For fans of Zoe (Zoella) Sugg’s international bestseller Girl Online, author Siobhan Curham needs no introduction. Curham is an award winning writer, public speaker and life coach in the UK whose popularity sky-rocketed following a media exposé that misattributed her as the ghost writer for Girl Online. Curham denied this claim but did acknowledge her role as editorial consultant for the book. Whatever the real situation, Curham’s reputation clearly benefited from this scandal.

Curham’s The Moonlight Dreamers is written in her trademark intuitive style and demonstrates a keen sensitivity to the issues facing young women such as body image, social media, matters-of-the-heart and friendships. Embedded in her work are positive messages that encourage individual self-expression and resistance to social pressure to conform.

The four young protagonists in this novel – Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose – come from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, yet discover sisterhood when they form a secret club called the ‘Moonlight Dreamers’. Guided by the inspirational wisdom of Oscar Wilde, the club provides each of them with a supportive environment where inspiration, creativity and dreams are made possible.

Through their dreams, these young women find the fortitude to cope with confronting issues in their lives at what is a vulnerable time in their emotional development. Painful experiences such as coping with the death of a parent, dysfunctional family dynamics, including conflict, are but some of the challenges they face. The content at times deals with mature themes so this book is not suitable for all readers. Ultimately, this is an inspirational story where sensitive, creative types find the courage to be themselves.

Natalie Platten