BOOKANISTAS REVIEW: THE MOON AND MORE By Sarah Dessen

So... I must confess. I am a serious Sarah Dessen fan. I'm not sure how she does it but she manages to steal me away every time I read one of her books. Never are there vampires or other creatures of the night. You will not fear for the end of the world or worry that the main character's special ability/deep dark secret/mission in life will be revealed too soon, placing the MC in danger. Nope. Nothing like that. And yet I LOVE TO READ HER BOOKS. Seriously. It's like a drug with her. I have spent much time on this, believe me. Why do Sarah Dessen books always suck me in even though most people will tell you that nothing really happens. No trip to France. No near-death situation. No angels scurrying around amusement parks. And never will it read like the most epic love story of all.

And I'm okay with that.

So why do I love her books? The only thing I can come up with is this: I love how they make me feel. No matter what is going on in my life if I pick up a Sarah Dessen book I will find myself relaxing. Instantly I am caught up in the world she has created, the characters she places on the page, and I could stay in that world for a long time. I could read pages and pages of a Sarah Dessen book and never want the story to end.
Before I read her latest I definitely had my favorites. The TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER and ALONG FOR THE RIDE will always be on the top of the list. But I have to say THE MOON AND MORE is now my most favorite-ist of all.

Here's what Goodreads has to say about it:

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.
Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

I absolutely adored Emaline. She was definitely one of Sarah's strongest characters by far.
And I loved the town of Colby. I could have stayed and visited that place a bit longer. Here's hoping she writes about this town again. 
There is always an element in these stories that hits home for me. Some character I can relate to or a situation that feels similar in some way. But mostly I just feel comfortable. I could sit and hang out with this book for hours and never want to leave. I loved reading about Emaline's job and spending time with her brother and sisters. I loved how her relationship with her mother sometimes felt like they were sisters. I loved that she had a dad and a father. And I loved that even though she had many people needing things from her, Emaline never let herself or any of them down.

This is one I will read again. I just wish Sarah Dessen wrote more books in a year.


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