Review: Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson

Rating: 5/5 ★★★★★

Genre: Young Adult

Laurel Daneau has moved on to a new life, in a new town, but inside she’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved mother and grandmother after Hurricane Katrina washed away their home. Laurel’s new life is going well, with a new best friend, a place on the cheerleading squad and T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team, for a boyfriend. Yet Laurel is haunted by voices and memories from her past. 

When T-Boom introduces Laurel to meth, she immediately falls under its spell, loving the way it erases, even if only briefly, her past. But as she becomes alienated from her friends and family, she becomes a shell of her former self, and longs to be whole again. With help from an artist named Moses and her friend Kaylee, she’s able to begin to rewrite her story and start to move on from her addiction.

Incorporating Laurel’s bittersweet memories of life before and during the hurricane, this is a stunning novel by one of our finest writers. Jacqueline Woodson’s haunting—but ultimately hopeful—story is beautifully told and one readers will not 
want to miss.

- Beneath a Meth Moon on Goodreads

This book is powerful. After turning the last page on most books, I sit for a while and consider the journey I just went on with the characters.

But with Beneath a Meth Moon, it haunts you.

For days, I have thought about Laurel. I know Laurel. I see Laurel on the faces of too many who are prisoners to their meth addiction. I see Laurel through the actions of my father’s ex-girlfriend who couldn’t overcome her addiction.

I’m struggling with an appropriate review for this book. It exceeds any star rating system that we can drum up. It exceeds the definition of book. Beneath a Meth Moon is real. Dangerously real. Everyone should be reading this book.

I’ve read a few other books on addiction, but nothing has gotten my attention like Beneath a Meth Moon. I’ve noticed that some complain about the story jumping from memories to present day. But it’s brilliant. It truly shows how the mind of someone on meth works. There is no present, there is no past. Everything blends into one macabre reality that you cannot escape.

I really do not have words for how good this book is. I’ll only say that everyone should read it. Even if you can’t relate to Laurel, you need to experience this.

Find Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson on: Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Author Website