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lookmairead's review against another edition
4.0
I like to call these campfire kindle books. I burn through them quickly & my heart feels all warm and toasty afterwards. Super cute, just kind of sad this isn’t a series. (But this was a nice palate cleanser after some heavier, darker books.)
lzak's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
relayqueen's review against another edition
4.0
Cute book. Easy read. Something quick and fun for summer.
marcelo_flores's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A dramatic romance without great adversaries and very cheesy at times. It sounds like a soap opera but I'm not sure if it's in a positive or negative sense. I enjoyed the element of magical realism, which seems to be the most notable part of the work.
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm and Suicide
sydinreallife's review against another edition
4.0
I love sweet feel good books like this. And I read my first Sarah Addison Allen book while spending a summer in rural North Carolina, so her books will always be a sweet nostalgic getaway for me. Love it.
kristicuse's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
librarianinperiwinkle's review against another edition
3.0
I read this one in a single evening. It was an enjoyable read, but it didn't captivate me the way Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen did. I thought Allen tried a little too hard to have the characters' back-stories remain mysterious secrets, and that stifled character (and plot) development. I kept wanting them to just spill the beans so they could deal with the past and finally heal & move on with their lives.
The premise of the book is that 17-year-old Emily comes to Mullaby, NC, to live with her "gentle giant" of a grandfather after her mother's death. She knew her mother as a tireless social activist, but the town remembers Dulcie quite differently, only no one will tell Emily why. Meanwhile, the next door neighbor has a secret of her own, which relates to why she bakes cakes with the windows open, and why she can't wait to sell her (father's) restaurant and leave town again. And then there is the mayor's family with the teenage son, Win, who is drawn to Emily, despite his family's animosity toward her.
Win sneaking into Emily's room at night to watch her sleep was just a little too Twilight for me, though. (I loved Twilight, but a teenage boy who sneaks in "just" to watch a teenage girl sleep is creepy and not very believable.)
For Reader's Advisory: character and story doorways
The premise of the book is that 17-year-old Emily comes to Mullaby, NC, to live with her "gentle giant" of a grandfather after her mother's death. She knew her mother as a tireless social activist, but the town remembers Dulcie quite differently, only no one will tell Emily why. Meanwhile, the next door neighbor has a secret of her own, which relates to why she bakes cakes with the windows open, and why she can't wait to sell her (father's) restaurant and leave town again. And then there is the mayor's family with the teenage son, Win, who is drawn to Emily, despite his family's animosity toward her.
Win sneaking into Emily's room at night to watch her sleep was just a little too Twilight for me, though. (I loved Twilight, but a teenage boy who sneaks in "just" to watch a teenage girl sleep is creepy and not very believable.)
For Reader's Advisory: character and story doorways
lareinadehades's review against another edition
I wasn't looking for a teen protagonist. And I felt like nothing happened. It also lacked cohesion, imo.
crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
3.0
"Belonging has always been tough for me"
Emily Benedict has come to live with her grandfather, Vance, (her mother's father) in Mullaby, North Carolina. But there, she begins to see that all isn't as it seems, that her mother was a much different person.
Meanwhile, Julia Winterson has a secret of her own--a secret that chased her away from Mullaby years ago. She is back in Mullaby just to raise enough money for her own bakery, but Stella and Sawyer are trying their best to crack through her tough exterior.
This book is firmly in the chick lit section. So what made a scifi/fantasy junkie like me interested? I am embarrassed to admit it was the title. "The Girl Who Chased the Moon"? "Moon"? Oh, yeah, that sounds good.
I finally got around to reading it on a flight, needing something light and frothy and generally not stressful. That is a really good way to describe this book: light, frothy, not too intense or serious. And if you come into this book without realizing it, you will be sadly disappointed. Don't expect a lot of explanation of the magic, don't expect lots of subtlety or some twisty-turny ending. Just realize this is a fun book, and you will have a great time.
I like to say there are three major characters: Emily, Julia, and Mullaby. Emily is our teenaged protagonist, something that wasn't made 100% clear on the back blurb (curses, you back blurb writer!). But fortunately (Whewsh!), she is not annoying. Yeah, her romance with Win is like Twilight-lite, but she is a well-written character and her discovery about her mom is heart-breaking and insightful. Julia is our other main character, and her character arc is great. She starts the book a woman looking out for herself, holding a grudge against her ex, and wanting desperately to leave. As we learned about her childhood and her depression, I really felt for her.
But by far, I think Allen writes Mullaby best. The town really becomes a character of its own. The Main Street, the woods, the parks, the lake, the BBQs...there were times I could almost feel the warmth on my face from the sun, feel the sand in my feet, and smell the BBQ and cakes in the wind.
These two ladies' (and one town's) stories intertwine peripherally. Julia befriends Emily, and their relationship feels very organic (and is greatly welcomed!). Emily tries to get Julia and Sawyer together, while Julia tries to protect Emily from the town.
