The Girl Who Chased the Moon
Ratings24
Average rating3.9
Good read...although I didn't expect it to end where it did. I thought there would be a little bit more to the story.
I am in love with these people! The secret is obvious for the reader and then there is a twist at the end to make it better. All the storylines are wrapped up nicely. The magic realism is way out in the open. And these people are wonderful! I just love this author.
Was it really 269 pages? It felt much shorter, and not in a good way. When the book ended it still seemed only partially developed, like a solid second draft. All the elements were there for a great story, but it just never quite came to fruition.
I was prepared to love this book - magic, mystery, love, and barbeque all set against the backdrop of a small southern town - but by the end I was “meh”. Several of the book club crew favored Allen's Garden Magic over this selection and recommended reading it. I might.
For magical realism I prefer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Mistress of Spices), Joann Harris (Chocolat), and Angela Carter (Nights at the Circus).
It only took me a day and half to read this book and I had to literally slam it shut and run out the door to keep myself from sitting down and reading the whole book in less than a day. It has all the grace and mystery that has been included in her previous books. [a:Sarah Addison Allen 566874 Sarah Addison Allen http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1238635621p2/566874.jpg] weaves another tale of a small southern town with secrets – magical secrets. Her ability to make me believe in the wonder and beauty is part of what brings me back to her stories again and again. Sadly though, I feel like it ended a bit abruptly. The resolution was much faster and I was left a little unsatisfied with the end. I hope the ending doesn't color my long-term opinion of this book too much because there was so much loveliness at the beginning.
LOVED this novel! I really enjoy “magical realism” and this author is right up there as one of the best. This is just a fun read, full of Southern charm, magic, mystery and a whole lot of sweetness.
This was my first time to read Sarah Addison Allen. This was a charming, romantic, feel-good read. Typical of a southern setting. The two intertwining story lines were very intriguing. There was a lot of suspense. Although, at the end I was left wanting more.
I absolutely loved the entire story between Julia and Sawyer... their secret lived up to the suspense throughout the novel, and the magic surrounding his “sweet sense” and her baking cakes was fun. I also loved the story of Emily returning to the town where her mother grew up, learning her mother's life long secret, and reconnecting with her grandfather.
What I did not like about this story was the Mullaby family secret and the romance between Emily and Win. There was so much build-up for what felt like no reason after the family's big secret was revealed. The family secret has no reason behind it and honeslty made the story turn cheesy and Twilight-ish at the end. Kind of sad, because I really enjoyed the rest of the book.
That being said, I will read other Sarah Addison Allen books and give her another chance. I did enjoy her writing style. I just wish the story would have been fleshed out a little more and given a reason for the Mullaby family secret.
Oh... and there are recipes in the back of the book for some of the cakes that Julia cooks! I know, right?!
Sweet little book that wasn't as chick-lit-y as I was expecting, and that's a good thing for me. The plot basically follows two storylines, one of which held my interest much more than the other. I really liked how the book had some magical elements without being full-on fantasy or supernatural. And I love when a book talks a lot about food – cakes and barbecue especially.