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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See what the other Bookanistas are raving about this week!

Tracy Banghart is thrilled by 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Christine Fonseca shivers over SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

Carrie Harris and Elana Johnson reveal the cover of SALLY SLICK & THE STEEL SYNDICATE by Carrie Harris

Corrine Jackson is nuts for AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber

Jessica Love joins the BY BLOOD by Tracy Banghart book blitz – with giveaway

Shannon Messenger  raves about JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta

Tracey Neithercott adores THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab

Kimberly Sabatini is touched by OUT OF REACH by Carrie Arcos

Katy Upperman gushes over THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca

 

BOOKANISTAS REVIEW: SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL By Trish Doller *Plus a Bonus Review*

A few days after I signed up to review SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL Netgalley approved me to read Trish Doller's next YA contemp, WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE. Now that I've read both books I don't think I can simply talk about one. I apologize if this post turns into an all-out love fest for Trish Doller, but I really can't help myself.

First things first. Here's the Goodreads description of SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL:

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

I don't read a lot of books with male protagonists. I think the last one I read was LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green. It's not that I don't enjoy them, I just find that I can relate more with female characters. Go figure.
In SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL we begin with Travis returning home from Afghanistan. He is emotionally broken after losing his best friend and not quite sure what to do with himself. There were moments I wanted to slap Travis, keep him from making some of the choices he made, but never did I lose interest in him. He was far too engaging. And the relationship that grows between Travis and Harper is sweet and raw the way it should be. Every romance should be based in reality, I say, otherwise it is no longer believable. And Trish's books are real in a way that makes you feel something whether the protagonist is male or female.
I highly recommend you check this one out. I promise you will fall in love with Travis. He will steal your heart for sure.

And as a added bonus I just have to share my thoughts on Trish Doller's next YA contemp, WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE, coming September 24, 2013. 

Here's what Goodreads says about it:

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

This was definitely one of those stories you will think about long after you've finished the book. It is as though the characters live and breath in real life.

From the very first scene you are captivated. I didn't know anything about Callie, but I was worried about her. Uncomfortable. As the the book continues we do learn about Callie through emotional flashbacks that piece together what her life has been like up to this point. And we get to know what she is capable of. She is heartbreaking and yet inspiring. There is such a genuineness to Callie that makes you think she has to be real. This book was emotional and heartfelt and raw. I usually consider a book a success if it can make me feel something while reading it. Whether it's anger or frustration with how the book is progressing, or if it simply makes my heart flutter. This book nearly took my breath away. Truthfully, I just found it beautiful. This is definitely a book I will recommend to anyone looking to read something amazing. It is a book I will read again and again, if only to appreciate the sincerity behind the writing, the true-to-life quality of the characters, and the raw emotion threaded throughout the story.

But please don't take my word for it. You should all just read it for yourself.

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See what the other Bookanistas are raving about this week!

Lenore Appelhans  wonders at ALL YOU NEVER WANTED by Adele Griffin

Tracy Banghart embraces IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker


Shelli Johannes-Wells  delights in Cory Doctorow’s LITTLE BROTHER and HOMELAND

Nikki Katz gets the shivers for 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Stasia Ward Kehoe, Carolina Valdez Miller & Debra Driza  sing out for the cover of THE SOUND OF LETTING GO

Jessica Love raves about ROAD TO TATER HILL by Edith M. Hemingway

Katy Upperman celebrates THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay – with giveaway!