But other than that, the stories are separate. And, if you don't mind my saying, a little predictable. I was pretty much able to guess the outcome of both at the end. And what I didn't guess, wasn't that astonishing. I am not upset about each character's happily ever after, just the execution, how quickly they were wrapped up.
The other thing that perturbed me was how much of a backseat the "fantasy" element took, i.e. the "changing wallpaper". I didn't expect it to be explained in excrutiating detail as it would in a fantasy or scifi novel, but it was sorely underused and almost felt tossed in for kicks. There are only a few random references to it, and the wallpaper itself does nothing to propel the story. The Coffey secret (which I had basically guess within a few pages) was more important. And speaking of the Coffey secret, while I had no problems with it in general, I hated the stupid "it's fueled by the moon". Oh, really? If so, then why does it always happen even when there is no moon?
Lastly, the Emily/Win relationship got a little creepy, particularly when it was revealed that Win, a la Edward Cullen, snuck into Emily's room. At night. Stalker boyfriends = NOT COOL!
Rating time is always hard, and this book is one of those that is challenging (I would probably rate it 3.5 stars if the .5 star was allowed). It's not like those books that are horrible and easy one stars or those books that are amazing and are easy five stars. "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" was a good book. But because it was only a "good" book and not a "great" book, I will rate it 3 stars for being an enjoyable, light, frothy book.
Emily Benedict has come to live with her grandfather, Vance, (her mother's father) in Mullaby, North Carolina. But there, she begins to see that all isn't as it seems, that her mother was a much different person.
Meanwhile, Julia Winterson has a secret of her own--a secret that chased her away from Mullaby years ago. She is back in Mullaby just to raise enough money for her own bakery, but Stella and Sawyer are trying their best to crack through her tough exterior.
This book is firmly in the chick lit section. So what made a scifi/fantasy junkie like me interested? I am embarrassed to admit it was the title. "The Girl Who Chased the Moon"? "Moon"? Oh, yeah, that sounds good.
I finally got around to reading it on a flight, needing something light and frothy and generally not stressful. That is a really good way to describe this book: light, frothy, not too intense or serious. And if you come into this book without realizing it, you will be sadly disappointed. Don't expect a lot of explanation of the magic, don't expect lots of subtlety or some twisty-turny ending. Just realize this is a fun book, and you will have a great time.
I like to say there are three major characters: Emily, Julia, and Mullaby. Emily is our teenaged protagonist, something that wasn't made 100% clear on the back blurb (curses, you back blurb writer!). But fortunately (Whewsh!), she is not annoying. Yeah, her romance with Win is like Twilight-lite, but she is a well-written character and her discovery about her mom is heart-breaking and insightful. Julia is our other main character, and her character arc is great. She starts the book a woman looking out for herself, holding a grudge against her ex, and wanting desperately to leave. As we learned about her childhood and her depression, I really felt for her.
But by far, I think Allen writes Mullaby best. The town really becomes a character of its own. The Main Street, the woods, the parks, the lake, the BBQs...there were times I could almost feel the warmth on my face from the sun, feel the sand in my feet, and smell the BBQ and cakes in the wind.
These two ladies' (and one town's) stories intertwine peripherally. Julia befriends Emily, and their relationship feels very organic (and is greatly welcomed!). Emily tries to get Julia and Sawyer together, while Julia tries to protect Emily from the town.
But other than that, the stories are separate. And, if you don't mind my saying, a little predictable. I was pretty much able to guess the outcome of both at the end. And what I didn't guess, wasn't that astonishing. I am not upset about each character's happily ever after, just the execution, how quickly they were wrapped up.
The other thing that perturbed me was how much of a backseat the "fantasy" element took, i.e. the "changing wallpaper". I didn't expect it to be explained in excrutiating detail as it would in a fantasy or scifi novel, but it was sorely underused and almost felt tossed in for kicks. There are only a few random references to it, and the wallpaper itself does nothing to propel the story. The Coffey secret (which I had basically guess within a few pages) was more important. And speaking of the Coffey secret, while I had no problems with it in general, I hated the stupid "it's fueled by the moon". Oh, really? If so, then why does it always happen even when there is no moon?
Lastly, the Emily/Win relationship got a little creepy, particularly when it was revealed that Win, a la Edward Cullen, snuck into Emily's room. At night. Stalker boyfriends = NOT COOL!
Rating time is always hard, and this book is one of those that is challenging (I would probably rate it 3.5 stars if the .5 star was allowed). It's not like those books that are horrible and easy one stars or those books that are amazing and are easy five stars. "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" was a good book. But because it was only a "good" book and not a "great" book, I will rate it 3 stars for being an enjoyable, light, frothy book.
heathergstl's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A proper review will follow as soon as I kick this illness that has been plaguing me for four days now!