moonlight walk~

The title of the book suggests it is about a girl, probably some kind of a superhero. Then after the first or maybe second chapter I figured out what it really meant and it means something really cool. B... b... bee? Yeah. A young adult book about a young adult girl, in the summer between her last year of high school and first year of college. Technically, maybe something between young and new adult. And she is on the verge of death, not such an unusual setting in the stories I have read or heard of lately. But this story is not a tragic one, not really. The bad things that might have happened have nothing to do with weakness, sadness, hopelessness. Everything about this is just as the title might suggest at first, it is a wonderful and touching story about a young superwoman! It is also a tribute to nature, with a strong save-the-world message.

The writing style is from the third person point of view, quite informal, which suits the intended audience perfectly. There are a lot of pop culture references, which I like, except one that is funny to see but I still do not really like to see anywhere, and that is Donald Trump. However, I like the penis substitute metaphors, which would probably suit every feminist's fancy. Something that might be a hit or miss for some people is a certain relationship age gap present in this book. Personally, I am not a big fan of it, but then again, this age gap was not too big, I guess. And the fact that one of the characters addressed that matter and showed some sort of low-key disapproval of that, but also had some arguments for that relationship made me accept it and even see it as fitting. Thankfully though, that is only a side story here, a mandatory love-interest part, but the main events are about some things much sweeter.

This story is heavily centred around a close life-long female friendship between the main characters Victoria and Zoe, V and Z, as they like to call themselves. Seemingly average teenage girls, they're not average at all. Zoe is an already rather accomplished filmmaker-to-be and Victoria is her strong and beautiful best friend with the biggest heart, who is usually the star in her films. They are always there for each other and their biggest wish has always been to spend the rest of their lives together, to truly be best friends forever. Throughout the story they run into some obstacles, challenges, things that tried to bring them apart, but nothing is bound to succeed at such an attempt, not even death itself--for their connection is stronger than anything. It even gets stronger after an out-of-the-world orgasmic sci-fi-esque experience they shared, which made Zoe a believer in metaphysical things she had never thought she could believe in. The few retrospects of some key events of their lives, which were all well preserved in Zoe's video archive and her memories, too, were things that deepened our understanding of the beauty of their friendship. The events at Bluehole, their secret place, a waterfall, were so beautifully described and made me wish I were there with them, too. The atrium, too, made for a really soothing atmosphere. I like how the author allowed us to be in some animals' thoughts, to see how they might feel-- just the way he did with the chimpanzees in Caitlin Star and the Rise of the Barbarians. Aside from that alone, we even got the chance to imagine what it would be like would our two worlds collided. How other beings might react to something we claim for ourselves--emotions. We see the possibility of other beings maybe not having the same thing, but something similar to it, maybe even much greater--here called the stream.

Every message this book conveys is very positive and fitting for young adults girls, young adults in general, and everyone else, really. It is also very exciting, suspenseful, full of surprises and interesting events that lead to a perfect ending. I have not expected that and I do not think I would have liked it any other way. I am content with it the way it is, but I am sure a sequel would be awesome, as well.