Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Moon Spirit centers on Max Berger, a teenage boy who was struck by a taxi a year ago and suffers complete amnesia as a result. If his life wasn't already confusing, he must endure bullying at the orphanage and has recurring dreams about Sarina, a lovely moon spirit. Sarina not only turns out to be real, but needs his help protecting a mysterious orb. Before long, Max is dodging bullies that make the ones at Helpren Municipal Orphanage seem like kittens, swallowing orbs, and fighting off flying lizards. Adding to the complications, a loving-but-strict foster family wishes to make room for him. Max just might have a real home...if he survives.

Prose: Gracely's prose is detailed, evocative, and poetic.

Originality: Moon Spirit's clever hook makes it stand out, especially given the odd circumstances surrounding Max's complete amnesia, and the theme-within-a-theme (be careful what you wish for) isn't just ironic, but a valuable lesson. The author's worldbuilding is likewise impressive, introducing readers to Garook, Kalahandra, veptors, Jexter, moon spirits, shadow spirits, and a whole host of other strange beings.

Character/Execution: Max is brave and determined, despite his very real peril, and his innate goodness shines throughout the book. His foster siblings, Marta, Zoe, and Sam, are all very different people and the author does a fine job making them distinct individuals. They are, like Max, trying their best to survive and do good in a world they find alternately bewildering and dangerous.

Date Submitted: August 28, 2024

Gracely’s captivating middle-grade fantasy mixes magic and the strength of found family, through the eyes of Max Berger—an orphan tasked with protecting a magical orb by a moon spirit. Escaping his horrifying living situation at the Helpren Municipal Orphanage for a night, Max is shocked to witness a supernatural battle in the sky. When a beautiful moon spirit named Sarina wins—and asks Max to watch over her powerful Orb that has the potential to destroy the world while she seeks help—he agrees to safeguard it and meet again on the next full moon. That choice launches him directly into the path of an epic, otherworldly maelstrom with deadly ramifications.

Gracely (author of the Misfit’s Magic series) skillfully mixes the real world with the mystical, portraying Max’s very normal struggles as a high school boy—with a penchant for mischief—alongside his attempts to manage the enigmatic Orb at the same time. He’s infinitely relatable, a strongly rooted character despite having amnesia from an earlier accident and no memory of who he is, and he wants nothing more than to find a family of his own. That wish eventually comes true for Max, when he’s paired with a new foster family overflowing with odd yet endearing siblings, but it puts him in a tight spot when it’s time to return the Orb to Sarina.

Thanks to Gracely’s brilliant imagery, readers will feel as if they are journeying alongside Max as he faces a dark force too terrifying for words and his own staggering role in an ancient mystery. His quest pulls in friends and family, and Gracely crafts each of his foster sibling’s quirks in a way that makes them a crucial player in this epic battle of good versus evil. Max ultimately wins that battle, and Gracely makes the road to get there as fun as it is suspenseful.

Takeaway: Teen boy and his new family help magical beings save the world.

Comparable Titles: Peter J. Woods’s Joey Finch series, E.G. Foley’s The Gryphon Chronicles.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+