Reviewing... [56] The Moon and More

Reviewing... [56] Source: Library (cos we all love libraries but whatever). Publisher: Penguin Group Inc.  Author: Sarah Dessen Reviewed by: Amy Bookworm (as almost always). Recommended for: People, who like me, like to read summery books which are YA- but this one does border a bit on NA... Not too much ;) It was nominated for Goodreads Award this year so that's all cool; I thought I may as well read it, since it looks absolutely amazing (even if it's Winter... it'll cheer us up from the miserable weather!) :D

One of the key things which makes this YA is the parent input & involvement. It stops this book going off in other directions in my opinion. Not only do parents sometimes keep YA books grounded but they keep the character grounded and, for Emaline, they keep the characters grounded as well. I love that her father, who is normally absent, is less absent (a stark contrast to parents who are normally not but for the sake of the book are out of town, die etc.) Dessen has to try & create a balance between mentioning, developing and including the family at the right points and then also holding down the romance threads.

You can see why I say it's a bit NA. If this was based the next year it'd be less interesting (for me) and closer to NA. This is just before she gets on her own two feet, almost exactly alone. She's dealing with the bit before college, after graduation. She's dealing with Luke and then, in turn, Theo. There's a lot of ingredients and a lot of different techniques that needed to be applied to them. Let's twist this, churn that, dice that...

It seemed relevant...

Oh, my gosh, I don't recall ever being so aware of an author's crafting skills. Why is Sarah Dessen such a great author? HOW, I mean? It's like there is some burning bread & I need to read quickly to save it. Something like that.

In a way, this book has foreshadowing. It has a nice, not wrecking (ball) feel. Like, as its an early example, at the end of Chapter 3 you learn a character is not from around here. Coupled with our previous knowledge, that she thinks she's going to be stuck in Colby etc., we can kind of guess that's significant. This book gives you hints, reveals a bit of the picture and it's epic. There isn't really such a thing, in this book, as a "filler" chapter. You gain something from it to further the story.

I feel like it's partly a good thing Dessen did the culling thing (metaphorically, nobody died... this isn't dystopia remember?). There is a love triangle but something unprecedented happens...  As one thing unravels, another ravels. I felt like Dessen was too quick to try & force opinions on us about the boys involved. She quickly made Luke seem like something horrible, she gave Emaline some of the blame and then you see what happens with her Theo... There are good points about the love triangle and I get why it was there (partly). I was for some reason hooked by this book but I can't credit it to the love triangle, at all. It could've worked so much better... it didn't just have to not be there but... it's a load of confusion. It's Emaline's summer romance and it's hooking as she goes through the holiday, discovers herself & changes beyond anything she- or us- ever imagined. It's that kind of story... Maybe a late coming-of-age story but, better late than never. With a Dad like hers and a was-stable-relationship with Luke you can see why it didn't exactly happen earlier. As she grows, her whole life transforms like a flower coming into bloom. It's stunning to watch, from her relationship with her brother, the depth of the novel & the surface- where we have an awesome writing style which adds to the enchantment.
You can probably tell, this was mostly a light, enjoyable read. It's Summery but I read it in Winter. It was refreshing and exactly what I needed. Go ahead, go read it. 

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm)rated this book:

^^

Just another reason WHY you should read it, even out of season... YUP. No shame.

Take my recommendation & be powerful for it. I hope you'll read it & pass the recommendation. Let's go pay it forward...

(It wasn't enough that it was a Goodreads Award Nominee... Hehe, I wanted to read one of them & this was my choice. It helps that it's a standalone, it's easy to just pick up when you've got hold of it especially if it's a ray of a sunshine in dark wintery months, eh?)