Moonstone

By Sjón,

Book cover of Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was: A Novel

Book description

The mind-bending miniature historical epic is Sjón's specialty, and Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was is no exception. But it is also Sjón's most realistic, accessible, and heartfelt work yet. It is the story of a young man on the fringes of a society that is itself at the fringes…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Moonstone as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I confess to a huge writer crush on Sjon. I immediately fell head over heels for his vibrant, visceral prose in this magical moving story set in Reykjavik in 1918 (the same year I set my novella Lightning). There is nothing comparable to this author’s dreamy style (after discovering him I read his entire catalogue) and the journey of young queer Manni Steinn is unforgettable. I have to admit: I went so far as to reach out to the author on social media the year we were both nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and ask him to coffee.…

Want books like Moonstone?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Moonstone.

Browse books like Moonstone

Book cover of Our Lady of the Flowers
Book cover of Giovanni's Room
Book cover of The Line of Beauty

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the Spanish flu, Iceland, and teenage boys?

The Spanish Flu 25 books
Iceland 63 books
Teenage Boys 37 books