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Moonglass

by Jessi Kirby (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 2,492 ratings · 428 reviews

Sarah Dessen says this “incredible first novel” is “fresh and wise, all at once.”I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I’ve thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna’s life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It’s bad enough that she has to leave her friends behind, but her dad is moving t...more

Paperback, 232 pages

Published April 24th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published May 3rd 2011)

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Jul 20, 2011 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction

After reading this book now I want to go find some sea glass. I've never done that since I live in a landlocked state. Woe is me. *rolls eyes at myself* Okay now I'll commence to stop my complaining about the lack of beach experience I have, and get on with the book which was nicely written. Suicide is a really hard issue to talk about, and ironically enough even though that's what Anna's mother did I don't recall the word ever being used (do correct me if I'm wrong). A good writer can do that.

A...more After reading this book now I want to go find some sea glass. I've never done that since I live in a landlocked state. Woe is me. *rolls eyes at myself* Okay now I'll commence to stop my complaining about the lack of beach experience I have, and get on with the book which was nicely written. Suicide is a really hard issue to talk about, and ironically enough even though that's what Anna's mother did I don't recall the word ever being used (do correct me if I'm wrong). A good writer can do that.

Anna is one of those horrid individuals who have a dead mother and not just that, but she watched her mother end her life. She has moved on and lives with her dad and all isn't great but it's working for them. Then out of the blue Anna's dad decides they need to move back to where it all began. To where Anna's parents met. There Anna will uncover lots of hidden secrets and stories about her parents she didn't know. For the first time she'll have to face the way her mom died, why it's important for her to understand why her mother did it, and how loved she truly is.

Oh yes, as you can guess I read this because of the cover. Actually the image here doesn't do it justice, but I think it is a tad misleading. Though there is a romance in the story it's not a prominent aspect, it's important but not the main frame of the story. I have to be honest, in the beginning I wasn't really into the story and it was because I didn't feel I could empathize with Anna. She seemed a little aloof and the beginning of the story too light, but as I read on I understood it was presented this way to show how Anna has come to act like things are "okay" even though in reality she hasn't had the closure she needs. She hates when she has to tell people her mother is gone, when her dad is overprotective, and most of all how she can’t shake the feeling the whole thing is her fault. To chase away the thoughts she runs, and in the story even becomes part of the cross country team. The beach setting is done well and you can tell it's a big part of who Anna is, who her mother was, and it's even an integral part of her dad's job.

I also appreciated the characters. I loved Ashley, Jillian, and Tyler. All who become important people in Anna's life. My personal favorite was Ashley. Now the relationship between Anna and Tyler seems kind of off and frustrating in the beginning, but realistic. Relationships aren't clear cut and it's hard to figure out your way through them, and this story shows that. The reason I didn't give it a full five star rating was because I would have like to have seen more interaction between Anna and these other characters.

The ending was done beautifully and had the full circle feel to it. Things played out the way they should have, and thank goodness the guy didn't do all the saving this time. It isn't a typical story but has a very accessible feel to it. Keep an eye out for Jessi Kirby, if this novel is any indication I'm expecting some great stories that still need to be told from her.

Now I'm off to go find some sea glass in a sandbox. What... you don't think I'll find some there? *sigh* You're probably right, but one can dream.
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Jul 24, 2012 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: death-and-dying, favorites, emotional, sweet-romance, best-of

“I read once that water is a symbol for emotions.
And for a while now, I’ve thought maybe my mother drowned in both.”

If it weren’t for the heartbreak I would love to be one of Jessi’s characters. I love her stories. She has this talent – she can make you laugh and cry almost in the same time. She is wonderful and I don’t know how I’ll be able to wait for her next book.

“Moonglass” is a story about how to break and un-break a heart – Anna’s mother broke it into so many little piece and now it’s ti...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Reynje rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp-or-realistic, read-2012, young-adult

Jessi Kirby’s 2011 debut, Moonglass, is a gentle, introspective novel about facing the past and moving forward. Reminiscent of Sarah Dessen’s thoughtful, subdued style, Kirby has an excellent grasp of teen emotions and beautifully captures the internal journey of her sixteen-year-old protagonist, Anna.

The focus of Moonglass is fixed squarely on Anna’s emotional arc – understanding and acceptance of her family’s past in order to embrace her future. She begins the story unsettled and guarded, hav...more Jessi Kirby’s 2011 debut, Moonglass, is a gentle, introspective novel about facing the past and moving forward. Reminiscent of Sarah Dessen’s thoughtful, subdued style, Kirby has an excellent grasp of teen emotions and beautifully captures the internal journey of her sixteen-year-old protagonist, Anna.

