Helpful Score: 9
Sarah Addison Allen is one of my top authors, every book I've read by her has had the highest rating possible, and this one was no exception. The way she weaves small mysteries and magics into every character is beautiful. From the moment they grace the page each character is priceless, and you can't help but to instantly fall in love with them. They pull you into their worlds, their problems, and their lives and stories. I become so invested in her books that I can't tear myself away for anything.
I grieved with Emily as she came to a new town, to live with a grandfather she's never met, or even heard of, after the death of her mother. My heart ached with Julia as she bumbled through the world that she had left, but was forced back into. I rejoiced with her as she learned that where she is, is actually where she was meant to be. I experience my first crush all over again as Emily met Win. I was in awe as I learned of the mystery of Emily's mother, why she left the town and never looked back, and the mysterious connection with Win's family. I laughed and and smiled and cried and went through the whole spectrem of emotions. A great read, my only problem is that I want more RIGHT NOW!!! Write fast please Sarah, write faster!
I grieved with Emily as she came to a new town, to live with a grandfather she's never met, or even heard of, after the death of her mother. My heart ached with Julia as she bumbled through the world that she had left, but was forced back into. I rejoiced with her as she learned that where she is, is actually where she was meant to be. I experience my first crush all over again as Emily met Win. I was in awe as I learned of the mystery of Emily's mother, why she left the town and never looked back, and the mysterious connection with Win's family. I laughed and and smiled and cried and went through the whole spectrem of emotions. A great read, my only problem is that I want more RIGHT NOW!!! Write fast please Sarah, write faster!
Helpful Score: 6
This was an exceptional book. Sarah Addison Allen is quickly becoming an all-time favorite writer. Her writing is just so beautiful, and I love how she incorporates the most amazing magic in her books.
In this novel, Emily has come to her mother's home town to live with her grandfather after her mother's death. She quickly realizes that the mother she knew was completely different from the Dulcie that the town remembers. As she tries to discover what her mother was really like, and why her mother kept so many secrets from her, she finds love, acceptance, family, and magic.
Julia has returned following her father's death - finding that he was in debt, she took over his restaurant with a self-imposed time limit of 2 years before selling the restaurant. As the 2 year anniversary approaches, she must finally deal with the past so that she can live happier in the present.
If you enjoyed The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells, you will love this one.
In this novel, Emily has come to her mother's home town to live with her grandfather after her mother's death. She quickly realizes that the mother she knew was completely different from the Dulcie that the town remembers. As she tries to discover what her mother was really like, and why her mother kept so many secrets from her, she finds love, acceptance, family, and magic.
Julia has returned following her father's death - finding that he was in debt, she took over his restaurant with a self-imposed time limit of 2 years before selling the restaurant. As the 2 year anniversary approaches, she must finally deal with the past so that she can live happier in the present.
If you enjoyed The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells, you will love this one.
Helpful Score: 4
Another charming little book from Sarah Addison Allen that takes place in another quirky little Southern town. Magical & fun.
Helpful Score: 4
The Southern charm of a whimsical small town with its seemingly peculiar people will draw you in, and will keep you spellbound.
Here, two women cross paths, both seeking acceptance. They need a place to call home, to belong. It is in this magical place that they both learn to accept, as well as find acceptance. They also find the meaning of home.
This is an enchanting novel full of mystery, magic and memorable characters.
Here, two women cross paths, both seeking acceptance. They need a place to call home, to belong. It is in this magical place that they both learn to accept, as well as find acceptance. They also find the meaning of home.
This is an enchanting novel full of mystery, magic and memorable characters.
Helpful Score: 4
This author is simply wonderful. She is like Alice Hoffman with writing about ordinary things in such a magical way. Sarah Addison Allen takes her time with her books and it really shows. Her storylines, characters, and small town charm leave the reader wanting more! The last chapter of this book definitely left me ready for a sequel ~ not because of loose ends, I just didn't want the story to end!
Helpful Score: 3
Sarah Addison Allen's third effort is another winner. It's well written, charming and as always, magical. I loved it and am already waiting for her next book. Very highly recommended!
Helpful Score: 3
Classic Sarah Addison Allen. A beautiful mix of reality and magic - just enough to make you wish the magic was true.
A young girl moves to a small North Carolina town to live with her grandfather after the death of her mother. But her mother never shared important secrets about herself or the town she left 20 years earlier. After a very short stay in town, our young herione finds herself mixed up in many long-held secrets and lots of delightful magic.
Wonderful characters, very lighthearted book, with just the right amount of romance.
Loved it!
A young girl moves to a small North Carolina town to live with her grandfather after the death of her mother. But her mother never shared important secrets about herself or the town she left 20 years earlier. After a very short stay in town, our young herione finds herself mixed up in many long-held secrets and lots of delightful magic.
Wonderful characters, very lighthearted book, with just the right amount of romance.
Loved it!
Helpful Score: 3
I had to force myself to read this in two sittings instead of all at once. The book is well written, yet easy to read. I loved the characters, who managed to be quirky and relatable at the same time. The author paints a lovely portrait of the town and the people living within it and covers several characters' stories without it seeming choppy or forced. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Helpful Score: 3
I really enjoyed this book! =)
The main character comes back to visit her Grandfather
( who is very tall! )...and finds out some secrets to her familys past.
The romantic parts of this book are well written, if you love romance, you should add this to your to be read list.
