▁story . ▁McK ill ip ' s ▁theme ▁is ▁not ▁original , ▁but ▁she ▁att unes ▁readers ▁so ▁completely ▁to ▁the ▁prim al ▁mind ▁of ▁her ▁characters ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁contact ▁with ▁outside ▁forces ▁falls ▁like ▁a ▁blow . ▁Her ▁language ▁is ▁fl uent ▁and ▁full ▁of ▁memor able ▁imag ery ▁en l iven ed ▁by ▁touch es ▁of ▁humor ." ▁She ▁finds ▁the ▁" only ▁disappoint ment " ▁in ▁the ▁" ex plan ation ▁of ▁the ▁' M oon - flash ' ▁of ▁the ▁title ," ▁which ▁" ser iously ▁und erm ines ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁em path y ▁of ▁readers ▁for ▁[ the ] ▁hero ine , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁author ' s ▁underlying ▁message ▁of ▁respect ▁for ▁primitive ▁cult ures " ▁by ▁seem ing ▁to ▁reduce ▁it ▁" to ▁a ▁cargo ▁culture ▁manip ulated ▁and ▁perpet u ated ▁by ▁pat ernal istic ▁anth rop olog ists ." ▁Non eth eless , ▁she ▁con cludes ▁that ▁" this ▁is ▁excellent ▁le is ure ▁and ▁social ▁studies ▁support ▁reading ▁for ▁fant asy ▁fans ." ▁ ▁Beth ▁and ▁Ben ▁Nel ms ▁in ▁English ▁Journal ▁write ▁"[ t ] his ▁book ▁is ▁a ▁power house ▁of ▁ideas ; ▁questions ▁are ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁progress ; ▁each ▁culture ▁is ▁hon ored ▁for ▁what ▁it ▁has ▁meant ▁to ▁life ▁on ▁e a [ r ] th ; ▁the ▁quest ▁for ▁answers ▁is ▁sa fer ▁and ▁more ▁bear able ▁if ▁the ▁travel er ▁is ▁not ▁alone ; ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁love ▁over comes ▁trib ulation