Moonrise

by Sarah Crossan

Seventeen-year-old Joe hasn't seen his brother in ten years. Ed didn't walk out on the family, not exactly. It's something more brutal.

Ed's locked up -- on death row.

Now his execution date has been set, and the clock is ticking. Joe is determined to spend those last weeks with his brother, no matter what other people think ... and no matter whether Ed committed the crime. But did he? And does it matter, in the end?

This poignant, timely, heartbreaking novel asks big questions: What value do you place on life? What can you forgive? And just how do you say goodbye?

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Contemporary, Fiction, Family, Realistic Fiction, Crime

400 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 2017

About the author

Sarah Crossan is Irish. She graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Literature before training as an English and Drama teacher at Cambridge University and worked to promote creative writing in schools before leaving teaching to write full time.

She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in 2003 and in 2010 received an Edward Albee Fellowship for writing.

She currently lives in NYC.

Reviews

[Caz (littlebookowl)]

Beautiful and heartbreaking, all at the same time.

It forces you to think about and question the justice system, which is rife with injustice.

[jessica yeung]

this is a story that will make you think, thats for sure. as an american living abroad, ive heard all sorts of opinions about the US legal system. i dont disagree that it needs fixing, and this story is one of the many examples why, specifically regarding the death penalty.

while the subject matter is mentally and emotionally evocative, i think the brevity and wistfulness of the writing doesnt do the heaviness and seriousness of the content enough justice. i feel like a different writing style would have suited the tone better.

also, i think labelling this as poetry is a little misleading. although there are some moments and words that certainly feel beautifully poetic, i wouldnt consider this poetry. its just prose, formatted to resemble poetry. that being said, it didnt detract from the story. if anything, it made reading so much easier and quicker. but i wouldnt recommend this to someone looking to read a book in verse.

but overall, this is a sentimental story about life, forgiveness, and saying goodbye.

↠ 3.5 stars

[Nikola]

Serce w kawałkach

[♛ may]

this was so....sad.

i feel like someone has punched me in the heart and drained all my energy. these kind of books really make you think, man.

time to go cry, bye.

[Maddie]

All of the characters in this felt so strong and unique, even though you were only reading about them in around 150 word bursts! The plot really worked with the verse form, and the shift between past and present events was well managed.

[Laura]

Reporters don’t give a damn about our family.
We’re not a story. We’re dirt.
Although,
I guess that’s a lot easier than having to admit
that by killing our brother
they’re just pummeling more people.

Sarah Crossan has done it again. Moonrise is a heartbreaking YA novel written in verse dealing with a very serious issue - the death penalty. Focusing on the family of the guy on death row, we're enlightened to the impact of capital punishment on those who weren't sentenced. The issues of poverty, parental neglect, a flawed criminal justice system, and police coerced confessions are all present in the story as well.

We're with Joe when he is seven years old receiving a phone call to the house phone from his older eighteen year old brother Ed saying he was arrested. The book then jumps forward ten years when Joe is arriving in Wakeling, Texas from New York because his brother called and said he needs him. The execution date is set. Joe is going to do what he can to help even if that just means being there.

I’m here ‘cause he’s my blood.
He needs me.
It’s what I have to do.
But if I had a choice?
I’d be on a plane home–
I’d be gone.

Throughout are flashbacks where Joe remembers the past when Ed and his mother were still around. These help to illustrate the relationships Joe had within his family and how things changed once Ed went to prison. It becomes clear Joe looked up to his brother and had a deep love for him. So to see him for the first time ten years later behind plexiglass is huge. Joe wants to understand and have all the time he can with his older brother while they still can.

“I’d still be sitting here if you did it.
I’d know you didn’t deserve this.”

What struck me most were things I understood too well. That realization and need to understand that you can't just call and reach someone in prison whenever you want. The need to be there for a person who needs you regardless of the emotional toll it's taking on you because if family can't be there, then who else will? My heart broke for Joe. I can't even grasp being told my brother is sentenced for execution. To come to terms with a date of death set on the calendar is just outrageous to think about. But it's not something we should just ignore.

This is a book that will stick with me. It's emotional, well-written, and beyond thought-provoking. Crossan is my all-time favorite free verse writer. Her books are all fairly quick reads because of her writing style, but damn are they powerful! This was my third book from Crossan and most certainly won't be my last.

