Strawberry moon

by Joy M. Lilley

The Patterson family leaves the U.K. to begin a new life in France. St Severin, in the Dordogne, provides the backdrop for the family's new home and all of the life-changing obstacles they are about to encounter. Maisie, who is almost seventeen, narrates this unpredictable story. Maisie struggles as she experiences the changes of coming of age, the pain of loss, and the rollercoaster ride of competing love interests. Maisie's older brother, Dan, rebels over the move and frequently threatens to return to England when his studies are over. Dan starts an affair with a married French woman. After a few months in France, he goes missing which begins to unravel the family. What starts as an exciting move becomes more difficult with each passing chapter. Maisie is left navigating this complicated new world, all while trying to plan the rest of her adult life.

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2019

Reviews

[Rox Burkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Lilley delivers a coming-of-age mystery that delves into challenging issues from Maisie’s point of view. The Patterson family moved from England to France in 2010 for Dad to secure employment. Moving away from friends and connections as teens, present challenges for Maisie, nearly 16, and Dan, pushing 18. The house in France needs significant repairs, but high costs mean additional work by family members. Mr. Patterson provides general maintenance for the quaint community with distinctive yet needy neighbors.

The Patterson family faces significant issues that stem from anger at the move, lack of friends, and limited financial resources. When Dan goes missing, the family begins to fall apart in earnest. Later Dan’s body is discovered, and the speculation on his killer shifts the story’s pace into gear. Maisie finds her dreams of university study and independence at risk when her Mum is institutionalized for alcoholism. Elements of this dysfunctional family highlight excessive drinking, mental illness, and unresolved anger.

Fans of YA fiction could relate to Maisie’s future choices as she tries to become assertive. Several unanswered questions may get delivered in a subsequent sequel. I must admit I liked the cover, which caused me to purchase this book, but I wish it mapped closer to the story. Overall, the story uses complex characters who are memorable, but need additional dimension to further engage readers. I would be interested in your thoughts.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜 Blurb -
The Patterson family leaves the U.K. to begin a new life in France. St Severin, in the Dordogne, provides the backdrop for the family's new home and all of the life-changing obstacles they are about to encounter. Maisie, who is almost seventeen, narrates this unpredictable story. Maisie struggles as she experiences the changes of coming of age, the pain of loss, and the rollercoaster ride of competing love interests. Maisie's older brother, Dan, rebels over the move and frequently threatens to return to England when his studies are over. Dan starts an affair with a married French woman. After a few months in France, he goes missing which begins to unravel the family. What starts as an exciting move becomes more difficult with each passing chapter. Maisie is left navigating this complicated new world, all while trying to plan the rest of her adult life.
❤️ Review -
This was such a brilliantly written book. The author hooks you in from the very first page and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. The story was easy to follow, had good pacing and a great cast of characters. I enjoyed following Maisie's journey through the book and I just wanted her to be happy and feel settled. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💝 Thank you to the author, Joy M. Lilley for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a gentle story, which has a light charm all of it's own but, for me, lacked substance.

With a lack of jobs for Jack, redundant dad, in the UK, he heads off to France where he secures not only work but with accommodation included. Returning home to pack up, the Patterson family set of for the Dordogne region - Mum, Dad and two older teenagers. Whilst Dan and Maisie settle in to the culture and language more easily than they thought through attending school - but missing their friends and life back home - the adults struggle with everything thrown in their path. This story is told by sixteen-year-old Maisie.

This is a very easy read, but, I thought, a bit inconsistent. It includes a bit of a mystery, and I was disappointed in how that unfolded. Maisie's story blew a bit hot and cold, but was a nice read. Having said that, I don't think I'm really the target audience for this one. Overall, there is merit in this novel but, in my opinion, a little editing would make it sharper and eliminate the few errors that there are. The basis of a good story is there though, and after considerable thought I've settled on 2.5*.

My thanks to the author for providing my copy. As always, all opinions are strictly honest and entirely my own.

[TMDGReviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the cover of the book. It's enticing. I did find the smallest piece of the story related to the cover and title- Maisie described the moon when tragedy struck her family. I felt the book dragged on much longer than necessary, and even though there were parts that captured my interest for a minute, and I thought, "here we go; something is going to happen," nothing came of it. No questions were answered, and no resolutions evolved. I didn't care for Maisie or her constant fizzling and straying affections. Her mother's addiction/mental illness and her belief that she'd committed murder led to a confession, a possibly great angle that ended before it began. Was Gange the man Maisie had seen on the canal? Was Maisie's 'accident' really an accident, and if it wasn't, did someone attack her to end her questions about the murder? Why was Ralph hinted at as an alternate suspect? Why was Franz injected into the story buzzing around at the end with no real explanation? There were too many very long, slow passages that forced me to step away from the book. Perhaps the author has a sequel planned that will answer some questions, but I felt dragged in circles without any satisfaction. It is in dire need of editing and proofreading.

[Balroop Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder why this book is entitled Strawberry Moon! Having a misleading title that doesn’t connect with any of the events in the story, this book has a weak plot but is quite readable and keeps the suspense alive by digressing a thousand times and still not arriving at any tangible solution to the so called “life-changing obstacles.” It goes round and round in circles, ending at the same spot. Probably Lilley has a sequel in mind but most of the books that run into series conclude in a satisfying manner. I kept waiting for the revelations that deserve to be disclosed but was disappointed in the end.

