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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-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
I remember Sarah Dessen books being a lot better, like bringing me to tears good, but I felt like the book lacked any emotion and development among any of the characters. They were all just vanilla and uneventful.
3.5 stars.
It isn't the best contemporary book, or best novel out there in general.
But the author has a way or bringing her characters to life and making them feel like real people.
I originally was going to give it just 3 stars. But for once, surprisingly, i liked the ending of this novel. That's what pushed it up a .5.
I hardly enjoy endings, but this was done well.
Not rushed, not sudden, not happily ever after. It just was how it was meant to be.
And i liked the main character. Not even sure why, but in some ways i felt like we were similar.
Also i was in a reading slump, and just bought this book for $3. And since it is summer, i thought a summer read might clear the slump out.
I was right.
Overall, The Moon and More was enjoyable.
And as always, Sarah Dessen books always have a clear moral at the end to learn from.
So i suggest, if it's a hot summer month, and you want something to get you back into reading, a 'summer' book like this can help.
Also sidenote, i never liked Theo, no swooning for him or really any other guy in this.
It isn't the best contemporary book, or best novel out there in general.
But the author has a way or bringing her characters to life and making them feel like real people.
I originally was going to give it just 3 stars. But for once, surprisingly, i liked the ending of this novel. That's what pushed it up a .5.
I hardly enjoy endings, but this was done well.
Not rushed, not sudden, not happily ever after. It just was how it was meant to be.
And i liked the main character. Not even sure why, but in some ways i felt like we were similar.
Also i was in a reading slump, and just bought this book for $3. And since it is summer, i thought a summer read might clear the slump out.
I was right.
Overall, The Moon and More was enjoyable.
And as always, Sarah Dessen books always have a clear moral at the end to learn from.
So i suggest, if it's a hot summer month, and you want something to get you back into reading, a 'summer' book like this can help.
Also sidenote, i never liked Theo, no swooning for him or really any other guy in this.
My least favorite Sarah Dessen book by far.
I just didn't care for the main character, I found that she was just reacting to everything instead of actually having opinions of her own. The characters had sudden personality changes out of nowhere and not really caused by anything. It was a cute story but it just didn't feel like her other books did.
I just didn't care for the main character, I found that she was just reacting to everything instead of actually having opinions of her own. The characters had sudden personality changes out of nowhere and not really caused by anything. It was a cute story but it just didn't feel like her other books did.
As an enormous fan of Sarah Dessen, I have to say this book wasn't her best. I felt that the story could have been cut in half, trimming out SO MANY unnecessary scenes, and it would have been much better. The thing is, nothing seemed to happen for over 200 pages! I often found myself not completely absorbed in the book. Something about the writing was off in certain spots. Ultimately, the book did have a great message though as all her books do -- which really spoke to me. I will always read whatever Sarah Dessen publishes and will never lose faith in her. Not every book can be the absolute best book one has published. Which is so much like the message of this book. Not everything can be perfect. But anyways, I can't wait for her new book this May!
I didn't love this as much as her others... Theo was annoying to me... Still haven't found a book of dessen's I love as much as the truth about forever. But I love that her books are real and about nothing in particular. It is just life, which is actually everything.
The thing about Sarah Dessen novels is that no matter the subject, I will always want to buy and read them.
I liked how this story was not all romance but focused on families relationships together and also dealing with growing up and going off to college and leaving what is familiar behind.
I really liked Emaline. She turned out to be a characters that started off not to sure about everything but kind of settling with things but then really sticking up for her feelings and her life in the end. Her relationship with her real father was crazy but the way it was described and happened, I could totally see that happening in real life. I can honestly say that I don't have the best relationship with my dad but I still work at it and so does he. On the other hand, I loved her relationship with her half brother Benji, what a cutie. On the romantic side, I'm glad that she broke up with Luke and still remanded friends with him. I wasn't so found of her and Theo together. The further the story went on, I really didn't like him. I thought he was kind of fake and I'm glad that she finally found that out about him before it was too late.
