I am Ginny Moon's biggest fan!
If you too find yourself longing for something, someone to root FOR these days, Ginny Moon is the one you are looking for! Benjamin Ludwig's debut novel, The Original Ginny Moon, is Ginny's captivating story of resilience and growth from the perspective of an autistic teenager finding her place in the world as she orders it.
From the beginning I was captivated by this girl who obviously had more to her story than her abilities let on to others. We, the readers, are allowed inside Ginny's way of ordering her world and life and we quickly realize that her Forever parents, counselors, and teachers are not fully comprehending the equation. I was frustrated on her behalf, scared for her, and hoping and wishing she could somehow find a way to let others see the world through her eyes.
I'm not going to give away plot details. You can read the publisher's plot summary below. I can tell you that Ludwig has drawn a stunning character in Ginny Moon! Her insights into the characters who share her world and story allow readers to get a clear picture of the people and circumstances which have shaped Ginny. I found myself experiencing so many emotional reactions to the people in Ginny's life! The writing is so well done I still find it amazing that this is a debut novel!
I want to thank Ludwig for allowing me the experience of seeing through a new set of lenses in the hours I spent with Ginny Moon. She is a character who will remain a part of consciousness for a long time to come! I will be encouraging everyone I know to pick up a copy of this book! Thanks to the publisher as well for the ARE I received for free in exchange for this honest review.
From the Publisher . . .
Meet Ginny Moon. She’s mostly your average teenager—she plays flute in the high school band, has weekly basketball practice, and reads Robert Frost poems in English class.
But Ginny is autistic. And so what’s important to her might seem a bit…different: starting every day with exactly nine grapes for breakfast, Michael Jackson, her baby doll, and crafting a secret plan of escape.
After being traumatically taken from her abusive birth mother and moved around to different homes, Ginny has finally found her "forever home"—a safe place with parents who will love and nurture her. This is exactly what all foster kids are hoping for, right?
But Ginny has other plans. She’ll steal and lie and exploit the good intentions of those who love her—anything it takes to get back what’s missing in her life. She’ll even try to get herself kidnapped.
Told in an extraordinary and wholly original voice, Ginny Moon is at once quirky, charming, heartbreaking, and poignant. It’s a story about being an outsider trying to find a place to belong and about making sense of a world that just doesn’t seem to add up. Taking you into the mind of a curious and deeply human character, Benjamin Ludwig’s novel affirms that fiction has the power to change the way we see the world.
About the Author . . .
A life-long teacher of English and writing, Benjamin Ludwig lives in New Hampshire with his family. He holds an MAT in English Education and an MFA in Writing. Shortly after he and his wife married they became foster parents and adopted a teenager with autism. The Original Ginny Moon is his first novel, which was inspired in part by his conversations with other parents at Special Olympics basketball practices. His website is available at www.benjaminludwig.com.
