The Trouble With Half a Moon

Feb 23, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dellie's family is reeling from the death of her brother in an accident that Dellie feels responsible for. Life is hard enough in their inner city tenement, but this event has made it hard for her mother to function at all. Dellie struggles in school, and is having trouble with her best friend, but all of these problems pale in comparison to the life of Corey, a small boy who lives in her building. His mother is neglectful and abusive, and since Corey reminds Dellie of her brother, she tries to...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dellie's family has been wracked by the death of her brother. Her parents, who have been in counseling for months, are struggling to keep going. Her mother, has become distant and over-protective of Dellie while her father finds himself having to follow her around to make sure she is safe so his wife will not worry. Neither seems to notice that Dellie is fighting her own personal guilt. She can't help but wonder if their is something she could have done to save her brother Louis from the acciden...more Dellie's family has been wracked by the death of her brother. Her parents, who have been in counseling for months, are struggling to keep going. Her mother, has become distant and over-protective of Dellie while her father finds himself having to follow her around to make sure she is safe so his wife will not worry. Neither seems to notice that Dellie is fighting her own personal guilt. She can't help but wonder if their is something she could have done to save her brother Louis from the accident that killed him.

Things start to change when a new family moves into their housing project. Corey, the little boy who has come with his mother, is a tiny little thing, even though he is older than Louis would have been. Dellie can't help but feel for him, particularly as she starts to realize how tough things are for Corey. It quickly becomes clear that his mother is trouble when a gunshot breaks the silence of the night of their arrival. Things only get worse as everyone can't help but notice the arguing that takes place between Corey's mom and her boyfriend in the apartment.

Corey and Dellie become fast friends as he starts to escape and turn to her for support and some food when his mother abandons him without a meal. Corey and his troubles provide a reason for Dellie's family to find a focus other than the loss of Louis.

Dellie's troubles are not limited to just those relating to her brother's death and Corey's difficult situation. She has a burgeoning crush on Michael, one of the boys in her math class. She is also facing the fact that her best friend no longer wants to be her friend, and Dellie doesn't even know why.

This is a really moving story about a 13-year-old struggling to get through the tough realities of inner-city life. Her family is shattered by their lucky, but she is lucky, because she is not confronted with the challenging situation that Corey has. How will she find the strength in herself to not only help Corey but also to heal her own personal wounds?

I thought the characters in this story were very richly-drawn. You could almost feel them in the room while reading, and I know that I wanted to just do what I could to help both Dellie and Corey. At the same time, I felt like the book, which is fairly short, seemed to move along at a fairly slow pace, making it drag. That is not to say that I didn't like it. I really did want to know what was going to happen.

The book does struggle with some basic editing issues with misspelled words sprinkled throughout, and the errors are not tied to the use of urban slang. They are just typos.(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Esther Shaindel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...

The voice of the novel, told in Dellie's words, is completely engaging and so real. It's straightforward, clear, and emotional at all the right points. Dellie's feelings are clearly portrayed, through her own words and through the things she does and the way she reacts to everything. Without Dellie coming straight out and telling the reader, her thoughts and reactions are very clear from the way she talks about what's goin...more Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...

The voice of the novel, told in Dellie's words, is completely engaging and so real. It's straightforward, clear, and emotional at all the right points. Dellie's feelings are clearly portrayed, through her own words and through the things she does and the way she reacts to everything. Without Dellie coming straight out and telling the reader, her thoughts and reactions are very clear from the way she talks about what's going on. The way she deals with her grieving mother comes across especially well, as she talks about her mother's daily actions in an understated, matter-of-fact manner.

The themes of grief, blame, guilt, and love are all portrayed exceptionally well, on all levels of the plot. Dellie's interactions with Corey showcase how she feels about her brother, but the subplot of Dellie and Kayla's friendship helps bring these themes into greater relief, as Dellie grapples with the guilt, blame, and love of that relationship.

All the relationships of the story are shown really well. Every single one feels real and believable. I love the relationship between Dellie and Corey, and the one between Dellie and her dad as well. Both of those made me smile many times, and both felt completely natural - all of the relationships in the book do, really, but these two in particular struck me as extremely real.

