When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore - Review

 Publisher: Thomas Dunne (4th October 2016)

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel's wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they're willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up. (Publishers' blurb)

I don't know how anyone could read that description and not buy this book immediately! My favourite book of last year was 'The Weight of Feathers' by Anna-Marie McLemore (which I reviewed here) so I was really excited to get an advance copy of 'When the Moon Was Ours'. I'm so happy that I enjoyed this one just as much and can now safely say that Anna-Marie McLemore is one of my favourite YA authors.

I love Anna-Marie's writing more than any other author. Her lyrical style perfectly suits the gorgeous, magical things that she writes about. You could open any page and find a beautiful description that gives you goosebumps!

Like 'The Weight of Feathers', this book overlaps fantasy, myth and contemporary themes in a totally unique way. Both books feel timeless because of the strange, beautiful world that they are set in. I've never read anything else like them.

A great part of the book came after the narrative, where Anna-Marie explained the basis in her own experience. There was a strong sense of honesty and realism throughout this that I really appreciated.

Another strength was the characterisation. I adored Sam and Miel and I wasn't ready to let go of them at the end of the book. I also thought that the minor characters were really well developed and I understood their motivations.

This is a fantastic book and I can't stress enough how much I love it! It's out in less than a week and I hope everyone goes out and buys it.




 

How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by JC Lillis

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (21 Sept. 2012)

The summer after high school graduation, two cute and snarky boys hit the road in an RV. Their mission: follow the traveling fan convention for Castaway Planet, the cult sci-fi show they’re both obsessed with. (Excerpt from Publishers' Blurb)

I knew I was going to love this book because it was recommended by Dahlia Adler (@MissDahlWLama), founder of LGBTQ Reads. After racing through 'The Art of Being Normal' and 'Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe', Dahlia suggested this as a follow-up. I'm so glad she did because it was incredible!

This book gained a perfect balance between being very sincere about difficult issues such as identity and self-acceptance, at the same time as being light, romantic and hilarious! It's very accessible and at the same time gave me a lot to think about.

Another thing I really loved was how well it captured that feeling of being part of a fandom. Following a travelling fan convention is the ultimate in escapism and I loved the element of the boys chronicling their journey as part of a fan vlog. I ended up feeling quite sad that Castaway Planet isn't real - it sounds like a fandom I'd be part of!

The characters became some of my favourites that I've recently encountered. Brandon and Abel both came across as very realistic, different characters who complimented each other well. I really enjoyed their friendship and developing romance.

At this point I usually like to balance out my review by saying something I didn't like. For once, I genuinely can't think of anything! This book utterly captivated me and I can't wait to read more by JC Lillis.