Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Saltwater Moons

by Julie Gittus (Goodreads Author)

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 73 ratings · 27 reviews

In the beginning it seems so simple. A poem in the mail. A weekend invitation to the coast. But when Sun says yes to a midnight walk, her life becomes suddenly complicated. Saltwater Moons tells the story of Sun Langley during her final months of Year Twelve. There's the intensity of her first relationship, complicated by the fact she continues to exchange poems with her b...more

Paperback, 272 pages

Published August 7th 2008 by Lothian Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Favourite Aussie YA books

103rd out of 199 books — 478 voters

Book You Wished You Hadn't Read

58th out of 101 books — 55 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 554)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 18, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussies, read-2011, realistic-fiction, young-adult

I want to go visit Australia. I don't know if everyone lives by the ocean and eats olive paté and quince paste and puts grapes in their salads or serves lime blossom tea with honey, but I'd really like to find out.

Saltwater Moons certainly makes Melbourne seem like a beautiful place to live. Sunday is visiting her crush Tycho's parents' house on the coast, and she is drawn to romantic lure of surf and sand and moonlight, as well as increasingly attracted to the boy who invited her. One night whe...more I want to go visit Australia. I don't know if everyone lives by the ocean and eats olive paté and quince paste and puts grapes in their salads or serves lime blossom tea with honey, but I'd really like to find out.

Saltwater Moons certainly makes Melbourne seem like a beautiful place to live. Sunday is visiting her crush Tycho's parents' house on the coast, and she is drawn to romantic lure of surf and sand and moonlight, as well as increasingly attracted to the boy who invited her. One night when he's acting distant, however, she finds herself headed down a path she never expected...and the consequences of her choice resonate with all the people she cares about the most.

Sun is a very typical teenager. She feels intense emotions, ranging from the dizzy excitement of being attracted to two boys as well as the all-consuming anger and pain of being rejected. She's also unsure of herself, confused by what to make of mixed signals, reckless, headstrong, and deceptive. Honestly, sometimes it was really hard to sympathize with her because some of the choices she makes are so hurtful and careless, and clearly deliberately done in retaliation for her own insecurity. But this is said as an adult with 20/20 hindsight. Most of Sunday's actions and reactions feel emotionally true to that heedless period in your life when it seems as if the world might end if you don't act quickly and get those emotions out of your system now.

I find it really hard to get over her behavior towards her friend Nicky, however. And I am upset that any girl would exchange letters and poems with a boy (do kids really do this?) who's so darned nice to her, but still seesaws so wildly in her affections with him. But again, none of this is unbelievable or hard to imagine--in fact, it's far too easy to remember the urge to act just this way. I'm just not sure how much I actually enjoy reading about stuff like this, as I tend to like my escapist YA fiction to be infused with a little more joy and a little more happiness.

I'm probably in the minority on that front, however. The writing is very appealing, and I'm sure that the angsty premise will be very relatable to many other readers who may enjoy this a little more than I did. I'm still awarding it 3 stars for the prose as well as the painfully realistic emotions of what it feels like to be a teenager.

My heartfelt thanks to Missie and Nic for sending this book along as part of the Go Aussie Book Tour! I really appreciate having the opportunity to read such great Australian YA literature thanks to their generosity. So many of these titles will never make it to the U.S. (or will take years to get here), so it's wonderful to be exposed to authors we might otherwise never find.(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Jun 28, 2011 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Arlene by: Street Corner Booker Tour - Nic (Aussie Book Angel)

Shelves: read-2011, ya-contemporary, reviews-with-music, aussie-books, cover-pda-fave, young-adult

Another Aussie Hit!

It’s a true testament to how much I enjoy a book when I forego an entire sunny afternoon to curl up on my couch and read a book from beginning to end in one sitting. I find I do that quite often with books penned by Aussie writers. It’s like there’s a magic and realism about them. Something like tuning into a story you're already familiar with to get another few chapters of someone’s life… someone you feel you know and a story that seems so real. I don’t know how else to put i...more Another Aussie Hit!