[Sarah]

This was a very emotional read! I have to say, Sarah Crossan is killing it with these kinds of books. She manages to capture so many emotions while saying so little, it's so impressive. Sometimes it's nice to read a book where the majority of descriptions are left out and what's on paper is just the core of the story. I would 100% recommend this because it's wonderful, powerful and beautiful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"it was all about how things looked from the outside;
what other people thought was all that was important,
and how we felt about ourselves was irrelevant.
Our desires didn’t matter."

‘You stay in today, Joe,
cos tomorrow’s a story that ain’t been written yet.
No use in rehearsing it.
No use at all.’

"WHAT CAN WE FORGIVE?
Anything.
If that’s what we choose."

[bluiiberrii ★]

never judge a book by its cover because you never know how sad it could be. im not crying you are😭 I CANT STOP PLEASE SOMEONE HELP WHAT DID I JUST READ WHO HURT YOU???

[Kate]

Stunning book. I didn’t expect to get so invested in it to be honest, it’s not my usual kind of read. But I couldn’t put it down. Super short chapters give a sense of urgency to the story and it really draws you in. Just beautiful.

Moonrise was one of the December book club choices in Rick O’Shea’s Book Club over on Facebook, so naturally I was curious enough to download this from my local library and see what it was like. I wasn’t expecting it to be so good!

As the blurb says, Joe hasn’t seen his brother in a decade as Ed is on Death Row. But now the inevitable has happened, a date has been set for his execution, so Joe decides to go and spend the last few weeks near Ed to try to make up for lost time.

Moonrise follows Joe in those few weeks, through hope and desperation, as he spends time with Ed. It is a really great narrative as Joe gets a job close to the prison and he also meets people from the town near the prison. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, as not everyone is too pleased to be talking about Ed and what he did/ didn’t do.

The further in to Moonrise I got, the more I started to hope along with Joe. They were appealing Ed’s case, hopeful for a stay of execution, or wrongful imprisonment, and with each hurdle Joe’s resilience takes another knock. I really felt for him as a character. I just wanted it all to work out.

Moonrise is a brilliant story. It will put you through an emotional wringer. I got invested in the characters, so much so that I still think about them weeks after reading. I just loved how this book got under my skin.

Highly recommended!

[Rana Heshmati]

جزو غم‌دااااارترین کتاب‌هایی بود که تا به حال خونده‌م. از وسطاش تا آخرش (و حتی همین الان) داشتم گریه می‌کردم و چشمام و سرم درد می‌کنن و به دنیای ناعادلانه‌مون فکر می‌کنم. به این که این فقط داستان نیست. این تنها بار نیست. :((

[Sara]

There aren't many positives to 2020 but the fact that i discovered Sarah Crossan's novels is definitely one of them.
Moonrise is perhaps my favourite so far, written in verse this tells the story of a young boy grappling with the fact that his brother is on death row and the execution date has now been set.

[Dannii Elle]

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

A coherent review is impossible to write through the tears in my eyes everytime I think about this book!

Through one individual's experience, the reader is invited to judge and to process the American legal system and how it still allows individuals to die, under the name of the law. The book does not advocate for or against death row, but it does allow the reader to evaluate the implications of such a system and how the death of one individual, and advocating for death in general, has further ramifications that go beyond any prison walls.

[Figgy]

Review to come.

This was my first novel in verse, but after a while I stopped noticing.

I also spent probably the last 25% of the novel crying, so, you know, bring tissues.

[Kia ~]

Wow… Just wow…

[Matti Karjalainen]

Jos kirjoitan
tämän nuortenkirja-arvion
kuin runoksi

niin onko se silloin
herkkä
kaunis
säekritiikki
jonka jokainen sana on tarkkaan mietitty

vai ihan puhtaasti
tekotaiteellinen ratkaisu
jossa ei ole mitään
pointtia?

En ehkä vaan ymmärrä.

Sarah Crossanin "Kuunnousun" (S&S, 2020) hienous meni minulta viheltäen ohitse, vaikka aihe oli kyllä kiinnostava. Säkeet eivät olleet niin kauniita tai oivaltavia, että muodolle olisi löytynyt oikeutus.

Jos USA:n oikeusjärjestelmä ja kuolemantuomio kaunokirjallisina aiheina kiinnostavat, niin kehotan tarttumaan John Grishamin Kammioon. Säeromaaneista suuremman vaikutuksen teki puolestaan Kirsti Kurosen Pönttö.

