Moonrise

April 23, 2018
Itâs been 10 years since 17-year old Joe has seen his older brother, Ed, who is on death row for murder. After Edâs execution date is set, Joe travels to Wakeling, Tex., to be near him in his final weeks. As his brother vehemently denies his guilt and hopes for a stay of execution, Joe, lonely in an unfamiliar place, reflects on their difficult childhood; the good-hearted, protective Ed of his memories; and the shadowed, convicted murderer he sees daily. Crossan (One) masterfully portrays Joeâs intense feelings of confusion, anger, and abandonment through conversational, fluid free verse, with thoughtful rhythm and line breaks. Joeâand even Edâare sympathetic characters, and readers may shudder at memories of their motherâs neglect and the guilt-by-association Joe experiences as a relative of a convicted felon and death-row inmate. New relationships with Wakeling locals, all of whom have an attachment to the prison, allow Joe a retreat from the heaviness of his thoughts and room to recognize important truths: âWe arenât the worst things we did / or the worst things that happen to us. / Weâre other stuff too.â Ages 14¬up. Agent: Julia Churchill, A.M. Heath.