Review: Moonglass By: Jessi Kirby

Title: Moonglass
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 224 Pages (May 3rd 2011)
From: the Publisher, Thank You! (Amazon Vine)

Synopsis: From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead.

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Review: 4 Stars - Jessi Kirby’s Moonglass is more than just sun, sand and sea. It’s about truth, healing and honesty. It’s about strength and love. Kirby fit many emotions into her book and did a wonderful job with her characters and what they were finally working to come to terms with.

When Anna is forced to move when her dad takes a new job, she has the typical teen reactions. She’s angry and hurt and wants to stay right where all her friends, her grandmother and her memories are. She’s one heck of a girl with some guts, let me tell you. She’s grown up with the beach on her doorstep, enjoying the sand as much as the ocean. Along with her guts and her strength she’s also grieving. Her grief runs deep, something she’s been contending with for years and being in the place where here parents met, being so close to where her mother spent her summers stirs up old emotions and old but ever present wounds soon begin to fester.

There’s heartbreak of many different kinds throughout Anna’s journey. Not just her past, but also the past of those around her, new and old and of the Cove she now calls home. Many of these things are part of Anna’s past, a past she needs to come to terms with, but doesn’t know how to face it. Sometimes things aren’t as they seem and other times – sadly - things have to get worse before they can get better.

The relationship she builds with Tyler came at a time that I think she needed it the most. It was a slow thing that happened at it’s own pace and didn’t feel rushed. Which is a great because more often than not these types of relationships can feel rushed in YA novels, and Kirby did a wonderful job in writing the two and their relationship at a realistic pace. Anna and Tyler have cute moments and some great lines back and forth. I did laugh at a few things Anna said, which also added to the story and helped to make her a more rounded character.

All in all, Kirby’s debut was not only well written, it was sweet and entertaining with realistic characters in a beautiful setting. It’s always thrilling to find a new contemporary young adult title and this one fit the bill perfectly! I have no doubt that many others will become a fan or Kirby and will be on the look out for new titles from her in the future, just as I will be. Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.