Though told from a middle-schooler's point of view, there are shades of meaning in each character and their interactions. This book does something that is really tricky - it works well for giving middle-grade readers a real, clear picture of what could go on in real life, in relationships and in someone's own mind, and at the same time it gives enough information that an adult could pick up on and understand certain points that a middle-grade reader would not pick up on. I really like that. This book is definitely meant for middle-grade readers, but their parents can read along with them and enjoy and appreciate the book as well. (less)

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Nov 01, 2010 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, no-longer-own

Reason for Reading: I'm not exactly sure how I came about receiving this ARC, as I don't typically read Teen realistic fiction, but the subject matter was enticing as I read the back of the book, then proceeded to read the book.

This is a brief book, short in it's page numbers and printed with a line and a half spacing between text lines. This makes the book a quick read and I did read it within a day but the story does make one slow down one's normal reading speed as it is a poignant story with...more Reason for Reading: I'm not exactly sure how I came about receiving this ARC, as I don't typically read Teen realistic fiction, but the subject matter was enticing as I read the back of the book, then proceeded to read the book.

This is a brief book, short in it's page numbers and printed with a line and a half spacing between text lines. This makes the book a quick read and I did read it within a day but the story does make one slow down one's normal reading speed as it is a poignant story with deep emotion that one wants to linger over.

Dellie lives in the projects with her mom and dad. Last summer her little brother was killed in an accident. Dellie blames herself. Her mother is overcome with grief and spends most of her time dusting his shrine and crying. She has also forbidden 13yo Dellie to go outside on her own; this includes having her father shadow her to and from school. The father is dealing with his grief in a much more healthy manner but he stands by his wife giving her time. New tenants move in on the ground floor and the once peaceful building starts to have problems. A gunshot goes off in one of the halls. A small 5yo boy wanders the halls knocking on doors asking for bread. Dellie secretly becomes close to the boy, taking him under her wing, feeding him and finding out that he is neglected and abused by his mother. She feels as if she can save Corey in a way she was unable to save her brother but what she hasn't counted on is that Corey may have a way of saving what is left of her family.

Terribly striking story, emotional and poignant on many levels. The secret of Dellie's brother's accident isn't revealed until near the end of the book and why she feels so responsible. This keeps it a personal agony that only she deals with, no one else remotely considers her responsible. The mother's grief of loosing a child is heart-wrenching to read and the family's faith even amidst the pain is comforting. The abused boy's story is heart-breaking and eye-opening in what can go on behind closed doors and how others need to get involved in these situations, even if only in a small way, until someone has the strength to overcome the fear of calling the police.

The story even includes a bit of paranormal or providential intervention, however you may want to interpret it, or not, when a strange purple cape wearing Jamaican woman moves into the building and always seems to be at hand with the right things to say when the worst things are happening. This is a small element that doesn't really even crossover into magical realism. The reader is to make of it what they will. Personally, I found providence ever present in the lives of these characters. A stunning debut novel and I will have my ear to the ground anxiously awaiting news of her second. (less)

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Mar 02, 2011 Dawn Vanniman rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'll admit that I had a really hard time with this book. At first I couldn't decide if it's because it's considered Middle Grade reading and maybe I was expecting too much or if it just isn't my style. What I decided is that there was so much detail - every tiny conversation - but I didn't get any emotion, just words. This could have been a very powerful story, but it was just words on paper.

Dellie's brother died the summer before the book begins, but no one says what happened to him, but it see...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

This was originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante was a sweet story. Looking back over the notes I wrote while reading this book, and just after, 'sweet' is the word that kept popping up.

Dellie is struggling with grief and guilt after the death of her younger brother. He died in an accident that she blames herself for. It's been a year since his death and her family is struggling. Her mom won't let her leave the house,...more This was originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante was a sweet story. Looking back over the notes I wrote while reading this book, and just after, 'sweet' is the word that kept popping up.

Dellie is struggling with grief and guilt after the death of her younger brother. He died in an accident that she blames herself for. It's been a year since his death and her family is struggling. Her mom won't let her leave the house, except to go to school and then she insists on having Dellie's dad walk with her, to keep her safe.

