Moon Rise Review

Moon Rise by Marilee Brothers

Publisher: Belle Bridge Books

Release date: July 22, 2009

Source: Publisher

Other books in the series: Moonstone (Book #1), Moon Spun (Book #3)

Her mom's still dating losers. Her boyfriend's gone back to Mexico. Dad still hasn't told his wife and kids that she exists. At school, the drama queens and bullies still rule. But worst of all for Allie Emerson--aka the Star Seeker of an old Gypsy prophecy--is that her powers have taken a hike. She can't read minds anymore. She can't move stuff just by looking at it. The other Star Seekers are counting on her psychic gifts more than ever, and the evil Tri-marks are closing in, eager to snatch her magic moonstone necklace while she's helpless. The hot new guy at school is ready and willing to fight her battles, but he comes with some wicked baggage. "Dear Diary: I'm a little worried. My new BF is a demon."

Welcome again to Allie Emerson's funny, scary, amazing, and always unpredictable life, as the girl voted least likely to save the world from evil.

Review:

Moon Rise was a great sequel to Moonstone the first book in the Unbidden Magic series. It was very exciting with twists and turns in the plot on every page. I almost liked this book better than the first it was so hard to put down, with a bunch of excitements and secrets revealed. Allie learned more about the moonstone and her powers and uncovered more secrets about her past. I also liked the new characters that were introduced in this book- Beck, Nicole, Luella, among others. Beck was great and the truth about him and his sister is really neat. That’s a great part of the book. I was really glad that Claude made an entrance in this book, I’m eager to find out more about him and his wife. All in all the plot was great, and the ending left me really eager for the next book in the series.

I don’t always like Allie, she acts better than she really is and at times seems like she’s bragging. That’s really the only complaint I have about this book, and the mystery and suspense surrounding the plot made me overlook some of the other downfalls and get really engrossed in what was happening. By the end it was pretty impossible to put down and although some of the loose ends were tied up, I know there’s going to be another book, because so much was left unsolved. I’m also hoping to hear more about Beck and Nicole’s past. Half-demons aren’t something you hear about very often, so that added an intriguing touch to the book.

All in all I would definitely recommend Moon Rise, but only after you’ve read the first book, Moonstone. It had suspense, romance, excitement, and much more. A great read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Moonstone Review

Moonstone by Marilee Brothers

Publisher: Belle Bridge Books

Release date: August 1, 2008

Source: Publisher

Other books in the series: Moon Rise, Moon Spun

A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there's that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who's struggling to keep her and her mom's act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie's weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she's being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town "witch," gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted "Star Seeker" is meant to command. "Who, me?" is Allie's first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she's got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

Review:

Moonstone was a really fun and exciting book. The plot was original and by the middle of the book there was a lot of excitement. Mystery and suspense on every page, you never knew who to trust. At first I couldn't really get into it, but pretty soon I couldn't put the book down, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. There were a lot of sub-plots as well that really kept the book interesting. I was wondering how all the points would work out in the end, but they did. Moonstone definitely left room for a sequel, which I'm really excited to read. The ending was perfect, but there was still some things that left you wondering what was going to happen. This was a fun read for fans of mysteries because there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot that kept you guessing. And don't forget the romance. Allie, the main character, definitely had her share of romances. All in all this was a fun book, that might take you a little while to get into, but it's definitely worth it at the end.

Allie was a really cool main character. She lived with her mother in a trailer on their Uncle's property. She never complained about her way of living and didn't ever think of using her powers to get them more than they needed. Kizzy was also a great character. I loved how she lived in a big house and had tons of money, but never once overused it or acted like she was rich. Known as the town witch, from the beginning I knew something was going to happen with Kizzy. She was the one who gave Allie the moonstone necklace and told her about the prophecy. Allie has to figure out most of her powers and the facts about the prophecy by herself, but she does have a caring mom, and great friends to help her out, but I was glad Allie was mostly independent and didn't need everyone helping her all the time. She was brave and could take care of herself.

Another great aspect of the novel, was that no one was what they seemed. Every character was under suspicion at least once in the book. There were a lot of characters, but it was easy to keep up with who was who. I was surprised many times during the book, and was glad the ending surprised me. Moon Rise, the sequel, looks like it will be just as good, so I'm really looking forward to reading this. If you like mysteries, books about magic, or just a fun read, Moonstone is for you. Definitely give it a read.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars