graffiti luna

cath crowley's graffiti moon is now available in italy, all translated into the italian for italian YAs to read as they're eating pizza and gelato, riding on vespas and drinking caffe latte.

<-- here be the cover! (i love it)

and the blurb:

Cinque minuti¿ anche stasera l'ha mancato per soli cinque minuti. Da mesi Lucy insegue Shadow, il più originale, inventivo e misterioso writer di Melbourne. Nessuno lo ha mai visto, ma tutti parlano di lui. Nessuno sa chi sia, tranne Poet, l'amico che dà i titoli ai suoi murales. Lucy sa che Shadow è il ragazzo giusto: geniale, creativo e appassionato di arte come lei, ed è decisa a incontrarlo. Solo Ed sa dove si trova e, anche se è l'ultimo ragazzo con cui vorrebbe passare il suo tempo, Lucy accetta di seguirlo in una folle notte di scorribande, confidenze e rivelazioni sotto i cieli azzurri che ricoprono i muri della città.

i don't speak so much of the italian, and i'm procrastinating, so i put it through an online translator:

Five minutes ¿even tonight he missed just five minutes. For months, Lucy chases Shadow, the most original, inventive and mysterious writer in Melbourne. No one has ever seen, but everyone talks about him. No one knows who he is, except for Poet, the friend who gives the titles to his murals. Lucy knows that Shadow is the right guy: brilliant, creative and passionate about art as you, and is determined to meet him. And only he knows where he is and, even if it's the last guy you would want to spend his time, Lucy agrees to follow him into a crazy night of raids, secrets and revelations in the blue skies that cover the walls of the city.


if you want to buy an italian version you can do so here.
if you don't own the australian version then head on down to your local independent bookshop. preferably this one.

i told you it was a great book...

didn't i? well, the nsw premier's literary prize-givers of 2011 agree. congratulations cath!

What can you CBC? A shortlist off the port bow!

2011 CBCA Shortlist

What excitement! Ye gads!

About a Girl, Graffiti Moon, Six Impossible Things, The Midnight Zoo, The Piper's Son, The Life of a Teenage Body Snatcher (pic below, my copy has gone walkies). How often does the CBC get it so right?*

You can go to the CBCA website for all the other categories. They are all good, but none like the YA section.

And isn't it so wonderful to see so many lady novelists represented? All other literary prizes are always skewed firmly the other way. And so many lovely lady novelists to boot! Bring on the cake and champagne! (shortlisted mans can have cake and bubbles too).


*(err...though extremely disappointed that Lian Tanner's The Keepers isn't on the Younger Readers list...)

book launch : graffiti moon

today was the official launch of cath crowley's wonderful new novel for teenagers (and teenagers at heart) graffiti moon. gabrielle wang made a beautiful speech and read two excerpts.






it was a fantastic event with a lot of interesting and lovely people; gorgeous, bright kids running around; champagne; laughter and A GIANT CAKE IN THE SHAPE OF A SPRAY CAN! one of cath's friends made it and it was delicious as well as attractive.
apologies that the pics aren't of brilliant quality, but i hope they capture what was a great afternoon event. megan has some more (err...better) pics over at literary life.

i reviewed it a little while ago. if you've reviewed it too, leave a comment on this post and we can all read it!

review : GRAFFITI MOON

Graffiti Moon, Cath Crowley (Pan Macmillan)

Lucy loves Shadow, although she has never met him. Like a Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with street art and burglary instead of punk music and NYC, Graffiti Moon takes place over one rollicking night.

Lucy Dervish has finished her year 12 classes and is heading out for a night on the town with her best friend Jazz (who wants to write "stayed out all night. kissed someone." in her diary the next day) and new friend Daisy (who kicks her b/f in the balls when she wants info out of him). she wants to find Shadow - a graffiti artist who paints skies and birds and doors on walls all around the city.

They run into Daisy's b/f Dylan and his friends Leo and Ed instead. Ed and Lucy once went on a date. 'Every time he looked at me I felt like I'd touched my tongue to the tip of a battery. In Art class I'd watch him lean back and listen and I was nothing but zing and tingle.' (p26) But when she tried to talk about To Kill A Mockingbird he grabbed her arse. So she broke his nose.

Jazz is totally up for an adventure and preferably one with Leo. Ah, Leo whose other guise is as street graffiti poet known only as Poet. Poet's poems thread through the narrative (which alternates between Lucy and Ed) and poignantly tell his story. Leo needs money, and quick. So, with his brother, he plans to rob the school's media department and has asked Ed and Dylan to help. But they can hang out with the girls first...

I fell in love instantly with all of the characters. The plot is multi-layered and complex but Cath makes it all so easy to follow, it feels effortless, and you're compelled to read on and on. There are so many things I want to tell you about. I love Lucy's parents. I love the mentors. I love the descriptions of Shadow's art. I love that Lucy is a glass blower.

This is sexy, hilarious, rude, and a bit dangerous. It's got fantastic pacing (one night, people, this takes place over one night only), brilliant characters and awesome dialogue. It is 100% ace. Pop it on your shelf next to Notes from the Teenage Underground and let the riot start!

reviewlettes

graffiti moon, cath crowley

to be published in august 2010

i just finished this wonderful wonderful book today over lunch. i have been reading it off my computer - an experience i HATED, so clearly no e-readers for moi - and i will review it properly closer to its release date. but wanted to put it out there. fans of cath's other books (chasing charlie duskin and the gracie faltrain books) will love this, as will any fans of simmone howell, jaclyn moriarty, james roy, scot gardner, joanne horniman, steven herrick...etc...etc... basically any top aussie authors. it tasted a little bit like nick and norah's infinite playlist, but with graffiti and a melbourne setting. it made me want to be the kind of girl who'd break a guy's nose if he tries to grope her when she wants to talk about rothko.

the carrie diaries, candace bushnell

ha! this was actually a strange experience. for on one hand, you're imagining SJP in the role of carrie, but maybe looking like she did in girls just want to have fun. actually yes! i was totally picturing janey! but, keeping it brief, i really enjoyed the carrie diaries - it was a quick, nice read along the same lines as a sarah dessen or stories of that ilk. middle class america high school genre. as only an occasional watcher of the tv show i don't know how much this aligns with what's been said about carrie and her past there. so the book is great, only thing is... so there's a scene with a bag in the middle of the book, one of her sisters has spilled nail polish on it. carrie fixes it by putting her name on it in nail polish and i can only assume it is supposed to look like the cover of the book (err, or vice versa) but there was no description in the text. bizarre.
but otherwise, a good read: ace friends, cool guy characters and a very chuckle-worthy last line.

and baby makes two, dylan sheldon

oh-em-gee. so this book is, like, about realising that having a baby is harder than you think. lana is 15 and has no ambition except to maybe get married and have babies and her own flat. she meets this dude who works at a video shop, he's a bit of orright. course she doesn't tell him that she's only 15. and surprise surprise, she soon gets pregnant. it's clear from the start that the guy is a dead loss. but anyhoo, lana's going to keep the baby. honestly, she was the stupidest, most unlikable character i've read in ages. dumb, selfish and mean to her mother. after the baby was born (ha! won't tell you what she calls it, but it's hilarious) i was just so scared the whole time that the baby would die from neglect. seriously. and i guess she learns her lesson by the end of the book, and i know she was meant to be irresponsible and all, but i wanted more from this.

perhaps read mahalia, by joanne horniman instead.