Moon and Back Pages

The Beauty of the End

2019-02-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

This book receives a full moon!

Debbie Howells', The Beauty of the End, is a masterful mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Noah Calaway, an ex-lawyer turned author, has lived an isolated life until he gets a call that the woman he almost married is in trouble. Comatose in a hospital bed, the suspect of a murder investigation, and therefore unable to defend herself, April Moon is in need of his help. Noah is certain that April is innocent, so he dusts off his lawyer's credentials and skillset as he travels to begin an investigation of his own.

As Noah delves into both the present investigation as well as his memories of the past, Ella, a teenage girl is working through her own family troubles with her newest therapist. Initially, Ella's story seems irrelevant to the main arc of the novel, yet as the investigation grows more intense, the two stories become more apparently intertwined until the final revelation occurs.

The narrative of The Beauty of the End jumps around between Noah's present day experiences, Ella's story, and flashbacks to Noah's past memories of April. Although a slight bit confusing at first, as one reads further into the novel, the ways in which these story arcs intertwine add greatly to the thrill of trying to determine the truth of the situation. Even in the beginning, without truly understanding the purpose of each arc, Howells' prose is highly engaging and draws the reader in to care about the characters even before their relevance is revealed.

Unlike many mystery novels, The Beauty of the End does not drop obvious clues as to the resolution over the course of the story. Instead, the reader is drawn in to become part of the story alongside Noah as he researches and eventually discovers the final truth. This style drives the suspense to feel more real which gives the novel a building inability to be put down.

If you enjoy mystery novels where you are easily able to discern the solution and just wish to read along and watch the characters come to the same conclusion, then this novel is not your style. However, if you are looking for a mystery in which you can delve into the story and discover the truth alongside the characters, then The Beauty of the End is a thrilling novel you will certainly enjoy.

Here's hoping you'll love it to the moon and back!

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Shadow Prowler

2019-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

This book receives a waxing gibbous.

Shadow Prowler is the thrilling introduction to Shadow Harold’s quest to save the world from the Nameless One. A traditional high fantasy novel filled with wizards, elves, orcs, warriors, and other mythological creatures, this first installment of the Chronicles of Siala Trilogy employs a lot of the common fantasy elements. Although it does not introduce a lot of revolutionary ideas or creatures, the novel still crafts an excellent story using the tried and true facets of fantasy literature.

Shadow Harold, the unwilling hero, is a master thief who only takes on the quest because his only alternative is life imprisonment. He is tasked with attempting to retrieve the Rainbow Horn from Hrad Spein, an underground burial labyrinth full of ancient magic and dangerous traps. This is a feat no wizard has returned from with their sanity intact, let alone their life.

Before the journey to Hrad Spein can begin, Harold takes multiple risks that land him with some unlikely allies who enable him to retrieve vital information for his quest. Once the journey begins, he is traveling with a diverse group of warriors, along with an Elfin Princess, and the king's goblin jester, all of whom will play a vital part in Harold's survival to even have a chance of retrieving the Horn.

As this novel is translated from Russian, some of the writing is a bit awkward or stilted, but not to the point where it truly distracts from the reader's ability to enjoy the story. On the whole, the story flows well, and Pehov does a good job of setting the stakes and engaging the reader in Harold's reluctant quest.

Although Shadow Prowler contains a lot of the common, even cliche, fantasy elements, the actual storyline is thoroughly engaging and puts a creative spin on the traditional. If you're looking for a groundbreaking fantasy novel that has a unique, unparalleled plot line, then this novel is probably not for you. However, if you love traditional fantasy and are looking to experience a different world, then Pehov does a wonderful job of crafting an intricate story that high fantasy fans will certainly enjoy.

Here's hoping you'll love it to the moon and back!

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Ellie Everlasting

2019-02-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

This book receives a waxing gibbous.

Ellie Everlasting tells the compelling story of how an eighteen year old girl moves past her tragic murder. To her disbelief she awakens in Neverland, where she learns that her favorite childhood story and its characters are real. Meanwhile, her friends and family left behind on Earth now face their own struggles with overcoming Ellie's death. The tales from life and death intertwine to craft a spellbinding tale.