I loved the enchantment and mystical quality of this story.
Im going to be reading more of Sarah Addison Allen's books!
Simply delightful!
The main character comes back to visit her Grandfather
( who is very tall! )...and finds out some secrets to her familys past.
The romantic parts of this book are well written, if you love romance, you should add this to your to be read list.
I loved the enchantment and mystical quality of this story.
Im going to be reading more of Sarah Addison Allen's books!
Simply delightful!
Helpful Score: 2
This book was a great read, and I breezed right through it. I cannot wait to read some of her other works!
I won this as an ARC from a Goodreads.com, First-reads giveaway. I started and fnished the book in just a few hours. I just couldn't put it down. I had never read a book fromSarah Addison Allen but now I'm going to search out her other two books and hopefully keep track of her New Realeses.
The descriptions the author used painted a vivid picture of the setting. I had no trouble at all picturing Mullaby. It felt like a place I wanted to go. I loved how the author wrote from the different perspectives of the characters. Most the time that tactic irritates me but she did it so well I barely noticed. The shift from character to character was fluid.
There were only two drawbacks to this book. One was the editing errors, which since this is an ARC I'd assume they will fix for the Hardcover edition being released on March 16, 2010. The second drawback was the length of the book. Sure it was a quick read because of the lenght but it had the potential to turn into a longer story and possibly an even better one. The last chapter of the book made me wanting more of the story. I wanted to know what happened to these characters when the summer was over.
The descriptions the author used painted a vivid picture of the setting. I had no trouble at all picturing Mullaby. It felt like a place I wanted to go. I loved how the author wrote from the different perspectives of the characters. Most the time that tactic irritates me but she did it so well I barely noticed. The shift from character to character was fluid.
There were only two drawbacks to this book. One was the editing errors, which since this is an ARC I'd assume they will fix for the Hardcover edition being released on March 16, 2010. The second drawback was the length of the book. Sure it was a quick read because of the lenght but it had the potential to turn into a longer story and possibly an even better one. The last chapter of the book made me wanting more of the story. I wanted to know what happened to these characters when the summer was over.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a marvelous and easy read. Like her other books, Sarah Addison Allen makes life just a little more interesting with a bit of magic. She has found a way to make a romance read more than just ordinary and I will continue to read anything she writes. It's all good.
Helpful Score: 1
I put this book on my favorites list. The characters were beautifully written. Even the strange and unbelievable twist in this story seemed to be believable in this context. I really with SAA would show these characters in another story, I hated to let them go.
Helpful Score: 1
When I first read Garden Spells, I thought I'd found the next Alice Hoffman. I was less delighted by The Sugar Queen. The Girl Who Chased The Moon is a "sweet" book. It is a light and quick read with a magical touch, just as Ms. Allen's other books. I enjoyed reading this book, and looked forward to it and her books are a nice diversion.
I find myself wishing that Allen's writing were richer: both in the actual prose and in the story. This novel might have been stronger if we'd had a parallel narrative in the past featuring Emily's mother so we could have seen what happened. There's something magical happening in the story, but it's not something we really ever get to know or understand.
I find myself wishing that Allen's writing were richer: both in the actual prose and in the story. This novel might have been stronger if we'd had a parallel narrative in the past featuring Emily's mother so we could have seen what happened. There's something magical happening in the story, but it's not something we really ever get to know or understand.
Great book! It is one that you can't put down! It will always be one of my favorites.
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
This is a delightful tale. Sweet and magical with characters I found myself rooting for. I also enjoyed the extra section at the end on "A Year of Full Moons".
Sarah Addison Allen writes magical, mysterious books.They are always enchanting, always creative . Chock full of fascinating characters, wondrous stories and life lessons we didn't know we needed to know. Small towns are all the same, yet vastly different, as we see in this book. Mullaby, N.C. is such a town. Full of secrets, lies and mysteries. You will be enchanted with this tale, as I was. All of Sarah Addison Allen's books are this way.
I really enjoyed The Girl Who Chased the Moon from Sarah Addison Allen. The writing made it easy to connect with the characters in this relaxed southern summer-time story.
In excellent magical realism style, you're completely willing to embrace and love the unusual oddities of the town while deeply caring for the characters. I'll add it to my Sarah Addison Allen shelf.
In excellent magical realism style, you're completely willing to embrace and love the unusual oddities of the town while deeply caring for the characters. I'll add it to my Sarah Addison Allen shelf.
This was a nice story with happy endings. A town full of fantasy where strange things have been known to happen.
Once again Sarah Addison Allen reminds us that is much magic all around us, we just have to ready to look for it and accept it when we see it. I loved this book as much as Garden Spells - certainly not a deep read, but her characters are funny and flawed with a dash of sparkle and intrigue. This is a great read for when you just want to read something that will entertain but not tax you. Can't wait to read The Sugar Queen!
Just love Allen's great descriptive prose! This book could have stood on its own as a novel without the magic she is known for, though. It is a great story, but the "magic" was in fact so totally bizarre that it really felt forced. It seems she is still cashing in on her original sweet, sweet books. She is an excellent writer and I think she can move past the magic and into just the good stories and wonderful characters she is so capable of. JMO. D.
I love love love everything that Sarah Addison Allen writes, and devour her books as soon as they arrive. Absolutely magical.
I really enjoyed this book. I have never read any of her books but I will now read her other books.
