I enjoyed the magical realism of this book and the character's stories. The descriptions of the setting gives so much detail that you can easily imagine it.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I unfortunately was not able to read this book. I was excited when ever I had chosen to download or pick this book up on Netgalley. However, time moves by so quickly and I never got to read it.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

286Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: October 4, 2016

Teens & YA, Transgender

This is a young adult novel with a science fiction theme. Sam is a teenager known as Moon since he hangs moons all over town. Miel is a teenager girl who appeared when a rusty water tower was taken town. She is different from the others because roses grow out of her wrist. She lives with Aracely, a woman that helps people who are lovesick. The Bonner sisters are four beautiful girls. Boys fall madly in love with them. The girls feel their powers are dwindling. They think Miel’s roses can revive them, but she isn’t interested in giving her roses to them.

This is a story of a transgendered teen. It shows how hard it is to live in the wrong body and what extent a person must go to when trying to fit in. The author includes a note at the end of the book explaining the personal connection to the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone that feels different and has trouble fitting in.

Truly original fantasy!
I read When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore as a buddy-read event for Dragons & Tea Book Club. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Dunne Books for the opportunity to read and review this book by providing the ARC!
This is a unique story that pulls from deep-seated cultural roots and a little deception. Sam and Miel share trust, loyalty and a special relationship. They also share their community with a group of sisters that could be considered mean girls, with a power they’ve grown so used to, that they do not want to lose it and will do whatever it takes to keep it. Wow! Aracely’s background revelation was something I was not expecting! Sam struggles with the decision of who (what gender) he wants to be in the near future. He’s struggling to the point of desperation. Miel blames herself for the loss of her mother and brother. She thinks the river might give them back to her. The fantastical elements are kind of difficult to understand in this story but I do enjoy the flow of the author’s writing. As usually is the case, the author’s notes are enlightening! They are also helpful in understanding Miel’s fears and Sam’s struggles. I appreciate that Anna-Marie McLemore shares such personal experiences and revelations with her readers! 4 stars for this unique fantasy!

The synopsis from this book sounded so wonderfully quirky that I was immediately drawn in, and the story itself did not disappoint either. I found myself really wanted to know more about Sam and Miel, Miel in particular. This story was a great story of love and identity and coming of age in a way. This really attracted my attention and I found it so pleasant to read.

If you’re asking book bloggers to recommend you gorgeously written books, there’s a very good chance Anna-Marie McLemore’s books will be among the first recs. Having only read one of her many anthology contributions before now, I agree with that wholeheartedly. She’s got a way with words! When the Moon Was Ours is so far her most acclaimed work (Stonewall Book Award nominee/honoree!) for obvious reasons, but it still left me wanting somehow?

I could sum up my delight by screaming “Whooooo, trans rep with TWO trans people!” and “Queer, Pakistani, AND Latinx rep!” for a while, but there’s more to the book than that. McLemore spins Sam and Miel’s story with words so lovely that their ripcurrent sweeps you away for a while. It’s novel that fully embraces magical realism’s roots in Latinx culture and delivers the strangest, loveliest little story about a girl with roses growing from her wrist, the water that kept her safe from the rest of the world until an old water tower came down, and four girls–las gringas bonitas, the Bonner sisters–who think Miel’s roses can make them powerful again.

The lush writing style also has a way of making you think “wait, what happened?” once you escape from its clutches because it set you adrift from the actual events being written about. Such writing is excellent in short-form works like fairy tales and smaller stories, but it’s easy for the style to make you lose sight of the substance. Recalling the events of a scene you just read shouldn’t be as difficult as this!

That alienation also left me feeling like I knew stuff about Sam and Miel, but I didn’t actually know Sam and Miel as individuals and characters. Sam paints moons for Miel and has been a bacha posh since he was young, but the expectation he’ll soon discard his boy’s clothes to become a woman again is all wrong for him; Miel fears pumpkins, the roses that grow from her wrist, and the Bonner girls. That’s just a list of facts about them. In comparison, it’s easy to detail each Bonner sister’s individual personality and what part that plays in the uncertain sisterhood they’ve returned to now that eldest sister Chloe is back from having her baby. Readers simply get to know them better than we get to know our primary narrators Sam and Miel.