Dellie struggles with this, but accepts this and watches the activities outside from her bedroom window. One day, a little boy knocks on Dellie's door, asking for food. His mother is neglectful and more interested in her boyfriend and (we assume) doing drugs that giving the 5 year old the care he needs. Corey reminds Dellie of her brother, and she tries to take care of him.

I loved Corey. He was my favorite character in this whole story. He's just the cutest little boy, and my heart broke a little watching the way his mother treated him and observing the pain he goes through daily. He attaches himself to Dellie quickly, and although she is scared to have someone depend on her again for fear she'll let them down, she loves him too.

Dellie learns a lot from her interactions with Corey, and those lessons become cemented in her mind and life with the help of Miss Shirley, the Jamaican woman who just moved into their apartment complex.

Although I rather liked Miss Shirley, I didn't love her inclusion in the story. She just happened to be the solution to every problem the characters faced, and I found myself watching instance after instance of 'Shirley ex machina', and it got a little old. It got to the point that I just waited for the characters to bump into Miss Shirley, because I knew it just had to be coming.

I also wish the story had a little more depth to it. It's a really big deal to be 13 and believe that you are the reason your brother is dead, and in the beginning of the story, Dellie comments that sometimes she wonders if her parents blame her but, we never hear about it again. That is a very important conversation to have. I don't think Dellie can forgive herself, even if she comes to realize it wasn't her fault if she wonders whether or not her parents blame her. It wasn't addressed as well or as thoroughly as I would have liked/thought was necessary.

There was also surprisingly little depth to most of the characters. I felt like we only got to see one side of each character and that was all we were given. Even the moments we caught a glimpse of something more within the characters, the author moved past the scene without expounding on anything. I felt that the story was too rushed, too quick for the story it told. This is a story I felt deserved more. It could have been great, but too much was glossed over or left entirely unexplored.

I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this book to someone, but I also wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.(less)

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Feb 18, 2011 Yvonne Powderly rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quick read but with deep emotion.

Dellie lives in the projects with her mom and dad. Last summer her little brother was killed in an accident. Dellie blames herself. Her mother is overcome with grief and has become hyper vigilant about Dellie.
New tenants move in on the ground floor and the once peaceful building starts to have problems. A gunshot goes off in one of the halls. A small boy wanders the halls knocking on doors asking for bread. Dellie secretly becomes close to the boy, taking him...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Katrina Burchett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, young-adult

Delijah (Dellie) is thirteen years old and she’s in the seventh grade. She is her mother and father’s only child, but that wasn’t always the case. Her parents had a son, she had a little brother, his name was Louis, but now he’s gone; died at the young age of five.

Corey just moved into the building where Dellie lives. His father isn’t around and his mother treats him badly. He is a little boy in need of a friend.

Diana (Dellie’s Mother): She had a fear of losing the only child she had left, and...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really didn't expect The Trouble With Half a Moon to grab hold of my heart so tightly. I don't read a lot of contemporary urban fiction, but this one seemed to call out to me. An urban setting may seem alien to someone like me, who grew up in a rural area, but the topics of grief, loss, and healing are universal. The Trouble with Half a Moon focuses on a 13-year-old girl named Dellie, who blames herself for her brother's death and wrestles with those emotions on a daily basis. Her brother's de...more I really didn't expect The Trouble With Half a Moon to grab hold of my heart so tightly. I don't read a lot of contemporary urban fiction, but this one seemed to call out to me. An urban setting may seem alien to someone like me, who grew up in a rural area, but the topics of grief, loss, and healing are universal. The Trouble with Half a Moon focuses on a 13-year-old girl named Dellie, who blames herself for her brother's death and wrestles with those emotions on a daily basis. Her brother's death is ever-present in both her emotions and in her parents' actions. Her mother's fear of losing another child keeps Dellie inside her apartment much of the time. But Dellie longs to have a more typical teen existence, to spend time with her friends and neighbors. Her best friend is fighting with her, and the boy Dellie likes seems interested in spending time together, but she has to watch the outside world from her window.

Two people enter her isolated life and begin to change things drastically. First, Dellie befriends five-year-old Corey, an abused and neglected little boy from downstairs. She sees her little brother in him, and even though his mother is dangerous, Dellie can't resist giving him food and friendship. Then an elderly Jamaican woman wearing a purple cape moves in across the hall. Miss Shirley has experienced her own losses, and she helps Dellie address her feelings and encourages her to follow her heart.