The focus of Moonglass is fixed squarely on Anna’s emotional arc – understanding and acceptance of her family’s past in order to embrace her future. She begins the story unsettled and guarded, having just relocated with her father before commencing her Junior year. Leaving her friends and former life behind, Anna soon realises that her new home holds the key to long neglected memories and the secrets of her deceased Mother.

Anna is a refreshingly confident and self-assured character, and her voice is fluid, effortless to follow. While dealing with the challenges of starting at a new school and making new friends, she has a strong sense of a self and a solid relationship with her father that prevents the opening of the story from falling into overused “new girl” clichés.

Moonglass tackles several heavy themes, such as suicide and mental illness, yet it never feels cumbersome to read. Kirby’s light style affords the subject matter the necessary gravity and respect without weighing the narrative down or coming across awkwardly didactic. Through Anna’s perspective, the issues presented feel authentic and organically developed. As Anna gradually learns the truth about her mother and comes to accept certain facts about her life, the emotional repercussions feel realistic and in keeping with her characterisation.

While there’s a romantic element to Moonglass, it is by no means the focus on the story. Rather, it is a subplot that complements Anna’s internal journey. Kirby uses a light hand, choosing to tentatively progress the connection between Anna and Tyler, while keeping the spotlight on Anna’s familial relationships, past and present.

It’s a character driven, sedately paced story – carefully layered and developed in order to create the depth required for the climax. In this respect, some my find the pacing rather placid, particularly if accustomed to plot-driven novels. However, while I read Moonglass more slowly than I anticipated, I appreciated that focus was on crafting believable characters.

My only real reservation about Moonglass is that I occasionally found the symbolism a little obvious and heavy handed. Though thematically appropriate, some of the motifs (sea glass, mermaids etc) did begin to feel somewhat laboured.

Despite this, Moonglass is a solid, touching contemporary with strong characters and a slightly different take on the central issues. Highly recommended for fans of Sarah Dessen and Sarah Ockler.

This review also appears at The Midnight Garden
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Feb 04, 2012 Demonic Circus Princess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Non-Action fans

Recommended to Demonic Circus Princess by: Karma

Shelves: ansty-angsty-angst, disappointed, sloooooowww-pppaaaacccceedddd, slow-at-first, stupid-love-interest, suckish-ending

Okay, this book needs to make up it's mind. Or I have to make up my mind, actually. I can't decide whether I hate or like it. It's driving me nuts.

So, first thing's first: The Protagonist.

Anna was actually a little fun to read about. She wasn't Grace-Brisbane-Awesome or Nora-Grey-Annoying, but a happy medium. And by happy medium, I don't mean she was somewhere in between. I mean there were quite a few points where I wanted to slap her and tell her to get a hold of herself, but she made up for th...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 100-books-in-2011, 2011-debut-authors, arcs, blog-tours, received-from-publishers, favorites

This debut by Jessi Kirby blew me away. The book opens with Anna moving to a small seaside resort with her father--a move she isn't very happy about. She's going to miss all of her friends and her grandmother, but also she fears the memory of her mother will fade if she leaves.

It's obvious that Anna is still suffering from the loss of her mother, despite the fact that she's been gone for years. There is some mystery surrounding her mother's death that kept me guessing and intrigued throughout th...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Lauren (365 Days of Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Summary: Anna watched her mother commit suicide when she was a little girl. Now, many years later, Anna is still pushing aside grief and self-blame for her mother’s death. She and her father move to a new town to start over: the town where her parents first met. Anna finds herself learning more about her mother than she’d ever known…

My thoughts: Moonglass starts out solidly; Jessi Kirby slowly builds on Anna’s grief as she moves to a new town. The simple interactions with local boy Tyler make th...more

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Aug 19, 2011 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Anna is a sixteen-year old girl that has just moved from Pismo Beach where she's grown up, to Crystal Cove a beach town down south. She's not too happy about leaving her friends and grandma behind but her father hasn't given her a choice. He took a promotion as lifeguard supervisor there.

Crystal Cove is not new to Anna's father though, he was a lifeguard there when he was a teenager. In fact this is where her parents met and fell in love. Anna doesn't know much about this history though, her mo...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Wednesday rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: worst-books-ever-of-all-time, reviewed, books-about-problems, contemporary, covergasm, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was not what I expected it to be. The moon is my favorite part of the night sky. However, Moonglass had nothing to do with the moon. After having read it, I understand the title, but you don't find out how the moon is connected to the book until later on. When I finally got to know about Anna's mother, I put together the connection: the title symbolizes how Anna found a piece of moonglass, seaglass she finds at night, the night her mother drowned herself. Other than that, the title has...more This book was not what I expected it to be. The moon is my favorite part of the night sky. However, Moonglass had nothing to do with the moon. After having read it, I understand the title, but you don't find out how the moon is connected to the book until later on. When I finally got to know about Anna's mother, I put together the connection: the title symbolizes how Anna found a piece of moonglass, seaglass she finds at night, the night her mother drowned herself. Other than that, the title has nothing to do with the book itself. The cover was misleading too. I expected romance to be a major theme. Instead, it was haphazardly thrown in. Did she even really fall in love with Tyler? I think it was pure infatuation.

