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Once in a Full Moon (Full Moon #1)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 5,315 ratings · 577 reviews

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psych...more

Kindle Edition, 309 pages

Published December 28th 2010 by Katherine Tegen Books

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Jun 07, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Absolutely no one

Shelves: the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, worst-books-i-ve-ever-read, so-bad-that-i-refuse-to-finish-it

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

I love Ellen Schreiber. This is no big secret. She changed my life with her Vampire Kisses series and made me the girl I am today. When I heard that she was starting a new series about werewolves, I was in. It wouldn't matter whether or not the book was actually good. It was Ellen, after all! She has the Special Author Pass! She can do things other authors could never get away with! I got the book, started reading, and gave up on page 160.

Here are the many...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Zarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There were things I liked and didn't like:

Things I didn't like:
-It's good to foreshadow, but... it got annoying, I just wanted to be like "I know it's going to happen, how many time are you going to remind me?"
-I don't think that Celeste and Brandon got to KNOW each other very well...
-Nash. He had his good moments, but my goodness this boy is a annoying.
-best friends...that might leave you because you're talking to someone they don't like??

Things I liked:
-The attraction between Celeste and Brand...more

13 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Myvampfiction added it · review of another edition

review by Saluki

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*

For those of you who faithfully read my book reviews, you know that I generally give positive reviews. I love to read, and I can generally find something that I like in just about any book. Unfortunately, once in a full moon is not one of those books, so this review will be very short.

1. The plot is boring. Boy meets girl. Boy gets bitten by wolf. Girl falls in love with boy and vows to help him find a cure. Blah, been there, read that. With the...more review by Saluki

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*

For those of you who faithfully read my book reviews, you know that I generally give positive reviews. I love to read, and I can generally find something that I like in just about any book. Unfortunately, once in a full moon is not one of those books, so this review will be very short.

1. The plot is boring. Boy meets girl. Boy gets bitten by wolf. Girl falls in love with boy and vows to help him find a cure. Blah, been there, read that. With the popularity of werewolf books, it is really important to come up with an engaging plot, and this book just doesn't do that.

2. The characters are horrible. Celeste is too perfect to be true. She gets good grades, volunteers at the local nursing home - basically your all American girl. She's dating Nash, the most popular jock in school because she doesn't want to disappoint her friends. Really? Yes, Celeste is a character who basically lets her friends dictate every aspect of her life. God forbid someone from the Eastside of town speak with someone from the Westside *GASP* Maybe I live in a bubble, but does that really exist anymore? Do people really shun others because of what part of town they life in?

For being such a good girl, Celeste picks horrible friends - they are superficial, snobby and down right irritating. There were times I could stomach Celeste and even Brandon, but the rest of the characters made me want to poke my eyes out with a fork.

3. The love story falls completely flat. Celeste knows she isn't in love with Nash, so it isn't shocking that she would fall for Brandon. But, this girl falling for hero boy plot line is just so over done. That wouldn't be so bad, except that Celeste falls in love and apparently swallows a pathetic pill. When Brandon returns her cell phone, she doesn't want to put it down because he had touched it. Gag me, please.

It really does make me sad to leave a book review this negative, but there really isn't anything I can pull out of the book to redeem it. Needless to say, I don't recommend you running out to buy this one. For only the second time, I am giving a book 0 fangs.(less)

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Dec 28, 2010 S.F. Robertson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ya

I loved this book. Period. Discussion over. The end.

It's just that simple, but I'll elaborate because I realize that doesn't actually say much. In the spirit of full disclosure, I wasn't expecting a lot out of this book. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but I was pleasantly surprised by how solid it was in every way. The characters, the world, the plot... it all fit together like an intricate little puzzle. It kept me interested at every turn without trying to be overly complicated.

Schreiber...more I loved this book. Period. Discussion over. The end.

It's just that simple, but I'll elaborate because I realize that doesn't actually say much. In the spirit of full disclosure, I wasn't expecting a lot out of this book. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but I was pleasantly surprised by how solid it was in every way. The characters, the world, the plot... it all fit together like an intricate little puzzle. It kept me interested at every turn without trying to be overly complicated.

Schreiber does an amazing job of creating a world that anyone can relate to. The town of Legend's Run is divided, east and west. Which side is the right side or is there own? Celeste Parker doesn't believe there is. Both eastsiders and westsiders stick to their own, but the arrival of a new student, Brandon Maddox, prompts her to cross the invisible line.

As I tore through this novel , both of them became incredibly real to me. It was the tiny details, ones you could easily gloss over, that made me feel like they could be people I'd met in real life. In fact, Bradon was such a well developed character that he reminded me of a guy friend who is strong, caring and a man of few words. All of the characters evoke clear images of who they are through their words and actions.

Tension also runs high. It builds throughout the book, but there are mini cliffhangers and other exciting moments that kept me hanging on every word. I realized I was turning pages, but I didn't realize how fast.

