Book Review of 'The Girl Who Drank the Moon' by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Premise:

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. 

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her--even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

Lyrical and Spellbinding

This story starts with the Protectorate, a village, who leaves a baby deep in the forest each year. They do so hoping that the sacrificial offering made to a witch would deter the witch from terrorizing their village. 
Every year, Xan, a kindly witch in the forest, rescues the abandoned children in the forest. She doesn’t understand why anyone would leave them there. After rescuing them, she feeds them starlight on the journey, and finally finds them new homes and families on the other side of the forest. One day, Xan gives a baby moonlight instead of starlight, giving the baby magic. So, Xan decides to raise the baby as her own daughter, and names her Luna. 
My favorite part of the book is the ending. Each chapter is usually under 15 pages. The theme of the story could be family and love. This book is for grades 6-9 and is character driven. On a scale of one through five, I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐

- Candria

Get a copy of this book at https://amzn.to/3hKr0l5

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