"The Moon and More" by Sarah Dessen Review

A lot can change in one summer, especially when you're not expecting it. In her new book, The Moon and More, bestselling author Sarah Dessen introduces Emaline, a native of the small, beach town Colby who has been doing the same thing her whole life, and who's future didn't look any better. Then the summer before her freshmen year of college, the arrival of a documentary film crew and sudden split from her longtime boyfriend begins a whirlwind of change for Emaline. As the summer winds down, Emaline must learn the value of not only where she's been, but also where she's going; of when to hold on and when to let go. It all can only happen in the summer.

Sarah Dessen has become famous with her works about different struggles that girls face in their adolescent years, creating memorable characters who go through trials like image issues, rape, divorce, abuse, and identity problems to name a few, and who all grow stronger through them. Although Dessen has included in this new book the conflicts of divorce and the repercussions of them, the main struggle--Emaline's fear of new things versus what she is familiar with--appears as a new course for the author, while still staying with her theme of issues teenage girls face. While many girls do unfortunately face those mentioned above, Dessen takes a detour from extreme scenarios, and creates one that is probably the most familiar to her audience; change is inevitable, and how a person takes the change can affect how the person will grow.

Along with this new addition to her theme, what other Dessen fans may notice is that she has also changed the way Emaline interacts with her ex and new boyfriend. Dessen uses a very familiar formula when it comes to the relationships in her books, however this book reveals a different kind of result by the end of the story, that may appear minor, but varies greatly from her other works.

While she does deviate from her usual story telling style, The Moon and More is an excellent read, the change added allows it to stand out from her other works. This is the perfect book to read for summer, making the reader question just like Emaline did: what changes will this summer bring?