Ginny Moon: A Novel

ONE thing after another was just so UNBELIEVABLE! NO adoptive parents would EVER do the things these two did. I can't even get started on the behavior of the therapist!!!!!!!! The actions of the adults in this book is not only unbelievable, but laughable! Unfortunately, it was to the point of annoyance. Several times I actually wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.

I was looking forward to reading this book because all of thw great reviews. As the mother of an autistic child I had high hopes. However it is really hard to enjoy a book when there is not one likeable character including the main character.

Fourteen-year-old Ginny Moon knows, on one level, that she is lucky. She goes to a good school, with teachers who care for her and friends who understand her and are usually kind to one another. She loves her Special Olympics basketball team, and she knows she is good at the game. She has a Forever Mom and a Forever Dad who want her to succeed and have promised to take care of her for, well, forever.

Ginny is lucky. After a series of foster homes and a truly horrific early childhood with her birth mother, Gloria, she’s finally in a place where she feels safe and wanted, where people understand her unusual mind, her need for routine and clarity, and her desire to always know exactly what time it is. But something inside Ginny is stuck --- stuck back at Gloria’s house when Ginny was nine years old, back when Gloria’s boyfriends were scary and Gloria sometimes disappeared and Ginny had to take care of her Baby Doll when no one else would or could.

So despite her current situation, her hard-won stability at home and school, Ginny can’t stop thinking about her Baby Doll, and rescuing that helpless little baby so she doesn’t get hurt the way Ginny once was. Things only get worse when Forever Mom and Forever Dad announce that they’re having a baby, something they never thought was possible. Suddenly Forever Mom seems cautious or even scared around Ginny, Forever Dad is dealing with high blood pressure, and Ginny is taking bigger and bigger risks to try to return to Gloria and her Baby Doll --- and the Ginny she once knew.

Debut novelist Benjamin Ludwig is a long-time English teacher. He and his wife decided to foster a teenager with autism several years ago, and he discovered the genesis of Ginny’s story while attending his foster child’s Special Olympics practices. Ludwig clearly understands and validates the unique thought processes of special kids like Ginny. Although her behavior is not always admirable, her thinking is always clear and entirely rational within her own idiosyncratic world view. Ginny is also unerringly honest and good at telling when other people are not being equally truthful, even if she can’t always articulate or understand why they might be lying.

The technique of using a naïve or youthful character’s perspective to build dramatic irony is not particularly novel. Still, Ludwig does so especially well, filtering, in particular, the dialogue of Ginny’s Forever Parents and, eventually, her Birth Dad, through Ginny’s perspective in a way that will resonate with readers differently, perhaps than it does with Ginny herself. Ludwig also illustrates characters who are, pretty much without exception, flawed in some fundamental ways. The adoptive parents are not saints, nor is Gloria an unrepentant sinner. All the characters, however, including Ginny, are trying to do the best they can with the resources they have at hand.

Ginny is, in some ways, a lonely character, compelled in the end to come to her own conclusions despite the best efforts of her social worker and her foster parents to usher her thinking forward. But that’s what Ginny’s story reveals throughout. Despite her unique way of seeing and thinking about the world, she’s not really alone. She is surrounded by love, even if she can’t always recognize or name it.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Forever doesn’t translate to always for 14-year-old Ginny Moon, the autistic heroine-of-sorts of this endearing debut novel. She’s already gone through more than any child should bear: life with an unreliable (her word), drug-addicted single mother, a few foster placements, and now the opportunity to live with “forever parents” in a Blue House.

All of this sounds like the making of a predictable and maudlin book, but in the hands of Benjamin Ludwig, it’s not. Perhaps the reason is that in the aftermath, Mr. Ludwig shares that he and his wife adopted an autistic teen—so he knows whereof he speaks. And perhaps the reason is because Ginny Moon, the character, is so darn believable.

She’s literal-minded, sure, and she’s also obsessive: consistently asking to be reunited with the “baby doll” she was forced to leave behind when she was taken from her abusive birth mother. Her frantic fears for the safety of the baby doll hold the key to the entire story, and as the truth unfolds, it’s impossible to not fall in love with this very flawed, very human, and often confused young teen. The voice sounds authentic.

What I loved about this story is that Benjamin Ludwig never cops out with one-dimensional portrayals. The adoptive parents, Maura and Brian, are humans, not martyrs, and they don’t always do or say the right thing and yes, they get frustrated and downright angry with the situation. The birth mother, too, is portrayed in more than black and white—truly loving her daughter but not having the first clue about what healthy love really means and failing miserably in protecting and nurturing.

I went into this novel a skeptic, expecting a kind of “chick lit” read about a teen who surmounts her challenges and emerges victorious. But there’s also a deeply human element about what happens when one person becomes the biggest obstacle to receiving the love and safety she so desperately wants. I cheered for—and cared about—Ginny and her push-pull struggle to fit into a stable life.

