The Moonlight Dreamers by Siobhan Curham ~ Author Guest Post + Review

Get ready to be inspired!

Thanks to author Siobhan Curham and the lovely people over at Walker Books Australia, I was recently able to review a copy of an extremely unique and inspiring book called The Moonlight Dreamers.

This book is honestly one of the most thought-provoking I've read in 2016 so far. And today I'm super excited to share my thoughts on it with you guys + a guest post by Siobhan Curham!

A inspirational, heart-warming book about four girls trying to find their place in the world. Siobhan Curham celebrates very different but like-minded friends in this captivating novel.

Amber craves excitement and adventure. Instead, she’s being bullied at school for having two dads, and life at home isn’t much better. Inspired by Oscar Wilde, Amber realizes that among the millions of people in London, there must be others who feel the same as she does; other dreamers – moonlight dreamers. After chance encounters with Maali, Sky and Rose, Amber soon recruits the three girls to the Moonlight Dreamers. It’s high time they started pursuing their dreams, and how better than with the support of friends?

Add to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

Author Siobhan Curham was kind enough to agree to a guest post for my blog, on the topic of 'How to Pursue Your Dreams When You're Up Against Prejudice and Bullying'.

In a world like ours - especially considering recent events - it's important to remember that trials like prejudice, bullying, violence, and fear are hurdles that we can and that we will overcome. But in those darkest moments, we must not forget about our dreams.

As Siobhan says, it's at rock bottom when you need your dreams the most. Your dreams are the key to a better tomorrow and a brighter future. Hold onto them and never let anybody tear them away from you.

I hope that you connect with Siobhan's post and that you're inspired to pursue your dreams, despite the obstacles you may face. Dreamers of the world unite! :)

HOW TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS WHEN YOU’RE UP AGAINST PREJUDICE AND BULLYING

By Siobhan Curham

When you’re encountering prejudice or bullying it can seem like the hardest thing in the world to dare to dream. Your confidence is probably rock bottom and your nerves are shredded. But this is the time when you need your dreams the most.

When you’re going through hard times your life goals can become life rafts, carrying you into a brighter, happier future.

Many years ago, I ended up in an abusive relationship. The one thing that kept me going through that dark time was my dream of one day becoming a writer. When real life became too much to bear, I’d escape into the fictional world of the novel I was working on and pray that I’d one day get a publishing deal. Luckily, my dream came true and it gave me the confidence – and the financial means – to leave my relationship. This is why I feel so passionately about encouraging others to dare to dream, even when times are tough – especially when times are tough.

My novel The Moonlight Dreamers begins with one of the main characters, Amber, feeling down-hearted and disillusioned. She’s constantly bullied at school for having two (gay) dads and for dressing in vintage men’s clothes. She doesn’t want to succumb to the pressure to be like everyone else but she’s so tired of feeling alone. Then she comes across a quote from her hero Oscar Wilde and it fills her with hope:

‘Yes, I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees dawn before the rest of the world.’

As she looks out across London, Amber is sure that there must be other people out there like her, other people who don’t want to fit in, other people who crave excitement and adventure. Other moonlight dreamers.

I wanted to write a novel that highlights how important our dreams are. As Amber finds her fellow Moonlight Dreamers and they set about helping each other achieve their dreams – with varying degrees of success – I wanted to encourage the reader to think about their own dreams and see that by pursuing them, they are taking the first steps into a brighter, happier future.

Dreamers of the world unite!

 Rating: 

The only word that truly does this book justice is 'raw'.

This book has heart. You experience such a varied range of emotions reading it: frustration, empathy, sorrow, wonder, longing, happiness.

Siobhan Curham has created a new-and-improved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - a book that not only celebrates friendship, but encourages thought and discussion.

The Moonlight Dreamers is for people who understand what it's like to long for one day where you can just be. Without judgement. Without sorrow. And with people just like you...with other dreamers.

I don't care who you are.

Ah nope that came out wrong...I do totally care about you all (I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! <3 <3).

What I mean is, I don't care what walk of life you come from, or what your beliefs are. I don't care how old you are, either. You will connect with this book. No matter your race or ethnicity, your gender or your life experiences. This book will make you feel things!

It calls to a universal truth within us all. It speaks to that voice inside of you that longs for true friendships and connections, that wishes the world was a more peaceful, more accepting place to live in.

The part that hit me the hardest was the inner pain.

It's 'easy' to read about pain in books...the physical kind for me, anyway. I can take battles, wars, assassinations, etc. with a grain of salt. I barely flinch!

But give me a character's struggle with deep, raw inner pain and I'm a total mess.

One particular painful moment was in Chapter Three of The Moonlight Dreamers. A young girl called Sky stands up at the Poetry Cafe to read a poem she wrote called 'Do They Have Daisies in Heaven?' And this poem...made me tear up big time. Here's a snippet:

'When I was little, we made daisy chains, out in the woods where sunlight fell like glitter... (...) I wish I'd made a chain so long it still bound us together...'

All in all, this book is a pick-me-up.

It's the kind of book that gives you a refreshing perspective on life. But above all, it impressed me with its promotion of good friendships - not toxic ones, or the blatantly forced ones that often prop up in YA fiction. True friendships that blossom from an understanding of one another's true selves, honesty, respect, and shared hopes and dreams.

(Also this book has a cupcake recipe so you know it's good!)

'Beauty isn't skin-deep. It's bone-deep. Heart-deep. Soul-deep. Only put to sleep when we prick our finger on fear. Beauty can't be bought or made it can only be awoken through laughter, and living, and love. Through being you and being true.'

Although I was provided with a review copy by the author and/or publisher, all opinions expressed in the this post are purely my own. To find out more, please visit my disclaimer page.