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A review by crystalstarrlight
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
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.