It’s a true testament to how much I enjoy a book when I forego an entire sunny afternoon to curl up on my couch and read a book from beginning to end in one sitting. I find I do that quite often with books penned by Aussie writers. It’s like there’s a magic and realism about them. Something like tuning into a story you're already familiar with to get another few chapters of someone’s life… someone you feel you know and a story that seems so real. I don’t know how else to put it, but that’s what these books do to me and Saltwater Moons is no exception.

Now I have to admit up front that I noticed this story caused some heated emotions for some of my Street Corner Booker friends, and I didn’t feel the same way. I’m not quite sure if it was the protagonist or her boyfriend that raised these emotions in them, but I felt tuned into the three main characters, and I had a bag load of sympathy for each of them at the ready.

I really came to like Sun, Tycho (pronounced TySHO) and even Mark in some form or fashion. They each had a sort of vulnerability that was expressed so honestly that I wanted to give them all a big hug. So as far as the cast of characters go, they were awesome. I’m probably one of the only Bookers that came to like Mark. Now don’t get me wrong, what he did at the end was wrong, but the entire time I saw him for what he was… sad, flawed and somehow broken to the point that you really had to look closely to sense his desperation and that broke my heart. I wish he didn’t do that one thing that was meant to destroy his character at the end, but other than that, he was your typical guy that makes mistakes when it comes to girls, lust and love. I tried to understand why Sun made the choice she made that sealed her fate between her and Tycho and I don’t think it was a strong enough reason to set Tycho aside, but she realized that. Tycho was definitely someone that deserved more then he got, but unfortunately he didn’t cease the moment and it passed him right by. But I did have hope for Sun and Ty at the end after all was said and done.

Overall, the storyline was right up my alley. This book to me is about beauty and hope and most importantly wanting something that seems unreachable. It’s also about betrayal and learning to trust again, all the real feelings that come with loving someone you can’t have and being with someone that doesn’t feel quite right. Julie Gittus manages to share all of these feelings without rushing the story. Her pace and delivery has that special element that you feel you’re deep into the story and before you know it, the main character is ending her narrative and you don’t feel hurried along or left with a sense of longing. It’s wrapped up, not in a pretty bow, but packaged in a way that you feel complete.

Thank you so much to my Aussie Booker Angel Nic for sending this all the way from Australia. What would I do without you? ((HUGS)) Now it’s off to Germany to be enjoyed by the rest of the Street Corner. :D

P.S. To all of the Aussie writers out there, there’s something simply magical about the stories you share. They might not all be earth shattering or life changing, but definitely special and emotional in the best kind of way. So keep drinking the water or eating the vegemite, basically keep doing whatever it is you do that fills the pages you write with that something special that makes me crave just one more page before I close my eyes at night… just one more page… May the well never run dry down under. ~sigh~

Song choice: Blue October - Picking up the Pieces (less)

13 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2011 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie, tour, young-adult, 2011-reads, borrowed

3.5 stars

When I finished Saltwater Moons last night, I had mixed feelings. There were a lot of things that happened that brought out my anger, but I just could not stop reading. I thought the story was intriguing, the setting was nice, and I really liked the writing. (All the Australian books I've read so far have great writing.) Those must have been the reasons why I couldn't put the book down because I know some of the characters weren't the ones who kept me going.

I couldn't sympathize with th...more 3.5 stars

When I finished Saltwater Moons last night, I had mixed feelings. There were a lot of things that happened that brought out my anger, but I just could not stop reading. I thought the story was intriguing, the setting was nice, and I really liked the writing. (All the Australian books I've read so far have great writing.) Those must have been the reasons why I couldn't put the book down because I know some of the characters weren't the ones who kept me going.

I couldn't sympathize with the main character Sun. I just wasn't able to fully understand her actions and behavior. She allowed the situation between her and Mark to continue... And for what? She knew what type of person Mark was, so it was pretty obvious where the relationship was headed. She also knew that she had feelings for someone else, Mark's friend Tycho. Now, I might have gotten annoyed with Sun, but I don't believe she was a horrible character. She made mistakes like any normal person. I do believe she learned something and gained strength from all this, but I just don't get why she put herself through that. I wish she had the courage to confront Tycho in the first place instead of allowing Mark to take over.