Though it’s not easy to stick with, When the Moon Was Ours is an undeniably well-written story akin to a modern fairy tale. My copy of McLemore’s Wild Beauty certainly is certainly staying on my shelves instead of going in the donation pile!

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Renee at It’s Book Talk. Throwback Thursday is an awesome opportunity to share old favorites as well as older books in our TBR. I love this idea as I’m often distracted by all of the shiny, new books I see every day and don’t make it back to the ones that have been sitting on my shelves.

My pick of the the week is:

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

This book has been on my NetGalley naughty list for some time. I read it a while ago and was so worried about writing a review that did it justice that I never quite finished that review.

The Blurb:

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

My Review:

When the Moon Was Ours was my first fantasy/magical realism read in a very, very long time. I wasn’t sure if would enjoy the genre but I’d been hearing so many good things that I just had to read it. I went into it with an open mind and no expectations and I’m so glad I did!

The first thing that struck me about this book was a absolutely gorgeous imagery. Anna-Marie McLemore’s writing is beyond beautiful. She wrote about Miel and Sam with such tenderness that I immediately fell in love with them.

This book is categorized as YA, romance, and LGBTQ+, fantasy/science fiction, and contemporary. I was a little nervous about the whole romance thing. You know I’m an old cynic and I don’t do romance. This was very nicely done, however. None of that over-the-top saccharine stuff. This felt like more than simple romance to me. It felt like something closer to unconditional love; born of friendship, acceptance, and understanding. This book will appeal to pretty much anyone who loves a good character-driven story that will give you all the feels.

Anna-Marie McLemore has written beautiful book; a gift really in that it that celebrates diversity and acceptance while gently reminding us of our sameness. I could definitely relate to some of the emotions and experiences of the characters; the vulnerability and self-doubt that comes with not fitting in as a young person, the fear that if someone really knows all about you they might stop loving you, fears that a friend or peer could betray your secrets.

I had the opportunity to meet the author very briefly as she signed copies of Wild Beauty at Book Expo. She truly exuded a positive energy. I was amazed at how gracious she was while facing a long line of fans, smiling and chatting with each one. I’m looking forward to reading that book and I’d also like to read The Weight of Feathers.

4.75/5 stars

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anna-Marie McLemore is such an incredible and imaginative storyteller. I absolutely adored When the Moon Was Ours so much. It was magical in so many ways, yet so real too. It was filled with culture, raw emotions, diversity, and magic. I also felt for the characters in multitude of ways. It's not hard to see why so many loved this as well. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this incredible book. I can't wait to read more from Anna-Marie.

When the Moon was Ours by Anne-Marie McLemore is the unique story of a girl, Miel, born of water and with roses sprouting out of her wrists, and Sam, known to the town as Moon because of the beautiful moon creations he hangs on trees. Miel and Sam are inseparable and have been friends for sometime. As strange as the pair are they aren't nearly as strange as the Bonner sisters who the town whispers are witches. The Bonner girls have a fascination with Miel's roses and believe in their magical abilities. They'd do whatever it takes to get them from Miel. The story was third point omniscient which made the story very different than anything I have ever read before. The details in the story were lovely and it was a short pleasant read.

The premise interested me. However, while reading the book, it didn't really keep my interest. I think I expected something different, but it just wasn't for me. I do appreciate the author and publisher via NetGalley allowing me the opportunity.

I wanted to like this so badly, but there was too much going on for me to fully enjoy it.

Magical realism is one of those genres that I want more of but am also leery of because I tend to either really like it or I don't. When the Moon was Ours falls somewhere in between.

Where this book excelled for me was the characters. I'm trying to read more diversely and this book was absolutely beautiful. McLemore has not only included a cast of culturally diverse characters but of different sexualities as well and though I'm not a good judge of the representation, I thought she did a good job in my own opinion. 

But the book fell a bit flat for me. I like magical realism but usually need a bit more of an explanation for the kind of "magic" included in this book. There were too many different things for me to just go along with it. And though it seems like a lot of people loved the writing style, I just... didn't. Wasn't for me. Nor did I find the plot terribly interesting. 

