Review: Moonstone by Marilee Brothers

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Thank you to Net Galley and Bell Bridge Books for allowing me to review and give my honest opinion.

Synopsis:
A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there's that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who's struggling to keep her and her mom's act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie's weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she's being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town "witch," gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted "Star Seeker" is meant to command. "Who, me?" is Allie's first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she's got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

Review:
Aimed at 14-17 year olds, The Moonstone tells the story of Alfreido, or Allie to her friends, who discovers she from a long chosen line of Star Seekers. This isn't just a story about a girl discovering magic. Allie's life is complicated enough. She looks after her mother and lives in a tiny trailer in Uncle Sids back yard. Allie knows nothing about her father because her mum won't tell. So when the Child Protection Service come knocking on the door to investigate her mother, Allie learns how to do magic with the help of a Moonstone, given to her by an adult friend whose family are romany gypsies. When a group known as the Trimarks start making things difficult for Allie she must put her trust in her friend Junior to help. But Junior is two years older than her and rigged with a bad reputation, especially when it comes to girls. Was her trust in vain?

This book was so much fun with proper laugh out loud moments. I loved the writing style. Yes, its written for the younger YA age range but it made me love Allie for all her zany thoughts and quirkiness, she's gutsy and thinks on her feet. This adventure story flowed so easily and the characters were all terrific. Ah, Junior!! Be still my heart..

This ARC came as a series so I'm off to continue Allie's adventure now in Moon Rise.

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