Grappling with these overwhelming realities, Joe finds release in running and solace in the company of Nell, another waitress at Bob’s Diner. Nell is also connected to the federal prison where Ed is kept—but in a way that later takes Joe by complete surprise.

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. 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. Oh my god. Sarah Crossan has hit it out of the ballpark yet again with this beautiful story of Joe Moon who travels to Texas from New York to see his older brother, Ed, who is on Death Row. But it's also a book about love in all its forms, and about life and injustice and hope in hopeless situations.

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Reading this has opened my mind to the possibly overlooked problems in society, making them seem real and listened to; the way that the author writes helped me to think this way. If the highest praise Carnegie Medal-winning author Sarah Crossan has been aiming for is from someone who once had a poem published in a collection of Suffolk’s Future Voices, then today she has officially made it. Secrets of the Clans • Cats of the Clans • Code of the Clans • Battles of the Clans • Enter the Clans • The Ultimate Guide • The Warriors Guide • The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition

The novel moves skilfully between present events and Joe’s memories of being a young boy, spending time with his brother. It is an affecting story about the power of sibling love and how Joe finds the strength to deal with the myriad emotions he feels at this point in his life. I have loved every book I have read by Sarah Crossan, and with this the 100 per cent record remains intact. In my view, she is one of the most important writers of YA fiction around. And I know what I’m talking about, because I once wrote a poem. Writing adult and YA fiction, Sarah Crossan is the author of The Weight of Waterand Apple and Rain, both of which were shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. In 2016, Sarah won the CILIP Carnegie Medal as well as the YA Book Prize, the CBI Book of the Year award and the CLiPPA Poetry Award for her novel, One.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.

Tragically, the Supreme Court also rejects Ed’s clemency appeal. With seven days left before Ed’s execution, his family is finally allowed to see him physically, without plexiglass separating them. Angela arrives in town, followed by Aunt Karen, to Joe’s intense surprise. Although the siblings are delighted to be able to touch and hold Joe, a somber sense of the inevitable now grips the proceedings. Impossible to put down - its agonising and informative plot, along with the poetry of the writing, makes for a powerful story that should appeal to anyone over 13 with a heart and a love for storytelling ... Deep, light, witty and authentic' - The Times

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Mondschein (DE), Verlagsgruppe Beltz (abridged audiobook), 21 February 2017, translated by Friederike Levin and narrated by Marlen Diekhoff [25] From one-time winner and two-time Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this poignant, stirring, huge-hearted novel asks big questions. What value do you place on life? What can you forgive? I thought that Moonrise was an amazing book, which left me in a very emotional state of mind. The build-up to the end was incredible. I loved the way Sarah Crossan told the story. This is because it was from Joe’s point of view, and parts were Joe’s memories when he and Ed were younger. I think this gave it more depth and emotion. I found the ending very frustrating, yet it left me wanting more. This is because of the suspense it leaves.What I liked about this book is the fact that it is about injustice, because it made me think about how people all around the world face injustice. Ed’s fate is foreshadowed from the opening chapter, so Moonrise does not play out like a thriller (where justice is served at the last minute) but instead as the story of a family eroded by an unjust justice system. Sarah Crossan makes the unusual choice of writing the novel, which is narrated by Joe, in free verse, thus lending the text a raw, minimalistic power. Unweighted by the clutter of prose, Joe’s voice conveys the implacable facts of his story as they are. Thus, Joe makes an important point: everyone deserves a second chance. Certainly, Pheelan’s widow thinks so, and she writes to the state court demanding that the death penalty be revoked for Ed. The judge is barely interested in the letter, however, and her petition is rejected. Now, the only remaining hopes for the Moons are the Supreme Court and the governor—but the governor, a Republican, is unlikely to offer clemency. Thus, the text highlights how several political agendas factor into imprisonments and punishment, justice the least of them. 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. Firestar's Quest • Bluestar's Prophecy • SkyClan's Destiny • Crookedstar's Promise • Yellowfang's Secret • Tallstar's Revenge • Bramblestar's Storm • Moth Flight's Vision • Hawkwing's Journey • Tigerheart's Shadow • Crowfeather's Trial • Squirrelflight's Hope • Graystripe's Vow • Leopardstar's Honor • Onestar's Confession • Riverstar's Home • Ivypool's Heart • Super Edition 18