THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen (review)

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, and FINALLY, here it is. My review of Sarah Dessen’s eleventh book, THE MOON AND MORE.

 

Emmaline has spent her entire life in the small beach town of Colby. She spends her summers working at her family’s realty company, renting beach homes to tourists, and wondering what life would be like if she wasn’t a permanent Colby resident, just another visitor. Would she have the Classic Summer Romance that many girls come to the beach searching for? Would everything change in one summer?

When her relationship with her boyfriend hits a rocky spot and the guy staying in one of Colby Realty’s rentals takes notice of her, Emmaline begins to see new possibilities. There will be no shortage of drama this summer, especially once her biological father and her half-brother, Benji, announce they’re coming to visit. Emmaline has to face her father and his shortcomings, like his broken promise to fund her college education at Columbia, forcing her to choose a less expensive, local university instead. She finds herself caught between the town she’s grown up loving and her desire to find new adventures.

THE MOON AND MORE is a little different than Sarah’s other books, especially in the relationship aspect. There are two boys in Emmaline’s life (instead of Dessen’s usual one-dreamy-boy-per-book habit): Luke, her long-time boyfriend and fellow Colby resident, and Theo, the New Yorker in town to work on a documentary. Dessen has said that the ending is slightly different than in her past books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It felt real.

There are also several references and cameo appearances by characters from past Dessen books, a fun treasure hunt that her faithful readers have come to count on. Some of my favorite ALONG FOR THE RIDE characters popped up in a scene, as well as one of my all-time favorite quotes (“No, no, no to Tallyho!”). Also, my allegiance to one of Emmaline’s boys was solidified after it was revealed he is related to Wes, my FAVORITE Dessen boy.

All in all, a great read. It didn’t top my favorite Sarah Dessen books, but it’s a solid story all the same. The cover is stunning and has a glossy book jacket (a new style for Dessen’s books). But be warned: this book will make you want to reread her other books. After I finished reading it, I reread THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER, and I’m fighting the urge to reread her entire collection.

 

Did you read THE MOON AND MORE? What did you think?