Nothing in this book stood out to me as a problem. I've read a lot of reviews in which people have though Celeste was immature and needed a backbone, but the fact that she is this sweet girl who can't go to her friends with many of her problems didn't bother me. Afterall, I lived through high school and sometimes you don't feel comfortable telling your friends things for fear that they'll judge you. Even adults feel this way on occasion, so Celeste's belief that she couldn't tell even her best girlfriends about the boy from the wrong side of the tracks and everything they go through after he saves her in the woods one night didn't make me think less of her. I just took it at face value that she was a teenager.

If I had a gripe it would be that there is a "true love conquers all" moment or scene that felt misplaced. I can't say it was contrived, but it was couched as more of a revelation than I believe it actually was because it is quite aparent that these characters have deep feelings for one another. It is also obvious they they accept each other completely, down to their darkest secrets. That was the only moment in the entire book that gave me pause, but within paragraphs the story had me again.

It all lead up to a sublime ending that left me intrigued, satisfied, and ready for another book. I will eagerly snatch up and devour the two forthcoming books in this series whenever they are released.

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Dec 06, 2010 Ruby rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review first posted on http://rubysreads.com.[return][return]I had high hopes for this book. I mean, a new YA werewolf series? By an author who already has a pretty big following? I hoped wrong. And I� m going to have to tread lightly here, because there wasn� t much for me to like in Once in a Full Moon and I just talked about not author-bashing in a previous post.[return][return]Let� s start with the writing. It� s a lot of tell and no show. We� re told a lot of things about the heroine, Celes...more Review first posted on http://rubysreads.com.[return][return]I had high hopes for this book. I mean, a new YA werewolf series? By an author who already has a pretty big following? I hoped wrong. And I� m going to have to tread lightly here, because there wasn� t much for me to like in Once in a Full Moon and I just talked about not author-bashing in a previous post.[return][return]Let� s start with the writing. It� s a lot of tell and no show. We� re told a lot of things about the heroine, Celeste, and Celeste� s friends, and Celeste� s boyfriends, the town of Legend� s Run and the hot new guy, Brandon. By the time I got to the part where I started reading sentences like, � Another attribute that my friends shared was accusing me of being too nice because I was cordial to everyone� , I began to realize that I was doomed. There� s also the stilted dialog which is often lacking in contractions. This is a pet peeve of mine. I mean, people do not talk the way they write. They� re constantly doing blasphemous things to the English language. I like to see a nice balance between formal language and something that� s readable. If the dialog is too formal I can� t picture actual people saying the words. If it� s too slang-y and missing too many consonants (see dialog written in dialect. Heh.) then I become irritated.[return][return]Okay, sorry, that was a diatribe I didn� t mean to go off on. So, the writing: not great. But what really disappointed me was everything else. The main character, Celeste, is a cardboard cutout of the good girl that runs with the popular crowd. For some reason, she� s accepted by all the rich, born-on-the-right-side-of-the-tracks kids at her high school. Her boyfriend is a good-looking, popular jock. Her friends are steadfast and loyal. She� s � nice� , meaning she sticks up for the poor unfortunates who are born in the Hicksville east side of Legend� s Run. The blue collar side. And, seriously, I� m not joking: she volunteers at a senior center. She is, in essence, a Mary Sue.[return][return]Or she would be, if she didn� t have issues. Like being friends with the kind of � mean girls� who exclude people not of their own socio-economic background. I mean, seriously, her friends suck. They� re rude to everyone. They tell Celeste that she� s too nice and then encourage her to forgive her boyfriend when she finds him flirting with another girl. They make Celeste worse just because she wanted to be friends with them.[return][return]Then there� s Celeste� s boyfriend, Nash. Also a jerk. Basically ignores Celeste and only cares about sports. He likes Celeste because she� s � different� . She� s the one girl he can� t get just by crooking his finger. Can you see me rolling my eyes? I honestly could not figure out why Nash was supposed to be so popular. Maybe you can tell me. Luckily, Nash isn� t the hero in this book. No, that� s the aforementioned new guy in town: Brandon.[return][return]Brandon is hot, but he� s from the wrong side of town. No, seriously. He� s, like, hawt. What I couldn� t figure out was, if he� s so hot, isn� t it pretty unlikely that Celeste would be the only girl who didn� t care what part of town he was from? Apparently, no. He� s reviled. Even though he� s a hero. What, you didn� t know that? Well, Celeste will tell you a few thousand times, just so you get the point. He� s sexy, heroic and thoughtful. Everything Nash is not, apparently. Which is fine. I mean, I� ll buy the story of a girl who is with Guy A, who doesn� t appreciate her or treat her right and she doesn� t realize it until Guy B comes into the picture. The problem is the thing that� s keeping Celeste with Nash isn� t the way he� s treating her. It� s worry over what her friends and family will think if they find out she� s dating an Eastsider like Brandon. So Celeste stays with Nash despite her feelings for another guy. At least, until she finds him flirting with someone else.[return][return]All in all, I don� t feel that I can recommend this book. It didn� t just disappoint me, it frustrated me. When the penultimate werewolf scene finally happens, I actually laughed out loud. I� m only sad that I couldn� t laugh at the rest of it.(less)

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Dec 24, 2010 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley

OK. I’ll be nice.
I should probably be nice.
I’ll try to be nice...