The novel starts off with an engaging bang, jumping right into the action of Ellie's story. Scheck does a good job of making Ellie's murderer seem trustworthy from Ellie and Olivia's, Ellie's girlfriend's, perspective while also giving the reader insight beyond what the characters possess. In addition, as the story progresses and more is revealed about all of the characters, it becomes easier to empathize with and understand the murderer. For some readers, he may never be truly likable, but he is able to redeem himself, at least in part.

As the story unfolds, it grows beyond just the murder of one girl to encompass the fate of not just Neverland, but parts of Earth as well. Ellie is a large part of this, but as the problems grow beyond her own personal experience, she too begins to grow. By the end of the novel, Ellie may still be eighteen, but she has learned and experienced much that has propelled her beyond her age.

Although the writing style is sometimes a bit clunky and though some elements of the story are introduced in a confusing manner, overall, those minor flaws do not take much away from the experience of the novel as a whole. Because the story is relatable, even nostalgic for some, by speaking to the reader's inner child, one is too captivated by the unfolding events to be too distracted by those few flaws.

On the other hand, prior knowledge of Neverland and the story of Peter Pan is not necessary to enjoy this novel. Scheck does a wonderful job of interweaving the background with the story she is telling that one does not feel lost without knowledge of Peter Pan. After all, the story is, first and foremost, about Ellie, so the focus on her is well-balanced.

This novel ends in a bit of a cliche manner, however, that does not ruin the experience of the story. The conclusion is still a satisfying wrap placed on the entire story, even if the presentation may not be to every individual reader's liking. On the whole, if you are looking for a book that is deeply thought-provoking with complex prose, then this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for a book that transports you to a whole other world and reminds you of your childhood, then Ellie Everlasting is definitely the book for you.

Here's hoping you'll love it to the moon and back!

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Rating System

2019-01-16T06:37:00.002-08:00

The idea for this blog came from the phrase: "I love you to the moon and back". Because of that, rather than using a standard, and boring, rating system of numbers or stars, I will be giving each book I review a moon phase rating. Those ratings will be one of these five: crescent, waxing crescent, waxing half moon, waxing gibbous, and full moon.

The full moon will be equivalent to a 5-star rating or a 10 on a standard scale of 1-10.

The waxing gibbous will be like a 4-star rating or anywhere from a 7-9 on a scale of 1-10.

The waxing half moon will be the same as a 3-star rating or a 5-6 on a scale of 1-10.

The waxing crescent will be equivalent to a 2-star rating or a 3-4 on a scale of 1-10.

And the crescent will be similar to a 1-star rating or a 1-2 on a scale of 1-10.

I have chosen not to use the new moon as part of the rating system because I feel that the new moon would be equivalent to a 0 in either rating style described above. No matter how much I may not like a book, nor how much I feel like the story and writing needs improvement (up to even needing a full rewrite), I do not believe that anyone who put in the effort to complete a book deserves a 0 for a rating. The time and investment alone deserves the bare minimum for a rating because regardless of quality of the content, they still took the step to try which is more than many people will ever do.

As always, I hope I'll be able to help you find the next book that you'll love to the moon and back.

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Welcome to Moon and Back Pages!

2018-12-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

If you're here because you like books and enjoy reading, then you're in the right place! My name is Alysia Ascovani, and I'm an author and avid reader. On this blog, I will be posting mainly book reviews and other content related to books written by people other than myself, however, if you are interested in seeing my personal work, check out my personal blog: Unveiled Pages.

For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed reading, in fact, you might say I love reading to the moon and back!

Although, like most people who love books, not every book is as great as I'd like it to have been. So, to help inform fellow readers as to which books could be worth a shot, which books are definite must reads, and which books are probably best avoided, I've decided to start this book review blog.

As I believe that all authors deserve a chance, whether self-published in print or online, or traditionally published, I will read and review any book. If you're an author, and you'd like a review, don't be shy! I'd love to hear from you and would love to review your book, just contact me either by email or on social media.

As this blog is going to be for all you readers out there, I'd love to hear from you. If there's a book, you'd like me to review, a story you'd like to share about a book you read, a book you do or don't recommend, or anything at all you want to say, leave a comment! I read all comments, and will do my best to respond to every single comment, regardless of its content.

Whether you've loved reading for a long time, or are just starting out as a reader, I hope I will be able to help you decide what your next read is going to be!

And I hope you'll love it to the moon and back!