I didn't like Mark. All the things he said to Sun... I'm sure she's not the first girl to hear those words from him. And every time he was with her it never seemed like he was ever completely there. His behavior might be his way of coping with his stressful home life, but I don't believe that's any excuse. As for Tycho, he didn't get nearly as much page-time as Mark, but from what we did get, he sounded like a nice guy. He definitely wasn't perfect though. At least he sounded better than his friend. I honestly wondered what he thought of Mark & Sun. Because, to me, it was obvious Tycho was interested in Sun and shouldn't Mark have known that? But I guess Mark's too selfish to care. And Sun wasn't strong enough to stop it from happening.

I know it may seem like I didn't like this book, and I know it might not make sense with me saying that I have mixed feelings, but overall... I actually did. I just didn't enjoy the decisions and behaviors of certain characters. So would I recommend this book? Yes. And if the author were to write more books, I would definitely be interested in reading them.(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2009 Lea rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of a young girl who lives in Wattle Glen, close to where I used to live. But apart from the pleasure of reading about familiar scenery, the writing itself held me. How vivid were the best friends scenarios, with the fights, betrayals, confusion and loyalty. And the romance. The poems in the mail, with the indirect messages. Lovely romance. And of course, I loved the poetry. What a catastrophe losing one's virginity can be. Such a loaded thing, and an experience you can't just r...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2011 ALPHAreader rated it 4 of 5 stars

A poem in the mail, and Sunday ‘Sun’ Langley suddenly finds herself falling for a boy named Tycho.

But Tycho has an ex-girlfriend who he might not be over. And Tycho’s best mate, Mark, has taken an interest in Sun. But Mark just so happens to be the boy who recently broke Sun’s best friend’s heart, and Nicky isn’t over him yet.

A poem in the mail. A mermaid on her arm and always thinking of the wrong boy … this is Sun Langley’s final days of year twelve, and the minor emotional disasters that com...more

like · see review

Dec 15, 2009 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Well. I have to say by looking at the cover of this book I expected a typical stereotype two-guys-like-a-girl book. But thats not what I got.
Firstly I was surprised to find out that this was a book written by an Australian author(Julie Gittus, Go Aussies!!)
But the thing that I really liked about this book was how different it was. I mean sure, the basic story line may be typical but it was the way it was written that really stood out to me.
I really enjoyed how Julie added little details and all...more

like · see review

Mar 01, 2011 Nomes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, aussie-ya, love-triangle

Gosh, what a beautiful book for teenagers.

This is the story of Sun, in the last few months of high school. She meets two older guys and everything changes.

It's a story of love and betrayal and heartbreak and loyalty and getting it all mixed up. It seamlessly portrays that adolescent feeling of muddling through a confusion of feelings ~ of wanting independence from your family, and get tangled up in a relationship which can be beautiful and painful. Of being unsure of yourself but determined to...more Gosh, what a beautiful book for teenagers.

This is the story of Sun, in the last few months of high school. She meets two older guys and everything changes.

It's a story of love and betrayal and heartbreak and loyalty and getting it all mixed up. It seamlessly portrays that adolescent feeling of muddling through a confusion of feelings ~ of wanting independence from your family, and get tangled up in a relationship which can be beautiful and painful. Of being unsure of yourself but determined to keep doing things your way. Of longing.

It also perfectly captures the complication of girl friendships ~ the fights and fierceness of emotion. The nostalgia of growing up together and all changing as you're balancing on the cusp of adulthood.

And the sex. Wow. It's intense ~ losing your virginity and maybe not to the right guy and nothing is like you imagine it would be. I love the exploration of that. This is added to my list of books that explore teen sex brilliantly: with honesty and all the myriad of emotions that come with it.