I was quite moved by this story. Dellie's feelings of hurt are poignant and you could sense that even through her sadness she was straining at the ties binding her to childhood. Her sorrow over her brother makes her protective over Corey and she becomes willing to wade into dangerous situations for him. Where others might have resisted getting involved out of fear, she steps forward to help him. And though some might say that she helped save him, she would say that he saved her and her family.

I wanted to crawl into this book and hug (almost) every character there. Each person depicted has experienced heartbreak and loss, and they each are grappling with that reality in a different way. This book was moving and profound, and I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 melissa1lbr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, collection, review-copy, young-adult

Things I Liked:
I really loved the cast of characters for this book! It was filled with a diverse group of people - kids and adults. And it wasn't the main focus of the story either. I was drawn into the lives of the people, Dellie and Corey's obviously, and I felt like they were my own friends and neighbors. It was a heart-breaking story, watching how hard it is for Dellie and her parents to deal with the loss of her brother. And then to watch Corey's life slowly become worse. I found myself in...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

A lot happens in this short book, and while I think it's handled well and fairly, especially given this is more a middle grade than a young adult novel, I still wanted a lot more than what I got. I could have used some more character development, especially with Dellie. We don't get to know what's eating away at her until pretty far in the novel, and there aren't many clues dropped before hand. And it's a big thing. More emotional heft could have made this a tad stronger, too. Not sure I bought...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, realistic, young-adult, coming-of-age

Dellie is living with the guilt of feeling responsible for her younger brother's death and the frustration of not being allowed out of the house since her mother fears something will happen to her as well. A new boy, Corey, moves into her apartment building and he seems hungry and neglected. Dellie becomes Corey's protector even though he reminds her (sometimes painfully so) of her brother. While worrying about Corey, Dellie also is dealing with a broken friendship and a budding romance. Dellie...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! It's lovely to see a novel that shows good, happy people living in the projects. Happiness doesn't always live in a house with a white picket fence. For a middle grade novel, this book brings a good dose of reality. I admire the author for her bravery in being able to include such topics like the death of a young sibling and child neglect and abuse in a novel for younger children. Novels like this are the types that can reach out and help someone who really needs it. This book...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Gabby rated it 3 of 5 stars

After her brother died in a tragic accident, Dellie is devastated. Her parents become depressed and won’t let her out of the house by herself. Dellie feels that she has nobody to turn to. The majority of the kids at her school are mean to her, and her only friend, Kayla, is self-conscious about being poor. She feels lost and alone, until Corey moves in.
Corey lives on the first floor of their apartment building. One day, a bullet is shot through the door of Corey’s house, and after that, Corey...more
After her brother died in a tragic accident, Dellie is devastated. Her parents become depressed and won’t let her out of the house by herself. Dellie feels that she has nobody to turn to. The majority of the kids at her school are mean to her, and her only friend, Kayla, is self-conscious about being poor. She feels lost and alone, until Corey moves in.
Corey lives on the first floor of their apartment building. One day, a bullet is shot through the door of Corey’s house, and after that, Corey starts going up to Dellie for food. Corey reminds Dellie of her little brother who died. She starts to take him under her wing. She feeds him without her parents knowing, and starts to really care for him. When she finds him outside his room one day with bruises and scratches on him, she brings him up to her apartment where she meets Miss Shirley. Miss Shirley brings them into her apartment, and tells them stories about Jamaica, which is where she is from. Dellie starts going to Miss Shirley’s apartment a lot. One day, Dellie notices a painting of a half a moon on Miss Shirley’s wall. She asks Miss Shirley what it’s meaning is. She says: “Just because we cannot see this half of the moon doesn’t mean it’s not there. We know this without having to actually see it. You have to believe it’s there. Faith, young one, is powerful.” Dellie understands what she means and takes it to heart.
Dellie’s parents are starting to let her go out by herself now to run errands for Miss Shirley. On her first trip to the store, Dellie runs into her friend Kayla and her mean boyfriend. At the store, Dellie tries to talk to Kayla, but her boyfriend keeps convincing Kayla that she shouldn’t talk to her. He keeps bumping into Dellie and telling her to move. After Dellie buys her items, She is walking away when Kayla’s boyfriend reaches into her pocket and pulls out a whole bunch of items and tells everybody that Dellie is a thief. She is told she is not allowed to enter the store ever again. Dellie knows she didn’t take any of that stuff and runs out of the store crying.
Cory’s mother still beats Cory, and soon, Dellie’s parents meet Corey and fall in love with him. They feel that Corey replaces the hole that they have in their life after Louis, Dellie’s little brother, died. One quote from the book is: “Just before I bring Corey downstairs, he says to my mother, “I like you.” “I like you too.” She answers softly.” This shows a bond between Corey and Dellie’s family. Read The Trouble with Half a Moon to find out what happens at the end and what Corey’s future will end up to be.
The Trouble With Half a Moon is a book about love. It is heartwarming and you start to care about the different characters and their feelings. I enjoyed reading this book, however it was a bit slow. It was a sweet story, and left me feeling good, but it was not a good book for people who like books with lots of action or thriller parts. It is not a romantic book, nor is it a book with vampires or werewolves. However, it was a good book if you read those books and want a little change of pace. I would give The Trouble with a Half a Moon three stars.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy stories that are a little bit slow and to people who enjoy heartwarming stories. This is defiantly not a boy book, so if any boys are thinking about reading this, don’t bother reading it, you would most likely hate it. Corey gets beaten a lot by his mother and her boyfriend, so if you don’t like hearing about or reading about child abuse, than this might not be the book for you. The Trouble with Half a Moon is a girl book and a book for people who like reading heartwarming stories.

