Customer Reviews

Moonstone

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I can really go either way with this novel. I had read some great reviews and the story just did not live up to them, in my opinion. I hate to be the one to say that I disliked this book, a lot.

Allie was a good main character, but it took me awhile before I started to really like her. In fact, in the end I'm still not sure if I did like her as a character. Her mother, on the hand, I despised. This is what I wanted to say to her: Get off your *&$@ing @#$ and get a job (use your imagination). Needless to say, her mom - Faye - landed on my list of characters I want to punch in the face (and I don't even have a list...).

The story was kind of blah for me, it didn't seem too original, and in the end I saw it all coming. None of the "shocking" moments shocked me. As a whole, I was really disappointed with the story. Usually I love magic, and whatnot, in stories, but this one just made me think about how much I loved all those other stories.

HIGHLIGHTS: Um...it actually was amusing at points. I also liked how Allie didn't just say "Oh sweet, I have magical powers". She was more realistic about the whole scenario, and she was a giving kind of character.

LOWLIGHTS: I think I've said enough. However, do not let my review keep you from reading this story, because everyone has different tastes and sometimes certain stories don't mesh well with certain readers. This story + me = not good.

Despite that, I've seen some amazing reviews about this novel on Amazon, so I would definitely recommend anyone to check out their thoughts to see if it's something you'd like to read.

At first, I wasn't sure I'd like the story, but it got better as I continued to read. Especially after meeting characters like Diddy, "the only non-black African American in Peacock Flats." The humor that showed up toward the middle of the book really helped me enjoy it.

The narrative voice is conversational, and a bit wordy at points. It's in first person, and sometimes that meant I felt stuck in Allie's head when she stopped describing the world around her.

The book could have done with one last proofread. It had just enough typos to irritate, like this one in Chapter 1: "When I wiped the steam off the mirror, I saw a dark-red, dime-sized circle the size in the exact center of my forehead."

But even with all of that, it was a fun read. The author is a decent writer with some imaginative scenes. And I was pleasantly surprised at the moments of suspense.

Would I reread this book? Yes, I might.

Would I spend money on this book? I'd pay a few bucks. And I'll be checking the sequel out from the library.


Kindle info
Formatting: Looks like the book was scanned. Some of the words were lighter or thinner, which made some of the italics difficult to read, and on occasion a paragraph had an accidental hard return or a word with an extra space. Bothersome, but otherwise not bad.

Length: 2206 locations (2207-2296 include Acknowledgements, About the Author, and an excerpt from the book BITE ME)

I can't honestly say I was blown away by this book. It wasn't bad. It was light and fun and kept me occupied for a few hours. It was somewhat predictible and formulaic, but it didn't bother me too much. The main character was likeable, although I personally found her mother to be my favorite character. Based on the ending this was a little unclear as to whether it was going to initiate a series or not. I guess I wasn't intrigued enough to check on that.

I'd give this 3.5 stars. Fun and easy to read- kept my attention and it was free! Worth a read, though I agree that the kindle format was not stellar- lots of typos, occasionally a bit hard to read.

Too short. Good story line. Enjoyed the interaction between Allie and Junior. Something totally different in the moonstone, what possibilities.

Alfrieda Carlotta Emerson, Allie for short used to be a normal teenage 15 year old. She lives in 24 foot trailer situation on his Uncle Sid's land with her destitute single mom who claims she has Fibromyalgia just so she can get some support from the government. Their situation was depressing but in real time there are people with similar situation. Allie's dad supposedly left when his parents threaten to disown him. Her mom then swore that she will never ask anything from him. But one day something weird happened, upon investigation and of course with the help of a hippy ghost named Trilby and her friend Kizzy she found out that she has special powers of Telekinetic. Not only that she was the "chosen one" from the prophecy. Kizzy gave her the Moonstone that have some awesome powers. To name one, when she rotated it she can hear other people's thought. What is this stone all about? A lot of people seems to want it to themselves. When her friend Kizzy got beaten up people called the Trimark sudenly wants her dead.

This is the first book of the Unbidden Magic series, and it looks promising. Allie is a likeable character, she's smart, strong, charming and has a good heart. The story was comical, magical, suspenseful and the supernatural plot draws you to Allie's world.

In the small town of Peacock Flats, Washington, fifteen year old Alfrieda "Allie" Emerson lives in a tiny trailer with her mother. Financially, they are barely getting by.

The story opens with Allie's accident involving an electrical fence and a transformation that left her with psychic powers. When she is gifted with a special moonstone, her powers increase. Little does Allie know a cult is looking for this magical stone and they'll stop at nothing to have it.

