Moon Sugar (Angela Meyer, Transit Lounge)

Mila—40, single, childless—is used to attending to the needs and wants of others. Her own wants, particularly her sexual desires, have always come second. Kyle, a tentative man in his mid-20s, is always the sidekick, never the hero. What connects these two is a man named Josh, Kyle’s housemate and Mila’s sugar baby. It is the sudden disappearance of Josh while holidaying in Berlin that propels Moon Sugar and throws Mila and Kyle into a world of experimentation and cosmic potential. The pair travel to Europe to pick up the trail of their friend. They follow Josh’s movements through hostels and clubs, as well as online, hacking his accounts to sift through the digital detritus for clues. The tension goes up a notch in the second half of the novel when something strange begins to change in Mila. Her world starts to shift and take on a hyperreal quality. Meanwhile, interspersed throughout the primary narrative is the story of an astronaut and the mysterious substance he brought back from space. Reminiscent of Steven Amsterdam’s What the Family Needed, this book is perfect for readers seeking a blend of literary fiction, mystery and sci-fi. Angela Meyer writes with a disarming tenderness and curiosity, and while Moon Sugar tackles some big issues—climate change, patriarchal capitalism, sexual politics—it retains a sense of intimacy that is beautiful and haunting. 

Coco McGrath is a freelance editor and former bookseller.

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Category: Reviews