So far, I've only really mentioned the vibe and the themes in this book. It sounds like a love triangle in the blurb, and in a way it is: but in an honest way ~ in a way where you genuinely are not sure about love and you hold all your hopes and dreams out and there's longing for one guy while being in your first intense relationship with another. The romance is there but it's not all swoon-y all the time ~ it's much more real and layered, at times, it's a smidgen melancholy.

I could describe this book as authentic. It feels like it's written straight from the heart of a teenager. The emotions are subtly handled, a constant yearning and hopefulness mixed up with sadness.

You can feel Sun's parents ache as she barrels along a path that adult hindsight knows will bring pain and possibly stuff things up a crucial time in Sun's life ~ but for Sun, she is a teenager in the moment and Julie Gittus captures that adolescent ache and intensity so marvellously. It's a classic coming of age. And it's written beautifully. There are poems scattered throughout (which Sun exchanges with a guy) which are just divine to read.

This is another Aussie book set in Melbourne :) It's an easy read and, I think, a lingering one.(less)

16 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2011 Milly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Milly by: Nic, Nomes

Shelves: teen-romance, young-adult, contemporary-fiction, aussie, aussie-reading-challenge, aussie-book-tour, coming-of-age

Aussie Reading Challenge #2

Beautifully written. Captivating backdrop and setting. Another enticing Aussie book for the summer.

Though this book is a coming of age book, I feel that the target audience should be the mature teens just because it is abundant with sex and sexual innuendos. I found it to be more about a summer of raging hormones and curiosity with sex and discovering the difference between lust and love and romance. There was just so much about this book that bothered me and I ofte...more Aussie Reading Challenge #2

Beautifully written. Captivating backdrop and setting. Another enticing Aussie book for the summer.

Though this book is a coming of age book, I feel that the target audience should be the mature teens just because it is abundant with sex and sexual innuendos. I found it to be more about a summer of raging hormones and curiosity with sex and discovering the difference between lust and love and romance. There was just so much about this book that bothered me and I often berated myself not to be too judgmental and that these characters are teens and are driven by hormones rather than sense and sensibilities. It's a different generation after all.

Sun is our seemingly quiet and smart female protagonist who is at the cusp of adulthood, turning 18 in a few months. She's smitten by her best friend's boyfriend's Tycho, a college student and a few years older than her. Tycho appears to feel the same way but holds himself back as he recently just got out of a relationship. Sun on the other hand has never had any experience with boys and is completely new to dating. Tycho invites her to spend a weekend at his parents beach house, with his parents present. What is supposed to be a weekend of them getting to know each other turns into something different and unexpected and a tumultuous time for Sun. This incident completely changes Sun, tests her friendship with her best friend Nicky, challenges her relationship with her parents, and confuses her feelings for Tycho altogether. The turn of events I still find very disturbing because of what happened to Sun. I felt that it was (view spoiler) As Sun mentioned later on, her being together with someone other than Tycho was a moment of weakness. Again, one of Sun's traits that I didn't admire about her...weak. Yes, I know she's flawed and immature. But the wrongness of what she's done and how it hurt her best friend Nicky should be enough to stop what she was doing. It was difficult to sympathize with Sun for the misguided decisions she's making left and right. I applaud Nicky for being the better person and forgiving Sun for her decisions. I just found Sun gutless as well as Tycho. Both nice people but both lacking courage.

I really like exchanging letters. There's something deliciously romantic about it. But exchanging poetry rather than penning your true feelings that can sometimes be too much. Poetry can be interpreted differently and therefore too risky. Sun was too dense to see Tycho's intentions and Tycho's too chicken to just spill the beans. And as for Mark, Nicky's ex-boyfriend, he's evil incarnate IMO. It's unfortunate that Sun had to (view spoiler) finally make the right and mature decision. When Sun picked up that phone to call Tycho, I had a big sigh of relief! That moment made this book worth it and made me think that Sun and Tycho aren't hopeless after all. It was a good way to end the book and finally start the romance that I've been waiting for all this time.

Thank you Missie and Nic for the opportunity to enjoy another of Aussie's finest! I can't wait for the next Aussie Challenge!

