BOOK REVIEW: In a Blue Moon (Blue Moon, #1) by R.A. Desilets

In a Blue Moon

Blue Moon, #1

Author: R.A. Desilets

Genre: YA Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Book Description:

When Effy stumbles down the rabbit hole, she discovers the wondrous fairy tale land of East Valley in chaos. Death and insanity reign after the release of the deadly blue moon curse. Teaming up with the only sane people left—Jack the giant killer, Hansel, and Cat from Cheshire—they traverse East Valley, desperately searching for an answer.

They know Effy’s the key to unraveling the curse, but everyone who remembers how to break the curse is… well, cursed. The murderous mob has Effy in their crosshairs. With Snow, Red, Rapunzel, Gretel, and Pinocchio on the group’s trail, Effy isn’t sure any of them will make it out alive.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

In a Blue Moon is quite the fun read, and one the whole family would enjoy. This is unlike the Alice in Wonderland we all know and love but is filled with as much magic and intrigue that the original tale had to keep readers glued to the pages. The story follows the tale of young Effy Camden, who, while out partying with her best friend, Alyssa, slips through a portal, otherwise known as a rabbit hole, and finds herself in the land of East Valley. Here, she is announced as the new Alice, the girl who has come to save East Valley from the terrible curse of the Blue Moon. Over the course of numerous days, Effy, along with her merry group of colourful characters, traverse the land in search of answers of a cure so they can save the residents of East Valley, who have all turned into lunar-tics (you get it ... right?).

I found all the characters to be amusing and engaging, even the crazies like Belle, Gretel and especially Pinocchio. As much as I wanted to strangle the puppet, I enjoyed his character and his chaotic antics. Considering that almost everyone in town was crazy, the characterisation could have gone south with everyone appearing too similar, but that's not the case here. These characters were rather distinct and were all entertaining. The sane characters were also a treat. I loved the portrayal of Cat, a slightly more zen verison of Yoda, I would say. Although not quite the charmer, Jack the giant killer was a satisfactory leading man. He and Effy shared a lot of similarities, so they were quite the match. While there was no doubt signs of romance between Effy and her saviour, Jack, I liked that it wasn't an insta-love situation. We got to watch as their friendship grew and saw how they came to trust each other. It was a believable union, not just the chemistry between them but also the friendship they formed.

I did feel the story went on for longer than necessary. It could have done with a few less chapters, particularly when each step of their journey resulted in the same outcome. It felt repetitive after about the first ten chapters. It was the same scenario being repeated before the characters actually found a semblance of a resolution. It also took some time before Effy and her companions found any answers as to how to break the curse. The story felt as though it was hovering in one spot for some period, which became somewhat tiresome. Thankfully, the cast of characters were so entertaining that I overcame the slacking plot development and got to the end, which I loved, by the way. That cliffhanging ending was a nice little surprise. I loved the twist. Very well done.

I would recommend this book to everyone who loves a fast-paced, humourous, adventurous tale with a cast of characters who have serious psychological issues - not always relatable, but nonetheless entertaining.

VERDICT

Award: Gold

Ratings: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Author