Read cover to cover in five hours, Ginny Moon takes you on an unstoppable journey with every page turn. You never know what to expect from her! Beautifully written story told from an unexpected perspective.

I loved Ginny's character, and her Forever Dad, too. The premise is wonderful, but it took over 50% of the book to really take off and be solidly interesting. I get that the dialogue between Ginny and the adults had to be concise and simple because of her autism, but the adults conversed that way between each other, too. I felt not making use of the adult interactions to add more depth to the story was a problem. As I said in my update, it isn't very writerly writing and many of the scenes were too long.

Also, in the acknowledgements, the author said he wrote this book primarily to promote adoption of children with disabilities, but the events near the end of the story do just the opposite. Ginny's Forever Mom acted seriously out of character to push a dramatic conclusion. I had some raised eyebrows at some of the social workers non-actions throughout the story, too. Plus, they watched Ginny like a hawk at school, that is, unless there was some story drama needed and then they seemed to have no interest in why she wasn't around. It just wasn't a very well thought out, or constructed story.

I was approved for an archiving digital copy in return for an honest review.

The main character is too relentlessly difficult (which is the point) for me to love this book - but this is a big achievement by Benjamin Ludwig, who has captured this autistic mindset in an empathetic and riveting novel.

I have a little experience with autism via a few associates and others - it is a challenge. If I didn't have that perspective, I'm sure there were places I would have had a difficult time believing. But from those accounts, I know there is very little that seems implausible. There are elements of coincidence and happenstance that drive the narrative, but for the most part I was willing to accept the dramatic license.

What Ludwig has really done so well is create a character - Ginny Moon - who would normally be presented as helpless, or falsely noble or magical - and made her what amounts to the villain at times. If you've seen "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime," you know the character is often very difficult to those around him. Ginny takes it up by a factor of 10. But, again, it's not implausible - and it is riveting. By putting it into a first person narrative, the reader can see the frustrations of those around Ginny, while she does what seems perfectly normal. It's a unique achievement on Ludwig's part.

This is a legit story and is going to get some traction. It's gotten a lot of advance buzz already and I can see why. It's got the type of pedigree that I bet will be remembered come National Book Award time. It's also an Oscar-bait character for an ingenue actress. Yeah, you'll be hearing the name "Ginny Moon" again.

It, arguably, began with Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time which gave us the first (major) work that attempted to paint a portrait of an autistic child

Then came David Mitchell's discovery of Naoki Higashida's The Reason I Jump which let us into the ACTUAL mind and thinking of an autistic young person

These two works opened up our thinking about autism, its sufferers, their interaction with the world and the whole autism spectrum; they opened our eyes to how we might very well have been wrong about our prejudices

So, being Americans, we immediately over-compensated for our past behaviour

Suddenly we were getting books that no longer looked DOWN on the autisic; they looked up at these marvelous beings who, in their hidden wisdom were so much grander than the rest of us (and, yes, I realise that Jerzy Kosinski's Being Thre was a kind of fore-runner, but A) It was a satire and B) I doubt Kosinski even thought of autism) (see my review of The Luster of Lost Things)

Now, finally, comes a book that may just be the best (fictional?) treatment of the subject, yet

Ginny Moon is, most definitely, on the heavier end of the autism spectrum... but she sure as heck ain't no super-being!

She is... wait for it... a REAL PERSON!

With a lot of REAL PERSON problems

And anger

And needs

And love to want and love to give

And, if by the end.. middle... opening of this book you don't love her back

What's WRONG with you!

14 year old autistic girl (Ginny) has big plans to escape her fourth set of foster parents (Brian and Maura), but why?

The world is a confusing place for any teenager, yet alone an autistic one removed from her biological mother, Gloria, five years ago. Ginny is currently living with her fourth set of foster parents, Brian and Maura, but after they have a baby (Wendy) of their own, Ginny was terribly misunderstood and mistreated (in my opinion). Poor Ginny only wants to protect Baby Wendy, but Maura worries incessantly (and unnecessarily, in my opinion) that Ginny will hurt her. I get that new mom, Maura, would be concerned about leaving Ginny alone with a newborn (especially due to certain episodes and incidents in Ginny's past), but Maura freaks out time and time again without even giving Ginny a chance to interact with the baby! Grrrrr.

As if that weren't enough for one teenager to deal with, Ginny is also very confused about why she is no longer living with her mom and has a plan to escape and reunite with her mom and her "baby doll." The exact reason why Ginny was so persistent was both intriguing and touching.

I enjoyed the Ginny character and would have rated this book 4 stars, but overall, I was way too irritated by Maura's character and her treatment of Ginny, as well as the repetitiveness of the plot (how many times did Ginny say "my baby doll??"), to rate it any higher than 3 stars.

