Review: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
Publication Date: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Count: 435 pages
Format: ARC
Source: ALA Midwinter 2013
Goodreads | Books Inc.

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.
Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.
Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?
Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?
Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

This is the first Sarah Dessen book I've ever read and it was drastically different from what I expected. Emaline's struggles with finding herself outside of her long-term relationship is poignant and something I could easily relate to. Especially when driven, artistic Theo enters Emaline's life and things get out of hand, I felt like I couldn't understand Emaline any better. Sarah Dessen really captures the experience of moving from one stage of life to another without getting to heavy in content. The Moon and More is a great coming-of-age novel that touches on the universal theme of finding yourself. Whether you're a longtime Sarah Dessen fan or just starting to get yourself into her novels like I am, The Moon and More will blow you away with its wit and whimsy.
As someone who recently broke up with her boyfriend of almost six years, relating to Emaline's relationship struggles was easy for me. I understood what she was going through, moving away from her old life and moving toward another one. Emaline’s friends were also great side characters. I loved how Morris’s love for Emaline was unconditional and that no matter what happened he was always there for her. It was inspiring to see Morris grow as a character along with Emaline as well. The Moon and More really ended up being a great coming-of-age novel focusing on all the characters at once, not just Emaline. As my friend Sarah Dessen novel, The Moon and More has me hooked on Sarah’s writing and I can’t wait to pick up every single one of her other books!