[Nicole D.]

sarah crossan i’ll be sending you the bill for my therapy

I've never cried this much while reading. i’m still wiping away the tears
i’m heartbroken and in love with this book.

a new favorite. 3 billion stars

[Colleen Fauchelle]

It made me cry.

[Beverly]

Magnificent, but so tragic

I didn't know how much I was going to love this at first. It's the story of two poor brothers, not poor in spirit, but in money, parents and advantages. They have each other, their sister and a kind aunt. But that's not enough when the deck is stacked against you in this life and with the US injustice system.

[Emmy Ruijven]

Reread:

Ik herlas dit boek
En voor de tranen kwamen
Dacht ik
Als ik nu stop
Dan kan ik doen alsof het einde
Gewoon nooit heeft
Bestaan.

Weer tranen. Met tuiten.

Tranen met tuiten. Wát een heftig boek.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice)]

Read this as part of the local library's YA Book Club!

Reading this verse novel came quite naturally to me, as I write in verse form myself. The emotional story of two brothers: One who is on death row, the other struggling with a different family upbringing and coming to terms with serious life changes. With tough subject matter, I was feeling a little nervous before I started reading. By the 50% mark, the nerves had gone. Sarah writes really well and creates a good range of characters for the reader to meet quickly and let you be the judge of. I do prefer Toffee over Moonrise, but still I highly recommend both. Even for the non-poetry lover!

[Emma]

3.5 stars

This book was very very sad. I think it was the whole point of the story, having this sadness looming over the characters because the date was getting nearer and there was nothing they could do to stop it. This novel made me think a lot about the prison system in the USA which is something I don't know a lot about.
I would recommend going into this book without reading the plot beforehand in order to appreciate it more.

[Muffinsandbooks]

Coup de coeur ! Le début m'a déjà séduite mais alors plus j'avançais, plus j'étais accro et plus j'étais émue. J'ai pleuré (ça c'est dit) et je trouve que le sujet difficile est abordé avec beaucoup d'émotions et de justesse, bref J'AI ADORE ! Une pépite !

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd)]

Edward Moon was coerced to sign a confession of homicide at seventeen years of age, legally binding and convicting the innocent young man. Moonrise is a poignant and provoking narrative of seventeen year old Joseph Moon and his brother who is scheduled to be executed in Kirkland Texas.

As children, Edward, Angela and Joseph were often neglected, their mother a verbally abusive alcoholic. Parental responsibilities are entrusted to Karen, their mother's single, Christian sister. At seventeen years of age, Edward escaped the confines of their regimented home only to be incarcerated for the death of a police officer. Edward's execution has been scheduled and despite Karen's disapproval, Joseph begins his journey to farewell his brother. The narrative is incredibly distressing as the responsibility is placed upon Joseph, temporarily living within the decrepit Kirkland motel, abandoned by Karen and Angela.

Capital punishment is a contentious discussion, sanctioned throughout the United States although abolished in Australia. Intense and confronting, the nonlinear narrative explores the familial relationship between siblings. Edward has been imprisoned for ten years and estranged from his siblings and with their mother absent, Karen has denied Angela and Joseph access to their brother.

Sarah Crossan is a monumental storyteller and with so few words is, able to captivate and immerse readers. Tragically, poignantly beautiful.

[Kristen Peppercorn]

Review can also be found on my blog .

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this early.

​This was so sad. I cried. I wasn't expecting to, but I just had to.

Ugh, even though it was short and told in verse, it was so powerful. Sometimes authors make the mistake of going way over-the-top with their writing, and it just comes across as fake and forced and forgettable. This one proved that sometimes simple words hold more power than purple prose. You could feel the emotions the author was trying to convey so strongly, even though the chapters were sometimes as short as one sentence.

This is my first book that I read by Sarah Crossan but it definitely won't be my last. This was really good. I recommend reading it when you have a few solid, uninterrupted hours to pass, that way you can read it in one go and fully immerse yourself into the story.

[Samantha]

Wat was ik blij toen ik zag dat dit boek op Kobo plus verscheen! Een tijdje terug las ik ‘een’ van Sarah en die vond ik echt heel goed. Ik keek dus al lange tijd uit naar dit nieuwe boek.

Ook door dit boek ben ik weer heen gevlogen! Dit boek is geschreven in versvorm. Kleine zinnetjes, waardoor ik alleen maar meer onder de indruk raak van dit verhaal. Als je in zulke korte bewoordingen zoveel emotie in het verhaal kunt leggen en mensen zo in je verhaal mee kunt slepen, dan ben je echt een hele goede schrijfster!

