Over The Moon
- Atticus
- May 9, 2019
- 2 min read
"You push through it, and you get to the light again."
Mallie Ramble is a mountain girl. Every day she braves the thick Dust that covers her down to go down to the valley, where she cleans house for a rich family. Every girl in her village does the same, while the boys are sent to the mine. Mine work is dangerous - it can make boys sick, and took Mallie's father's voice.
But life used to be different. Mallie's people used to ride flying horses and weave starlight together, singing songs while making dreams. But after the Dust came, the singing stopped. It was too dangerous - the dust would choke you. So the carry on, working from young ages, hoping that they can squeak by, that their families won't succumb to the poverty at their doorsteps, that Mortimer Good and his Guardians will keep them safe from the monsters that roam the woods at night. A life choked out by Dust. This is their life. This is the story they are given.
No one must accept the story they are given. Mallie is a brave, bold girl how takes on every challenge head on. When her goal is to work, she works as hard as she can. People expect nothing from her -a girl with a prosthetic arm. her Popsnap is all anyone sees when they look at her. Mallie hates to be pitied; she hates to be an inspiration even more.
When the Guardians come knocking at her door, demanding a large amount of money or they will take her beloved younger brother into the mines to work, Mallie finds a way to avoid it. She will work for Mortimer Good, ride a flying horse to collect gold dust until she can pay the Guardians. But the missions are not always what they seem. And neither is Mortimer Good.
With characters that are too real, a lore that feels as if I grew up hearing it, and a main character with spirit that is rare, this book is touching. I expected an ending that was saccharine sweet and rushed; I received nothing of the sort. It made me feel hopeful. Funny and passionate, Lloyd's writing is touching without being overbearing, lyrical without a hint of purple, and every word had meaning. I wish this book had been written when I was a kid, because I am jealous of every child that will grow up with it.
5/5 pickles. The good ones from the deli that come out of that giant tub.
#fantasy #juvfantasy # juvenile #review
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