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Apr 27, 2012 Susan Ashcraft rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: children, faves, fiction, first, firstread, novel, recommended, teen, young-adult

I don't normally read or review middle grade or teen novels. But I decided to take a chance on this one because the synopsis intrigued me. I picked it up around 10 o'clock at night. I was only going to read the first chapter just to get an idea of the books flow and characters. Next thing I know its 230 in the morning and I'm sitting with the book in one hand, wiping away tears with the other. An incredibly touching book, with real insight into what a young girl of 13 feels about life, love, fri...more I don't normally read or review middle grade or teen novels. But I decided to take a chance on this one because the synopsis intrigued me. I picked it up around 10 o'clock at night. I was only going to read the first chapter just to get an idea of the books flow and characters. Next thing I know its 230 in the morning and I'm sitting with the book in one hand, wiping away tears with the other. An incredibly touching book, with real insight into what a young girl of 13 feels about life, love, friendship and the death of her young brother.

We first meet Delilah, Dellie to her friends, one late evening as the sound of a gun shot wakes up Dellie and her parents and the other residents of the building. They live in an apartment building in the poorer side of town and everyone knows you don't go out at night. They live on an upper floor and the shot was somewhere on the first floor. When her dad leaves the apartment to see what he can find out about the shot, Dellie and her mom are left alone, very afraid. Dellie's dad comes back saying everything is okay, and the small family go back to bed, still fearful, none of them sleeping, all of them thinking of Louis, Dellie's little brother who died just months ago.

Corey is a 5 year old boy who lives with his abusive mother on the first floor of the building. Corey is always hungry and several people in the building sneak him food, including Dellie. She is afraid her parents will find out and put a stop to it. She's also afraid if they see Louis they will become upset because he is so very like Louis.

Dellie and her friend Kayla walk to school together in the mornings, but because her parents fear for her safety, Dellie's father walks several feet behind them until they arrive at the school. Dellie is 13 and while she misses her brother so very much, she still wants to be like her friends, able to go outside and play, to walk by herself to school, and to go to the store. But the trauma her parents suffered with the lose of Louis, her little brother, they will not let her out of their sight. They fear the only way to keep her safe is to keep her close and in sight at all times. Her friend Kayla one day stops talking to her and won't tell her whats wrong. Dellie's life is spiraling down, and then Michael, a boy in her school talks to her and a new neighbor, Miss Shirley, moves into the building.

This is the story of a young girl, her guilt over her brother's death and the part she played in it, the difficulties of friendship, first romance and over-protective parents.

And while this might sound like a depressing read, let me assure you it is not! The author weaves an incredible story that is filled with hope, love and personal redemption. It is truly remarkable how the author knows a teenager's thinking and thoughts so well.

