Review: Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Title: Moonglass
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Category:  Contemporary Romance
Release date: May 3rd, 2011
Pages: 232 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Won
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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 and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface. 


 While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Similar to Kirby's second novel, In Honor, Moonglass shows you the life of a teenage girl dealing with the loss of someone special.  Though Anna has lost her mom years ago when she was only seven, old family secrets begin to rise to the surface after she moves to a new town with her father.  Although the book does deal with some pretty heavy issues, it's not overemotional.  In fact, there's even a cute little romance woven into the story, but it doesn't overpower the true meaning of Moonglass.

I loved every bit of this story, from first uncovering Anna's grief about leaving the only home she knows to the unresolved feelings about her mother's death.  We learn that over the years, she stopped asking questions about her mother, so her dad stopped talking about it altogether.  When she learns that the place they moved to was the place where her parents first fell in love, emotions bubble up until she can't hide them anymore.  Along the way, she begins to find the answers to questions she'd never even imagine asking.

Even the smaller characters had larger roles than you'd first imagine upon their introductions.  Although Anna still had a little difficult opening up to anyone, I enjoyed being able to experience everything she thought or felt.  Even being able to watch the bond between her and her father grow felt special.  Of course, with the beach surrounding, characters constantly surfing and scuba diving to catch dinner and a romance with a lifeguard, you can say this is exactly the type of book that gets anyone in the mood for summer.

This author does a terrific job when it comes to writing about closure after death.  It's not always easy, but I was thoroughly surprised with both of her books.  Each ending leaves the reader with a sense of satisfaction.  Moonglass couldn't have been a better debut from Jessi Kirby.