Worth the read if you’re in the mood for a beach setting with less frothiness, this one’s tinged with sadness.

Anna lost her mother at seven years old, it isn’t until she and her father move to the beach community where her parents met that teenage Anna finally confronts the tragedy head on, beginning to process the hurt, the anger, and the guilt she feels over her mother’s death.

There’s a realism to this one that I really liked, the relationship between Anna and her dad, how they work their way up to talking about these difficult things and Anna trying to outrun her feelings but the emotion gradually building up inside her until she reaches the breaking point, there’s a real life quality to all of that.

I enjoyed the friendships Anna forges, in both cases it felt like there was the potential to go in the direction of rivalry or mean girl pettiness, instead they’re never anything other than supportive which is so heartening to read about. Ashley in particular was a standout to me even though she plays such a small role. I love when a character seems like they might be a one-dimensional stereotype only to end up feeling original, Ashley’s a fresh take on the rich pretty blonde, with such a sweet heart (even if she did throw out some inadvertent insults) that I kept thinking what an endearing heroine she’d be in her own story.

Tyler, the love interest unfortunately felt far less defined than Anna’s friends. I liked him, I thought they had chemistry and I see the value in every now and then having a fluffy teen romance scene as a bit of a breather from the heaviness of dealing with her mother’s death, but by the time the book ended I still didn’t really know anything about Tyler apart from him seeming like a good guy.

The central story involving Anna, her dad, and her mom wrapped up satisfyingly, however, I wish a few more pages had been tacked on to do the same for Anna’s new friendships and a woman connected to Anna’s mom. It’s not that I didn’t have a pretty strong idea of how that all would have gone, it’s just that those relationships were every bit as crucial to Anna moving forward as the relationship with her dad so I would have liked to have a snippet of their conversations post Anna’s turning point in her mom issues. ( )

"Moonglass" was okay, especially for fans of Sarah Dessen but, while I like it, it didn't really move me. I felt Anna spent too much time drooling at all the males on the beach and her initial attraction to Tyler was because he was her age which made her rather shallow. However, their romance was gradual and rather cute. Sadly, Anna didn't grow as a character throughout the story and that frustrated me.

The relationship Anna had with her dad was, for me, one of the book's highlights. It was obvious how much they cared for each other and I loved how the author portrayed this. The descriptions of the ocean and cottages were also a positive. They were lush and beautiful, and I could easily picture them in my head.

The other big plus was Ashley, Anna's new friend at Crystal Cave. She was a wonderful addition and I loved her from the start. Rich, spoilt and opinionated, I found her a delight. She often spoke rashly but she had a big heart, and was genuinely kind and generous.

A coming-of-age story dealing with grief, "Moonglass" was a nice read, but not a great one. ( )

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


I love the imagery and thought provoking words used in this story. Made me want to find a little cottage on a beach and just forget about the world. I really liked how soft and peaceful this story was. Even with death and heartbreak hiding behind each page.

Definitely a good read. I'm glad I picked this one up. ( )

Beautiful novel. Well-written. Just wish it could go on longer or have a sequel. ( )

I picked up Moonglass because Jessi Kirby’s name has been going around the blogosphere quite a bit with her recent release of Golden, which almost everyone I know seems to love. I picked up Moonglass on a whim when browsing the used section of the bookstore and recognizing Kirby’s name. And while I wasn’t absolutely blown away by the book or the story or the writing, I did find a certain kind of appeal in this book.

I’m not going to lie: I found the beginning of this book dreadfully boring. It took me days to get past page 30, and I almost DNF-ed once or twice. The book’s pacing is glacial, and while I sometimes like slow stories, I’d say it’s also this book’s biggest flaw. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced adventure, well, look elsewhere.

After I got over the slow start, though, I did enjoy Anna’s story. She’s learning how to heal after her mother’s death, which is a process I understand well. I thought Kirby did a really great job of portraying Anna’s thoughts and actions as she works through her grief. I also think some people will find the bit about sea glass and moon glass interesting, though I will say that I was not one of those readers.

There are other characters in the story, but really, this is Anna’s story, from beginning to end. It’s summery, but not light. It’s slow, but moving in some places. It’s not a book I’ll recommend wide and far, but I think for certain readers it will resonate well.

Final Impression: Moonglass is a good, but not awesome, book. It’s definitely for fans of contemporary and probably won’t have a lot of cross-over appeal, but Anna’s story is touching and there’s definitely a “beach” sensation that invades the book. Some people might find the beginning a bit too boring to get through, but I think it will resonate with some readers much more than it did with me. ( )