Another thing that causes me to give this book two stars is just how flat and shallow the characters were. Anna was described as being unshallow, and disliking shallow people, but she was a hypocrite. I would consider wearing a new bikini everyday to impress some boy she doesn't even know to be very, very shallow. She had no personality. Her only interests were seaglass and running, really. And even then, they didn't play a large role in the book. Yeah, she joined the running team, and collected seaglass, but she didn't seem really all that interested in either. She was just your stereotypical shallow beachside girl.

Her father didn't really play a role in Anna's life. I mean, yeah she got in trouble for jumping off the rock at the party the lifeguards threw, but I don't remember any real punishments. He told Anna not to hang out with lifeguards, but had no basis behind it, nor did he, once again, not punish Anna for hanging out with them. It makes no sense that people who are supposed to guard lives could be dangerous. So, another flat, lifeless character (a lifeless lifeguard, hmmm.....).

I could go on about how all the characters were cardboard cutouts, but that isn't really necessary. You can see for yourself how little character development was there.

As you can see, I gave Moonglass TWO stars. So there must have been some good points, right? Well, the main thing that kept me reading is because I was interested in Anna's mother, whom you don't get to learn about until the very end of the book. It's a good thing it's a short, easy read, or this would have been a waste of my time. I'm disappointed though, because even though you learn that her mom was mentally ill, you don't really get to find out what was wrong with her, or why she gave up. Just that she did. But, at least I was given some closure about her mother's death. Just means that I didn't completely waste my time.

Also, the only character with some actual shape to him was the Crawler, John Carter. He spent Sundays repenting for something that had been guilting him for 20 years. Before you actually find out who the Crawler is, you get to learn about what happened in his past. I didn't make the connection that the Crawler was John Carter until the end when it was revealed. However, I was intrigued by what happened to his family and the grief and guilt it caused him, and his reaction to his guilt. He was really the only character with any personality or shape.

I give this book two stars because it was relatively flat, but had some things that kept me reading. Just don't expect to be amazed.(less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Racquel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-2011, ya, ya-contemporary

Totally sweet♥

This review is also posted on my blog: The Book Barbies

At first I thought this book was about mermaid, I don't know how I got that idea in my head because this is realistic contemporary at it's best!

Jessi Kirby portrayed the characters realistically from Anna the MC, to rich girl Ashely who comes off as stereotypical but thank goodness, Kirby saved her and actually gave her layers! Also, this is a complete beach read and who doesn't love those? Man, the way Kirby describes the beac...more Totally sweet♥

This review is also posted on my blog: The Book Barbies

At first I thought this book was about mermaid, I don't know how I got that idea in my head because this is realistic contemporary at it's best!

Jessi Kirby portrayed the characters realistically from Anna the MC, to rich girl Ashely who comes off as stereotypical but thank goodness, Kirby saved her and actually gave her layers! Also, this is a complete beach read and who doesn't love those? Man, the way Kirby describes the beach or when Anna even mentions it makes me want to pull out my bikini and go to the nearest beach.

The romance was done well, it wasn't insta-love-let's-get-married-and-have-babies but like a normal females teenagers, Anna saw a sexy guy with no shirt on posed as a lifeguard and like a female Homo sapien she felt an attraction and wanted to get to know him better. Nothing more then that, there was no love at first sight besides the realistic, normal partner chasing (being done on Anna's part which I loved!!) and after that, Tyler and Anna's feelings grew. Let's all take a moment to praise Kirby for this!

To be honest though, first and foremost, I am a romance fan but with Moonglass, I was more interested to see what's going to happen with Anna and her father than Anna and Tyler. I cared for Tyler and his relationship with Anna (it definitely was realistic, sweet and I loved it) but I was aching to get to the parts with Anna and her dad to see what will happen between, it was amazing how Kirby blossomed their awkward relationship throughout the book and when Anna and her dad were having their 'confrontation' at the end, I TEARED UP. Yes, I was in the middle of my Aquatic Science class on the verge of tears. Thanks Kirby! And lastly, I loved the mystery behind Anna's mother, what happened to her and the cottages and the tie in with the crawling man and who he is is just AWESOME.

If you haven't read Moonglass, I suggest you wait until summer time to read it because it's a perfect beach read that made me a fan of Jessie Kirby, she has great writing style, she knows what's she's writing about when she's creating her YA world and I can't wait for her sophomore novel, In Honor!