The characters were wonderfully created and developed, but this just wasn't the book for me in terms of the writing and story, unfortunately.

An intriguing romantic fantasy that follows the bond between two outsiders in a small town;  Sam a transgendered boy of  Pakistani heritage whose true past is unknown and Miel, a Latina girl who magically appears in the water spilled from the tipped over water tower.  Magical realism pervades the whole story:  Sam  paints moons that illuminate spaces and stop the fears of the school children and Miel grows roses out of her wrists, which are rumored to have romantic powers.   The two develop a genuine, caring, and protective relationship, starting as friends and growing into something much more.  The antagonists in the story are the enigmatic Bonner sisters, who have the  ability to make all the boys in town fall in love with them. This ability is lost when the eldest sister must leave town because of a secret pregnancy. When Chloe returns, the sisters hone in on Miel and her roses to recapture their power. This novel explores the themes of love, loyalty and self acceptance.  A big positive in this novel is the portrayal of diversity. Families in all forms are present, the novel reveals beautiful elements of Latina and Pakistani cultures and  the transgendered Sam, is a wonderful character whose gender is matter of fact, just another one of many intriguing character traits. Though the descriptive language is beautiful, much of the story is too ambiguous for my understanding, leaving me confused and unsatisfied at points. I found that it strained my ability to suspend disbelief. This title could be a hard sell for many teens, but for those who enjoyed McLemore’s Weight of Feathers or who have a strong preference for magical realism this tale would make a good choice.
Thank you to An intriguing romantic fantasy that follows the bond between two outsiders in a small town;  Sam a transgendered boy of  Pakistani heritage whose true past is unknown and Miel, a Latina girl who magically appears in the water spilled from the tipped over water tower.  Magical realism pervades the whole story:  Sam  paints moons that illuminate spaces and stop the fears of the school children and Miel grows roses out of her wrists, which are rumored to have romantic powers.   The two develop a genuine, caring, and protective relationship, starting as friends and growing into something much more.  The antagonists in the story are the enigmatic Bonner sisters, who have the  ability to make all the boys in town fall in love with them. This ability is lost when the eldest sister must leave town because of a secret pregnancy. When Chloe returns, the sisters hone in on Miel and her roses to recapture their power. This novel explores the themes of love, loyalty and self acceptance.  A big positive in this novel is the portrayal of diversity. Families in all forms are present, the novel reveals beautiful elements of Latina and Pakistani cultures and  the transgendered Sam, is a wonderful character whose gender is matter of fact, just another one of many intriguing character traits. Though the descriptive language is beautiful, much of the story is too ambiguous for my understanding, leaving me confused and unsatisfied at points. I found that it strained my ability to suspend disbelief. Thoughts: This title could be a hard sell for many teens, but for those who enjoyed McLemore’s Weight of Feathers or who have a strong preference for magical realism this tale would make a good choice.

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Dunn Books who sent this copy to me in exchange for an honest review.

http://pslamediaselectionreview.edublogs.org/

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

The writing and concepts were too abstract for me and went right over my head.

Stifling prose, vague explanations and unengaging characters made even this books magical realism approach fall flat. I was prepared to give McLemore's books another shot despite not enjoying her début, but have come to the conclusion that her style just isn't for me.

Books are a beautiful thing, aren't they? There is nothing quite like turning to the first page and sinking away into a completely different world, letting time pass you by and growing as a person word by word. There is a magic in books that is incredibly rare, I think, and sometimes it happens that you find a book that truly taps into this magic and stuns you. I recently re-affirmed my passion for Magical Realism on this blog, and When the Moon Was Ours is a beautiful example of this beautiful genre. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Magical Realism is the best genre. Authors take our everyday reality and infuse it with even more magic than it already contains. It can be the smallest thing, a ray of sunlight or a falling leaf, or the biggest, a love declaration or a death, and authors elevate it beyond our wildest imagination. For me, MR novels are usually the ones that are the most painful, the most true to human nature. We grasp onto the small moments in life that both elucidate and mystify us, that provide answers to questions we hadn't asked ourselves yet. When the Moon Was Ours opens up how you can see the world, allows you to add a bit more magic to the every day.

