Review: The Moon and More

By Sarah Dessen
Available now from Viking Juvenile (Penguin)
Review copy

A.J. Jacobs can try to dub realistic YA novels "GreenLit" all he likes; those of us who actually read the genre know DessenLit would be more accurate.  Sarah Dessen is one of the queens of the genre, and she didn't get there by writing bad books.  THE MOON AND MORE isn't one of her more romantic novels, but Emaline is a memorable heroine with an absorbing story.

(Please note that the above paragraph is not a knock on John Green.  I love his novels too.)

Emaline is highly competent and not very flexible.  She likes to be sensible and orderly.  She's a terrific student and an asset to her family's business, Colby Realty.  But it's her last summer before college and she's not feeling so orderly inside.  Her absent biological father inspired her to dream bigger, and she did.  She got into an Ivy.  But she can't afford it.  Now something she didn't really want has been torn from her and she's still feeling the loss.  And her relationship with long-time boyfriend Luke isn't seeming so solid.  Emaline's not where she expected to be.  At the same time, she's not sure where she wants to be.  Small town? Big city?

I think Emaline's inner conflict really resonates.  She's got family trouble, guy trouble, but most of all she's dealing with moving on in her life and growing older.  And we all have to move on and grow older.  But I have to say, my favorite part of the book was her younger brother Benji.  I just wanted to take him home and let him do fun things.  I loved Emaline's relationship with him, because Benji needs someone on his side.

I also liked how Dessen managed the romantic aspects.  There's Luke, Emaline's old boyfriend, and Theo, the new guy in town to help a famous documentarian.  It's not quite a love triangle; Emaline is never with both guys at the same time.  But Dessen definitely took the romantic relationships places I didn't expect.  (Mostly because I was expecting a straightforward romantic plot.)

Okay, the family is great too.  Emaline's problem isn't that her family is awful.  They're a perfectly normal family.  But people in perfectly normal families drive each other batty all the time.  There is a particularly big personality clash between Emaline and her oldest sister, mostly because they're more alike than they realize.

Dessen's books are giant helpings of comfort food, and THE MOON AND MORE is no exception.  Emaline's bildungsroman is perfect beach reading, especially for Dessen's fans who want to return to the town of Colby.  Dessen will be signing at the West Houston Community Center tomorrow, sponsored by the Blue Willow Bookshop.  I haven't decided whether I'm going yet, but if I do, I hope to see my fellow Houstonites there.

YA Book Carnival: Along for the Ride

The YA Book Carnival is hosted by Lauren of Shooting Stars Mag. It is a series of YA giveaways, by anyone, ending today, June 27. I should also tell people that I have another giveaway that ends tomorrow, June 28. It is for six books, including the entire Elite series by Jennifer Banash.

The winner of the Jonas Brothers giveaway is Kristi of Books and Needlepoint, who plans to give the book to her daughter.



Now, some of ya'll may have read my review of ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen, which came out June 16th. Guess what? It debuted as #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

In celebration, there's a contest for two copies over at Sarah-Land. But here at IBWB, I've got an ARC up for grabs.

Want it? Tell me your favorite energy food. What would you eat before a long bike ride? Me, I like a BBQ baked potato with cheese, butter, and pulled pork. I get dessert afterwards.

I'm also offering a lot of chances for bonus entries. Follow me, link to this contest, tell me your favorite Sarah Dessen (and why), and/or post the ALONG FOR THE RIDE widget.

Contest ends July 4.

Review: Along for the Ride

By Sarah Dessen
Read my review of LOCK AND KEY

Sarah Dessen is one of the grand dames of YA literature for a reason. While I don't think this title is as good as my favorite Dessens, it is well worth picking up. (If I weren't doing a full review of it it would be the sixth book on my Books of Summer list.) One of the things that made me instantly empathize with Auden is simply how much she was like me. My parents divorce was far less dramatic and I'm far less socially awkward, but there are similarities. As I love reading books as escapes, it's nice to see something that seems like my life through a fun house mirror.

("But can you ride a bike?" you ask. The answer is kinda. I recently tried to ride for the first time in ten years and . . . let's not talk about it.)

After discovering her mother has a lover, Auden decides she's going to shake things up and live with her father, his new life, and their infant this summer. Upon getting there, she discovers that Heidi is about to snap and her father is just as bad at parenting as her mother always claimed. Surprisingly, she begins to enjoy live in Colby as she carves out a niche for herself. It helps that she's made a connection with Eli, a fellow insomniac, as the roam about the town at night.

I liked the balance between the romance and the other aspects of the book. Auden's family issues are interesting, though I often felt sorry for Thisbe, who can't really control anything going on when a lot of it is going to affect the way she is raised. It's not a happy plotline, but Auden's associations with the local girls give it balance. That is a happy plotline, as Auden discovers how to recognize and navigate social currents. Likewise, her relationship with Eli balances between the light and dark due to his baggage.

And, while it is done in an exceedingly unsubtle manner, I love the message that girls can be into makeup and clothes as well as being incredibly smart. Being feminine - even hyper-feminine - has nothing to do with intelligence. Not to mention that liking to be girly doesn't mean the patriarchy wins. It just means you like to be girly. Nothing wrong with that.

If you haven't read a Sarah Dessen book, this one would be a fine place to start. If you have read one, you know what to expect. She does have a formula, but I don't mind as long as she keeps writing books that are sweet, entertaining, and not dumbed-down. ALONG FOR THE RIDE has romance, drama, and a positive, hopeful message. I can go along with that.