My first thought after reading THE MOONSTONE GIRLS is that it must be somewhat autobiographical. Author Brooke Skipstone has written with such depth of emotion that it is difficult to believe the story is fictional.

Before I get too far into my review I wanted to be sure to mention just how gorgeous the cover of this book is. It is the perfect blend of colors to bring the 1960s to mind. And, the choice to just use silhouettes is 100% inspired.

I love that this #book is set in the late #1960s - an era much different than today’s world. So much was different at that time for anyone who was gay, and as hard as it is to fathom, being gay was considered to be against the laws of both God and men. This just highlights how far LBGTQ rights have come (even though society still has a ways to go.)

I cannot fathom the fear and pain experienced by LGBTQ youth at that time in history, especially for men whose arousal is much harder to hide. In the book, both Tracy and her brother Spencer are queer. The good thing is that they have each other to lean on and they have a mother who loves them just the way they are. This is much more than most #queer #youth had in their lives during that period in #history

This book delves into not just LGBTQ history, but also into the #draft and the #VietnamWar #WomensRights #RockAndRoll and the #SexualRevolution

There are some extremely #emotional scenes in The Moonstone Girls and at one point during reading I was literally in tears. It takes a truly talented #writer to be able to evoke so much #empathy and #emotion in their readers. Kudos to Brooke Skipstone for writing such an important and believable book.

Ultimately, this is a tale about hope and about having the courage to fight back in the best way you can against those who would try to stop you from living life on your own terms. It will encourage readers to never settle for second best and to keep trying until they find a place where they belong and where they can live a life of hope and honesty. It also reminds us that there is a person out there for everyone and that everyone has the right to live a happy life on their own terms.

Tracy is a fiery, take-no-prisoners type of young woman. This is the face she shows to the world, but inside, she is suffering and full of shame. This reminds readers that the persona people present to the world is not always accurate and that everyone has an inner world that is invisible. Never judge a book by its cover is a great lesson and one that we often forget.

Although not specifically stated, I get the feeling that the author also wants readers to think about mental health and to realize the depths of despair that people can feel when forced to live a lie just to be "normal."

All in all I have to say that this book should be on everyone's Must Read list for 2022 and although it is labeled as Young Adult fiction, this book will appeal to readers of all ages.

I am rating THE MOONSTONE GIRLS by Brooke Skipstone as 5 out of 5 Stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 and I highly recommend this book ... just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby when you read it.

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

I cannot describe how much I love this book. I thought this book was an autobiography until I'd finished it and realised it was fiction. I felt the emotions of the characters so strongly, it was like I was transported into their world. It highlighted the struggles of being a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the 1960s, in society in general, and within their home and family life, it was a complete emotional rollercoaster and highlights the importance of how healing it is to be somewhere you feel accepted and free. This is a book that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I highly recommend this to anyone!

This was an amazing read. I got through it all in one day. I haven't been excited about a book in a very long time, but this story drew me in. The characters had such depth, and I fell in love with them and all of their complexity. The descriptions of gender and sexuality and family and love and acceptance and shame and bravery we're incredibly well done. I was able to anticipate some of the plot, but overall, I felt like things progressed very naturaly and I was still left to be able to process the character development over time. This was a refreshing and enjoyable read. Books about queer identify are often rife with trauma, but this story overwhelmingly leaves me with hope that things have gotten better.