-thank you&come again.(less)

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Aug 27, 2011 Fred rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Fred by: Jessica DeWulf

Shelves: favorites

The summer before Anna's junior year, her father moves them back to the beach where he and her mother met. Aside from being uprooted, this stirs up memories, issues, emotions and questions that they had both suppressed since her mother's death when Anna was seven.

Wow, what a powerful read. I was not expecting this at all, I thought it ywas kind of a beachy summer albeit bittersweet book (I mean, look at the cover, right?) but it really affected me on many levels. First, it is a very well crafte...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Andrea at Reading Lark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 5-stars, arc, contemporary, read-in-2011, young-adult

Review Posted on Reading Lark 5/1/11: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2011/...

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby is a moving debut that kept me riveted and wouldn't let me go. It didn't take me long to read this book, but in spite of its brevity it has given me so much to ponder. Kirby follows in the footsteps of Sarah Dessen as she paints the tale of a troubled teen who is seeking to find beauty and meaning in a life full of secrets and questions. If this novel is the calibre of writing we can expect fro...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, arcs, dac11

Moonglass was a beautifully written debut novel by Jessi Kirby that will surely appeal to fans of contemporary novels like those of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

I loved how the setting was so real. I could hear the crash of the waves in the background and hear the creaks of the floorboards in the old cottages. The places described in Moonglass just came alive and literally jumped off the pages. Since I read this in the middle of winter, it left me craving a visit to the beach.

The characters were a...more Moonglass was a beautifully written debut novel by Jessi Kirby that will surely appeal to fans of contemporary novels like those of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

I loved how the setting was so real. I could hear the crash of the waves in the background and hear the creaks of the floorboards in the old cottages. The places described in Moonglass just came alive and literally jumped off the pages. Since I read this in the middle of winter, it left me craving a visit to the beach.

The characters were another fantastic aspect of the story. Anna, the main character, particularly. Her mother died when she was younger and when the book begins she is moving to a cottage on the beach where her parents first met. Reading about Anna’s relationship with her father was a fantastic side story and one of the most developed. Parents don’t often play a huge role in young adult novels, but this was certainly not the case with Moonglass. In addition to spending time with her father, Anna is also haunted by her mother’s death. The more time she spends at the cove the more Anna learns about her mother’s history and death. Anna doesn’t let anything stop her from finding out what she needs to know and she learns a lot not only about her parents, but about herself in her new home. I especially liked how real Anna was. She was just a typical teenager and wasn’t afraid to step out of her comfort zone at times. The more I read about her, the more I liked her and wanted to get to know her in real life.

There are so many well done sub-plots tied together in this novel. Anna’s friendship with some of the local girls, her love of running, a local tragedy, and even a hint of romance. Tyler was such a fantastic character. He was anything but the typical handsome, rugged lifeguard. The moment he and Anna first meant each other, I knew they had to get together. Watching their relationship develop was sweet, and it was portrayed very realistically.

I experienced so many emotions while reading; and went from crying to laughing on a dime. Jessi Kirby is a wonderful writer and in just over 200 pages she enraptured me with Anna’s story.

I highly recommend picking Moonglass up this spring and summer. It will make you want to run out to the beach and run your toes through the sand while searching the waves for sea glass. Plus be on the lookout for hot lifeguards! ;) I am eagerly awaiting Jessi’s next release and I will be recommending this to as many people as I can.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars(less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Moonglass is the prefect read to start your summer!

Anna's life revolves around the beach, that's where she grew up, that's where her parents met... that's where she lives. I am very jealous that the ocean is a mere stone throw away from her home. If this book doesn't get you in the mood for summer.... I don't know what will!

Anna is a captivating character, she has more guts than I'd ever pretend to posses, I think that is one of the things that made me like her so much. She's so very different...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Shanan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-on-blog

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In A Nutshell:
Anna Ryan has to move. Her father has just taken a promotion that requires he move to another beach. But Anna is not sure that she wants to leave. She lost her mother here and she is afraid that with leaving she will lose her again or maybe lose more of herself. For Anna's father though, this move means coming back to the place where he met her mother and to the memories of her that are the happiest. And he wants to share all of that with Anna--if she will let him.

Review:
I was s...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it · review of another edition

Kirby, J. (2011). Moonglass. New York: Simon & Schuster. 232 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4424-1694-9. (Hardcover); $16.99.*

Anna's mother walks out into the water and drowns one night and now Anna must try to move past a sea of emotions to find a life of her own. Unfortunately her father has decided to move Anna back to Crystal Cove, the place he met Anna's mother and the ghost of her past is making a normal life virtually impossible.