(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Flannery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya-is-the-cats-meow, young-adult-teen, read-in-2011, reviewed-2011, read-on-tour

Look out, it’s another Aussie YA book. And another Aussie author who has strong writing skills and uses evocative language. This one ended up being around a 3.5 for me but it still puts a lot of American YA to shame. Of course, and we’ve had this discussion many a time, it is probably because there is so much more American YA so we have to wade through the muck to find the gems. Er, or whatever else you could find in the muck. Clearly, I am no Aussie YA author as I just gave you the mental image...more Look out, it’s another Aussie YA book. And another Aussie author who has strong writing skills and uses evocative language. This one ended up being around a 3.5 for me but it still puts a lot of American YA to shame. Of course, and we’ve had this discussion many a time, it is probably because there is so much more American YA so we have to wade through the muck to find the gems. Er, or whatever else you could find in the muck. Clearly, I am no Aussie YA author as I just gave you the mental image of swimming in mud to look for gemstones and that is ridiculous…but it kind of makes me want to go to the spa. But while we’re off on a tangent, let me just tell you about the mental image I am having right now: Aussie YA characters vs. American YA characters in a dance-off West Side Story-style. Sharks v. Jets. (When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet for life) Du-da-nuh-na-na. I bet Jonah Griggs, Rhino, Thomas Mackee, and Tycho could really bring it in a dramatic gang fight. And don’t even try to tell me they’d be going up against Edward Cullen. I’d schedule it for noon in full sunlight, just to be sure.

Aaaand, I’m back on topic. Sunday lives outside the suburbs with her parents, brother, and her horse, Gio. While she doesn’t have too much experience, her best friend Nicky has been fooling around with guys for a few years. Sun meets Nicky’s boyfriend, Mark, and his friend Tycho when they all hang out together. Tycho is one of those contemplative, endearing surfer dudes that seem to exist in abundance in Australia or at least in Australian YA. (whatever, I am not sick of them yet) Even after Mark breaks up with Nicky, Tycho and Sun still talk once in a while, but events take a turn after Tycho invites Sun down to his place for the weekend. It should come as no surprise that alcohol serves as the impetus for the event that sets up the rest of the plot. I just wish all the characters would say the things they mean to say or inquire to see if what they are believing is, in fact, true. I suppose it is realistic, though. Can you really fault me for wanting two characters that work so well together to just be together?

Which brings me to Tycho and Sunday. I love poetry but let’s be honest, a lot of it is pretentious. I thought it was lovely the way Tycho and Sunday sent each other poems in the mail, and I enjoyed most of them. BUT, I couldn’t help but wonder what the inspiration for this book was and whether the author just loves all these poets and wanted to include them in her book. And I’m not trying to be a jerk, I LIKED THEM! Poems can be truly amazing—in some instances, they can replace the feeling of an entire speech with just a few lines. They can evoke emotion and describe experiences so well that I think I’m there. BUT, I think it is cheesy when people read poetry to each other. Just tell the person how you feel. To their face. In your own words. Make up your own metaphors. Sure, someone has said what you want to say before (or seemingly so), but it means more if you actually put it into words yourself instead of copying the emotions of someone else. Unless you are far apart (cue Richard Marx), then write away and poem yourself to death. But if you are living near each other, just use poems every once in a while, when they actually mean something. /personal gripe Just kidding, my gripe isn’t over yet. Say there is a really awesome guy. He has all sorts of quirky habits that are adorable. He sends you frakking poems in the mail and brings your mom seedlings for your garden. He drives you home when his lame friend can’t pick you up. You know who does these types of things? GUYS THAT LIKE YOU. I mean, it was about as subtle as a brick to the head. (view spoiler)

So, in short, this book is for you if you love poetry, you like artistic surfer dudes, you enjoy reading about family discord, you are piling up your Aussie YA books, or you just want a solid read. I definitely enjoyed it and I will read whatever else Julie Gittus writes. (less)

29 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-read-2011, young-adult, contemporary, bookers-tour, read-2011