When the Moon Was Ours is almost a meta-narrative, the first chapter imagining how the story of the novel is passed down, how it changes over time and what is added and what is forgotten. It immediately sinks the reader into the world of the fantastic and magical. Most cities, towns and villages have tales from long ago, about its citizens and their troubles. McLermore sets her story up as one of these, but then goes into telling the "real story". Miel and Sam are fascinating characters. Miel has roses growing out of her wrist and her appearance in the village is still a source of rumours. Sam paints moons and is as much of a mystery to the village as Miel. McLemore's characters are deeply human and she finds the magic in that. She treats them with care, always allowing for their feelings and thoughts to take centre stage. Even when writing a sex scene, she never takes advantage of them. It was heart-warming to read a novel this gentle. It is one of the few novels I've read that truly fits the Madeleine L'Engle quote in my header.

Every once in a while I find myself really wanting to write about a theme or topic in a novel, but I feel it might be considered a spoiler. Often I can find my way around it, but in this case I don't think I can find that way. Hence, here is your SPOILER WARNING, please skip this paragraph if you want to go into this novel as beautifully unaware as I did. Ready? Here we go. There has been a strong call for fiction to be more representative, to spend as much time on PoC as on white characters. When the Moon Was Ours is a great example of how this can be achieved. Miel is Latina and Sam is Pakistani-Italian, making them both outsiders in their quiet American village. While the colour of their skin is not the only thing they are defined by, McLemore does make it clear how their origins affect their day to day life. McLemore shows a respect for the cultures and cultural traditions she employs in her book, never exploiting them or putting them down. And on top of this, Sam is a trans boy. He started dressing as a boy to become a 'bacha posh', to look after his mother, but finds himself dreading the expected return to being a woman, since it's simply not what he is. (For more on this, I'd recommend the fascinating The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg.) McLemore treats these themes incredibly carefully and with a lot of understanding, partially coming from her own life. When the Moon Was Ours is an amazing example of how YA literature, or literature overall, can and should be more inclusive, because ranging outside of the expected and stereotypical Western story lines allows for novels to be both informing, beautiful and sensitive.

McLemore is an amazing author. Her writing flows almost effortlessly, belying the enormous effort that goes into this type of writing. It is opulent and luscious, beautifully descriptive and intensely emotional, yet it never feels over done. McLemore treats her characters so gently and emphatically that it almost hurts. At times the plot of the novel can be a little bit hard to follow, but that is largely because the novel is not driven by its plot. Instead, it is the characters and their growth and development which takes centre stage. It's never entirely clear what is real and what is an illusion, what "really" happened and what felt like it happened. For readers wanting a straightforward narrative this will probably not work, but for those ready to sink into magical language and letting the story flow over them, When the Moon Was Ours is the perfect read. A lot of Fantasy or Magical Realism novels force the magical and the fantastical into their novels, making it almost unbelievable in how intensely the novels want us to believe it. McLemore almost leaves it up completely to the reader to accept it all. Do you want to read Miel's roses as a metaphor then you can do that without losing the magic of the novel. By giving her readers this choice, she allows them to follow her everywhere she offers to take them. I personally cannot wait to reread this novel because I can feel in my bones it will have more to offer upon every reread.

When the Moon Was Ours is a magical and beautiful novel. Anne-Marie McLemore has won a new fan in me with her stunning take on YA fiction and I will be throwing this book at one as evidence that diversity in fiction elevates the whole medium. I'd recommend this to fans of Magical Realism, LGBT fiction and anyone who loves beautiful writing.

I really wanted to like this one, and there were some good aspects.... But I've just read it done better in different books with different authors and stories. :/

I got halfway through, but even that far was a bit of a slog to do it. There were different threads and yet it still ended up feeling really repetitive. It also didn't seem to have a focus for what sort of story it wanted to be -- fantasy, contemporary, magical realism, paranormal....?

Unfortunately, I just didn't like it. As usual that's only my opinion and I've had friends who rated it more highly, so you should still give it a shot.

Anna-Marie McLeMore has done it again - crafted an achingly beautiful masterpiece with real characters you won't be able (or want) to forget. This world is lush and deeply moving, Miel and Sam have this relationship that made my heart swell, and I couldn't put this book down for a single second.