The verses in this text are full of life and rhythm as the story of a young teen girl unfolds revealing the struggles she has experienced in an abusive relationship only to find escape and freedom through very poignant lyrics wrapped together in phrases that sound like a new beginning. In true Mahogany fashion, these lines are lit!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Vinyl Moon By Mahogany Browne is a coming of age story about Angel who finds her life turn upside down after the incident. Now in a new place far from her family, friends, Darius and the life she knew Angel must find her footing. As she begins to fit in to her new world she begins to see the world in a different way through the writings of Toni Morrison as well as many other authors she encounters in her new literature class. Vinyl Moon is a great read! .

I really enjoyed this book and how introspective the characters were. Not a lot of action or drama, but a solid coming of age novel nevertheless

Mahogany L. Browne is an incredible writer. The combination of poetry and prose in this story really worked, and the main character was compelling and heartbreaking. Incredible.

I really enjoyed this book. I think the struggles that Angel faced are similar to the struggles that teens today face. Sometimes your emotions can be confusing when you're trying to discover who you are, who loves you, how to love yourself, and who genuinely cares about you. It also gives a fresh perspective on how changing your scenery and environment can really open your eyes to new possibilities, new love, new passions, and a new life.

After a traumatizing event involving her boyfriend, Angel's mother decides to move her across the country to stay with her uncle in Brooklyn.

She finds herself in a bit of culture shock because life in New York is markedly different than in Cali. But she also gets to enjoy a diverse collection of cultures as she gets to know her classmates and her neighborhood. I know I learned a lot, too, in this story that some have called a love letter to Brooklyn.

More importantly, Angel learns about herself. Her story is narrated in the present with several flashbacks along the way. Some of those flashbacks are repeated, but expanded for deeper reflection and understanding. It takes some time, but Angels does find herself and her niche and in ways that she hadn't anticipated.

Adding to the wonderful coming of age story is the poetic way the author expresses herself. One early quote that I loved was "The two of them chat in floral patterns, speaking warmly with the same words and tones that pepper the air of Flatbush, Brooklyn." This poetric prose adds to the beauty of this story that I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A book about recovering from heart break through books and music is right up my alley! A lot of tough subjects (alcoholism, abuse) were mentioned but seemed to be glossed over. I think it would’ve been more meaningful to explore these tough subjects more in depth. It was a missed opportunity to have a conversation with readers that some need to relate to. The rest of the story was enjoyable with a simple, clean ending.

Angel is healing from scars she received from love, now she is trying to heal on a different coast. Far from everything she knows and far away from him. Vinyl Moon looks at trauma in all forms a teenager can experience through family, relationships, and peers. Angel needs the change Brooklyn can give her and a fresh perspective to heal and grow. Browne is honest with readers when it comes to healing and how slow the process can be. Infusing different perspectives of what it means to heal, love, and how family can look. even though Angel is the protagonist, and a strong, bold, and dynamic one, she shares the spotlight with the side characters more often than not. Allowing her to be an observer to more experiences than her own. This gives the reader a well-rounded view of tough issues and emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own and are mainly written from the standpoint of a school librarian.

FABULOUS! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Would make a great YA book club read!

great book and had me on my seat. I enjoyed the characters and all that happened in the book. I enjoyed being in this world and seeing the growth of the characters. I enjoyed the drama of the story and I can't wait to read others books by this author.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Crown Books for Young Readers for a review copy of Vinyl Moon.

High schooler Angel has just moved to Brooklyn from California after being hurt by her boyfriend. She is having a hard time connecting with her mother back in California but misses her siblings fiercely. She doesn't feel like she'll fit in at her new school or in Brooklyn either. Her feelings quickly change when she enters her new school and connects with an empowering all-girl peer group and a teacher who presses the literary works of Black authors into her hands. Angel cannot get enough of Mrs. G's books. Her new friends and the words of literary masters who look like her help Angel begin to heal. I love the way that this book switches between prose and poetry and showcases Black authors while featuring a cast of strong Black women. This book is a wonderful choice for upper elementary and high school readers as well as all who enjoy YA fiction.

Not quite a verse novel but not a fully traditional narrative. Far more centered on personal reflection than on events. This is a story of a girl coming out of hiding after a trauma. And just as she slowly emerges, so too is the story of her trauma slowly revealed. Rather meandering, so not fully compelling.

