This novel is like Hunger Games for the younger set–survival in a post-apocalyptic dystopia.  Middle grade readers will love the fast pace and vicarious exploration of life without adult supervision plus the suspense of getting the cure in time. Highly recommended for ages 10 & up.

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This was a great middle grade dystopian, a genre which is sadly lacking for this age group. I think that this book is kind of a mix between Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer and Gone by Michael Grant, it definitely has a Lord of the Flies vibe and I really enjoyed it. I loved the twist that Cramer added on the age-old survival novel formula as the kids are not only having to survive in a massively changed world and find food, water and information and  also have to face the knowledge that when they hit puberty they’re going to get ill and die. Nothing like a bit of time-ticking drama to build up some tension.

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Hello readers!  I have an exciting author interview to share with you today.  Yesterday, I reviewed Night of the Purple Moon and today we have Scott Cramer, author of the book here to answer some questions.  Here we go . . .

1. What do you find yourself rambling about?

Here’s a 24-hour snapshot of ramblings, divided in two parts: internal and external ramblings. Internal ramblings resemble a springtime river raging and swollen with melting snow from lofty peaks, so I have selected a single topic from thousands.

Internally, I am reminding myself of something very important to do when starting a novel. That is to establish the rhythm of the book, and the voices of the characters. There are a lot of things required when writing a novel, all part of an evolving creative process, from plot to theme to character arcs, but I find it so important to feel the flow of the work. It takes patience and a lot of drudgery, trial and error, experimentation. I have started a sequel to Night of the Purple Moon, and I think I have almost figured it out.

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I loved this dystopian, it was interesting to see how teenagers and children react to a world without adults.  I think the author, Scott Cramer, did an excellent job of predicting the best case scenario and also showing how it can go really bad.  The story kept moving and didn’t stop until the end.  The reader is even left with a little wonderment of the future of this kind of world.

I will be recommending this book to fans of the dystopian genre.  This is definitely a YA dystopian, but adults can still enjoy this one.

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Book design by the brilliant, creative, and easy to work with Silviya Yordanova

Night of the Purple Moon is a definite must read. Yes, I’ll probably have nightmares for a couple of days, but it’s sooo worth it! Cramer has dug deep into our subconscious and brought to life the horrors and ambitions we all once had as a child. A world without grownups… and with it, everything we yearned to do and hoped we would never have to. I got hooked immediately. It’s refreshing on so many levels and I couldn’t possibly stop without knowing what would happen to the characters. It’s a thrilling novel that will have you at the edge of your seat.

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The author did an amazing job of creating a realistic society of adolescents. They have chores, classes and meetings which every takes part in. Except for three rogues who are taking advantage of the adultless world to do things they’d otherwise not be allowed to do. This of course creates conflict on the island, since they are not helping, and actually putting everyone else at risk. There’s also one girl who is so terrified of the space germs that she goes to extremes to keep her body from entering puberty. It’s heartbreaking to watch her.

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The characters were well thought out and weren’t over the top.  I really loved the various ways in which they each interacted.  You could really picture a bunch of teens being thrown into this situation and acting like these did.

The plot was well thought out and very much original.  I really hope to see more of this author’s work in the future!

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Alice: What advice can you offer to other writers?

Scott: Write. Write. Write some more. Then write. If you have expectations of fame and getting rich, you will either quit very soon, or you will adjust your expectations and continue to write. It is a solitary, laborious endeavor with fleeting moments of great joy.

Reading a lot helps, too.

Be very nice to your beta readers. Treat them well. Reading an early draft is not as much work as writing it, but it can inflict the same amount of pain.

Finally, if you ever find someone who is on your wavelength and who loves to edit, then you have found it all.

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“I labeled this as a science fiction genre, but it could also be post apocalyptic or dystopian as well. It seems that this type of story is becoming very popular. I just reviewed another novel, Ashes, where adults died and teens were the only survivors, but there was more to the story than what Night of the Purple Moon is about.

This is a short novel, just 177 pages long, and it reads very quick because the reader wants to know what will happen next.

I also think this can appeal both male and female readers as the narration bounces between the two Leigh siblings Jordan and Abby.”

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