So Once in A full Moon is probably not the best werewolf YA book I have ever read. In fact, there were so many lines that made me cringe due mainly to the fact that the heroine is a self described “love struck girl.” Consider:

Line one, “I held the cell phone in my hand. I imagined where it had been. In his coat pocket? Maybe at home by his bed. At some point he had held it in his hand, as I was now. “ … cringe

Line two, “Brown w...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one

Recommended to Jennifer by: I take the 5th on this one

Arghhhh. A student loaned me this book yesterday (and there's a story in that too) and I thought it might provide a pleasant diversion. I'm fond of werewolf tales (Sharp Teeth, Bitten, etc). However, a few chapters into this, the writing was so horrific (Schreiber, for god's sakes, "Show, don't tell.") that I couldn't continue. I skipped to the end and the last scene was so laughably awful that I'm glad I didn't waste the time getting to it. I'll think of something diplomatic to tell my student...more

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May 05, 2012 Jen (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For me, this book was alright. It was kind of the all-around typical paranormal romance story. There’s a new student in town, and the main character is strangely drawn to him, that type of a story. They end up together, but the new student turns out to be some supernaturnal creature. And then they have to find out how to be together without other people finding out. So if you are a real sucker for teen paranormal romances, this book is for you!

But otherwise, this book was mundane. I found that C...more For me, this book was alright. It was kind of the all-around typical paranormal romance story. There’s a new student in town, and the main character is strangely drawn to him, that type of a story. They end up together, but the new student turns out to be some supernaturnal creature. And then they have to find out how to be together without other people finding out. So if you are a real sucker for teen paranormal romances, this book is for you!

But otherwise, this book was mundane. I found that Celeste Parker was too much of a goody-goody, and I don’t know why Nash (her boyfriend, very popular) was drawn to her. And Nash was just plain annoying. He was too full of himself, and didn’t really care for Celeste, even though he wanted her as a girlfriend. Celeste’s friends were very unthoughtful, and I’d think they aren’t very good friends at all. I liked Brandon, however. His character was very likeable.

Schreiber was very repetitive on some cases. Such as when Celeste was with Brandon, Schreiber constantly described their moment together as,”I felt like I was in heaven”. I got SO ANNOYING. It’s like she couldn’t find a better description or something… But I DID like Schreiber’s idea of Eastsiders and Westsiders. The overall plot was okay… Dr. Meadows (a “psychic”, the one who predicted Celeste’s “Beware of the kiss under the full moon”) was kind of a creeper. She was also a self-absorbed lady who didn’t even believe her own prediction. And when Celeste finds out that Nash is the one behind all of the fake werewolf sightings, it just made me hate him even more. So there was a lot of annoying people in this book. Celeste’s love for Brandon in the beginning wasn’t exactly romantic for me… It was kind of more like… obsessive? I didn’t like it. She was like stalking him.

All in all, this book was okay. I have DEFINITELY read better werewolf books. I think it’s enjoyable enough, however, for me to continue on with the series. I kind of want to know what happens to Celeste and Brandon!
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Nov 10, 2011 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Twilight fans

Shelves: reviews, so-bad-they-re-funny, fantasy, shapeshifters, werewolves, lowest-quality-books-ever

While I sit at my computer preparing to write this review, I ask myself one question.

Is my mom ever going to get home so we can go to Taco Bell?

I'm like a savage animal. I need my Taco Bell. I'm starving. But not for this book. No, no. Never for this book. If I was starving to read this book... well, I'd be a Twilight fan. Because that's what this is; the werewolf version of Twilight. If you look at my rating for Twilight, you'll see that(in my eyes, at least) this is a very, very bad thing.

This...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Haley ~ YA-Aholic rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever"

This book i beileve was pretty good, I did some cruising around on the internet and looked at other peoples reviews and for the most part a lot of people did not like this book? I disagree i beileve it was a nice read. The characters in this book are great, while reading this book I felt like i actually knew each one of them on a personal level( i know weird). One thing I found annoying is that Celeste so called "friends" in...more

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Jan 16, 2011 highlightofyournight rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been debating against and for this book for a while now; although ELLEN SCHREIBER has dilectable scenes with a caressing group of both foe and friendly characters...I find it immensely hard to read with such simplistic sentences and very little attention to detail.

I would say, other than the chapter dedicated to the relationships between Ivy, Celeste and Abbey, not much is explained as to why the characters still are close when they have nothing in common. Also, the Eastern sides prejudic...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Princess Bookie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: Once In A Full Moon was unique but not as great as I hoped it would be. It was also my very first book by Schreiber. We are introduced to Celeste who is your average teenage girl. She hangs out with her two best friends, their boyfriends, and her boyfriend Nash. The guys are also all best friends so they make the perfect sixsome. They all seem happy enough at first. Celeste starts researching werewolves for a school paper and she tries to learn everything she can about them. A new g...more My Thoughts: Once In A Full Moon was unique but not as great as I hoped it would be. It was also my very first book by Schreiber. We are introduced to Celeste who is your average teenage girl. She hangs out with her two best friends, their boyfriends, and her boyfriend Nash. The guys are also all best friends so they make the perfect sixsome. They all seem happy enough at first. Celeste starts researching werewolves for a school paper and she tries to learn everything she can about them. A new guy shows up at school, his name is Brandon and he's from the other other side (the place is set up along the lines of Eastside and Westside). Nobody really likes him because he keeps to himself.