I wish this book was about half as long as it was but I still did enjoy it. It was a good summer read and can't wait until the next book comes out!
I liked how this story was not all romance but focused on families relationships together and also dealing with growing up and going off to college and leaving what is familiar behind.
I really liked Emaline. She turned out to be a characters that started off not to sure about everything but kind of settling with things but then really sticking up for her feelings and her life in the end. Her relationship with her real father was crazy but the way it was described and happened, I could totally see that happening in real life. I can honestly say that I don't have the best relationship with my dad but I still work at it and so does he. On the other hand, I loved her relationship with her half brother Benji, what a cutie. On the romantic side, I'm glad that she broke up with Luke and still remanded friends with him. I wasn't so found of her and Theo together. The further the story went on, I really didn't like him. I thought he was kind of fake and I'm glad that she finally found that out about him before it was too late.
I wish this book was about half as long as it was but I still did enjoy it. It was a good summer read and can't wait until the next book comes out!
Ended differently than I’m used to with Dessen. Kinda nice to be surprised.
More depth (and length) than usual for a Dessen book. Even though it's written in a similar style to her previous novels, she has definitely grown as a writer.
The Moon and More is Sarah Dessen’s eleventh novel. I have eagerly anticipated many of their releases, going back to my middle school days. When a person has written eleven books, they can’t all be brilliant. Even Sarah Dessen, one of my favorite young adult writers, has a few books that don’t work for me. I will admit that I was afraid The Moon and More would be one of them.
It was the book’s description that concerned me. Emaline lives in Colby, the beach town featured in several Dessen books, and she seemingly has a charmed life with a long-term boyfriend and supportive mother, stepfather, and sisters. Of course, her biological father thinks that she deserves more, in the form of an Ivy League education. And so does Theo, the boy in town for the summer with a documentary film crew.
Okay, I thought, so what exactly is this girl’s problem? She has a great boyfriend and the chance to go to a great college? Fortunately this plot summary belies a lot of the book’s drama. Emaline’s mother became pregnant as a teenager when her father was spending the summer in Colby. She thinks of her stepfather as her real dad, and her biological father only becomes involved in her life when they can relate in the safe zone of academics. The Moon and More deals with the tension between remembering where you come from and imagining how far you can go. Those themes of family loyalty versus personal achievement certainly resonate with me, and Dessen has crafted a story that explores them beautifully.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the parallels Dessen draws between Emaline’s romantic interests and her father figures. Her boyfriend Luke is a working class guy like her stepfather, both good-natured and practical. Theo is a visitor to Colby, just as Emaline’s father was years ago. Dessen picks the perfect details to bring her characters to life, and that skill serves her well in illustrating the similarities and differences between these men.
You can read reviews and pop culture musings on my blog: Courtney Coherent
It was the book’s description that concerned me. Emaline lives in Colby, the beach town featured in several Dessen books, and she seemingly has a charmed life with a long-term boyfriend and supportive mother, stepfather, and sisters. Of course, her biological father thinks that she deserves more, in the form of an Ivy League education. And so does Theo, the boy in town for the summer with a documentary film crew.
Okay, I thought, so what exactly is this girl’s problem? She has a great boyfriend and the chance to go to a great college? Fortunately this plot summary belies a lot of the book’s drama. Emaline’s mother became pregnant as a teenager when her father was spending the summer in Colby. She thinks of her stepfather as her real dad, and her biological father only becomes involved in her life when they can relate in the safe zone of academics. The Moon and More deals with the tension between remembering where you come from and imagining how far you can go. Those themes of family loyalty versus personal achievement certainly resonate with me, and Dessen has crafted a story that explores them beautifully.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the parallels Dessen draws between Emaline’s romantic interests and her father figures. Her boyfriend Luke is a working class guy like her stepfather, both good-natured and practical. Theo is a visitor to Colby, just as Emaline’s father was years ago. Dessen picks the perfect details to bring her characters to life, and that skill serves her well in illustrating the similarities and differences between these men.
You can read reviews and pop culture musings on my blog: Courtney Coherent