Subscribe to my RSS Parajunkee on Twitter Like on Facebook! Goodreads YouTube Tumblr
Paypal
Google Email Me! google Amazon profile
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, books, movie, giveaways and more! This blog has moved. View latest greatest info at parajunkee.com

3.16.2010

The Girl Who Chased the Moon: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon is releasing today and a must read.



ARC won by me from Goodreads.com.  Enter those giveaways, they do happen! 
Release date: March 16th 2010


PJV's Quickie POV: The Girl Who Chase the Moon is a rich mix of magic, regret and love.  The author's tone and voice paint a picture that you can taste.  Her poignant use of imagery and unique metaphors imbued a depth into this novel in a way that I have never experienced before.  I could almost see the words float form the pages and circle my head.  Those same unique metaphors and similes stopped me often and made me reread them, almost laughing out loud at their truth.  Then underneath the beauty of her words, the author told a story that made me think, it made me feel and it let me enjoy, all while experiencing the lives and growth of the characters.

Review: Emily Benedict, reeling from the death of her mother, makes her way to the town of Mullaby, North Carolina in hopes of finding family and maybe to learn more about her mother.  Her mother had never told her of her Grandfather Vance. Her mother had never told her about the town of Mullaby and the secrets it held.  On Emily's arrival she realizes that this town will probably not answer any of her questions, only raise a lot more. The first day there she meets an enigmatic boy her age, old-school Southern boy, he hints at a past between the two of them and this is their first meeting.  Emily gets the distinct impression that what he hints at is not a good thing, but still she feels drawn to him.

Julia Winterson is the other character covered within this novel.  Julia, after 18 years away from Mullaby and the past that haunts her, has returned after the death of her father. Julia has a plan, a plan that doesn't involve falling in love, or staying very long in Mullaby.  But as they say about the best laid plans, Julia's life is thrown in to turmoil as old emotions arise and her past comes back to haunt her.

I don't know whose story I enjoyed more, the innocent tale of Emily, or the older more ragged tale of Julia.  Both touched me, yet both were so different, even though they had the same underlying message. Emily's tale was just starting, while Julia's tale was beginning again.  They both painted a very explicit picture of choices and decisions that are made when you are young affecting your entire life.  Emily's were the choices of her mother, Julia's were the choices she made herself.  Both women are haunted by those choices and spend the novel trying to break away from the consequences.  All this is done while wrapped in the mystery that is Mullaby.  The mystery that is the strange lights that haunt the woods behind Emily's house, and the secrets that everyone seems to know but Emily.  The answers to all the mystery are just as surprising as they are believable.  I was thoroughly charmed with this novel and was sad as I turned the last page, though excited as it hinted at a follow-up.

Recommendations: I recommend this to a wide range of readers.  While it has some paranormal aspects, I wouldn't put this in the genre.  The substance of the novel was the message, and the plot and not the tiny bit of paranormal that gave the novel it's mystical flavor.  The tale of regret and innocence lost might be a bit much for younger readers, but there is nothing explicit about it for parents to worry over.  It does cover topics involving teen sex, but their consequences that result from those actions would be more likely to deter instead of promote. Read the book.






10 comments:

Katy said...

Can't wait to read this! :)

the little reader said...

i just won my first book on goodreads, too. so, yep, they actually happen!

this one sounds really good. the points you made on the way her language shapes the story really make me want to pick it up.

thanks for the review!

Mommy Metropolis said...

Humm, this sounds pretty good. I might have to add that to my list.

BTW- You've got a few awards over at my blog.

Awards!

-Brittany :))

brizmus said...

SO jealous that you won this book! I ADORE Sarah Addison Allen's first two books, and I am SO jealous that you've already gotten the chance to read this one!
And it sounds absolutely fabulous!
I just recently saw a movie that dealt with the same choice theme, so I've actually been thinking about it a lot lately.
I can't wait for this book to come out!! Thanks for the fabulous review!

Anonymous said...

Ive never heard of this one.....good for a TBR addition...;D

Jen at Introverted Reader said...

You have no idea how badly I want to read this! I love her other two books!

Tales of Whimsy said...

O
I can't wait to read this. Thanks for the fantastic review. You have me even more excited.

Unknown said...

Hey have any of you ordered from the book depository what do they ship with ? Ups/ Fed ex?

julie @my5monkeys said...

going to add to my read pile too :)

Liz @ Cleverly Inked said...

I like the idea of this one!

Splendid review

Post a Comment

Let me have it...