Aussie Book challenge 2011 #6

3.5stars

Saltwater Moons is a book about messy teenage actions and the consequences and lessons of those actions. It's about the confusion of firsts, betrayal and ultimately self discovery.
This book actually really surprised me once it was all said and done. I liked it but at the same time it felt unsettlingly. Julie Gittus pens a very conflicting plot, quickening the emotions in her readers from rage to hope, which is my favorite part of reading, so while I didn't q...more Aussie Book challenge 2011 #6

3.5stars

Saltwater Moons is a book about messy teenage actions and the consequences and lessons of those actions. It's about the confusion of firsts, betrayal and ultimately self discovery.
This book actually really surprised me once it was all said and done. I liked it but at the same time it felt unsettlingly. Julie Gittus pens a very conflicting plot, quickening the emotions in her readers from rage to hope, which is my favorite part of reading, so while I didn't quite agree with some of the choices in this story, I was still very much invested to seeing where it would go.

This book was more character driven then anything else, which I actually liked since it worked for this kind of storyline. Funny enough I didn't hate Mark. I didn't particularly like him either, but I was prepared to hate him after reading a few reviews. I agree that he's a jerk and could be a total asswipe, and I didn't like a lot of things he said and did with Sun, but I found him to be very realistic character (sad but true). He definitely liked his fill of sex, which at first, I thought that's all he wanted, but in his own warped way I could see that he actually cared about Sun. I'm not excusing his self-absorbed ways mind you, just recognizing him for the guy he is and the man that he could have been. He had his moments, both good and bad.
As for Sun, she seemed to confuse me throughout the story and yet I understood her most of all. She never seemed very happy to be with Mark, and yet she stayed with him. It almost felt like she was settling, couldn't be with the guy she wants so she just went through the motions with Mark, letting him pull her along on strings, but then there were times that she seemed happy as well. Then there were her feeling for Tycho, which oddly enough was never explored fully. Sun was a very conflicting character and I don't think she actually knew what she wanted, which I guess is true enough when your a teenager handling the pressures of relationships. There isn't a lot I have to say about Tycho. He seems like a nice guy and I liked how they shared poetry, but there wasn't much of him in this book to gather an actual connection.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's a story about longing and wanting but I don't believe that this story as anything to do with love. Sun cared for both Mark and Tycho in different ways and in their own way they cared for Sun. But I think this book has more to do with the idea of love and the possibilities of hope. I might have not always agreed with what was said and done in this book, but it's a completely compelling read from start to finish.

Shout out to (twine) Nic for sharing another Aussie experience and to Alexa for sending it! ((hugs))
(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2011 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nic by: Nomes

Shelves: aussie-ya, young-adult, realistic-fiction, read-in-2011

Favourite Quote: "Time stretched, expanded so there was just him and me and the closeness, and I thought how it was all very well to tell yourself what you should and shouldn't feel but in the end the should word didn't make the slightest scrap of difference."

Saltwater Moons is a beautiful and touching coming of age story. It is a story about being young making mistakes and how we learn and change from them.

First up, the writing is gorgeous. There is poetry scattered within it's page. It is a ge...more

9 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2011 Miffy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, family, romance, realism, ya, cbca-2009

Pleasantly-written, but slightly unrealistic, portrayal of teenage love, and coming of age. I felt that Sun Langley was not clearly realised in that she made choices for her life that I didn't think she would have made based on her character in the beginning of the story. That said, I'm sure that the situations that Sun finds herself in happen to young people everyday, and as an allegory for teenagehood, it is a good read.
FABULOUS cover!

like · see review

May 16, 2013 Chally added it

Mark is a pretty solid illustration of a horrible, self-centred, abusive boyfriend, and I hope teen girls reading this book in similar relationships realise, as Sun does, that this is not okay. I wish Gittus had been more explicit in figuring Mark's rape of Sun as rape, because it ends up folding into Sun's uncertainty and guilt and what she terms weakness in unhelpful ways.

