Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found

I’m in awe of this book and its endless stories. It’s so beautifully and cleverly crafted, and the balance between ancient tales and modern sensibilities is done so effectively. Amazing book!

Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found is a wonderful Middle Grade adventure which will delight readers and have them racing to reach the end. It is full of rich world building, and the Sahar Peninsula is exquisitely described. From midnight souks, to animal-companion jinni, it has a magic children will long to be part of.

The real stand out for me in this story was the wonderful narration. It has easily the most vivid, exciting narrator I have come across in a children's story for a long time. The short stories woven through the main narrative are also skilfully done, and it was always a treat to have a glimpse into someone else's world.

Moonchild is full of representation, from characters with mental illness, to different skin tones, to Amira's two mothers. Despite its extraordinary magic, readers will find themselves reflected within Moonchild's pages, and a world that will welcome them no matter who they are. There are even discussions about periods, which I can't remember seeing in Middle Grade before and know I would have so appreciated at that age.

Bushby also packs in a powerful exploration of emotions and the importance of understanding them, rather than always trying to push them away or keep them bottled up inside. This story really is superb, and there's so much potential for the next in the series - I can't wait to find out what happens!

Thank you Egmont for letting me review this story via NetGalley

This book has stayed with me beyond my reading of it. I was enthralled from the first page of meeting Amira and her Jinni, Namur. The promise of magic and mystical adventure was too great and I dove headlong into this adventure with Amira and her mothers aboard their dhow.
Interwoven with a narrator, storytelling and legends, it is a work of art!

Amira and Namur are linked together and when Amira feels angry, Namur takes the form of a cat. She tends to be quiite angry and so is used to him being in cat form. When the family survive a storm, they limp into the Sahar Peninsula. Needing repairs, food and a chance to earn money, Dunya and Amira head to town to sell their tonics, tapestries and tarot readings. When she gets lost, Amira meets Leo and his Jinni, Semek.

Together they want to find out more about the Jinn, the storms that are increasing in the Sahar Peninsula and the storm bird appearing on the horizon. Leo loves science and uses his knowledge to form some hypothesis for them to investigate. Putting Amira's navigational skills and Leo's scientific knowledge together, they soon find clues to follow in order to learn more and solve the mysteries they encounter.

This book truly has something for everyone- magic in the form of sunken cities of brass, mysteries of the missing Jinn, learning about yourself and trusting in your abilities and sacrifices! There are also mermaids, midnight souks and attacks from the storm bird.
The characters are amazing; Amira is a wonderful character, full of energy and love but needing to see through her anger. Leo, is a young boy in need of family and friends, and Amira's mothers are both brave and true!

This is one adventure I will want to re-read and enjoy again and again. Rumour has it there is more to come from this cast of characters and I will be first in line to meet them again!

Aisha's writing is gorgeous, magical, and perfect for the middle grade audience. Full of rich world-building, animal side-kicks, and more than a little fantasy it's everything I've come to expect from Aisha's novels. Bring on book 2!

I am so in love with Aisha's writing, I adored Pocketful of Stars and now Moonchild too. Bringing a modern twist to classic Arabian tales, Moonchild is one not to be missed.

A hypnotising sea-faring adventure!

I've read a lot of middle grade books over the last couple of years and can only aspire to phenomenal talent that they showcase. When it comes to choosing a book to read, 8 to 12 year olds are spoilt for choice.

My only gripe, as an avid reader, is having to plough through a couple of tedious, initial chapters to get into the story. Not so with Moonchild by Aisha Bushby. This story intoxicated me from the first page to the very last.

Amira and her cat jinn, Namur, have been raised at sea by Amira's sea-witch mothers. But an unsettling storm threatens the Sahar Penisula and Namur is acting strangely. When Amira unexpectedly meets Leo and his fish jinn, Samek, the two put their heads together to work out how the storm is connected to not only the hushed tales of mermaids, stormbirds and islands of brass but also to their own stories.
Then Namur disappears and Amira and Leo embark on a breath-taking journey towards the horizon where they may have to sacrifice all they hold dear.

This story is drenched in magic and contains all the elements that make a story great: fantastical places, sensory descriptions and stories within stories. Inspired by 1001 Arabian nights, it whisks you right to the edge of your imagination where sea-witches and mermaids dwell amongst sailing souks and moving islands. But no image is more powerful than the terrible beast which sits on the horizon.

The language is as hypnotising and encapsulating as the lull of a boat, which is where most of the story takes place. The imagery is stunning and the sounds and smells come alive on the page. Aisha Bushby brilliantly conjures a brooding mood and tone which manifests itself in Amira, the main character.
Amira is angry and knows it! Yet she is written in a relatable way, with the anger simmering at the edges of her being. I loved that her awareness of emotions meant she had self-awareness of her own and rather than denying them, she learnt to manage them in the same way Leo learns to manage his anxiety.

In fact, the suppression of emotion is a huge theme in Moonchild and unpins the plot in a way which will encourage readers to examine how their own feelings should be treated...after all, emotions are what makes us human, right? Then there are the themes of belonging, friendship and sacrifice...

