Using Children's Fantasy to Talk About Family, Memory, and the Power of Knowledge: Two Reviews

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a lot going on in The Girl Who Drank the Moon, but it is beautifully written. While I had to reread a few passages to make sure I understood what was happening, I was engrossed in this story, its characters, and in learning the mystery of magic and the power of stories. The setting is familiar, though unique in its particularities. The themes of family and the power of memory and knowledge in this story repeat themselves, like refrains, and and are woven into each character’s actions, so that each page enforces the universal truths explored in the book as a whole.


Jinx by Sage Blackwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sage Blackwood creates a magical world with dynamic characters in Jinx. While an intriguing conflict and plenty of mystery kept me reading, the fantasy itself was also compelling. Jinx is set in a fictional time and place, but aspects of the world are recognizable. The magic used along with other imaginative characteristics follow the “rules” of the world, lending credibility to the fantasy. Similarly to The Girl Who Drank the Moon, family, memory, and the power of knowledge are key themes, and the reader learns from both the mistakes and the victories of the characters. The setting of Jinx is similar to ones I’ve read elsewhere, but shows originality in its treatment of nature and the concept of a “Listener” along with not revealing all the details of the world (you have to keep reading the series to find out more!). I enjoyed trying to figure out each character’s motivations, and wondering who could be trusted as I read.


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