Crystal Cove is a very real place and the cottages and the description...more Kirby, J. (2011). Moonglass. New York: Simon & Schuster. 232 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4424-1694-9. (Hardcover); $16.99.*

Anna's mother walks out into the water and drowns one night and now Anna must try to move past a sea of emotions to find a life of her own. Unfortunately her father has decided to move Anna back to Crystal Cove, the place he met Anna's mother and the ghost of her past is making a normal life virtually impossible.

Crystal Cove is a very real place and the cottages and the description of this area are excellent, but this factual extrapolation is just a detail. What is important is that Kirby does an excellent job of using the setting to create a mood that matches Anna's exploration for answers. From the beginning epigraph in which the extremes of water are introduced to her final beach walk with her mother, Kirby's novel dances on the water. The language is excellent throughout and it continually plays with the water: " I paused and squinted at the cottage in the dark, waiting for something. But there was nothing. Just the crash of another wave and the stillness that followed." (8) "I knew that meant we were done and that we'd smooth over the surface I'd just tossed a rock into. But even the waves that crash down on the beach start out as tiny ripples, far out at sea. They just gain strength over time." (34) This use of language matches the difficulties that both father and daughter have dealing with the suicide of wife/mother. Kirby injects a bit of mystery into the text, which also is resolved in waves. The story is deceptively simple. We have no present day disasters. The suicide is an unresolved issue that happened before the book begins. Anna is not abnormally rebellious. She is not addicted to drugs. She forms friendships in a very real way that matches what I see with real teens. She does not fall deeply and forever in love with Tyler and Tyler is not obsessed with her. We have no vampires, werewolves, ghosts. What we do have is a very direct realistic story told with poetic language that pays attention to details and evokes a mood that clearly shows Anna growing and understanding her own life and her family's history. The fact that we also have an interesting explanation of a very real place is frosting. The fact that Kirby deals with the guilt that often threatens to drown family members dealing with suicide is another excellent part to this book. The sense of place, the poetic language, a convincing main character, the historical setting, the convincing depiction of adults (and I think it is necessary to point out that it is rare when we see an adult portrayed—convincingly—as both teen and adult), the gradual resolution of the mother's death, the portrayal of mental health in a realistic and compassionate manner; make this a book that is a must buy for high school libraries. Since this is a first time author, please mention to potential readers that Kirby’s writing will appeal especially to those fans of Sarah Dessen, who has written a blurb for this book. I look forward to Kirby’s next book!
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Dec 03, 2012 Maddy Fritos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites

I absolutely loved this book. It is my #1 book. This book makes you so full of emotions...they change every page. This book is ful of mystery and suspense. I love how Anna is searching to uncover the truth of her mothers death. Anna is amazing, shes average but shes so unique and any reader can relate to her. She is one of the fastest runners, shes a surfer girl who gets the cutest guy there. She goes to a party with him and hears the stories of all the other guys and realizes that her dad was k...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Peggy(Le BookSquirrel Blogger) Warren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

**REVIEW**Possible Spoilers..Taken from my Blog http://lebooksquirrel.blogspot.com/

Let me start by saying I enjoyed this book.I didnt love it but I enjoyed it. In the story you find Anna and her father moving back to where her mother and father met.Her father takes a job as I want to say Park ranger type.You get the feeling that father and Daughter both practically live in the water.Anna Meets Tyler who is a lifeguard on the beach where her father works and where she lives.I kept picturing in m...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Violet90 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember how badly I wanted to read this book because all the reviews I read had said this book was great. But after reading it I am not sure how to rate it. I mean I liked the concept of the book this story was different than the one's I've read. It was a good book for young adult but I really was disappointed in the romance part. I mean there were some cute momemts between Anna and Tyler but their relationship just didn't click for me. I mean we don't even know if they consider each other "b...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Moonglass was a really touching debut. It was a much needed contemporary that I really enjoyed. It had a story that I really enjoyed and the characters were just great.

The plot of this book was just very easy going and had a steady pace. I loved that Anna and Tyler's relationship took a bit to build. It wasn't simply ok, we're together now. I was actually a good chunk into the book before they actually got together, and that was awesome.