Vinyl Moon introduces us to Angel, newly-transported to Brooklyn from LA to live with her uncle after experiencing domestic violence at the hands of her high-school boyfriend. Angel is dealing with a lot—processing the trauma she experienced back home, a new city, and a new school. In this coming-of-age story, we see Angel begin to deal with her pain, forge new friendships, and love herself fiercely. Written in both prose and poetry, which uniquely captures the beauty and emotion of Angel’s story.

I loved this. Angel's narration was my favorite aspect. Seeing her transition schools, situations, and life realities was done so well. As a former teacher I absolutely love how Browne highlighted the impact of a strong homeroom/advisory experience. This is something that isn't often explored in YA novels and I was thrilled to see how much Browne used this throughout the novel. It’s highlights the magic that teachers can create within the classroom.

Late in reviewing this, but I loved every beautiful word of Angel’s story. This is a must-read, and I had to buy multiple copies because my students have been fighting over it.

Vinyl Moon weaves Angel's story together using prose, verse, and vignettes, giving the reader a glimpse into how she was torn apart and how she heals herself following the incident with someone she thought loved her. But love can't look this way, can it?

Browne's writing is just as beautiful in Vinyl Moon as it was in Chlorine Sky- maybe even more so. Some of the story felt unresolved and tied up a little too neatly, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the writing.

After an inciting incident with her boyfriend, Angel is sent away from California to live with her uncle in New York. During her time in Brooklyn, she begins to come to terms with the fact that her boyfriend was abusive; and, her mother is not the evil so-and-so she initially thought she was. Additionally, she embarks on a journey of healing while on hiatus from her friends and family back in California by reading books and listening to music.
This story is written in both poetry and prose. It is a timely and necessary examination of how teens can unpack their trauma and break the toxic cycle of dating/domestic violence.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO VINYL MOON BY MAHOGANY L. BROWNE?
Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne was a featured book during the Edelweiss Onlinefest YA Editor’s Panel. So, I absolutely knew I had to read it. Toss in the fact that music is a major theme, add in that this book is in verse. The combination was irresistible to me. Now, the topper? The audiobook of Vinyl Moon features one of my favorite narrators. So, this book was an absolute priority for me to pick up and listen to.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Mahogany L. Browne’s Vinyl Moon follows Angel who moves from her family in California to Brooklyn. In Brooklyn, she finds she is deeply missing her siblings. Prior to coming there, she had an incident with a young man named Darius which left her with a broken arm. Angel is struggling a bit, but she is this class with Mrs. G who kind of runs the class like group therapy. She is also making new friends and finding healing in books by Black authors. Angel also comes to know the music of her Brooklyn neighborhood and starts to move past the domestic violence she had previously experienced.

HOW DID I LIKE VINYL MOON?
I thought that Vinyl Moon was a must read. Honestly, it makes me sad that maybe this book might end up being a little under the radar. It is such a moving book with a compelling main character who has been through it. I love books about characters who find healing — particularly in stories. Angel is someone I rooted for and someone I wanted to find her happy ending. Also, let me just say I loved how much I felt a sense of place while listening to this book — that feeling is so important to me while reading. Browne’s writing truly transported me to Brooklyn.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of Vinyl Moon is narrated by Bahni Turpin. Personally, I will listen to nearly any book Turpin narrates. I LOVE her narration style. Not everyone feels the same and that is okay. I also loved that this audiobook was under five hours long. It is a quick listen, an easy to follow story, and very well narrated. I am so, so happy to recommend this book via audio.

A heartfelt and heart wrenching story with a mix of verse and prose that tells the story of the aftermath of Angel’s toxic relationship with her boyfriend and her mother. She’s sent across the country to live with her Uncle who takes his time in letting her find her footing. She’s enrolled in a new school where she finds the magic of reading books that represent her and what she has gone through. I really liked how Ms. Browne had Angel connect the books to music to express how they made an impact on her. The only downside was that the ending just fell flat. I felt that there was much more to the story, not just Angel’s but her Uncle’s, her mother’s and even the friends that she made. It ended too quickly. Let’s hope for more. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.