-->
young adult book reviews & more

Moonstone by Marilee Brothers

MoonstoneAllie Emerson sometimes wishes she could change the life she has. She lives with her rather lazy mother in a dumpy trailer with their only income being the monthly welfare check. She’s constantly picked on by bullies, has never met her father, and is sure her aunt wants her gone. But there are some things to look forward to, namely weekend visits to her eccentric but lovable neighbor Kizzy and hanging out with her good friends Mercedes and Manny. But then strange things start happening to Allie, like making her uncle’s bull run backwards and receiving visits from her hippy “spirit guide” Trilby. And that’s when she find out she’s not just ordinary Allie anymore; she’s the most important ingredient of an age-old prophecy dating back to the beginnings of an ancient battle revolving around a magical moonstone pendant, now in Allie’s possession. But before she can save the world, Allie needs to get a grip on her own life before she loses it to her enemies.

Moonstone is an exciting and very promising start to a new paranormal series. Allie is a great main character. It’s very easy to understand her simultaneous love and hate for her life, her confusion when she discovers her destiny, and her fierce determination to make things right. I enjoyed reading this story from Allie’s perspective because her snarky yet frank voice made the plot seem even more humorous and suspenseful. There was a good mixture of psychic experiences, everyday life, heart-stopping danger, and even romance. The storyline is very original and creative, and I loved the twists in the plot. It was very difficult for me to set this book down, and I was disappointed when the story ended because I wanted to keep reading. There are a few small details that aren’t completely developed, but I fully expect them to be continued in sequels to come.

I am very excited about Brothers’ Unbidden Magic series and look forward to the continuation of Allie’s story in sequels to Moonstone, hopefully in the near future. Fans of The Named series and Old Magic by Marianne Curley will also enjoy this fantastic novel.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from personal collection

20 munch(es) :

Kelsey said...

I just got this to review too. I'm glad you liked it!

Carolina said...

Yay! You really liked Moonstone! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to reading this book! It sounds awesome :)

Lindsey said...

This sounds like a great book - I do love fantasy. :-) Thanks for the review!

Lindsey

Anonymous said...

ohhhh!!
This sounds soooo good!!
really want to read it
:DD

Grace L

Anonymous said...

I've been seeing reviews of this all over the place. Great review- I really need to read this sometime!

Chelsea said...

This sounds so great. Glad to hear it's a series, too.

Anonymous said...

Wow! This seems like an AWESOME book!
Great review!

-Brittney Tabel
perfectbbb@sbcglobal.net

Anonymous said...

I keep hearing great things about this book and it's been on my wishlist for a while. I really need to get to it. I just have so much in my house as it is. But I do love my dark fantasy quite a bit. Is it worth buying? Or would you check it out from the library? I might've just talked myself into picking this up....sigh, I succomb so easily.

Rylie said...

Sounds like an interesting book -- I'm looking forward to reading it.

-Rylie
bcanyon at hotmail dot com

Shooting Stars Mag said...

awesome review. this does sound amazing. i hadn't really heard much about it before. i want to read ittt!!!
i love these king of novels. :)


lauren

Okie said...

Thanks for a good synopsis and review. It sounds like a story/series I might pick up in the future...based more on your review than on the synopsis. Because honestly, the synopsis itself sounds far too much like everything else out there these days "some put upon teenager in a crappy situation finds him/herself in control of a new power that could free him/her of all the trouble in his/her life...if not for the pesky problem of saving the world first."

Having a plucky narrator could make things a bit more interesting...I'd just be worried to see things deteriorate into the overdone and predictable.

Lana said...

Ever since I was about 12, I've been completely drawn to a certain moonstone pendant when I saw it at renaissance faires or heritage festivals. And part of me really wants to read this to see what could have happened to me... if I'd succumbed to temptation and taken it home.

The other part of me just loves the cover and the synopsis :-).

Anonymous said...

Wow, it looks so interesting. The story line seems so unique. = ]

Anonymous said...

This book sounds very interesting, I hope to read it soon!

ArkieRN said...

Sounds like a fun read. I love snarky heroines!

Book Fanatic 101 said...

I REALLY want to read it especially because I'm fans of the books you mentioned!

Wrighty said...

The more I read about this book the better it sounds. I really look forward to reading this and the series to come form it. Great review!

Paradox said...

I want to read this book so badly!!! Out of any of the millions of story types there are to read, this kind is the one that's my favorite, that I'm obsessed with.

Anonymous said...

This series sounds promising. I like how it lets her escape her rather unhappy life.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth

Post a Comment

Let the munching begin.