The characters were my favorite part of this book. I loved...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Devyani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

im not really sure about my feelings about this one :/

firstly , Moonglass , has been written beautifully ! and the author has done a commendable job considering it being her debut novel :)
the book is about Anna , who has to move away from Pismo beach (her previous home) and has to go to crystal cove , the very place where her parents met and fell in love and also the place where her mom committed suicide , which unfortunately had been witnessed by Anna when she was just a fragile seven year old...more im not really sure about my feelings about this one :/

firstly , Moonglass , has been written beautifully ! and the author has done a commendable job considering it being her debut novel :)
the book is about Anna , who has to move away from Pismo beach (her previous home) and has to go to crystal cove , the very place where her parents met and fell in love and also the place where her mom committed suicide , which unfortunately had been witnessed by Anna when she was just a fragile seven year old .

the way the 'grief' has been laid out in words is nice and you can clearly see what Anna is going through and how she blames herself for her mother's death .

but ! thats just what it is ! you can only SEE what shes going through and not feel it !
as a reader i really have a habit of not liking a character unless i can relate , understand or even look through the protagonist's eye ! so that atleast i understand about the basic perspective of the whole storyline .
then there were tiny flaws that kept stinging . like the relationships she shared with the characters of the story started out beautifully and were actually interesting to read about , but just as it started it ended and felt unsatisfying .
there could have been more things mentioned about her bond with Joy , Ashley and Jillian .
especially , Jillian as the kind of understanding they shared . As both of them knew how it felt being there in a situation where you lose someone whose really important to you !

other than that , i did like Anna's and Tyler's cute summer romance . it gave a light-hearty feel to the story .

although ,the most important thing would be the way she is with her dad . their awkward conversations , her urges to ask him answers and his very wish to finally connect with his daughter were emotionally touching , i just felt that the author could have given us more .

but what i really liked best was the end . it was really STRONG ! it was like the ones where someone gives an amazing speech and concludes with a strong conclusion ! :)

Moonglass , is a nice book in my opinion .
Jessi kirby's writing holds a lot of potential :)
and i would love to read more from her :D(less)

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Sep 25, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ncbla

When she was seven, Anna watched her mother commit suicide by walking into the ocean. Since then, she has suffered from guilt, thinking that it was somehow her fault that her mother chose to die. When her father takes a job that brings him back to the beach where he and Anna's mother first met, she keeps encountering locals who know about her mother, and she grows increasingly angry that she and her father have never really talked about how her mother died. Anna throws herself into running and i...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It will be hard for readers to believe, after completing this book, that this is actually a debut novel. The emotional and fantastical storyline that this author has woven and 'gifted' to audiences is something that no reader will soon forget.

Anna has had a slightly rough past. She lost a parent a long time ago when her beloved mother walked into the ocean and didn’t come back out. Her father is a good man, and he and Anna have maintained a good life with a solid friendship, even though they do...more It will be hard for readers to believe, after completing this book, that this is actually a debut novel. The emotional and fantastical storyline that this author has woven and 'gifted' to audiences is something that no reader will soon forget.

Anna has had a slightly rough past. She lost a parent a long time ago when her beloved mother walked into the ocean and didn’t come back out. Her father is a good man, and he and Anna have maintained a good life with a solid friendship, even though they don’t speak as much as they once did. Having her father 'land' a better job in a place called Crystal Cove, however, changes Anna’s life in every way possible.

Anna has to pack up, leave school and her friends, and her comfortable life behind, and head out to a new location for a fresh start. Her father has become the supervisor of Crystal Cove, which is a park across the Pacific Coast Highway where people come to eat, drink, swim in the ocean, and enjoy life. It is also the place where Anna’s mother and father met.

When Dad pulls up in front of a small white cottage with blue trim that’s practically sitting on the beach, Anna finds herself staring at a new world to her - yet a place that “shouts” of her parents’ past. Anna loves to run and collect sea glass on the sand - which is something she and her mother used to do - and plays a great part in the amazing storyline to come.

When Anna first begins to “get her feet wet,” certain things become evident: There is a man who people refer to as “The Crystal Crawler” who literally crawls across the sand in order to repent for something that happened a long time before; there’s a vacant, eerie cottage near Anna’s own that may still possess some of her beloved mother's secrets; and, there is an adorable “rich girl” with a huge spirit, named Ashley Whitmore who becomes Anna’s friend. Ashley is one of those go-getters who sets Anna up with new friends, a spot on the track team, and even pre-packed lunches that she brings from home to keep Anna healthy for her track meets.

There is also one other thing that Crystal Cove has to offer, and that is a large amount of handsome lifeguards who watch the beach. Tyler is one of those lifeguards. He is a senior at the local school, and every girl wants to be Tyler’s mate - yet he seems to be drawn to his boss’s daughter - the “new girl” with attitude who has a secret that she just can’t quite talk about.

This book offers everything from a look at first romance, to the challenges a teen must face when they are uprooted and moved to a brand new place. New friends, old memories, as well as an incredible look at a father/daughter relationship that is loving, kind, and filled with acceptance and forgiveness that the reader will truly find inspiring.

A beautiful, haunting debut novel that certainly speaks to the fact that this author is going to be around for a very long time to come.
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Aug 03, 2011 Mindi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen, adolescent-books

This was a freebie book from Amazon they sent me to read and review for them.

