately had to put this book on my DNF shelf due to the feelings of racism and homophobia I felt were expressed in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An unexpected surprise. This book had everything! Family issues, sibling love, LGBTQ, identity crisis. Everything. A coming of age story with a little extra. I loved the character development and the plot line. I think it was a little slow in the beginning but I also feel like the slow to build details made the second half even richer. Great read for YA and above. Triggers: abuse, hate crime

I recommend this book and gave it four stars

So authentic that it feels more like autofiction than a novel. A roaring, blazing story of young queerness and girlhood in its many forms.

This was a beautiful story, but it wasn't really my type... I liked the main character and her mom too! The story saddened me a little bit. It's a book about love and family and being who you are.

It took me a while to start this book because I worried it was just going to be a very heartbreaking book. And yes, while there are instances it is (I thought I wouldn’t cry but the ending got me), it had moments of laughter and joy. Tracy is an extremely likeable MC and I enjoyed how she reacted to the world around her. I also really loved Spencer and her mum. My only criticisms would be the insta-love (understandable, I suppose, for back then) and the fact I thought Tracy would spend the majority of the book in Alaska. She doesn’t and to me, that and the ending felt a bit rushed.

However, I would still really rec this book so I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review,

"The Moonstone Girls" is a beautiful heartbreaking tale with wonderfully developed characters and emotional storylines. What a powerful read.

I DNF-ed this book. After a handful of pages, it became clear that not only was the writing childish, but white feminism was strongly present. " I saw riots and marches for racial justice in my teens and now in my seventies, what i didn't see back then, however, were Pride Marches" You cannot compare queerness to Blackness.

Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was such a pleasant surprise for me. It was like a breath of fresh air wrapped in the soundtrack of all of my favs from the 70s.

Even though I was born in the late 80s, the end of the 60s and beginning of 70s always fascinated me.
This book gives a very honest and raw insight to what it felt like to be part of the LGBTQ community in those times. It’s not pretty and it doesn’t sugarcoat the animosities and hardships.

I enjoyed the character, the insight, the culture and era of this period through the eyes of the heroine.

My issues were with pacing and the writing style. I did feel that at a certain part of the book (Alaska) we sort of go through a shift in both. Which didn’t give a smooth reading experience. I also felt that the blurb didn’t really cover/cage the story well enough. I expected something else after reading it.

All in all though I very much enjoyed it and I also believe that the cover is a very good choice and will make the book eye catching.

4/5 stars

Raw, fearful and honest! My heart is so full and broken i don’t know how this book has managed to break me down and also build me back up stronger than ever. I’m more inspired to exist as my true self. Such a fast paced read but still manages to pull you in all the way through!!

I really wanted to like this book, and I did enjoy certain aspects of it, but there were also some pretty big things I couldn't overlook. While showing the realism of what the 1970s were like for queer people, some of it ultimately feels like it's doing more harm than actually using it as a teaching or learning experience. How a reader feels about this might ultimately come down to them personally, but it left me feeling more bummed than anything else.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

There is a lot in this book to love. If you're a fan of 70s music there are a lot of great references and even a spotify play list. I also liked that this book does not sugar coat the difficulties of being homosexual in conservative America in the 1970s.

However, I felt like I was reading two separate books. I don't want to give any spoilers, but there is Tracy's time before Alaska and her time in Alaska and I didn't feel like it flowed well. And two more things about the flow. I wasn't a fan of Tracy's older self foreshadowing events the way she did. And the blurb from the publisher made it seem like the book was about running away to form a band but that was only the last 1/3 or so. The formation is covered but if you're looking for a book about a band, this isn't it.

I believe that many people will love this book, but I just thought it was just okay.