Is it a family saga or a murder mystery? Or just dwells on the travails of growing up from the eyes of a teenager – the author seems as confused as her protagonist Maisie. Everyday problems are thrown in as fillers. None of the characters appear strong enough to handle the challenges. Even Maisie’s stoic father banks on his daughter who is struggling to spread her wings and study further. Franz comes in as a wild card addition to the maze. A careful editing is required for this book.

[D.L. Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Maisie and her family move from the U.K. to France for her father’s work. I loved where they lived, the culture, and the countryside surrounding their community. It drew me into that part of the book. The house they move into is run down with part of the roof missing. The family makes the best of it, but tragedy strikes when her brother disappears. The story moved at a faster pace after Maisie’s brother went missing. Although there was a mystery, I found the aftermath of that event more dominate for Maisie and her family. Maisie seemed rather mature for her age, but she was strong-willed and as confused as a teenager would be. I rooted for her but didn’t fully connect with her until halfway through. I liked some subjects covered, including alcoholism and drinking and driving. “Strawberry Moon” crossed the line once, at least for me as a YA read, along with a reaction that I wished had more reflection on Maisie’s part. Still, this story held my interest until the last page. I’m hoping there’s a second book to resolve all those unanswered questions.

[Claire - TheBookendReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a mysterious, coming of age novel following a family relocating to another country and dealing with what life threw at them, including the traumatic experience of losing a loved one.

I loved the fact this book was set in France, I rarely read anything set outside of the UK or US so it made a lovely change. The author's description of the scenery and surrounding areas really made you feel like you were there, living and breathing it.

The suspense was held until the very last page, and although there was a mystery to be solved the novel also focused on how the characters coped and continued living after a tragedy.

I did find however, that some of the vocabulary used for a 16 year old was rather mature and probably wouldn't have been spoken in the setting of 2010. This did lead me to struggle at times.

I did enjoy this book however, even if it was a slower read than usual for me.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

This novel beautifully captures the highs and lows of the Patterson family's move to rural France, seen through the eyes of nearly seventeen-year-old Maisie.
the story deftly portrays Maisie’s coming-of-age journey, filled with the excitement of first love, the heartbreak of family struggles, and the pain of unexpected loss. The dynamic between Maisie and her brother, Dan, who rebels against their new life in France and finds himself entangled in a risky affair, adds depth to the family’s unraveling and pulls readers into the emotional turmoil. Maisie’s voice is relatable and engaging, offering insight into the challenges of growing up while trying to keep a fractured family together. With each chapter, the initial charm of their adventure gives way to a poignant exploration of resilience, growth, and the desire to find stability in a world that keeps shifting. A moving read that balances youthful passion with the complexities of family bonds.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the different results is the definition of insanity according to Einstein.
But let me tell you something: I’m rereading this book for third time and each time I read, I love it more and catch another detail and change my thoughts about some of the characters. It’s getting better like aged wine! So if it makes you insane to enjoy this book over and over again, I happily accept this definition as another personality trait!
And I must gush over the writing because that's honestly what held me captive most: Witty, intelligent, insightful, descriptive, original and deliciously wicked.
It was a remarkable reading. Great atmosphere where you feel as trapped into the essence of the book.
The characters felt well fleshed out and the plot was intriguing throughout. I definitely recommend it!!

[Deborah Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family in chaos in a foreign country

This beautiful Strawberry Moon keeps you guessing with every turn of the page! Joy M. Lilley is a master storyteller. The reader may think they have an inkling of what is to come, who is the protagonist and antagonist, who are the "good guys", but nothing and no one is exactly what they seem. Lilley is true to her craft, piecing the story together seemingly in unrelated scene-dominated, dramatic events. "No spoilers here." The craftsmanship that went into Strawberry Moon gives the reader a story and an ending that catches your breath, touches your emotions, and fulfills expectations beyond your imagination . Well done!

[Karen Ingalls · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story kept my interest in the first half but after that I was confused. The main character, Maisie was a complicated young girl who could not make up her mind, come to grip with her feelings, nor find peace in her love interests. The manner that her brother's murder was handled appeared unrealistic, the poor handling of the mother's alcoholism, and the purpose of the character, Franz? There were several editing issues and the ending was very disappointing. I read to the last page hoping my confusion would be cleared.

[Charles Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know those books that you really want to like, but as the story progresses, you just don't? Sadly, Strawberry Moon was that book for me. Joy is a great author, but for some reason, I just couldn't connect with this story. It started out interesting, but then it became a series of unfortunate events, and featured odd love interests for a teenage girl. As I read, I came upon several passages where I thought, oh, here we go, this is where it's gonna hit hard, but nope. I'm still unsure who the murderer was. I can't like them all.

[Karen's World · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very kindly given this book by the author for a review as she sometimes attends the events that the writing group Write By The Sea put on in Folkestone. I thought this story was very good and well written. The characters were matched so exactly to the story, so keeping me turning those pages to see what happens next. I feel there could be another book to see what happened further down the line, which I would love to know. Well recommended.