The Moon and More

by Sarah Dessen

[Sam@WLABB]

Another great Sarah Dessen book. The story takes place during Emaline's last summer before heading off to college. She was working at her family's rental business, when a series of events was set off, and she is forced to reflect on many issues in her life, which she had largely ignored up to this point.

I really loved Emaline, and was hoping for everything to fall in to place for her. Her family was quirky, but filled with so much love. Their interactions were so typical, yet so sweet. It was a ton of fun looking in on them. I also liked how her relationship with her half brother grew to be quite special. Despite all the ways her biological father disappointed her, Emaline was able to separate her feelings from her bio-dad from her feelings for Ben. This was very mature, and one of many examples showing her growth during this tumultuous summer of change. So many fun and happy moments were shared, along with some tough and sad moments. There were beginnings and endings, but most importantly, there was change.

The ending put me off (just a touch) in that way of typical contemporaries. We got a little fast forward and found out a little bit of what happened after the end of the summer. But, alas, there was the open-endedness that always makes me nuts. I really wanted some closure on Emaline's romantic life. There was this moment, where I thought a decision would be made, but then it wasn't. Drat!

None the less, I was still left happy and with that warm and fuzzy feeling I expect from reading a Dessen book.