Sisters of the Moon – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Imaginative, emotional, absorbing, powerful, friendship.
YA book title: Sisters of the Moon.
YA author: Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick.
Genre: Fantasy.
Published by: Faber.
ISBN: 9780571383009.
Recommended for children aged: 12+ year-olds.
First published: Paperback August 2024.
This children’s book is ideal for: KS3 & KS4 fantasy fans.
To see the latest price or order, click on the book cover image.
Our review:
This story ends with me watching my best friend fly off a cliff.
Consider yourself warned.
On the first anniversary of her mother’s death, and the night before the new school year starts, Suzy makes three wishes on the full moon:
- To have a friend. Since she and her dad left the city to live by the sea in rural Ireland, Suzy has been alone with her grief and longs for companionship.
- To not be scared of the dark. She’s almost sixteen – it’s embarrassing at her age.
- For her periods to come back. The doctors said it was delayed shock, but it’s been six months now and she’s really starting to worry.
The wishes are more to honour her mum’s memory than out of real belief, and Suzy is certain that it’s pure coincidence that her period reappears with a vengeance that night…
For a single moment the hairs stood to attention on the back of my neck. But as I lurched towards the bathroom I remembered that I’d had an intense craving for chocolate the day before.
When new girl Rhiannon joins Suzy’s class, the pair instantly become close friends. Rhiannon is confident and outgoing, making her the perfect foil for Suzy’s hesitation in re-engaging with life. At first, Suzy dismisses Rhiannon’s formal speech, apparent lack of modern technology and tendency to wear her school uniform on weekends as mere eccentricities. She’s delighted to have finally found a good friend.
What I most remember was feeling that I was emerging from the fog of Mum’s death at last and that life was a bit better than it had been the year before.
But then things start to get weird. Rhiannon has an uncanny ability to make all of Suzy’s wishes come true, even those she’d barely admitted to herself. There’s an invite to a coveted beach party, a meet-cute with Suzy’s crush during a fortuitous downpour, and an opportunity to hang out with cool girl Clodagh after her normal clique of girls all mysteriously succumb to a vomiting bug.
Throughout it all, Rhiannon refuses to give anything other than the vaguest answers about her background, family, or what brought her to Sallycove. When a daring moonlit escapade sees Suzy finally conquer her fear of the dark, she begins to realise that she may not know her new best friend at all. Rhiannon’s secret past may be more incredible than anyone could have imagined.
Sisters of the Moon is an enthralling and atmospheric tale of the power of female friendship. Weaving lunar mythology with modern teenage concerns, this is a fast-paced and engaging read. The fantasy elements are nicely balanced with the standard teenage tropes of school angst, and the straightforward talk of periods is refreshing.
Author Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick’s previous Young Adult novel On Midnight Beach was shortlisted for the 2021 Carnegie Medal and Sisters of the Moon is a strong contender for future awards.
Suzy is a personable and engaging protagonist. The first-person narration gives the reader an intimate insight into both her grief over her mother’s death and her desire to make something of her life. The prose cleverly twists reality with fantasy, leaving the reader pleasantly off-balance as they strive to uncover the truth behind Rhiannon’s existence.
Sisters of the Moon is a touching tale of friendship and inner strength that will appeal to fans of Sarah Crossan and Sally Nicholls.
Many thanks to Faber for the review copy.
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If you like Sisters of the Moon by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick you might also like: our reviews of Secret Sister by Sophie McKenzie, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers by Jen Campbell, Stone by Finbar Hawkins, and the Carnegie 2021 shortlist.
Browse our Year 9 book list.
