Like Moonlight at Low Tide: Sometimes the Current Is the Only Thing that Saves You [Hardcover]

Nicole Quigley (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 25, 2012

When high school junior Melissa Keiser returns to her hometown of Anna Maria Island, Florida, she has one goal: hide from the bullies who had convinced her she was the ugliest girl in school. But when she is caught sneaking into a neighbor's pool at night, everything changes. Something is different now that Melissa is sixteen, and the guys and popular girls who once made her life miserable have taken notice. When Melissa gets the chance to escape life in a house ruled by her mom's latest boyfriend, she must choose where her loyalties lie between a long-time crush, a new friend, and her surfer brother who makes it impossible to forget her roots. Just as Melissa seems to achieve everything she ever wanted, she loses a loved one to suicide. Melissa must not only grieve for her loss, she must find the truth about the three boys who loved her and discover that joy sometimes comes from the most unexpected place of all.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicole Quigley is a seasoned publicist with more than a decade of experience in the field of media and public relations. Nicole holds a B.S. from Appalachian State University, where she majored in Communications/Public Relations and minored in English. She recently moved back to Anna Maria Island, FL, where she grew up. Like Moonlight at Low Tide is her debut novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (September 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310723590
• ISBN-13: 978-0310723592
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nicole Quigley is the author of Like Moonlight at Low Tide, a winner of the American Christian Fiction Writer's "Genesis Contest" for best young adult fiction. For more than a decade, Nicole worked as a public relations adviser in Washington, D.C. for some of the nation's leading attorneys. Nicole has ghost-written numerous articles for pro bono clients and began her writing career as a teen columnist for the Manatee AM/Sarasota-Herald Tribune. Nicole holds a B.S. in Communications from Appalachian State University and has served on the missions and communications boards of her church. Her short-term missions work has taken her to Ecuador and Kenya. Nicole is originally from Anna Maria Island, Florida.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read October 12, 2012

By Lindsay Base

Format:Hardcover

Like Moonlight at Low Tide, written by Nicole Quigley, is a well-written, young adult novel that tends to sweep its reader along. The main character, Missy, is introduced as a scared, insecure, high school junior who is returning to the Florida town she grew up in after having been away for a few years. All she can remember is the cruel teasing she endured during junior high, and she dreads going back to her tormentors. Sure that nothing's changed since seventh grade, she braces herself for the rejection she's sure to face. But her best friend, Julie, tries to convince her that things are different now. Classmates have matured, and Missy's gotten pretty hot since she's been away. If Missy will just open her eyes and recognize her own allure, she could rule the school.

Desperate for love and acceptance, Missy grasps for what's she's always dreamed of--popularity, admiration, and her long-time crush, Sam King. But her life remains far from perfect as her mom switches from boyfriend to boyfriend and her brother drifts farther away. Her one escape is found in the hidden cottage pool behind her neighbor's house, and also, in a way, in her neighbor's grandson, Josh. But when tragedy strikes, there seems to be nothing that can save her. The world she's built around herself crumbles, and she finds herself overwhelmed by guilt and grief. Will she ever find love and peace and forgiveness?

Like Moonlight at Low Tide is a story of rejection, love, and redemption. Its themes are mature, including family dysfunction, bullying, peer pressure, and suicide. But these themes are balanced well as they meet life's challenges head-on and yet offer hope at the same time.

I found Like Moonlight at Low Tide a very enjoyable read. The author's writing is clear and expressive, and she moves the plot along quickly but smoothly. Characters are well-developed, and several story twists kept me guessing and eager to turn the next page. One of the things I appreciated most about Like Moonlight at Low Tide was its lack of preachiness. For the most part, sermon-like dialogue is avoided. Although a pastor does offer a brief message toward the end, this scene is well-placed and free of cheesiness.

I highly recommend Like Moonlight at Low Tide to all young adult readers who love a good book to curl up with. In addition to enjoying a good story, readers will find themselves challenged, inspired, and encouraged.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars New YA novelist October 24, 2012

By Patti Shene

Format:Hardcover

Nicole Quigley explodes on the YA scene with her debut novel, [[ASIN:0310723590 Like Moonlight at Low Tide. Her story unfolds as told through the eyes of a bullied teen forced to face harsh reality when tragedy strikes.

I was hooked on page one, where the author foreshadows the future, then familiarizes the reader with "Messy" Missy Keiser, an insecure teen who returns to her school in Florida after three years away, anticipating encounters with the same cruel classmates who inflicted hurtful emotional wounds.

Things have changed, though, and Missy finds herself accepted by peers and even enters into a relationship with the boy of her dreams. The blossoming teen also forms a shaky alliance with the boy next door, who forces her to search within herself for a deeper understanding of what is really important.

Characterization is one of the strong points of this book. The author probes the mind and heart of many of today's teens as she paints a picture of a broken home, an inadequate mom, and an economically struggling family.

The plot builds to a conclusion that is not easily envisioned, yet brings the reader to a satisfactory end. Each scene serves to move Missy Keiser along on her journey to maturity as she discovers the meaning of life, relationships, and love.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling drama October 13, 2012

By B Anderson

Format:Hardcover

This young adult fiction shows the heartache of trying to fit in, and trying to feel normal. It demonstrates the lengths teens often will go to in order to feel love and acceptance and the devastation of when they face rejection. It vividly portrays the cruelty often exhibited to those "invisible" teenagers who are not in the popular group. The book was well-written, the scenery helped you feel the island and the characters were realistic. Well done as a debut novel.