Blood Moon

A timely feminist YA novel in verse about periods, sex, shame and going viral for all the wrong reasons.

BLOOD MOON is a YA novel about the viral shaming of a teenage girl. During her seminal sexual experience with the quiet and lovely Benjamin, physics-lover and astronomy fan Frankie gets her period – but the next day a gruesome meme goes viral, turning an innocent, intimate afternoon into something sordid, mortifying and damaging. {goodreads summary}

I've seen a lot of hype about this book and it deserves every single word. Blood Moon is brilliant. Here are three reasons you should buy it now. 

1. We need more YA novels about periods, to help demystify and normalise them. Blood Moon does a great job of exploring the unnecessary stigma around periods, as well as the toxic nature of online shaming. The novel has a positive, empowering message which it's brilliant to see in YA. 

2. I loved the friendships in Blood Moon. They were messy and imperfect and very real. Arguments feel like the end of the world because friendships often are your world when you're a teenager, so the implications of them breaking down are astronomical. I loved the group chats, the hashtags and the in-jokes, the laughter and the tears. Frankie's bond with Harriet is really special, but it also feels like a real teenage friendship. Frankie's other relationships, with her parents and the boy she likes, are also really strong and her brilliant support network is essential to the novel's success. I love how much, as an adult, I now relate to Frankie's Dad - he's outdated jokes and language really made me giggle! 

3. This is the second novel written in verse I've read this year. It's a great format to read: fast paced, every word counts and every line flows. I think it works particularly well for teen novels because everything is so quick and fleeting - conversations flow in a very realistic way and you get a great insight into the protagonist's thoughts. Visually, Blood Moon is wonderful. It is immediately clear and accessible to anyone who picks it up. 

I really loved Blood Moon and read it in two sittings. I would recommend it without hesitation. 

I was provided with an advanced copy of Blood Moon on NetGalley.