The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a fantasy book. The main character is Luna, she is a young girl. She has been raised by a witch named Xan. When she was a baby she accidentally got enmagiced. During the book she has to learn how to control her magic and how to use it in the right way. .

During the major part of the book I did not relate to the characters so it was a little bit hard for me to get into the book right away. I also felt the book was a little bit too long from time to time. But I still liked the end of the book, because there was more action and I really wanted to know what was going to happen.  

When Luna is young her magic is more harmful because she cannot understand it and she does not know how to control it. For example she turned Glerk into a rabbit without even noticing. That means she is able to do many more things that could be out of control. Once she grows up she learns how to use it and it becomes very helpful. For example she is able to detransform Xan when she was not able to do it herself and was stuck in the shape of a bird.   

Through the book Luna changes a lot. At the beginning she is just a little girl, a bit turbulent, that does not know how to control her magic and that does not listen to her grandmother. At the end of the book she is more mature and powerful. She's able to fight back and she is in control of herself. For example she accidentally transforms Glerk into a rabbit because she does not know how to control herself and how to control her magic . While at the end of the book she helps her grandmother intentionally this time. This reveals her growth.

Luna’s family is very particular because she does not live with her parents but with her adoptive grandmother, a tiny dragon and a swamp monster. Even though her family is unusual it is a very loving and kind family. This is not the case for Aintain’s family. He lives with his mother who is not very nice and his many brothers. The Grand Elder Gerland, his uncle, is a wicked character. He doesn’t get any love from his family. He is always under pressure and he does not get any support. The contrast of those two types of family is interesting because we can see that the environment and the family you live in has a big impact on how you grow up.  

In the book memories are important because it influences the way people act. For example when the madwoman became mad because she did not want to give her baby and got imprisoned, the people living in the protectorate saw how horrible it was, they were scared and did not want to be treated like she had been. They did not protest anymore and gave their babies. By keeping those memories the Elders are keeping their power. 

By contrast, forgetting is used in the book to escape pain. The memories Xan is forgetting are painful memories. Without remembering them she is happier. Or for example, the madwoman forgets her name, her husband that got remarried because it was a bad memory. 

In the book fear is what keeps the people in the protectorate from the truth and the truth keeps them away from freedom. So when they start questioning what they have been told they also start questioning the authority of the elders. The Elders are using the story of the witch in the woods to control the people in the protectorate because in their lie they say that she could kill the ones that will not listen to her. That scared the citizens and they believed that listening to the elders was the right choice to be in security and have protection. This shows us that if you believe the wrong people you risk being manipulated and fear can lead us to trust the wrong person. 

I think I would recommend this book for those who like fantasy. It is not very complicated to read, it is just a little bit too long. It is still interesting to follow Luna during her life and adventures. I also recommend this book because I liked the ending very much and the themes discussed speak to me. 

Finally I give this book ⅘ stars.