This novel is perfect reading for middle grade to teen readers as well as adults who like a well told, though simply worded book.

I won this book through GoodReads and my review was unsolicited.
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Jan 06, 2011 The Bookologist rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jan2011, for-review, arcs-i-own

Moving and poignant, The Trouble With Half a Moon immediately stole my heart and kept me absorbed into the life of the characters. Vigilante has entwined a beautiful story with grief, loss, and pain, and with a girl growing up, as she is an observer of life, but not a participator.

Thirteen year old, Dellie, thinks she is the one to blame for her brother’s death. She grapples with these emotions each and every day. The brother’s death triggered the family to grieve unhealthily and affected them i...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-october-2010

Dellie didn't realize how far she would go to care for Corey; he becomes the brother that she lost tragically. As she becomes his protector, she also begins to deal with the guilt and grief she feels over her brother's death. Excellent urban setting and nicely paced story make for engaging reading. A few word choices are bothersome, especially 'tings" as description for overpowering emotions. Dellie's relationship with her family, her friends, and her new charge are well balanced and nuanced. Gr...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Ari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

On paper this book sounds heartbreaking, the actual delivery was not so heartbreaking. Yes Corey is adorable and his story is upsetting, but there were so many little things that bugged me about this story I couldn't really get into it emotionally. My main problem was with Miss Shirley. Let's put it this way: Miss Shirley is magical and she makes everything all better. I wasn't expecting the magical elements and I didn't like them either. I understand putting in a wise elder figure, but making h...more On paper this book sounds heartbreaking, the actual delivery was not so heartbreaking. Yes Corey is adorable and his story is upsetting, but there were so many little things that bugged me about this story I couldn't really get into it emotionally. My main problem was with Miss Shirley. Let's put it this way: Miss Shirley is magical and she makes everything all better. I wasn't expecting the magical elements and I didn't like them either. I understand putting in a wise elder figure, but making her have special powers was just too much. It took away from Dellie learning about herself on her own which is part of the appeal of novels about young people (gah that expression makes me sound ridiculously old, haha). I didn't like the fact that Dellie's guilt for her brother Louis is never discussed with her parents, I would have thought that was a crucial part of her healing process.

To top it all off, Dellie's best friend Kayla is quick to throw away their friendship. I don't want to put spoilers in this review but it was very surprising and not in a good way. Kayla seemed like a good friend and that's all I'll say about it.

Like I said, above Corey is darling. Whose heart would not be torn when reading about a five-year old being abused? I also liked that Dellie was a well developed main character. She hates math (I can deeply relate to that) and she's in like with a guy named Michael. Michael isn't some tough guy with something to prove, he's gentle and good at math and it's a nice example of young (8th grade) love. I know I just got through saying that Kayla isn't the best of best friends but she has her own crush to deal with and that is portrayed nicely. I liked that there were two examples of relationships, both of them were subtle but it's clear which relationship is healthy and which is not. Through each member of Dellie's family, readers are introduced to the different ways we grieve. Dellie and her father internalize, Dellie's father throws himself into taking care of her mother. Dellie's mother cries and becomes overprotective. Dellie blames herself. These are all different ways we grieve and it's good to see how each character copes and comes to realize that the way they are handling the situation may not be the best way.

The Trouble With Half a Moon has a high emotional impact potential but the unsatisfactory (to me) way it was executed, kept me from really getting into the story. The 'mysterious sage' Miss Shirley, the lack of emotional closure that I felt Dellie received, and the sudden ending and other abrupt changes in character behavior kept the story from really reaching its potential. The friendship between Dellie and Kayla started off strong, but it had such a random low point that I had a hard time fathoming the change. I did like the crush details and the way grief was handled. The best part is in reading about Corey and Dellie's blossoming friendship. I also liked that Dellie wasn't this hardened character. Yes she kept everything to herself about how she felt, but she wasn't completely closed off just yet. Corey needs her but Dellie needs Corey as well.

I wouldn't highly recommend this book, but it's not a bad book.

