Title: The Moon Within
Author: Aida Salazar
Series: N/A
Pages: 240
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: February 26th 2019
**I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher which does not influence my review**
“Celi Rivera’s life swirls with questions. About her changing body. Her first attraction to a boy. And her best friend’s exploration of what it means to be genderfluid.
But most of all, her mother’s insistence she have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives. It’s an ancestral Mexica ritual that Mima and her community have reclaimed, but Celi promises she will NOT be participating. Can she find the power within herself to take a stand for who she wants to be?
A dazzling story told with the sensitivity, humor, and brilliant verse of debut talent Aida Salazar.”
The Moon Within, Aida Salazar’s middle grade debut, is a novel I wish I could gift my eleven-year-old self. Celi is on the brink of turning twelve and she, along with the world around her, is changing faster than she can keep track of. Her body is already changing and with it, the promise of a period. Not something she is looking forward to, especially with her mom’s recent interest in their Mexica heritage. For Celi, this means a moon ceremony to celebrate her transition from girl to young woman, but Celi isn’t happy about having to share the things happening to her body with other people. Celi also finds herself torn between her best friend Marco, who is taking his first steps discovering what it means to be genderfluid, and her first crush Iván, who’s finally showing interest in her, but who is also less accepting of her best friend. Celi must find a way to navigate all the changing relationships in her life without sacrificing who she is and who she wants to be.
The Moon Within is an honest portrayal of how many young people feel about the changes their bodies go through. Celi’s first instinct when it comes to her first bra and her first period is to hide, to feel shame in the way her body now works. What Celi doesn’t quite understand yet is that her mother’s insistence on a moon ceremony, an Indigenous tradition meant to celebrate and honor the menstrual cycle, is her gift to her daughter. It’s a gift that says you don’t have to be ashamed. It’s one where the relationship between mother and daughter is defined by frankness and an openness that doesn’t leave Celi with all the unanswered questions her mother was left with. I loved the relationship between Celi and her mother because they clashed. They don’t always communicate well and Celi is just starting to see her mother as a person and not just her mom, but someone one who was once a scared girl herself.
Celi’s Mexica side isn’t the only cultural heritage that is celebrate in this one. Her father is Afro-Puerto Rican and Celi has grown up learning how to dance the bomba. I loved the portrayal of Celi’s relationship with this dance. She’s incredibly gifted and her connection to the music feels almost instinctual for her. Salazar also uses this dance to show Celi’s connection to her best friend Marco, whom she calls her best echo. Their friendship is incredibly sweet and even though Celi stumbles, this is the one relationship in this novel that felt like it could survive no matter what was thrown at them. I loved how Salazar’s portrayal of Marco being genderfluid is tied to his Indigenous roots. While our views on the gender binary are changing, we sometimes forget that many Indigenous cultures already had words for those who are nonbinary and in this case, specifically genderfluid. For Marco, being xochihuah and embodying both female and male genders, is what feels right. I loved that there is a beautiful reverence given to both the changes Celie and Marco go through and by embracing who they are, they were also reclaiming cultural traditions.
The Moon Within took me back to the days of first crushes, that uncertain time between childhood and adulthood, recounting that secret shame we sometimes feel when we get our first period, the shame that sometimes follows us into adulthood. This poignant novel-in-verse instead encourages celebration and acceptance, and one I wish every child on the verge of getting their first period could read.
★★★★★
(5/5)
This sounds like a wonderful read!
Erica | Erica Robyn Reads
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It was one of the loveliest books I’ve ever read.
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I remember really relating to Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, but being confused because she had a garter belt. I know they’ve updated the novel to be more accessible to young readers, but I don’t think it’s good enough to have one definitive novel about getting your period. I’m so glad this book exists! I was eagerly awaiting my period, as all my friends claimed they had theirs (we were 11). The day it came, my mom had a pizza party and a big banner that said something like congratulations. I was kind of embarrassed, but one thing I didn’t appreciate at the time is that my brother never, ever made fun of girls for having their periods. To him, it was “serious business.” I liked that, especially since in general he was a pill.
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I agree, we definitely need more books that talk about periods, especially ones for tweens. It can be a very scary experience if you don’t have open communication with a parent about it. That sounds so lovely of your mother to do and I love that you’re brother never teased you. I think it would benefit all kids if we talked more opening and if we taught empathy rather than shame. Haha, all brothers are pills, aren’t they?
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Your right about the lack of communication in some families. I see it often enough in moves (including in My Girl in which Vada thought she was dying and her dad’s girlfriend, Shelley, had to set her right). I had a friend who was 12 who had never heard of a period. She was home schooled until 6th grade. In some religious communities people don’t tell their daughters about it, too.
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I can’t imagine how horrifying it must have been to her to have more prior knowledge.
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This sounds like such a lovely story ❤ And I agree with you, I would have loved to have been able to have read this when I was the character's age. It feels like a rite of passage, almost, and such an important "lesson" to take with you as you get older.
Such a positive and accepting middle-grade book is somewhat hard to find these days, but I'm glad they still exist and you managed to find this one!
Amazing review, Alicia 🙂
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It really was the loveliest. I’m excited to share it with my niece who is about to turn eleven. Thank you so much!
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Well I hope she loves it! Though I don’t see why she wouldn’t 🙂 ❤
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Beautiful review! I was initially drawn to this book because of it’s gorgeous cover, but the story within sounds just as lovely. I don’t read a lot of middle grade, but I think I’ll have to make an exception for this one!
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Thank you so much! The cover is so lovely. I can’t wait to see the finished copy. This one is one I’d recommend even those who don’t pick up a lot of MG. It feels like one of those important novels that could touch everyone.
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I looove this cover!
Ash @ JennRenee Read
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It’s such a lovely cover.
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This sounds like a great book, which can start an open and honest discourse on all those changes that take place during puberty. Having them featured in a book is a wonderful way to remove the stigma and from your review, it sounds like the author did a fantastic job.
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Yes, I cannot wait to share it. I don’t have any kids, but I want my niece to know she can come and talk to me if you needs to.
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Love it when a book evokes so many memories of age. I remember reading Normal People and feeling like I am reminded of my twenties
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There is something special about books that make you all nostalgic.
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This was already on my TBR thanks to you, but now I’m even more excited to read it! I’ve requested that my library buy it, so fingers crossed.
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Crossing my fingers for you!
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