The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen Review

(Photo: goodreads.com)

            To say that I like Sarah Dessen’s novels is an understatement. Not only am I completely in love with the characters and get immersed in the setting, but I also connect to the novels on a deeper level. So, when I discovered that her newest book would hit shelves this summer, I literally could not stand the wait. However, after reading The Moon and More, I am sad to say that I am slightly disappointed, as the novel didn’t exactly reach my expectations (although it was still good).

            The Moon and More follows Emaline during the summer before she leaves for college. Everything seems to be changing in Emaline’s life all at once—she breaks up with the boyfriend that she has been dating since the ninth grade, her mostly absentee biological father reappears after months without communication, and a cute New Yorker named Theo helping with a documentary about a local artist has caught her eye. With so much in her life changing, Emaline is torn between her roots in Colby and the new, lavish future that Theo promises.

            Out of all Sarah Dessen’s books, I find this one the least engaging (at least, for the first half, that is). Now, in her other books, there is no huge catastrophic event, no real big ka-pow like say, in a dystopian novel. I acutally like how her books document people's everyday lives, which can sometimes be anti-climatic. However, in The Moon and More, I found myself... dare I say, bored? While there is some drama at the beginning of the novel, I found myself kind of bored throughout the first half. It felt like absolutely nothing was happening except background to the present day. I like Dessen's flashbacks, but in this, it seemed like not much was happening during the present day until at least one hundred pages into the story.

            Sarah Dessen books are known for the romance. Wes, Owen, and Dexter are all love interests that swept me off my feet. While I understand that the romance isn’t the main focus of this novel, I expected to at least have one or two sa-woon moments. However, I was greatly disappointed as I didn’t really like either of the love interests. Luke is perfectly fine, just your average typical boy. While he isn't anything to write home about (although very realistic), I enjoyed him far more than Theo. I couldn’t find myself rooting for Emaline and Theo at all. Emaline constantly compared Theo to her ten-year-old half brother Benji, so it was hard to look past this image, especially since Theo behaved like a child at certain points in the book. I hate how he belittled Colby and how he thinks he’s better and more refined since he lives in New York City. His arrogant attitude got on my nerves so much that I wanted to punch him at parts of the novel. Literally everything that came out of his mouth makes him seem like a jerk. I didn’t like their relationship at all.

            While I didn’t particularly like these male characters that much, I did love Benji. He was cute and added depth to the story. I enjoyed reading every part that he is in. As for the other secondary characters, I was a tad under whelmed. Dessen typically makes her secondary characters memorable and they add to the story. For me, they weren’t as developed as her other characters in other novels. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Daisy, Morris, and the rest of her family. They each had their own individual, unique personalities. However, I just felt like something was missing from these characters that are present in her other novels.

            Although I didn’t like these aspects of the book, I liked how this Sarah Dessen book felt more real and raw than some of her other ones. As I mentioned previously, I am a sucker for Dessen romances. While I was somewhat sad that I didn’t like the love interests, I am actually happy that this story didn’t have the typical happily-ever-after ending that many of her books have. It felt real and more mature than some of Dessen’s other novels and it’s something that I appreciated as a happily-ever-after would have seemed silly and out of place in this novel. 

            However, my favorite part of the entire novel is the family aspect, especially Emaline’s relationship with her biological father. Dessen wrote the scenes between Emaline and her father perfectly and their ending is believable and adds a great touch to the story. Likewise, I appreciated Emaline's relationship with her family. It felt very real.

            As always, make sure to keep an eye out for mentions of characters in previous novels. There’s a bunch, but I won’t spoil any of them for you!

            So, while I was somewhat disappointed that some aspects of the novel didn’t reach my high expectations, I did enjoy The Moon and More. While the beginning is slow, the ending is superb. Some may not like the more mature tone of The Moon and More, but it is still a good story that is worth your time.  

Disclaimer: I borrowed The Moon and More from my library (but I hope to own it soon!) I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!