Ludwig's debut novel was utterly amazing, and I already can't wait for what he has in store next. Ginny Moon caught me by surprise - the voice connected me with Ginny's complex character and set a innocent yet adult tone for the book, which is exactly how I connected with Ginny. Ludwig portrayed the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of this young girl with autism as not only a hero in her own world, but as a model to young girls everywhere. She's a powerful female who knows exactly what she wants. The surprises Ginny takes you on won't disappoint you. They'll make you feel proud and give you a better understand of the world she lives in. I couldn't put it down and wish there was more!

In "Ginny Moon", author Benjamin Ludwig has produced a profoundly moving and utterly compelling insight into the difficulties associated with adopting an autistic teenager. The story is delivered in the voice of the teenager herself and yet manages to convey the frustrations felt on both sides of the gulf between Ginny and her latest set of "Forever" parents. The book also tackles the issues inflicted upon children forced to endure an early life in an abusive household, where they were made to grow up too quickly, before being suddenly ripped from it.

It is almost inevitable that parallels will be drawn between this book and Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" but beyond the obvious similarity of the narratives each being in the voice of the protagonist in order to present the autistic perspective, the books really have little in common. They certainly do not tackle many of the same issues nor do they ultimately deliver the same message. While a reader's initial feelings of empathy towards Mark Haddon's Christopher are gradually eroded and finally stripped away completely, Benjamin Ludwig's Ginny increasingly reveals herself to be both endearing and, at times, considerably more sensible and clear-sighted than many of the so-called normal, healthy grown-ups around her. Additionally, Benjamin Ludwig's story explores and illuminates a wider range of tough issues, all wrapped up in a carefully thought-out and superbly structured narrative arc that makes for a riveting read.

Very highly recommended.

DISCLOSURE: A free copy of this book was provided for review purposes. This review nevertheless reflects my honest opinion of the product.

Ginny Moon is a teenager who’s left foster care and is now in a Forever home with her Forever parents. But Ginny is autistic, which means she takes everything very, very literally, and her parents have to be careful what they say to her, or even how many questions they ask if they want her to be able to answer and not be overwhelmed. Life gets more complicated for Ginny, who was good at running away, when her pregnant Forever Mom brings home her newborn daughter. Ginny would love to help take care of the new baby, like she keeps telling everyone she did with her Baby Doll when she lived with her abusive, drug-addicted Birth Mother. But her Forever Mom is nervous about how unreliable and unpredictable Ginny can be. As Ginny struggles with the reality of what happened to her Baby Doll and reconnecting with her Birth Mom, she will seek her purpose in life and learn to deal with changes that occur in the Aftermath of traumatic events. Ginny Moon is a fascinating window into the mind of an autistic teenage girl, and it will leave you captivated, sympathetic, and hopefully, encourage you to slow down and take life one question at a time, and appreciate those for whom life can sometimes be a little more challenging.
For a themed recipe of Chocolate Brownie Bites with Chocolate Whipped Cream, discussion questions, and similar books, visit owlcation.

I enjoyed this quick read very much. It’s told from the point of view of a 14-year-old autistic girl named Ginny Moon. It reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon) in that way. Ginny’s focus is on her own life—not knowing what is best for herself, her inability to make sense of and express her feelings, the desire to be a useful contributor, and the need to be safe. The way that Benjamin Ludwig writes the story impels the reader to keep turning pages. I had to know the backstory and I had to know what would happen next. Sometimes, it seemed to get a bit long but, I believe, that is because we are reading from Ginny’s perspective and it just takes her a long time to interpret her motivations and figure out her intentions. Additionally, she did not have much control over her life, given the circumstances, so it was frustrating for her.

The characters are wonderful. In fact, overall, I feel that Ginny is very lucky that all the people in her new life are actually good people trying to help—especially her therapist. I was furious at her Forever Mom, though, for not realizing her actions were exactly the opposite of what Ginny needed. Poor Brian—he certainly had an uphill battle with those two. It is heartwarming to know that there are people like the author of this novel who adopt children with special needs despite the tremendous responsibility and need for patience.

Heartwarming and refreshingly honest and delightful story about a young autistic girl, her struggles in life, and an American family struggling to be one.

GINNY MOON...oh how you've won me over!! Forever Blue, Forever Family, Forever Ginny...you are absolutely delightful, but I have to give you credit to your author, Benjamin Ludwig who writes with searing honesty, authenticity, and such delight that I found parts funny, poignant, sad, and at times, wanted to knock some sense into the characters.

Fourteen year old Ginny has recently been adopted by Maura and Brian Moon, her Forever Parents. From all outside perspectives, Ginny appears to be a typical teenager. She loves Michael Jackson, she attends public school and reads classics in her language arts class...but she also gets 'pulled aside' where she interacts with a few 'special kids.'