One day while walking home Celeste gets lost near the woods during a snowstorm. She is surrounded by wolves ready to attack. All of a sudden Brandon is there and scares them away but in the process he gets bitten.

Over the course of the next few weeks, strange things start happening to Brandon as Celeste's feelings grow for him. A lot happens and the ending is left open for a sequel.

What can I possibly say about Once In A Full Moon? I wanted to love this book. It was just okay. There were some parts that just felt so immature and should have been plain to see for Celeste and she seemed so naive she didn't notice. One example, is when Mrs. Meadows (the psychic or was she?) was trying to find out about Brandon and Celeste thought she was wanting to help him when it was so obvious that her goal was to expose him. Some of the werewolf symptoms also didn't make sense. To me, werewolves always look like wolves when they change (LOL) and in this one, he just grew a goatee and hair on his body.He didn't really turn into a wolf like I wanted him too.

Once In A Full Moon was just okay but it didn't live up to my expectations.

Overall: It was okay. It was a quick read so at least there was that. If it had been 500ish pages I probably would have just set it down and been done with it. I also finished this one right after Anna And The French Kiss and what could possibly live up to that, right? I think if you like more tween books than teen, you'll enjoy it more than I did.

Cover: I love this cover! It's so pretty!

What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes

Taken from Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
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Dec 14, 2010 The BookWhisperer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once in a Full Moon is a very magical story. This was a very quick read, but I am afraid in this particular novel this affected the quality of the story. Brandon and Celeste are very captivating characters, but I believe that the speed of this story did not leave enough time for character building. My reading experience was truely as an outsider in this novel, and it seemed that the romance was a bit forced. Nothing seemed to follow the natural course, but yet everythings seemed spontaneous and...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Sarah (Head Stuck In A Book) added it · review of another edition

I am a huge fan of Schreiber's series Vampire Kisses so I've always wanted to get around to reading this series and see what her take on the werewolf myth would be.
I have to say I wasn't disappointed and her take on werewolves is different from other books which is a nice change.
Celeste is a popular girl in school with her football star boyfriend Nash, but she's come to realise that she's doesn't really love him and she's only with him because it's what's expected of her and whom her best friend...more I am a huge fan of Schreiber's series Vampire Kisses so I've always wanted to get around to reading this series and see what her take on the werewolf myth would be.
I have to say I wasn't disappointed and her take on werewolves is different from other books which is a nice change.
Celeste is a popular girl in school with her football star boyfriend Nash, but she's come to realise that she's doesn't really love him and she's only with him because it's what's expected of her and whom her best friends want her to be with.
Legend's Run is divided by Eastern and Western in other words Rich/Poor and at the local High School which was used by both cliques are determined by your residence and in which area you live.
One day a new student Brandon turns up and as soon as Celeste and his eyes meet there is a connection and Celeste can't stop thinking about him but since he's from the poor side of town she's not meant to associate with him.
One afternoon after having a reading done by a psychic with her best friends Ivy and Abby she decides to walk home while doing so it starts snowing quite heavily and she gets lost, while yelling for help a group of wolves surround her but she is saved by Brandon who scares them away with a stick but not before being bitten first.
After that Celeste can't stop thinking of him and after they start meeting in secret they start to fall in love with each other, but you see that bite that Brandon got while saving Celeste isn't just any ordinary bite and it will change both their lives forever.
I loved Celeste and Brandon as a couple they were so sweet together and I was definitely glad that she broke up with Nash who was so self absorbed that his idea of a date was to take Celeste to watch his sport practice (romantic? I think not) and it's not until they break up that to win her back he decides to act as a boyfriend should but it's definitely too little too late.
I just wish that Celeste hadn't spent so much time worrying about what everybody else thinks and just did whatever it was she wanted to do.
This kept me captivated and I read it all in one sitting, if you like the Vampire Kisses series you should love this too.(less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Iris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It wasn't one of the best books I've ever read. Though I enjoyed reading it. The dilemma the main character is facing is a bit stereotype though... Girl is dating the popular guy of the school, and falls in love with the new, not so popular, guy. I don't think it is a book that I would remember a few years from now, but it was pleasant to read. I finished it in a few hours.

Celeste's friends kinda irritated me. They are a bit shallow and it seemed to me that they didn't really care about Celeste...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Kami rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-crushes-eye-candy, love-stories-romance, shifters-werewolves-panthers, ya

This won't be a very long review.

I didn't mind this book but it wasn't great either. As it stands, there just isn't any real depth or development to the story. There is a lot of repetion which caused me to lose interest and gloss over certain parts of the book. The plot is predictable and I didn't care for most of the character personalities.