If that wasn't enough, Aisha also delves into the fascinating legends of jinn. After recently reading Michelle Lovric's The Water's Daughter, which contains a prominent jinn (or djinn) character, I was interested in reading more portrayals of them and this doesn't disappoint. Namur, Semek and Layla are as beautifully mysterious as they are loyal and adorable in their animal form and their power creates a potent current which crackles through the plot.

The novel is beautifully presented with gorgeous illustrations by Rachael Dean. It's an all round exquisite treat and I am so happy it's only the first in the series.

Moonchild is released tomorrow - August 6th 2020.
Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found is a magical adventure story that swept me along. It’s the story of 12-year-old Amira who has been raised at sea by her sea-witch mothers. All three have magical powers. Amira’s is the ability to sense other people’s emotions – she can literally smell or see them, even when they are deeply hidden. Excitement is like a freshly baked cake slathered in honey. Sadness: rotten eggs and burnt coffee. Amira also has a jinn, Namur, which takes the physical form of a cat. They go everywhere together.

After a terrible storm, they have to dock at Failaka in order to buy what they need for repairs to the boat. Amira has the rare opportunity to explore life on land and she chances to meet Leo – another child like her with a jinn and the ability to read emotions. As Amira learns more about jinn from Leo, she realises her mothers are hiding secrets from her. Desperate for answers, she sets off alone into the stormy sea. Although Amira survives, she loses her precious Namur. For the rest of the book Amira is on a quest to find Namur and uncover the truth about her destiny. It’s a tale full of enchantment: magic potions, tarot cards and a curse. There are magical creatures, a mysterious stormbird, whale song and mermaids.

There’s a great pace to the story and a thrilling amount of tension. I particularly enjoyed how Aisha Bushby builds a sense of foreboding. The threat of a storm hangs over the town of Failaka, clouds gather, nervous whispers grow into rumours, there’s unease and a tense humming in the air. We are just waiting for something terrible to happen.

I enjoyed the chatty narrative style with the narrator interrupting the story from time to time and addressing the reader directly. The structure of the book, as well as the exotic Middle Eastern setting, has been inspired by The Arabian Nights. Interspersed within the main plot are stand-alone stories which feel almost myth-like. They are told by the book’s main characters and connect to the main plot by providing the backstory.

The theme of family and belonging is particularly strong. I really liked the inclusion of a family with same-sex parents as the central family; it’s important to see different types of family set-ups represented in children’s fiction. These lines from the book are spot on:

“Families come in all shapes and sizes. All that matters is that they love you, and you love them back.”

I really enjoyed the book’s exploration of emotions and people’s different attitudes towards them. I think there is an unhealthy tendency in society to regard some emotions as “bad” or “negative” and in need of repression. In Moonchild Aisha explores the damage that is done when people bury their feelings deep inside. As someone who is quick to anger, I particularly related to the fiery character of Amira and thought it was interesting how Aisha does not dismiss anger as a negative emotion but one which is normal and necessary and only ever one part of someone’s character. I also appreciated the recognition that anger comes hand in hand with passion and determination.

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout by Rachael Dean. I especially liked the busy market scene and the picture of the angry, swirling sea and the stormbird’s attack.

Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found is a book of adventure and friendship that celebrates the power of stories and the validity and importance of emotions. This is the first book in the series and I can’t wait to see where the characters journey to next.

A beautiful middle grade inspired by the Arabian Nights, filled with gorgeous storytelling and seafaring adventure.

Amira is a 12-year-old who lives with her sea-witch mothers and a jinn called Namur, who is a cat-like companion to Amira. They sail the seas, however, a storm damages their ship, causing them to dock at a nearby island. While there, Amira makes friends with Leo who also has a jinn, and she is instantly interested in him considering jinns are rare. When Amira's jinn is taken by the stormbird in the sky, Amira goes to any length to get Namur back.

I was so engrossed in the story; there are elements of stories within stories in this novel that I absolutely love - and some stories had some really great twists that informed the main story, making them useful passages filled with wonder. There is an Arabian atmosphere to this book due to the inspiration of The Arabian Nights, so combined with the writing, this was just overall a perfect read.

Amira is a very interesting protagonist and isn't like other ones I've read about - she's direct and isn't aware of how she comes across to other people. Enter Leo, who is a great balance for her and they end up learning from each other. I really enjoyed their dynamic. We are also introduced to another character later on called Farah who also manages to enter this friendship dynamic and adds to it without subtracting the prior chemistry.

I also especially enjoyed Amira's sea witch mothers, Jamila and Dunya. It never felt odd - it was extremely normalised that a girl would have two mothers and it's beautiful to see how Amira has formed as a person from their parental style. I hope it shows people that it's okay to have same-sex parents, and while there is more to the story here too, I won't mention because spoilers. But, this was a beautiful touch to the story and I cannot express how wonderful this was.

Aisha Bushby is not capable of writing a bad book, this was fantastic through-and-through, and I am so looking forward to the next book in this series.