Graffiti Moon is a page-turning speed read of a romance that will keep readers glued tight until the last page. This Australian award-winner is set over the course of one night in Melbourne on the last day of school for a handful of high school seniors in search of all-night adventure. It is told from Ed and Lucy's alternating points of view, with the author using the neat trick of frequently beginning a chapter in one character's point of view by repeating the end of the last chapter from the other's point of view, so that the reader sees the same conversation from both directions--a fascinating reminder of how two people can experience the same event in very different ways. There is tension and anticipation throughout because the reader knows from the beginning a secret that Lucy does not know, and there are raw and honest (and sometimes cringe-worthy) moments as she unknowingly reveals deep bits of her psyche to Ed. Ed and Lucy both express themselves best through art, and in Ed's case, this is a lifeline as he has dropped out of school because he struggles with an unnamed and undiagnosed learning disability. Ed and Lucy both come from loving, if unconventional families. Ed is a loyal son and friend, though without a father, he has been navigating without a rudder since his boss-mentor passed away before the beginning of the story. Over the course of the evening, Ed and his friends wrestle with the ethics of a decision they made to commit a robbery to help repay a friend's debt. What previously seemed like a good idea to desperate boys suddenly takes on a new look as they see their potential actions through the eyes of girls they've begun to care about. There are brief mentions of other kids drinking at a party, vague sexual references and some graphic language (f-ck, sh-t, d-ck). This is a rich and thought-provoking book for teens looking for a tense, intelligent love story.