Ginny has 'issues,' but she's working through them. On 'the other side of Forever,' she had a Birth Mother who abused and neglected her. She was bruised and emaciated when social services intervened.

Even though her new, Forever Home is warm and loving, it's about to turn upside-down with the arrival of the couple's first biological child. Ginny is very singularly minded, very literal. She is concerned with a baby doll she left behind in a suitcase with her Birth Mother. Everyone is perplexed, until they learn just what Ginny is referring to.

Told entirely in Ginny's peculiar POV, she's easy to love, plucky and adorable, even when she makes bad choices. GINNY MOON is quirky and charming and I absolutely loved it all.

At times, the writing and storytelling reminded me of Emma Donogue's acclaimed ROOM. GINNY MOON is primarily literary fiction, at times it reads a bit like a domestic suspense as the pacing is there and there are some deeper psychological issues at heart. Plus, it touches on some of the children who have fallen through the cracks in our educational system, as well as adoption, foster families, and so much more.

I so loved GINNY MOON and will be recommending widely.

Writing: 4; Characters: 4; Plot: 4
Tags: Fiction, first-person narration, good for book clubs

Ginny Moon is an autistic teen living with her “Forever” parents. She calls them “Forever Mom” and Forever Dad”. Soon, she will have a “Forever Sister”. But Ginny has an obsession with the Baby Doll she had 5 years ago in her original home before she was taken away for abuse and neglect. With single minded determination she works hard to fulfill the responsibility she feels towards her Baby Doll with some pretty surprising results.
I’m fascinated by Autism for some reason - I find brains that work differently to be intriguing and there is something very appealing about the direct, lie avoidant, non conformist, approach that autistic brains seem to take. I’ve always liked this line from a poster written by someone with autism about neurotypicals (the rest of us): “Neurotypical syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by preoccupation with social concerns, delusions of superiority, and obsession with conformity.”

In any case, Ginny Moon is a delightful book. Ludwig appears to do a good job of presenting the story from Ginny’s perspective, but of course we are all listening to the story with our neurotypical responses so reading the story often gave me brain confusion as I struggled to rectify the two - it was fun to experience! Benjamin Ludwig and his wife adopted a teenager with autism so I’m guessing this book is written with some real experience.

If you have ever spent time with an autistic child (or adult) you are well-aware that their brains work very differently than most others'. This novel takes us directly into the confused and confusing, yet highly logical, mind of almost 14-year-old autistic Ginny Moon, who has suffered great abuse at the hands of her birth mother, Gloria, and Gloria's boyfriend. Up to age 9, Ginny endured their abuse in order to shield her "Baby Doll" from their wrath. But when Ginny ends up in the hospital, she must hide Baby Doll from the evil, so she puts her in a suitcase under her bed to keep her safe. Now, almost five years later, Ginny is still consumed with finding Baby Doll and making sure she is all right.

Ginny was finally removed from the abuse and placed in foster care, but the damage to an already troubled, autistic child is too much. Police and social workers intervene, placements are changed, and eventually Ginny finds her Forever Home with a high school counselor and his wife. Childless, the couple strives to make a comfortable, structured, safe and loving home for Ginny, and for almost two years, things are better. The adoption is completed. But then Ginny's Forever Mom gets pregnant, and everyone's lives start spiraling out of control again.

No one in this story is undamaged. Many of the adults try very hard to give Ginny a safe and happy life, but her disability, compounded by fear, guilt, abuse and huge amounts of misunderstanding, makes this an untenable situation. Her teachers and aides, school administrators, social workers and therapists all work together with varying success, and Ginny's band class and Special Olympics basketball team are wonderful positive influences on her. But the tension of Baby Wendy's imminent arrival multiplied with Ginny's obsession with her lost Baby Doll, cause some pretty horrific things to unfold.

This is a well-written book, told from young Ginny's perspective. It reminds me of three other, equally powerful books: One Child by Torey Hayden, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Ginny Moon is a book that will stay with you for a long time.

Ginny Moon was removed from an abusive home five years ago and placed in foster care with broken bones and malnourished, constantly asking for the Baby Doll she left behind in a suitcase. She has been in multiple foster homes since and is now with her Forever Parents in the Blue House preparing for the arrival of a new Forever Baby Sister. Ginny is autistic but highly verbal and reasonably social, she attends a special school and Special Olympics. With the arrival of the new baby, Ginny becomes obsessed with finding her Baby Doll and there her trials and tribulations begin. The story hinges upon the flexibility of the adoptive parents, the school officials and the patient therapist who try to figure out what Ginny is trying to accomplish while she attempts to contact her birth mother. The book provides insight into all of the characters' thoughts and feelings while always keeping Ginny front and center. She is a remarkable protagonist: charming, headstrong, lovable and determined. She is a young teen not easily forgotten and beautifully rendered on the page by the author. The story itself is wonderful, part mystery, part family saga; it is difficult to put down once begun. I read it in one sitting and loved it. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGally.