I don't understand how anyone can choose who they will or will not associate with based on what their friends will think- that has always bothered me and Ce...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok ,I was in the school when my friend tell me about this book . i have to say that I like the whole story . however, it was somehow umm .. stupid ! Yeah that's the word . You know , the east\west side thing ??! I mean , come on ! however, i loved Nash's personality . I don't know exactly why , but .. i loved it !
The thing between Cleste and Brando , I really think that there is some missing events in there . And I really hated the way that Cleste kept her relationship with Brando as a secret ....more Ok ,I was in the school when my friend tell me about this book . i have to say that I like the whole story . however, it was somehow umm .. stupid ! Yeah that's the word . You know , the east\west side thing ??! I mean , come on ! however, i loved Nash's personality . I don't know exactly why , but .. i loved it !
The thing between Cleste and Brando , I really think that there is some missing events in there . And I really hated the way that Cleste kept her relationship with Brando as a secret . And -until now- I'm wondering : why Cleste didn't broke up with Nash in the first place ?? I mean from the beginning ?? I also like the way Brando was . I started to imagine the whole story , and believe me IT CAN BE A GOOD MOVIE !!
Anyway , I went to my friend's house few days ago . And -like what i said- she told me about the book , so i decided to read it . 'cause i liked the way she tells me about it . so I thought : You know what , lets give it a try !
I spend only a few days to finish it . I was so excited and i wanted to know what happened next . But I was really disappointed when i finish it . It was really GREAT ! But the end wasn't like what I expected . First, there was a Cleste in a camping trip with her 'classy' friends . then , her boyfriend wanted to scare them . after that, they heard a sound . And BOOM ! Nash was in the ground ! this don't even make since !
After the wired trip thing , they went to the school . But there was a guy who was sitting in Cleste's seat . He had a small fight with her friends . Suddenly , she was on the wood . He saved her from the wolfs . And they kissed eventually ! how this happened ??! After all that drama , Brando turns to a werewolf ?? how come this happened ??? No one knows for sure . And Cleste wanted to help him . Are you kidding me ?? where is the action ?? there was nothing new in this novel !! after the whole thing , They go out to a human\werewolf date ?? That was the most stupid thing i had ever heard !! And in the end , i mean the END , she had Brando and Nash was gone !! how the hell this happened ?? I mean , isn't Nash should find out about Brando and Cleste thing ?? This way the book will become better !! There was no unexpected things happened ! At all !!

My advice is : if you have nothing else to do , you can give this book a try ! But don't say I didn't worn you about the end !
xoxo(less)

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Oct 11, 2011 dontouchmychocolate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Screw it. This book...sucked.

What the hell was the plot of the story? A boy running around naked with a goatee, ripped abs and a sprinkling of hair? A girl avoiding her friends just cause she likes someone from the wrong side of town? WHAT?!

Celeste was an awful heroine. Disappointing. She couldn't stand up to her own tastes and just blurt it out to her buddies that she liked Brandon....all the way to the end of the book. Nada. Zilch.
It's utterly creepomondo that her friends were this clique-y c...more Screw it. This book...sucked.

What the hell was the plot of the story? A boy running around naked with a goatee, ripped abs and a sprinkling of hair? A girl avoiding her friends just cause she likes someone from the wrong side of town? WHAT?!

Celeste was an awful heroine. Disappointing. She couldn't stand up to her own tastes and just blurt it out to her buddies that she liked Brandon....all the way to the end of the book. Nada. Zilch.
It's utterly creepomondo that her friends were this clique-y circle that had their lives revolve around each other: they totally wanted to date each other in h.s., then totally go to college together, then totally get married, and probably all get knocked up at the same time.
Celeste cared too too much about what they thought of her that I wanted to smack her senseless. So what if they'll be pissed? You won't die from their rejection. If you do, at least you'll die happy with your 'true love'.
At some point, I was pretty convinced Celeste was ashamed to be seen with Brandon, although she said otherwise. Goddamnit, just say you like him!!

Her friends, I found, were pretty useless. Abby and Ivy, was it?
I mean, if Celeste had turned out to be a Lone Ranger main character without an entourage, the story would have still worked out great. Better, even. I don't know what value those girls brought to the story except a snobbish attitude and a missing dog who resembled a pumpkin.

I should have felt more towards Celeste and Brandon's relationship, but I didn't. They moved fast, their love was unconvincing, their interactions were strange (kissing a werewolf? Ack!) and her descriptions of their kisses was too fucking weird.

Brandon was the only character I liked, but he really didn't bring much to the table except an argument of back and forth of telling Celeste to stay away for her own good et cetera et cetera...
Perhaps I felt stuck in the mentality of Celeste being so bloody weak and annoying that she couldn't say it (dating Brandon) aloud and not give a rat's ass about who liked it or not, that I was unable to think of how cute and adorbs they were together.

Also, the werewolf phenomenon in the book was just shitty.
No danger? No beasty characteristics? No ferocious fangs that dripped with drool? The werewolf could still speak in a seductive tone at that? Had a sexy goatee? Huh? Bloody hell! I wanted a wolf that resembled that one on the show Being Human (UK)!!!
I felt cheated.