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Jan 22, 2011 Sab H. (YA Bliss) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-arc, own, reviewed-books

This was a very sweet and innocent portrayal of a a teenage girl dealing with grief. Although it is YA, it felt to me a little more of an MG title. (*Just heard from author that it is an MG title!) The book is short and the story isn't very deep. Dellie, the Hispanic protagonist is 13 and childish for my taste. I could be wrong about this but it felt to me that she was just discovering truths that are normally discovered at a younger age. She also has a fight with her best friend and does nothin...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books, first-reads, 2012

This book is a good, quick reads. It was very well written and heartwarming. In my opinion, people from the age of 12 and up can relate to this story in one way or another.

The characters in this book are extremely realistic. The portrayal of the projects and a diverse community were excellent because the author did not describe them in the stereotypical way; the people in the projects had they ups and downs just like everyone has.

Dellie's feelings and struggles dealing with her brother's death...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was so well written! Touching and heart warming! I immediately connected with Dellie and her friends and I think other readers will certainly connect to how she feels about life and school and friends. For such a tough topic it was a
quick, interesting read. I usually tend to cringe at all the conflict
but it was accessed in such a way that you knew what was happening and how bad it was without going on for 15 pages.

Definitely a good middle school pick.

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Aug 01, 2012 Deb Richmond rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sunshine-state-readers

I really like this book. The voice is great, the characters are well-created, the story is compelling. I waive red between giving a three and a four star rating because I felt like I wanted a little more - the ending was rather abrupt. However, I think this book will really appeal to my students, and they will enjoy the terrific story. I have students just like Alexa who drive me crazy, but also students like Dellie who are wonderful!

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Feb 08, 2013 Tammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Trouble With Half a Moon is a bittersweet novel of loss & moving on. Dellie wishes she could go back to when her brother was alive; before he was killed in a terrible accident Dellie thinks is her fault. Her mother stays in bed all day, and her father isn't the cheerful fun loving dad she knew. When she meets an abused boy, Corey, and feeds and plays with him, she begins to heal, and maybe with the help of the new neighbour, she can even begin to move on.

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Feb 13, 2011 Sarah Mae rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: yar

Received an ARC from YAR
http://yarsocalif.blogspot.com/2011/0...
Dellie's family hasn't been the same since the death of her brother. Her parents barely let her leave the house, except to go to school. After a shooting in her apartment building, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She and her best friend Kayla start helping out Corey, a young neighbor who they suspect is being neglected and possibly abused by his mother. Through her interventions and the help of a new, Jamaican neighb...more

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May 03, 2013 justablondemoment rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: public-housing, poverty, city-life, puerto-rican-people, read-2011, young-adult, social-issues, child-abuse

Was an okay book done well for its intended audience (YA). I fell in love Dellie and the young boy Corey, found myself wanting to reach in the book and help. Little to simple for adults and may not hold attention for some advanced young adults but, all in all, I would recommend.

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Mar 29, 2011 Books and Literature for Teens rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: middle graders, ages 11+

Shelves: books-ive-read-in-2010, coming-of-age, family-drama, friendship, middle-grade, realistic-contemporary, teen-issues, tragedies, young-adult, published-2011, to-trade-swap

Despite its heavy topics of grief, loss, and urban life in the streets of Brooklyn’s Projects, Vigilante leaves plenty of room for development and discovery as she weaves a light, but impelling coming-of-age story.
Although Dellie’s situations are mainly impacted from her sometimes gritty surroundings, middle graders will connect with Dellie as she comes to peace with the death of her little brother and, as she experiences the many new things that also come with growing older. Through a simple ye...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Lorraine Stinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book about the effect the tragic death of a child has on his family, especially his sister. I think the kids are well written, they seem authentic. Things work out a little too quickly, but overall I think kids will like it.

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Aug 28, 2011 Sophia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg, writers-of-color

From p. 90 on I was teary-eyed for the rest of the book.

I love Ellen Oh's review below - she hits it spot-on. For us NYers we can SMELL this book.

I'm so grateful for winning a copy of this book through a blog giveaway.

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Sep 06, 2012 Margaret Mccormick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dellks's story of dealing with the loss of her younger brother and helping little Corey with his neglected and abused life is sad. Luckily it ended on a positive note after all the tears.

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Apr 16, 2011 Embrc rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: putnam

Urban setting, rough neighborhood, tough times at home and school. Well written and touching. Middle school to early high school interest. -AM

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