3.5 stars

I liked The Original Ginny Moon, but the book would have benefitted from more editing. The base story is good, but the story line is fairly repetitive and should have wrapped up long before it did. Benjamin Ludwig and his wife adopted a teenager with autism, and his insight into an autistic child’s behavior is insightful. The main character, Ginny Moon, is autistic and cannot come to terms with the idea that she will never live with her birth mother again. She has lived in numerous foster homes and tries to leave each one in search of her birth mother, not understanding that her birth mother cannot raise her. While Ginny tries to communicate her anger and hopelessness , she struggles to find the right way to explain her distress. I found that part of the book very informative and was fascinated with his insight into Ginny’s mind. I did enjoy the book and was glad I read it, but I wished numerous times that it was shorter. Thanks to Park Row Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Most people probably don't understand how an autistic person thinks or what goes through her mind. In this fictional story about an autistic girl named Ginny Moon, the author - who adopted an autistic teenager - seems to unravel the mystery a little bit.

The story: When Ginny LeBlanc was 9-years-old the police tore her away from her drug-addicted, abusive birth mother, named Gloria. The autistic girl - who was neglected, bruised, undernourished, and seriously injured - didn't have time to retrieve her baby doll from the suitcase under her bed.....and she's been trying to get it back ever since.

Ginny is now 14-years-old and living with her third 'Forever Family', Maura and Brian Moon, in the 'Blue House.' Maura is pregnant with the couple's first baby, so Ginny is given a plastic electronic doll to prepare her for the birth. When Ginny is unable to make the doll stop crying, she treats it roughly, covers it with blankets, and stashes it in a suitcase under the bed. Of course this alarms the Moons, who fear Ginny might hurt a real infant.

Ginny organizes her life around numbers. She eats nine grapes with breakfast every day; goes to bed at nine o'clock every night; counts off the seconds when something makes her anxious; is always aware exactly what time it is; and will only respond when asked a single question at a time. In addition, Ginny meticulously differentiates between 'exact' situations and 'approximate' situations. If Ginny needs a break from her surroundings - or has to figure something out - she 'goes into her brain.' And when Ginny wants to keep something secret she clamps her lips tightly shut and covers her mouth with her hands.

Ginny likes puzzles, coloring books, movies, and bacon and onion pizzas - but her favorite thing in the world is Michael Jackson. Ginny listens to the singer's music, decorates her bedroom with his posters, wears Michael Jackson T-shirts, and so on.

Ginny is not allowed to use telephones or computers. That's because Ginny is constantly trying to contact her birth mom. The autistic teen is determined to go back to Gloria's apartment so she can retrieve her baby doll and 'take excellent care of it.' The Moons fear that - if Gloria learns of Ginny's whereabouts - she'll come by and make a huge scene (or worse). Thus Ginny is monitored constantly, but - being exceptionally clever and devious - manages to contact Gloria on Facebook. This leads to all kinds of trouble since Ginny will do anything - even engineer her own abduction - to get her baby doll.

Ginny's conduct - which includes fighting, sneaking out, and stealing - greatly disturbs the Moons, and things get even worse when Baby Wendy is born. Ginny becomes so obsessed with the infant that Maura has to hide in the bedroom with the newborn. That leaves Brian to take care of the teenager, and he gives it his absolute best. Ginny's counselor, Patrice, tries to help the autistic girl follow the rules, but can't always fathom what Ginny is thinking.

At school, Ginny attends special education classes, plays basketball on a Special Olympics team, and eats lunch with her special ed classmates. One student, Larry - who has a crush on Ginny - is an accomplice in some of the girl's misbehavior. The author doesn't specify that Larry is autistic, but he expresses himself through music - singing songs to convey his thoughts and feelings. (I think a book about Larry would be very interesting.)

It's fascinating to watch Ginny try to accomplish her goal, which she describes as follows: When Ginny was nine-years-old and had her baby doll she was (Ginny). Now she's (-Ginny).
(Ginny) ≠ (-Ginny)
So Ginny has to go back across the equal sign to make things right.

It's also interesting to see Ginny interact with her Forever Parents, teachers, friends, grandparents, and others. At one point Ginny tries to gouge out someone's eyes, so they can't see her anymore.....and this type of conduct is seriously alarming. It's understandable that Ginny's Forever Parents would be at their wits end.

This well-written, compelling story leads to a dramatic climax, but the finale is somewhat unrealistic (to me). I feel like the actions of the characters don't completely fit with what's gone on previously (though I can understand why the author went in this directon). Of course, other readers may feel differently.

This is a very good book, highly recommended.

Life is hard, and for some, misfortunate ones, it is still incredibly harder, even, than for others. Almost everyone in this novel is in this last category. It’s hard to bear their pain.

