When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore Review

When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie Mclemore

Publisher: Thomas Dunne

Release Date: October 4, 2016

Pages: 240

Summary: 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 Rating:★★★★★

My Thoughts: Magical realism at its finest! With lush prose and phenomenal story telling, When The Moon Was Ours not only captivates but tells a story of identity,family and courage!

There were so many amazing aspects of this book! From the diversity (LGBT, Trans MC, Pakistani + Latina MC) to the wonderful messages of finding one’s self and the importance of family/identity.

Being Latina myself, I am very familiar with the legend of La Llorona (in this novel are the Bonner Girls) and I absolutely loved  reading McLemore’s take on it! 💖💖

The novel’s writing style and characters are truly unforgettable! I cannot count the number of times I stopped to reread passages! Every page had such memorable and magical quotes!!

Miel and Sam have secrets, but regardless have built a beautiful friendship. They protect each other no matter what. But when the Bonner Girls, who are rumored to make any boy fall in love with them, think Miel’s roses (that grow from her wrist) will keep their influence strong, they threaten to expose Miel + Sam’s secrets to get what they want.

Miel and Sam’s relationship is threatened when the Bonner Girls begin to use Miel’s roses for their own gain and Miel distances herself from Sam for fear that they may no longer be able to stay together.

Originally being Samira, Sam’s mother believes its just a phase, however he’s not so sure. Over the course of this novel, Sam comes to understand who he is and who he wants to be.

Miel fell out of a water-tower as a child and cannot remember how she got there, but knows she can grow roses from her wrist and had a family. She is trying to understand who she is and where she’s headed.

Character development is truly at the heart of this novel, from the Bonner Girls to Aracely, Miel’s caretaker, each and every character changes over the course of this story.

If I could I would give this book millions of stars! This book is truly unforgettable and tackles/discusses so many topics and themes. From LGBTQ to racism, family, importance of culture + identity, and so much more.

When The Moon Was Ours delivers a stunning prose, wonderfully written characters, and an overall plot that is utterly magical! ✨🌙💖