The Girl Who Drank the Moon vs. The Smell of Other People's Houses

 vs

We were split in terms a winner, but The Girl Who Drank the Moon rises above to claim victory.

The Smell of Other People's Houses was a beautifully woven tale of four teens living in Alaska. Each of the four narrating teens has a complex personal story which can be difficult for a reader to observe - partly because of the often disappointing adults in the youths' lives.  Despite being an occasionally bleak read, the prose is so rich it almost feels like poetry and the ending ties the stories together with grace and hope for a brighter future. I (Amanda) loved the lyrical prowess of this book, although it did take me a while to get into it, and the only reason I am not fighting for The Smell of Other People's Houses to be the winner is that I'm not actually convinced that this is a YA novel and I think that the likely readership among youth is fairly small and probably limited to select, older students.

Stephen E. and Shelley K. came down on the side of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. This fantasy is the tale of a girl who was abandoned in the woods and then accidentally fed moonbeams by the witch who saved her. This story has many unconventional supporting characters that would appeal to younger readers (Div II) and enough description to satisfy older readers. While it drags a little in the middle, the ending ties up the ends in a dramatic and emotionally satisfying manner. The Girl Who Drank the Moon will have a much wider audience than The Smell of Other People's Houses; and, while not mentioning specific ethnicities, many of the main characters are described as having darker skin and black, curly hair. Because of the quirky characters, touches of magic, positive representation of visible minorities, and accessibility, The Girl Who Drank the Moon in our winner!

But, read both! 

Happy reading!

Shelley Kunicki, Stephen Ekstrom, and Amanda Barrett