Wat een enorm indrukwekkend verhaal is dit! Enorme brok in mijn keel en een steen in mijn maag. Akelig, triest en prachtig tegelijkertijd. Een enorme aanrader!

[Marta Demianiuk]

Jak Sarah Crossan weźmie na tapet jakiś temat… U każdego innego autora bałabym się książki o skazanym na śmierć i bliskiej egzekucji, ale nie u niej. Jestem wielką fanką tego, co autorka robi ze swoimi historiami dzięki formie, w jakiej je opowiada - białym wierszem. Słów jest mniej, a jednak historia jest tak treściwa, pełna emocji, bólu.

Jeszcze się waham, czy nie zmienić oceny na 5⭐️, bo chociaż to nie będzie książka mojego życia, fabularnie i stylistycznie czuję wielki zachwyt.

[Lauren]

Moonrise is quite simply a heartbreaking read. I have only ever read Crossan's ya dystopian books (Breathe and Resist) which I really enjoyed and hoped this would be another winner. It was.

Moonrise follows Joe Moon who travels to Texas from New York to see his older brother, Ed, who is on Death Row. This book is written entirely in verse which makes the story punchier and hard-hitting, and works really well with the subject matter discussed.

Honestly, this book made me feel an array of emotions and I was utterly devastated by the ending. I think Death Row will always be a highly controversial topic (and rightly so) and this depiction tugged at my heartstrings.

Moonrise forced me to question the ethics and morality behind Death Row and the injustices which prevail in a severely flawed and corrupt system. The fact that such tragedies still occur in modern society is heartbreaking.

A powerful read which will stay with me for a long time to come.

[Negar Taghizadeh]

داستان خیلی خیلی غمگینی بود، اگرچه لابه‌لای کلمات امید رو می‌تونستم حس کنم؛ امید به این‌که همه‌چیز درست می‌شه و اد عفو می‌شه. ولی خب...
روند کتاب به‌خاطر این‌که به سبک شعر آزاد نوشته شده سریع‌تر از حالت معمول جلو می‌رفت و خیلی زود تموم می‌شد.
کمتر از یه‌روز طول کشید تا تمومش کنم، ولی داستان و قصه‌ش تا چندروز همراهم بود.
شوک اول رو با پایان کتاب تجربه کردم.
شوک دوم رو، وقتی فهمیدم که این کتاب، برگرفته از یه داستان واقعیه، از یه شخص واقعی. ادوارد ارل جانسون، فرد سیاه‌پوستی بود که به جرم قتل یه پلیس سیاه‌پوست و آزار جنسی یک زن ۶۹ ساله(اگرچه توی کتاب به این مورد اشاره نشد/یا سانسور شد) دستگیر شد و در آخر، بعد از هشت یا نه‌سال در صف اعدام بودن، اعدام شد.
و شوک آخر هم، نامه اد بود. اونجا بود که دیگه نتونستم مقاومت کنم و گریه کردم. نویسنده خیلی خوب تونسته بود نامه‌ای از طرف شخصی که از این دنیا داشت خداحافظی می‌کرد بنویسه. به‌خوبی تونست قلب منو تیکه‌پاره کنه.

[La La]

I finished this title yesterday morning and cried into my coffee for about fifteen minutes. The author is a fabulous storyteller, plain and simple. It's written in verse form, but I had no problem with it. In fact it was a quick smooth read. It touched on many current socio-economic and sociopolitical issues. I liked it because the "race" of the MC wasn't apparent for a good portion of the book. It shows the reader that the poor aren't inherently lazy and/or unintelligent, and how the negative preconceived notions many people can have about low income families actually set the family members up for failure. It's high on my "get woke" book list.

I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review. I will be reviewing this title on my blog and will add the link when it is posted.

[Alessandra Crivelli]

"we aren't the worst things we did
or the worst things that happened to us.
We're other stuff too.
Like.. the times we made cereal or watched Buffy the vampire slayer
or helped an old lady off a bus.
We're the good, the bad, and the stupid."

I missed Sarah Crossan writing so much.
This is a story about unfairness and life. About how much is fucked up the system.
This book actually made me think about my idea of death penalty.

"Moonrise" is a realistic story of life and death. It is a book that it will make you think about family, life, death and forgiveness.

It is a story that it will definitely touch your soul.