Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis Publication date: April 1, 2014
Moon at Nine is a poignant and powerful story about a bookish, strong-willed fifteen year old girl named Farrin who falls in love with Sadira, a new girl at school who understands Farrin better than her distant peers at school or her self-involved parents. Unfortunately, they are living in 1988 Iran where being gay is against the law and punishable by death.
Farrin and Sadira’s budding romance is sweet and lovely, and their situation absolutely heart-rending, made even more so by the fact that this novel was based on a true story as related to the author. At times, however, I found myself distracted from narrative because of inconsistencies in the quality of the writing. For example, Farrin often feels younger than her age, and the dialogue at times feels very inorganic. There are also a few instances of awkward fact-insertions that are quite jarring and could’ve been more artfully woven into the text.
Nevertheless, Moon at Nine is intensely moving. I found myself rooting for Farrin and Sadira, and I tore my way through this book just trying to find out how things would unfold.
Disclaimer: Review of electronic ARC received free from publisher via NetGalley
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