Release: May 3rd, 2011
Pages: 224 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Amazon Vine
"I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both."
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.
Review: Moonglass is a lot more than a summer book - it's a spectacular and heartfelt story.
From the first page in, Anna's voice grabbed me. As the chapters went by, it was easy to see that Anna's not like other YA heroines, but she was still relatable and likable. The ocean has always been a part of Anna's life, and it was also what led to her mother's death. Moving to Crystal Cove, the place where her parents met years ago, she starts uncovering secrets about her parents - and especially her mother - that she never could have believed...
Set in Crystal Cove (and yes, Kirby's descriptions of it do make it sound like a gorgeous, stunning place to live), Moonglass is flush with wonderful descriptions of the beach, cottages and summer life...It makes this book the perfect summer read. Kirby's prose is reminiscent of Sarah Dessen's work, with easy to enjoy characters and a nice flow to the writing. In the end, I felt it was worthwhile to read this story. Filled with a dash of humor and touching, heartwarming moments, Moonglass is worthy of being put on your To-Be-Read list.
Highlights: Kirby introduces a more confident protagonist with Anna, which is a bit of a rarity in YA lit. Despite her extra-flirtatious attitude, she was still human and had flaws and doubts. I enjoyed how her other supporting characters were flawed as well - no one in this story was perfect. While there is a romantic element, it never felt too important to story (which I loved. This book was about Anna and her family, plain and simple).
Lowlights: It was far, far too short and not enough for me to give it a full rating. I was honestly surprised by how quickly it ended, because the story didn't feel complete to me. I need more of these characters(like Tyler, Ashley, and my favorite character - the Crystal Crawler), and more development with them. *fingers crossed Kirby writes a sequel*
Rating: 
Wow, great to hear that the only lowlight is that it's too short. ;)
ReplyDeleteAlready added this one to the list, perfect for sundayafternoon. ;)
I can't say I was very interested in this book initially but after seeing the prose compared to Sarah Dessen, it looks like a great summer read for me. Adding this to the list!
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely! Sorry it wasn't long enough. Comparison to Dressen is a great compliment!
ReplyDeleteI've heard wonderful things about this book and, since it's sitting on my Kindle, I'm thinking I'm going to read it next! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMary @ Book Swarm
I'm with Nina, it seems like a good thing when the only complain is there you didn't get more time with all the characters:) I haven't thought much about giving this one a try, but I like that there's romance that's balanced well with a family relationship instead of being so singularly focused. Nice review Lea!
ReplyDeleteGreat review. Anna sounds like an awesome character. Can't wait to read Moonglass.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book too! I agree that it was a bit too short, but I am excited to see what else the author has in store for us!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this review. I can't wait to read it! The cover is what first drew me to the story, but all of the reviews that I read make me want to read it that much more!
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