Moonstone is the first of the Unbidden Magic books. Right away, the author's writing style grabbed my attention, making this an absolutely engaging adventure. The author also does a fantastic job of setting this story up for the next book. The ending left just enough mystery that I wanted to get my hands on book two.

The daughter of Faye, an impoverished single mom, Allie is living in her uncle's trailer. Allie Emerson knows she is a classic klutz. However even for her this latest fiasco could not have been more unlucky short of breaking a bone. Standing on a ten foot ladder she is fixing a TV antenna on the trailer's roof when she falls touching an electric fence before landing face first into cow pie. Though the dive would have been scored a 10 for its perfect landing right into the bulls-eye, Allie Blue Note believes she has nothing but bad luck

However, something weird happens to Allie besides Child Services stalking her and her mom. She suddenly has developed paranormal powers. Her friend Kizzy the witch gives her a moonstone to help her focus. However, as is the case with Allie, her luck turns all bad. The Trimarks now know she is the Star Seeker and need her removed to complete their evil plan starting with stealing her Moonstone. Allie turns to student Junior Martinez, a retired gangbanger for help even as her unknown stalkers abduct her mom and then her.

The first Unbidden Magic teen fantasy is a wonderful tale due to Allie. She is a terrific protagonist who holds the story line together in an optimistic way in spite of her belief that she is jinxed. The support cast like her mom and the Trimarks is weak and underdeveloped except as a major cause of her bad luck. Still young adult fans will appreciate her efforts to learn to use her power reminiscent of the Greatest American hero's early days while the Trimarks stalk her and her unique choice pf a hero as her sidekick is a former gangbanger.

Harriet Klausner

What to say about Moonstone by Marilee Brothers? This is a tough one to review because its hard to pinpoint just what I didn't like about it. Perhaps its the plot that only seemed to build and then never fully delivered? Or maybe it was the characters. Most seemed to be just there, some held no real purpose and others just made you go huh? Allie, the main character was likable enough but I also found her to be a bit annoying. She'd go from leaps of intellect and "ah-ha!" moments to moments of pure stupidity. I don't know it just didn't ring true to me, but maybe its just part of being a normal teenager. Her mother....well....don't get me started there. She's in her 30's mooching off pseudo-relatives and expects her 15 year old daughter to do all the caretaking because she's "retired from life"....lady you are a single mother you don't get to make that choice. You do what you need to raise your daughter. The writing while nothing to write home about wasn't as bad as other books I've read but it was never enough to lure me into the plot. Which I found to be a bit muddled and all over the place. If I didn't already have the sequel I'm not sure that I would read it. But I asked for both books to review and review both of them I will. Who knows...maybe book 2 will be a turning point in the series and things will take a turn for the better. Stay tuned to my blog to find out.

Alfreida Emerson has some pretty extraordinary powers--she just doesn't know it. At least, not until a tumble off a ladder and an encounter with a flatulent bull give her an inkling of her burgeoning abilities. For now, she's got more important things to worry about, like keeping her mother out of trouble. Faye Emerson is not going to be winning any mother of the year awards any time soon, especially with her present creative cash flow scheme. And life goes on in the travel trailer they call home.

Too bad Allie can't ignore her new gifts when a hippie spirit guide plops down on her couch, and her friend Kizzy passes on a magical amulet that's part of a foreboding prophecy. The prophecy has come full-circle with Allie, and it's up to her to use the mooonstone pendant in a responsible way. It's not going to be easy, because some unsavory characters know she has the pendant, and they want its power for their own evil plans. Who can Allie trust? Can she trust anyone at all?

Moonstone is the first book in the Unbidden Magic series, and it's a fantastic kickoff to what's destined to be a hit series. Allie is a tough girl who is a clever problem solver and takes everything in stride. In many ways, she's more mature and responsible than her mom, but she knows that family takes precedence over trivial matters. She and her mom will take care of each other, no matter what. Allie is a very likable protagonist, with a blunt, youthful perspective. She's the underdog that receives a chance to overcome her obstacles. The reader roots for her from the beginning.

The storyline is carefully crafted, with inconspicuous clues strewn about leading up to a dark conspiracy. Allie barely has a chance to rest. When's she's not saving the world from evil, she's saving her classmates from bullies. Her world is fully developed, and characters who play even small roles in Moonstone are likely to resurface in further adventures. Everyone is realistically flawed, including Allie.

Moonstone is a fun good versus evil adventure. It's comical without being corny and reflective without being a drag. It's refreshing to find a teen heroine who isn't the homecoming queen or head cheerleader. Allie is a lovable outcast with a host of misfit friends who will warm any reader's heart.