Despite being a quick and compelling read; Ginny Moon: a Novel, by Benjamin Ludwig is just too overwhelmingly sad. Hopelessness is not one my of my strengths. It frightens me. I want someone, or something, I can have hope for, and/or to cheer for, in the novels I read. This story doesn’t offer much cause for cheering or for hope for anything or anyone; not even the oh so vulnerable main character, who you want to love: Ginny Moon.

Recommendation: “Ginny Moon will change everyone who spends time with her.”—from the goodreads synopsis. Quite true; and perhaps reason enough to read her story. But it’s heartbreaking, and the change might not be for the better.

Park Row Books. Kindle Edition. 4,686 Kindle Locations, 368 pages.

I have an adult son who was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when he was a young teenager, and I am well versed in the art of living with a young person with a diagnosis within the Autism spectrum. I was very well impressed with this novel. The reader gets to know Ginny extremely well, and also learns (or gets a glimpse of) the way in which a person with autism may experience life, as well as his/her sense of being. You root for Ginny throughout the novel, while hoping that she can find peace and acceptance. The writing is superb and actually I found it to be quite lyrical. This is the type of book that will move you to tears in one section and will almost make you laugh out loud in another. I recommend it.

I actually finished this book so that is something but I don't think I could recommend it. The author nails his version of autism, no doubt. I can see an autistic individual thinking exactly like Ginny. However, this is maddening, and maybe that is the point.

As a former Elementary School TA of special needs children, I found this book to be thoughtful and an introspective look into what it might be like for the Autistic child. Enjoyed the narrative from Ginny as she told why she closed her mouth --tight, tight (so her thoughts wouldn't be heard) and what she felt as she "went into her mind" and couldn't hear sounds or voices around her. Liked that the chapters were short. From my perspective, kept me interested & more likely to keep reading into next chapters.

What a phenomenal book! I don't know how accurate Benjamin Ludwig's presentation of the autistic mind is, but it has given me a whole new perspective of what life is like for people with autism (and, really, other developmental disabilities too). I loved 14-year-old Ginny's obsession with Michael Jackson, and her inability to react to complex statements ("that was two questions, so I don't say anything") was eye-opening.

I have been recommending this book to everyone I see. Definitely something to add to your reading list - you won't be disappointed!

Ginny Moon is autistic. She has a very difficult childhood, which is hinder by the lack of ability to understand social norms and express thoughts to others. Social Services take her away from her birth mother, place her in foster care, and put her up for adoption. Ginny’s behavior put her forever home at risk. It only gets worse when she contacts her birth mother. This book is appropriate for all junior and senior high school student and young adults.

Ginny Moon is a character you won't soon forget. This book puts you into the mind of an autistic girl, stuck between her old life with a neglectful and abusive mom and her new life with her adoptive parents. Ginny struggles to understand her past and her present in a quirky and charming way. She is, though, impulsive and dangerous due to her autism. I had such empathy for her adoptive parents who were loving and supportive, but frustrated and scared too. I have no experience with autism, so I found this book to be very interesting.

This book features an autistic narrator - and I thought yay, good representation. But she was just stubbornly stuck to a particularly bad idea, and mades a series of bad decisions because of it, that lead to a lot of tension that was not good tension. Apparently that is a typical behavior of an autistic person, but I just felt anxious and moderately annoyed. I guess I did not see this book the way others did, because I really did not enjoy it.

This is a starkly believable story from the point of view of Ginny Moon, a 14-yr old girl with Autism. I love a book with great readability….easy to read and keeps you wanting to turn the pages. Ginny’s thought processes and reasoning were fascinating. Sometimes they were a bit warped but at times sharply perceptive. I kept cheering for Ginny. This is a good one folks. If you read other autism-themed books such as ‘The Rose Project’ or ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ or especially ‘A Man Named Ove’, this one is better!

Benjamin Ludwig's debut novel, Ginny Moon is already one of my favourite reads for 2017.

Fourteen year old Ginny is autistic. After some false starts, she is in what is hoped to be her Forever Home with her new Forever Mom and Forever Dad. At nine, Ginny was removed from her Birth Mother's care after she was found physically and mentally abused. She likes things precise - time, questions, the order of things. But most of all she wishes she had her Baby Doll from her mother Gloria's house. She worries constantly about it and won't accept any substitutes. She needs to look after Baby Doll and will do anything to make sure it is okay. To do that, she must find Gloria.

In the author's words: "...the rawness of her hunger - the utter fierceness of her desire to return to the place from which she'd come..."

Ginny Moon is told entirely from Ginny's viewpoint - and in Ginny's voice. That voice is compelling and heart-breaking. There is something in her past that the adults in her life do not seem grasp. I had a looming sense of dread as to what that might be. Ginny's view of the world makes perfect sense when seen through her eyes. The frustration of the adults around her is voiced through her observations. And as readers, we can see what Ginny cannot intuit.