Lastly, I thought this was a self-published book by a teenager and then I read about the author and...........I'm just going to risk it and say that there was a lack of something impressive about the writing that left me wanting. Can't quite believe that she has bestsellers after reading this book.

There was nothing thrilling in the end of this one to make me want to read book two.(less)

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Oct 07, 2011 J.Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Sep 20, 2011 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who love romance books to no end and don't care about anything else in a book

Recommended to Rachel by: Found it at a library.

Shelves: just-a-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 26, 2011 Kate McMurry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolf, ya-fantasy, ya-paranormal, ya-paranormal-romance, young-adult-fantasy, young-adult-paranormal, young-adult-paranormal-romance

Werewolf romance for preteens and young teens

Celeste Parker has it all. She's a pretty girl who's dating the most popular boy at her high school, a handsome jock whose favorite hobby is playing scary pranks. She also has two wealthy best girlfriends who, like Celeste, live in the prosperous East Side of her town. She and her friends have nothing to do with the lowly Westsiders. They are social untouchables at school because their side of town still has the flavor of the rural community Celeste's...more Werewolf romance for preteens and young teens

Celeste Parker has it all. She's a pretty girl who's dating the most popular boy at her high school, a handsome jock whose favorite hobby is playing scary pranks. She also has two wealthy best girlfriends who, like Celeste, live in the prosperous East Side of her town. She and her friends have nothing to do with the lowly Westsiders. They are social untouchables at school because their side of town still has the flavor of the rural community Celeste's town used to be, before the development of the East Side as the suburban bedroom community of a nearby city.

Unfortunately, Celeste isn't in love with her great-catch boyfriend. Instead, she's magnetically drawn to gorgeous, mysterious Brandon, the new boy at school. She's afraid to act on that attraction though, because Brandon is a Westsider. No boy is worth giving up everything she has--especially her two Westsider-hating BFF's--in order to be with him. But when Brandon braves a blizzard to save Celeste from a pack of wolves in the woods near her town and is bitten in the process, Celeste can't resist getting romantically involved with her valiant rescuer. And her solution to her difficult social dilemma is to avoid it entirely by insisting that she and Brandon keep their relationship a secret. Brandon is so taken with her, that he agrees to this humiliating proposition with virtually no protest.

The heroine of this story lives basically four separate lives: Celeste Number One is a "go along to get along" girl who never makes waves and does whatever her stronger-willed, classist best friends propose. Keeping their approval is paramount in her life. Celeste Number Two is a kind, socially conscious person who loves working with old people and is very fulfilled volunteering at a local rest home. Celeste Number Three is in a romance of convenience with a rich, Eastsider boyfriend. Celeste Number Four has a secret Westsider boyfriend, a kind, sensitive boy whose whole life has been turned upside-down as a result of selflessly coming to Celeste's rescue.

I believe that if it there were no werewolf romance in this book, it would be classified as a "social drama," given the strong theme of the evils of class prejudice that dominates so much of this story. Ultimately, though, the the author puts the bulk of her focus on the paranormal romance.

That romance doesn't seem to be fully resolved in this book--no doubt because this is the beginning of a series. There is much more character development and growth that Celeste and Brandon need to achieve before this series comes to a triumphant close.

As for the paranormal portion of the story, I personally found the author's explanations of how werewolves are made to be somewhat confusing, and the appearance she has assigned to her werewolf is a bit odd. However, the author deserves praise for attempting to be original in her werewolf mythology, and it may well be that neither of these things will be an issue for the intended audience, which I believe is the younger end of the YA scale, preteens and teens between 11-14.

I have reached the star-ranking I gave to this book in this manner:
World building: 3
Writing: 5
Originality of werewolf concept: 4
Execution of main plot: 3
Execution of subplots: 4
Overall score: 4
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Jun 08, 2011 Mona rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-paranormal

If you’ve ever moved and become the new kid in town, you’ll be able to identify with the hero in this story. No matter how great your reputation was where you came from, none of it counts in a new town or new school. And that’s what happened to Brandon Maddox.

Before moving to Legend’s Run, Brandon was part of the “in crowd” - one of the boys all the girls wanted to date. But when he moved to Legend’s Run, no one knew his history. Now he lives with his grandparents on the wrong side of the tra...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: never-again, god-help-us-all

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So I was going to wait until tomorrow to do this review, but it can't wait. This thing needs to be put to justice. This has got to be THE worst book I have ever read in my entire life. And I've read some shitty books, my friends.

