Blood Moon

Praise

This beautifully written novel in verse is equal parts tender and tough, covering a broad swath of adolescent concerns, from orgasms to the dark side of the internet. Cuthew’s depiction of online bullying and harassment is graphic and spot-on; funny dialogue helps to lighten the intensity…A powerful, fiercely feminist novel that normalizes menstruation and confronts destructive cyberculture.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Written in verse with bits of concrete poetry, this book captures the joy of a crush, the despair of a lost friend, and the humiliation of being “that girl” on the internet. The need to normalize young women’s body functions and desires is woven throughout. An excellent examination of young women’s friendships and desires set against the misogyny of their society. A great first purchase.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Many important issues are addressed in this novel-in-verse, and each is tackled with honesty and without sensationalism: the complexities of friendships, maturity, and solid parental support; the painful toxicity of cyberbullying and slut shaming; the thrill of one’s first boyfriend and first sexual experience. This is, at its core, a must-read novel of empowerment that attempts to normalize periods and offer strength to the innocent who find themselves the center of viral humiliation.
—Booklist (starred review)

Frankie’s story is piercing, raw, and true—not to mention relentlessly gripping. It’s also suffused with the sweetness and joy of being young and soaking up the marvels of our wondrous universe. This is female adolescence, crystallized. And it’s astounding.
—Lauren Myracle, New York Times best-selling author

In her debut novel, Cuthew flips a horror story about toxic masculinity and internet-enabled misogyny into a tale of empowerment as Frankie begins to see she’s not in the wrong, and she and her friends reclaim each other and the narrative…Cuthew’s verse is sensitively written, enlivened by hashtags and typographical flourishes that successfully convey Frankie’s feelings.
—Publishers Weekly Online