Ginny is one of those characters you just want to sweep up into your arms and look after. But at the same time we can see why that might be difficult. We can see it because Ludwig has done an absolutely fantastic job of portraying this wounded, gifted child. He's done such a bang-up job because he is writing from experience. He and his wife are themselves the adoptive parents of an autistic teenager. (Who loves Michael Jackson as much as Ginny does)

But at the root of it all, we all want the same thing as Ginny..."I need to belong somewhere..."

Absolutely, positively recommended. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hope, you'll wish - and you'll not be able to put the book down.

Wow. This book grabs you from the beginning and will not let go of you until the final gasp. Ginny is stuck in an aftermath. This is a new word for her but after being removed from prior foster homes; she is now with Brian and Maura – whom she refers to as her Forever Mom and her Forever Dad in the Blue House. That is when she is not referring to them by their first names.

Being somewhere on the Autism Spectrum, Ginny has a hard time with what is going on around her. She is very bright and understands that people lie and that they cannot always be reliable. This is the issue with her birth mother and ever since she was removed from Gloria, the second scariest person she knows, and her Baby Doll was placed in a suitcase for safekeeping, Ginny has been trying to get back to them. Gloria is not a safe person and is not capable of taking care of her Baby Doll and now that her aunt Crystal with a C is no longer there to help, Ginny needs to get back to the apartment so she can “take excellent care of it”.

The rules are what keep Ginny going. You do not hit, you do not steal, you do not lie, you must have nine grapes for breakfast, and exactly and approximately are not the same thing. Ginny lives a great deal in her brain. Sometimes it is hard to come up out of her brain when others are talking, especially if they ask two questions at the same time, but that is where she does the math. She loves math and when things do not add up, she finds herself as (–Ginny), which is heartbreaking when you understand what she is saying.

I love the child that Benjamin Ludwig introduced us to. Through his personal life experience, he has given a voice to a brilliant character. A coming of age teen that has to learn how to self-advocate and find her own place in the world no matter which side of the equal sign that she is on.

This is the story of a fourteen year old autistic girl who is living with foster parents. She was taken away from her mother for neglect and abuse. While living with her mother she took care of her "baby doll" and she is desperate to get back to her mother to reassume that role. The thrust of the book is her trying to contact her mother and her foster parents and authorities trying to thwart this. This is a well written intriguing book which I thought had a fresh plot.

Pretty much read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down.

Ginny Moon is the story told through the eyes of a young autistic girl. She was taken away from an abusive home when she was nine and after a few foster living situations that did not work out she has found her, "Forever Parents".

Benjamin Ludwig really captures Ginny's voice. I still hear her talking in my head.

I really liked Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig. The author did a great job of character and plot development - he made the characters come to life. It felt like you knew the people and you were cheering them one. It was very heart touching.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who like stories about: autism, families, foster care/adoption and a heart warming story.

Love love love! I listened to this book on Audible and it stole my heart. I am a teacher and I have taught children who are autistic. Benjamin Ludwig allowed his readers a glimpse into the mind of a child who has been abused and sees the world in only black and white. A tender story that made me laugh and cry. A must read for parents and educators.

A feel good story wrapped in anguish and frustration.

I usually prefer reads that take me away from the everyday stress of life. We are so bombarded these days with frustrating and depressing information I tend to shy away from books that may elicit more of the same? But I was given an advanced copy to review and was intrigued by the description. I had thoughts of "Wow, do I really want to read this?" It was definitely not a "Calgon, take me away" story.

Although fictional, I am sure the author used many emotions and trials of his everyday activities to round out this very captivating tale of an autistic teenager adopted by a couple who thought they were prepared to deal with her very special needs.

The first couple chapters had me engrossed in the writing and the story line. Told in first person style of an autistic teenager, I was taken in by the raw emotion it evoked. Not only was Ginny autistic but had been put in the foster system after abuse and neglect by her mother. The author stayed true to the writing style till the very end and although there were times I thought I would tire of the frustrating dialogue within the mind of Ginny, I had to keep going to discover the outcome.

If you know anything about the autistic mind, it makes sense but still no less frustrating. I applaud the author for trying to interpret what Ginny was thinking because I believe only another autistic person could truly understand and relate on that level. He did a great job of showcasing the "Forever" families interactions and feelings in dealing with Ginny. I felt the emotion and frustration on all sides. If you are looking for a little insight on autism or are dealing with something similar, this book might shine some light on the do's and don'ts of the very real day to day life of the families dealing with these amazing but so misunderstood children.