So we've got Celeste, who's a great character because even though she's super popular with shallow friends and a bland personality, it's ok because she volunteers in her spare time! So she's super kind-hearted, therefore a great protagonist! *insert exaggerated eye roll...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, I had heard both good and bad things about this book, I wont lie- mostly bad, but you know what, I enjoyed it very much. In this story we follow Celeste, she’s your typical teenage girl who’s trying to enjoy her boyfriend and at the same time survive HS. One day during her walk home from school, she gets lost in the woods and is attacked by wolves. Thankfully, Brandon (the new boy from school) happened to be around and he comes to her rescue by scaring of the wolves off, but not without a ba...more So, I had heard both good and bad things about this book, I wont lie- mostly bad, but you know what, I enjoyed it very much. In this story we follow Celeste, she’s your typical teenage girl who’s trying to enjoy her boyfriend and at the same time survive HS. One day during her walk home from school, she gets lost in the woods and is attacked by wolves. Thankfully, Brandon (the new boy from school) happened to be around and he comes to her rescue by scaring of the wolves off, but not without a battle scar; Brandon is bitten. Now, Legend’s Run is a very small town, and a very superstitious community. For hundreds of years there’s been a rumor running wild… you know what it is? You guessed it. Werewolves!... Well, eh, in reality it was the Wolf man.

That’s what I enjoyed about the book; although the story was familiar, it was completely different in its own way because it revolved around the wolf man (on two legs), not werewolves (on all fours). The scene’s were very well described, we had enjoyable characters- loved Brandon and I hated Nash. He was such a coward and he was utterly annoying! His idea of a date was taking his girlfriend to his sports practice? Um, no thanks! Celeste was a bit on the, “OMG are you BLIND?” side, but I cared for her as a character. Being the poor one in her little clique, I could easily relate to how hard she tried to get others to like her. I think we’ve all aimed to impress the wrong people. The relationship between Celeste and Brandon was slow but natural. It felt real and unrushed, although I do wish they had spend a bit more time trying to get to know more about one another, but since Brandon was bitten early in the relationship, they really didn’t have much time for 21 questions.

Overall, Once in a full moon was a good, enjoyable read. Some scene’s where a bit too-mushy, but what do you expect?! The main characters are High School kids whom like each other but are afraid to admit it in front of their friends. The ending was a bit… wierd. It kind of just ends… not like a typical ending- you’re in the middle of the scene and all of a sudden to turn the page only to find it blank. I was like, “WTH? That’s it?” but I guess the author was just setting up the town of Legend's Run and it's key players, giving us only a sample of what's to come... I look forward to more secrets being revealed in the next installment!(less)

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May 30, 2011 Amy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. (Im a spoiler!! -not that I want to be- ..Beware)

Wow..talk about segregation.Heres a thing you need to know when you read this book-the town is divided into two sections(East and West). Eastsiders live in rich homes,etc.. Westsiders live in agriculture, etc.They tend to keep to their own 'kind'.

“Beware of a kiss underthe full moon. It will change your life forever.” -Dr.Meadows

Ending:

Characters:

Celeste Parker: Eastsider,Nash's girlfriend,seventeen years-old, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood...more

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May 25, 2011 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Maja

Once in a Full Moon is a new novel by Ellen Schreiber, a writer, artist and former actress also known for her collection Vampire Kisses. Unlike her previous works dealing with vampires, this time, Ellen serves us with a werewolf in disguise.

The plot of Once in a Full Moon is rather simple; Celeste Parker is an ordinary girl in a relationship with Nash, a star jock who treats her well and sometimes neglects her. Celeste’s two best friends are popular...more Review brought to you by OBS staff member Maja

Once in a Full Moon is a new novel by Ellen Schreiber, a writer, artist and former actress also known for her collection Vampire Kisses. Unlike her previous works dealing with vampires, this time, Ellen serves us with a werewolf in disguise.

The plot of Once in a Full Moon is rather simple; Celeste Parker is an ordinary girl in a relationship with Nash, a star jock who treats her well and sometimes neglects her. Celeste’s two best friends are popular, snobbish, self-centered girls whose boyfriend’s also fit the jock profile. They all live in a small town called Legend’s Run divided by wealth and privilege and Celeste’s group automatically excludes anyone who lives on the wrong side of town. However nothing is what it seems as the ‘wrong side of town’ turns out to be (to Celeste’s great surprise) a more free, playful and charismatic place to live, full of freedom and genuine people. However, Celeste’s group dissipates as a new student comes into town called Brandon Maddox, isolated for his unprivileged background. He is charming, magnetic and mysterious and seems to develop an interest in Celeste, despite her over-bearing jock boyfriend.

The two start spending time together, as Celeste is drawn to the charismatic and enigmatic Brandon. Her boyfriend becomes more attentive, sensing Celeste’s attention has shifted to the newcomer. Coincidentally, wolves start gathering around Legend’s Run and at one point threaten Celeste. Brandon saves her and she realizes she is in love with him, Problems start when people start fearing a werewolf, as witnessed by a news reporter in Legend’s run. Brandon notices with horror that he is morphing into a beast every full moon and wonders whether to share his secret with Celeste. The ending offers an interesting turn as young lovers face a challenge – will Brandon’s secret bind them or set them apart?

