Flower Moon by Gina Linko

The first thing that I noticed and fell in love with about Flower Moon was the gorgeous cover on the book.  From that beautiful text the title is written in to the purple cover with the moon, Ferris wheel, and the silhouette of the two girls, I honestly think that this is the prettiest book cover I have ever seen.  This is the kind of cover that really made me want to read the book even before I knew what it was about.  After reading the synopsis, I found myself wanting to read it even more.

Needless to say, Flower Moon‘s story was a great one, full of magic, twin sisters with a strong relationship, family, and an unforgettable summer.  I love books that have a strong emphasis on family, especially when they are middle grade novels, so I was absolutely thrilled to come across this book.  While this book would be the perfect novel to read in the summer, during lazy days at the beach, by the pool, or even on those magical summer nights on the back porch, this book makes a fantastic read with a cup of hot chocolate in the winter, too.

“We used to be inseparable: me coming up with the schemes, Tempest following my lead, my always-faithful partner.
I missed that.”

Tempest and Tally have always been close.  They’re twins, after all – and they’ve grown up doing everything together.  So when things started getting a bit strange between them, and Tempest starts acting weird toward Tally, spending most of her time fiddling with gadgets and making inventions, Tally misses her sister – she wants to spend hours doing what they used to do, playing and spending time together.  But now?  Now Tally notices something weird going on with Tempest – a force that seems destined to keep them apart.

As they get ready to spend another summer together with their Pa Charlie’s traveling carnival, they notice that this strange force is growing stronger, almost physically keeping them from being too close.

“When I was little, I believed in magic.  All kinda of it.  Wishes on shooting stars.  Yanking on the wishbone.  Reading peoples minds.
Truly, someday I expected to figure out how to converse with every animal on the planet, if I could just listen correctly.
Did I still believe in magic?”

Determined to figure out what’s going on, Tally starts doing some digging into her family history, and when she eventually recruits Tempest into the search for answers, the two of them find some secrets that are sure to change their lives.  But can they figure something out in time to make sure things stay okay between them?

The whole sisterly bond that goes on in this book is magical enough on its own, but when you toss in some magical realism and family secrets and curses, you get an incredible novel that will appeal to readers of any age, not just middle grade readers!

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book quite the way that I enjoyed Flower Moon.  It reminded me of summers when I was that age, and it made me a bit nostalgic, although you know, I didn’t have a twin and I didn’t get to join in on a traveling carnival, so Flower Moon is ultimately more exciting than my summers ever were.

Tally’s character is sarcastic and tends to be defensive in some situations – stubborn and acting tough, although she is dealing with her own feelings deep down, and often feels quite vulnerable, especially when it seems as though her sister doesn’t want to spend time with her anymore.  I think Tally’s character is easy to relate to because of her demeanor and the emotions she feels – she wants things to go back to the way they were, but they can’t, and she realizes that it’s time for her to move forward with life, growing up, although it’s not always as fun as she had hoped.

“Because that was another thing about growing up: you realized there wasn’t anything you could do about some things.”

This book shines light on the amazing thing that is family, and even more so – sisters.  It’s symbolic for growing up and growing apart, but also dealing with the pain of not wanting to accept any kinds of change.  It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also heartwarming at the same time, and so beautifully written that you are bound to get lost in the pages for hours as you join in on Tally and Tempest’s fascinating summer.