First, let me say this author did a great job on her first book. I just wish it were a bit longer so we could get a bit deeper into Anna's other relationships. This book deals with a lot of very difficult topics from guilt, loss of a parent, mental illness, strained relationship with her dad, a move to a new high school and finding new friends, etc. All of these difficult situations were tied together in a heartfelt ma...more This was a freebie book from Amazon they sent me to read and review for them.

First, let me say this author did a great job on her first book. I just wish it were a bit longer so we could get a bit deeper into Anna's other relationships. This book deals with a lot of very difficult topics from guilt, loss of a parent, mental illness, strained relationship with her dad, a move to a new high school and finding new friends, etc. All of these difficult situations were tied together in a heartfelt manor. However, at the end, I felt like there were a lot of holes left in the story.

1 - I felt like Joy was introduced and Anna never fully closed that relationship.

2 - I felt like there could have been a much stronger relationship with Jillian because of the loss of Jillian's sister and felt like that had just been dropped.

3 - I even felt like the relationship with Tyler was not developed very well.

4 - I felt like James was brought in as a strong character at first, then that character was just dropped as well.

As a positive, I did really enjoy how the author tied the man crawling on the beach with the crosses around his neck back to Anna.

Overall, I think if the author would have made the book longer, it would have been a much better book. The short 232 pages was just not enough to cover the character depth and topics and not leave the reader wanting more. But, with that said, at least the author did a good enough job to leave the reader wanting more. I was compelled by this book and I did enjoy it. I just felt like it was left a bit unfinished and I wanted more depth from the characters.

There was one topic that really bothered me. Since this book targets a young adult audience, I had to ask myself if I would want my daughter to read this as a teenager. For the most part, I would have let her read it. The only issue I had was the under-age drinking in the book... drinking wine coolers as they float out on the water... drinking champagne at the bonfire party with the lifeguards, then jumping off of rocks drunk and in the dark... Ashley being so drunk Anna's dad had to get her a ride home. As a parent, I try to do everything I can to keep my child from under-age drinking while still realizing teens will still be teens and do some dumb things. However, with that said, I don't want any book that will make under-age drinking appear glamorous when it is really not.(less)

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Jul 20, 2011 Maia❤Blinn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, library-books, enjoyable

H.o.l.y. S.h.i.z.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, give me a minute to gather my thoughts...

If I were to recommend one book released in 2011 that you HAD to read, it would be this one. I swear. It's the best thing since 1492, when Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Yeah. It's better than the internet.

The characters were all their own. Jessi Kirby didn't copy, paste, and tweak a single character to create another. They were...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

When summer comes around, and I'm faced with yet another year that lacks vacation plans, I search for beach-themed books to help me escape to the ocean for a few days. I was scanning the bookshelves at a local bookstore, carefully trying to find the perfect book, when I stumbled upon Moonglass by Jessi Kirby. The cover made me feel tranquil, like I was at the beach. And that's all it took. I knew I had found what I was looking for.

Anna Ryan was only seven years old when her mother mysteriously d...more When summer comes around, and I'm faced with yet another year that lacks vacation plans, I search for beach-themed books to help me escape to the ocean for a few days. I was scanning the bookshelves at a local bookstore, carefully trying to find the perfect book, when I stumbled upon Moonglass by Jessi Kirby. The cover made me feel tranquil, like I was at the beach. And that's all it took. I knew I had found what I was looking for.

Anna Ryan was only seven years old when her mother mysteriously drowned. She struggles daily with memories and confusion about that awful night. Worse, the distance between Anna and her father has been growing at a pretty steady pace ever since. When her dad takes a lifeguard job at a southern California beach, forcing Anna to move away from her home and friends, that distance only gets bigger.

Though she starts off as a loner, running the beach each morning (running away from her memories), Anna starts to form friendships and connections. She also meets and falls for Tyler, a lifeguard who has been warned that the boss's daughter is off limits, which makes dating a bit of a challenge.

She even finds herself combing the beach for seaglass, a hobby she once shared with her mother. They named the pieces they found at night moonglass.

But as Anna becomes comfortable with her surroundings and starts to accept her new life, she discovers painful secrets about her mother's past. The most surprising of all is that she's living on the very beach where her parents met and fell in love. The house next door? Her mother used to live there. It's hard to escape the past when she's confronted with it at every turn.

Anna wants answers, but her dad won't talk. So she and Tyler sneak around late at night, exploring the beach and its abandoned houses. With every step, she gets closer to her mother. And every answer she unearths stirs up a memories of the night her mother died. And Anna is angry.

Moonglass is a convincing first novel, complete with lovable characters, life-changing secrets and tragedies, and summer romance.