If you’re eager to find out what happens, I suggest you read the book. I would warmly recommend it to young teenagers. The plot might not offer originality, since it is a fact that we are over-saturated with stories about vampires, werewolves and ghosts and teenage girls in love with monsters. However, Schreiber manages to create a simple yet engaging story using a limited vocabulary and quite simplistic words. On one hand, this may seem shallow and amateur, but on the other, she is writing about teenagers and is immersed in their small-town universe where one would barely expect an abstract language and Shakespearean sonnets. Bearing this in mind, this book can offer an entertaining diversion, especially if you are a young teenager yourself and enjoy the occult, mythologies and a good time around a campfire listening to stories about monsters in the dark and lovers in the moonlight.
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May 24, 2011 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, hs-copy, netgalley

Celeste has spent her life living on in Legend Run trying to fit in. She and her two best friends are dating three best friends and have formed the perfect group. Except that Celeste feels there should be more than just hanging out at the games, waiting on the guys. When Brandon moves to town Celeste feels an attraction that only grows after he saves her from a pack of wolves in the woods. Celeste is a mature young woman who willingly volunteers in a nursing home, and doesn’t want to share the p...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Avery rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am the sort of person who cannot not finish a book series no matter how much I may dislike reading it/ dread doing so/ no matter how many times I hold my head in my hands thinking to myself, "What in the world am I doing to myself?!?" and this is very much the case for author Ellen Schreiber's books. I was first introduced to Ellen as an author when "Vampire Kisses" (the first book in the "Vampire Kisses" series) was first released way back when. Since then I have read the other 8 books in the...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Marlena rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Holy... friggin... crap. That's what this was. Complete, utter crap. Who wrote this again? A chick who already has a best-selling series under her belt? Then what the hell was she thinking writing this!?

I wanted to hurl this at the wall about halfway through. It was that bad. The main character, I forgot what her name was, but she was the definition of a card-board cut-out character. She is nice, hangs with the popular crowd, and volunteers at the nursing home. Whoop-dee-doo, you are so original

...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Larissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Celeste had a life that was comfortable. She and her two best friends were dating the three most popular boys in school and although her boyfriend was handsome and popular she wasn't head over heals for him the way her friends where about their boyfriends. Truthfully she didn't think he was that head over heals for her either but the six of them did have fun hanging out together.

Brandon is new to Legend's Run, he is gorgeous and captivating and from the moment Celeste first saw him she couldn't...more

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About Ellen Schreiber

Before I took pen to paper, I was an actress. I attended a local university majoring in theatre and spent a summer in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where I learned about the “Old Bard” from amazingly talented teachers.

When I returned from London, I relocated to Chicago where I lived for five years. There, I graduated from the Second City Training Center and performed improv, Shakes...more Before I took pen to paper, I was an actress. I attended a local university majoring in theatre and spent a summer in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where I learned about the “Old Bard” from amazingly talented teachers.

When I returned from London, I relocated to Chicago where I lived for five years. There, I graduated from the Second City Training Center and performed improv, Shakespeare, comedies and dramas--I even sang and danced on a cruise boat--without falling in Lake Michigan! A classmate of mine from Second City and I created and performed a two woman show for a year before I braved it alone doing stand-up comedy. It was during this time I began to write an adult novel about a rock star--I had always enjoyed writing...

Fast forward a couple of years along with a move home where I was performing “stand-up” at comedy clubs in the area. On a plane to LA to decide my fate-- “to move to LA or not to move to LA” that is the question, my big bro, Mark, coincidentally with the same last name as mine (author of PRINCES IN EXILE, DREAMS OF THE SOLO TRAPEZE and STARCROSSED) handed me a young adult book he found at the library he thought I’d like to read during the flight.

As I read the book, I thought, ‘I can do this!’

I returned from LA, and instead of moving there, I wrote my story about the rock star as a young adult novel and called it JOHNNY LIGHTNING.
Mark, my writing mentor, edited JL for me. He was kind enough to send the manuscript to his publisher in Belgium--Facet--and they published it! In Dutch!

I was now on a new life path!

In 2001 HarperCollins made me an offer I couldn’t refuse! Not only was HarperCollins going to publish TEENAGE MERMAID, but it was in a language I could read and book stores I could walk into! HarperCollins also bought VAMPIRE KISSES and COMEDY GIRL.

It was a dream come true!

Since beginning my new life path, VAMPIRE KISSES, TEENAGE MERMAID, and MY MOTHER, THE CLOWN have been published by Facet in Belgium and JOHNNY LIGHTNING has been published in Germany by Ravensburger.

Then my fabulous editor at HarperCollins asked me for a sequel to VAMPIRE KISSES!
HarperCollins published VAMPIRE KISSES 2--KISSING COFFINS and now the soon to be released VAMPIRE KISSES 3--VAMPIREVILLE. I am currently writing VAMPIRE KISSES 4!

When I'm not writing about the love affair between vampire obsessed, goth girl Raven and my favorite mysterious dark-eyed hottie, Alexander Sterling, I enjoy working on my other novels, shopping for Hello Kitty items, and attempting to gain control of the remote from my boyfriend.(less)

More about Ellen Schreiber...

Books by Ellen Schreiber

Dance with a Vampire (Vampire Kisses, #4)

Vampire Kisses: The Beginning (Vampire Kisses, #1-3)

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