In this brilliant debut novel, Benjamin Ludwig tells the story of Ginny Moon, a 14-year old girl with autism. When the book opens, we find Ginny with her adopted parents, who she calls Forever Mom and Forever Dad. However, she is obsessed with finding "Baby Doll" that she hid in a suitcase when she was removed from the home of her abusive birth mother. The book is told from Ginny's perspective and Ludwig does a fantastic job of capturing her voice. This book made me laugh and cry.

Lovely, strong and a heartbreakingly lovely - cannot put down - read. Autistic Ginny Moon is misunderstood in her forever home and within her mind, awkward and delicate and confused, she must find her way back to her abusive mother in order to find her baby doll she left five years back. When all adults around her seem to be giving up on her, she finds her way there and back, shows her strength and love. One of the best reads of this year.

Wow! This book about an autistic teenager was absolutely amazing! I was anxious the whole time reading it, because Ginny was anxious. The author really showed what was inside her head and why she made the choices she did. I found myself rooting for Ginny, while also wishing I could jump in and make those around her understand her better. The writing is so enjoyable that the book goes by very quickly. I think everyone could benefit from reading this story.

Took me completely by surprise! This author captures the world of an autistic teenager so perfectly you forget you're reading a work of fiction. I could not put this incredible story down. One of the best novels I've read in a long time. Ginny Moon will pull heavily on your heart strings.

A wonderful novel about a 14-year-old autistic girl who secretly plans to return to her abusive birth mother so she can take care of her baby sister. The author takes us into Ginny's mind and lets us see her thought processes and how she must work at interpreting what people are saying to her. I highly recommend it.

Benjamin Ludwig truly captures the voice of someone who is autistic. As a special education teacher, I often heard the voices of my students coming through Ginny. Although Ginny's story is far different from my students, the problems that she faces in social situation are reflective of those dealing with ASD.

As a mental health clinician, I loved Ginnie Moon so much that, when I took the book back to my library, I told all the librarians how compelling a story it is! What character development! Ginnie wiggled her way right into my heart!

4.5 Stars

Poignant. Unique. Unforgettable. Heartbreaking. Heart-mending. Inspired. Lovely.

I was captivated by Ginny Moon’s delightful character, her inner dialogue, her view of her world, her abilities despite her disability. She charmed me right into her world.

Ginny Moon wasn’t always Ginny Moon, but she’s been with her newest set of Forever Parents living in the Blue House for a while. It isn’t her first Forever family, but the last two didn’t, well, last. She was nine years old when they removed her from Gloria’s home, her birth mother, and now she’s thirteen years old. Almost fourteen. Her Forever Mother is going to have a baby relatively soon, and the more they focus on the coming baby, the more Ginny can’t forget her Baby Doll that she had to leave behind the night they took her away from Gloria, her Baby Doll left behind in a suitcase under her bed. She doesn’t understand, can’t really believe that no one ever found her there.

With a new baby coming, these thoughts are ever-present, and she needs to find her, the need becomes compulsive. The more adults want to talk to her about the soon-to-arrive baby, the more Ginny struggles to be heard, understood. The plastic electronic baby they’ve given her to prepare for having a new baby in the house is definitely not helping. As the crying gets louder and louder it triggers anxiety for Ginny, reminders that somewhere out there is her Baby Doll.

I am in my room holding my quilt and crying. Because I am fourteen years old. Right this minute. Right now. And I’m not supposed to be. I’m supposed to be nine years old and keeping my Baby Doll safe. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be nine years old.

She was so young, they think, they searched and never finding a baby doll, they simply offered to buy her a new one.

Things are not going as smoothly as hoped for.

The struggle to understand another human being, the struggle to be understood creates frustration on both sides, and as time passes and the more she tries to find where her Baby Doll is, the more dismissive the adults in her life become. The more dismissive they become, the more Ginny feels she has no place that she can calls her own, there’s no place where she feels she belongs.

We are all so far from perfect, we all have our own strengths, our own disabilities. Yet, we can’t really get through this life alone, we need each other.

But that’s what families are for, that is what we are supposed to do. We’re perfectly imperfect. It doesn’t seem to matter much if those families are bonded by blood, or simply by love and circumstance, it is love that is the key to that bond. Love, by definition, must be accepting and nurturing of our differences.

Benjamin Ludwig’s The Original Ginny Moon is an outstanding debut! I couldn’t put it down.

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harlequin – Park Row

Thank you! This book was definitely a page turner. It touched my soul. It gave me a window to someone with autism’s life and as a result I know I will be extra kind and patient when I encounter a person like Ginny.

Ludwig's writing is beautiful. This story is beautiful. I just finished reading last night and I can't stop thinking about Ginny. Her voice was written so perfectly - it feels like you truly get to know her. Thank you for a great read!

This story gives great insight into a child with multiple layers and experiences who is trying to function in the real world. It made me questions how many of my former students were dealing with issues of which I had no knowledge. What marvelous people become foster parents and what accomplished counselors can achieve with damaged children.