Review: Ginny Moon

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a difficult book for me to read. First, there are children in my family who are autistic. Second, abuse, child abuse, hits me hard. I have personal experience with it. To have a main character dealing with both..I knew it was going to be difficult. There is out right child abuse and implied possible sexual abuse. From my experience, I believe sexual abuse happened. Fortunately the author of this book knew how to get the point across with having to detail it. I am grateful.
This book had me emotionally distraught a lot. I was angry at Gloria and even Crystal. I expected to be angry with them. I didn’t exactly expect to be angry with Maura. I was though, even when I could understand why, I was a bit angry at her. It is a heartbreaking story that is, unfortunately, very realistic. In the end it is triumphant but the road there was not one very many can walk.
I did find myself, at times, forgetting the age of Ginny. She thinks much younger than her physical age. Some may say it is her autism. Other the abuse she suffered. I think, perhaps, the two mixed together. This is a case where early childhood home setting interrupted the child’s growth. I was feeling, for awhile, that every adult was failing Ginny.
If you are looking for a book about a child’s experience on the autism spectrum, this one might not be what you are looking for. The child was influenced by neglect and abuse as much as the autism. However I do think it is a book worth reading. The author does do a very good job with portraying autism. I think he did well blending the neglect and child abuse with the autism. This book, in my opinion, makes an excellent choice for book clubs or buddy reads. It is a book you want to discuss. I know I do.

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