What I liked best was the first-person narrative. The descriptions were so lovely. And so realistic! I could picture the location, feel sand between my toes, smell the salty air, and hear the waves crashing on the shore. The writing was as beautiful as the cover.

Just like seaglass, the novel was a sparkling, unexpected treasure.

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Jun 28, 2011 Sara Oestreich rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit

This book was so refreshing, so simple and honest after all of the if not paranormal, then weird stuff I’ve been reading lately. This book is really like slipping into a beach chair and staring at the ocean. It’s calm and turbulent, and the emotion comes in waves. Kirby does a great job with setting, her writing takes the reader to the beautiful beach Anna and her father live at. That’s what makes this book such a great beach read. Even if you’re stuck on your couch this summer you can experienc...more

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Jun 10, 2011 K rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

Summer books are such great reading destinations.

Anna’s great summer is coming to an end. Her father has decided to move them both to a new beach town. He’s been living in the new house and has already established his long work hours, so she’s left to explore on her own. There are girly girls with small dogs in big bags and inappropriate footwear; a boys’ club of lifeguards (who come pre-warned by her father to stay away); barely-there memories and a family story that everyone but her seems to k...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Brob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Each summer I start picking up what I consider "Summer Beach Reads." These may or may not be labeled as such but generally they are inspirational or light reads in the YA genre. Things like Sarah Dessen, Hayley Abott, etc. I actually came across Moonglass because Sarah Dessen had written a brief blurb for the back of the book and that got me interested.

I thought this book was a great debut novel from Jessi Kirby. Anna is a great lead character and there is a lot of time dedicated to character d...more Each summer I start picking up what I consider "Summer Beach Reads." These may or may not be labeled as such but generally they are inspirational or light reads in the YA genre. Things like Sarah Dessen, Hayley Abott, etc. I actually came across Moonglass because Sarah Dessen had written a brief blurb for the back of the book and that got me interested.

I thought this book was a great debut novel from Jessi Kirby. Anna is a great lead character and there is a lot of time dedicated to character development in the novel. Anna and her dad are both very real characters that readers can connect to in a deep way. However, I felt like Tyler's character was very inconsistent with the synopsis. He is originally described as arrogant (the most arrogant one on the beach), however, I only see that in one scene of the book. The rest of the time he is a really great friend and a perfect gentleman. Even his reputation around school is that he is a really nice guy. Thus, I was a little confused with his original description. I forget where I read it at but it was a bit of a turn off for the book because I was looking for a guy similar to a Sarah Dessen story.

The tragedy with Anna's mother is the central part to the story. As a reader you really get drawn into the whirlwind of emotions that is going through Anna. While I didn't cry I was both sad and happy throughout the story as she is trying to deal with the loss of her mother.

The main negative for me was that I found the ending to be unrealistic. While I think that what happened at the end is a big "game changer" for Anna, I found the way everything was wrapped up nice and neatly to be unrealistic. The whole book everything is laid bare emotionally in Anna's life. The end seemed a little sterile to me like all the sudden everything worked out. I feel like she will still need additional time to heal and it wouldn't end so neatly.

Overall, I give the book a 4/5. I loved the characters and the realistic nature of the book. I think it is a beautiful story and it was very well written with sentimental moments but also fun glimpses at the times when Anna is happy.

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Jun 03, 2011 Amy Jacobs rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

I had heard great things about Moonglass and when the chance to review it came along, I jumped on the chance to read it! If you are looking for a beach filled summer read, then Moonglass is the book to pick up.

I admit that it took me a bit to get into this book. To me, the beginning started out slow with the move to the new town. I was tired of reading about Anna's pity party of having to relocate when her father gets the chance for a better job. I wanted to reach into the book and shake her sil...more

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May 09, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anna is not pleased. Her dad has just moved them to a new town, meaning she has to get adjusted to a new school and make friends. It's hard enough anyway, but especially in high school. Fortunately, she meets the world's friendliest girl and soon joins the school's track team. Still, much as she enjoys running, her real love is the ocean and fortunately, their new house is right on the beach. She even meets a cute lifeguard. But everything is shadowed by her mom's death (it happened when Anna wh...more

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We ♥ Jessi Kirby!: Thoughts on Moonglass?	2	8	Jul 08, 2012 06:55pm
We ♥ Jessi Kirby!: Moonglass	4	5	Jul 08, 2012 06:42pm
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About Jessi Kirby

Jessi Kirby is a former English teacher and librarian. She lives in Orange County, CA with her husband and two kids, where she writes stories and runs the beach every day. Well, almost every day.

You can contact Jessi at jessi@jessikirby.com

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Quotes from Moonglass

“I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.” — 51 people liked it

“Sometimes...a person is up against more than they can handle. And sometimes a person loses, no matter what they're fighting for.” — 43 people liked it

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