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Louise Nicholas rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is beautifully written - as you'd expect since poetry is a driving force in the novel. The portrayal of 'the human condition', especially when we're young and inexperienced, was also key to my enjoyment as a reader. I love the element of possibility that accompanies each character: things aren't always as they seem, nothing's fixed, and even the most difficult of situations can suddenly change for the better. Loved it!

like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Anne Chandler rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great read...lovely, lyrical and beautiful way to bring poetry into today's world. Really enjoyed the way Julie has tapped into issues so sensitively without over-sentimentalising. Non-judgemental, honest and well written. 5 stars from me!

like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 K rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, australian, ya, library

Between 4 and 5! I really enjoyed this, reading it in almost one sitting when I was home sick from work.

I love the beautiful poetry and the main male character - I wish we had seen more of him, which was the letdown for me.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Would have liked a better ending. The story was great and it was a casual read. Nothing serious about it. But you know what will happen in the end. Would have liked to see another love story blossom out of the book.

like · see review

Apr 01, 2010 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this and loved it and gave it to my daughter, 17yo, who said it was like this author got into her head and translated all of her feelings into a book. It's wonderful.

like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

An enchanting read beautifully written - vividly evokes the rite-of-passage years. Highly reccommended for young and not so young readers.

like · see review

Mar 01, 2011 Daisy Chain Books marked it as to-read

Unavailable on Book Depo. :( What to do?

like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Rinah rated it 2 of 5 stars

choose you bf wisely.

like · see review

Apr 01, 2011 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

I actually liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I got this book out from the library just for something quick to read and wasn't really expecting too much to be honest but as the book progressed I started to get attached and couldn't stop reading. Saltwater Moons is just an elegant story about a teenage girl growing up. It just flowed so nicely and I really enjoyed it.

like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Neşe rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, aussie-author, read-in-2010, romance, quick-reads, dud, female-pov, young-adult, beachy

2.5

1 like · like · see review

Mar 14, 2012 Wendy marked it as ya-to-read

Shelves: 2012-for-sure, aussie

Ack! Out of print, and my library can't get it.

anyone want to send their copy on a tour to me??

like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Trish Doller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-ya

Unexpected and so lovely and lingering.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sarah by: Trish Doller

Shelves: australia, my-epic-ya-binge

This is a very beautiful little novel.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 27, 2013 jo mo marked it as dropped

Shelves: aussie-nz-author, must-read

dropped: 27 apr 2013

like · see review

May 17, 2013 Elizabeth Barry marked it as to-read

May 16, 2013 Caroline marked it as to-read

May 15, 2013 KateLin marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 18 19 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Genres

Young Adult

17 users

Romance

7 users

Realistic Fiction

4 users

Family

2 users

Contemporary

2 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

2 users

Cultural > Australia

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Raincheck on Timbuktu
by Kirsten Murphy
Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight
by Nick Earls
Slice
by Steven Herrick
Alaska
by Sue Saliba
Out Of This Place
by Emma Cameron

About Julie Gittus

Julie Gittus lives in Maldon, Australia. Her young adult fiction novel, Saltwater Moons, was published in August 2008.

Julie is also a short story writer. Her stories have been broadcast on radio and included in Australian anthologies including New Australian Stories, by Scribe in 2009.

Sometimes Julie transforms her stories into hand-made books that she exhibits at festivals. Julie also runs writin...more

More about Julie Gittus...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Saltwater Moons

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Saltwater Moons

“People say that it's the big decisions that are important... that these are the type of issues worthy of prolonged consideration. But no one ever explains how it's the little choices that send your life careening in another direction.” — 10 people liked it

“But I don't believe coincidences are chance events. I think they're the times we happen to see the mysterious pattern connecting everything.” — 8 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Saltwater Moons
avg rating	preview: Saltwater Moons Goodreads rating: 3.38 (73 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6235720-saltwater-moons?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1287922161l/6235720.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6235720-saltwater-moons?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Saltwater Moons by Julie Gittus[/url]

Saltwater Moons

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Julie Gittus

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Saltwater Moons

Quotes from Saltwater Moons

new topic
Discuss This Book