Once in a Full Moon

October 8, 2010 Heidi ARC, Book Review 1

Once in a Full Moon

by: Ellen Schreiber

Review from ARC ebook. Publication date 12/28/10.

About the book:(from marketing copy)

Celeste hangs with the popular crowd at Legend’s Run High and is being wooed byNash Hunter, the football quarterback, but doesn’t really feel that she belongs. She only comes in contact with the new and enigmatic student, Brandon Maddox, when she passes him in classes, the hallway, and at lunch, but she suspects there is something different about him other than that he is a Westsider and comes from the wrong side of town.

On a dare, Celeste and her friends go to a psychic’s shop for a reading. When it is Celeste’s turn for a fortune, the psychic grabs Celeste’s hands and warns, “Beware of a kiss under the full moon.” Celeste and her friends laugh and mock the fortune teller. But on her way home from their outing, Celeste is blinded by a blizzard. Disoriented, she finds herself deep in the woods bordering town. She is overcome by snowfall and unable to see anything. Above her hovers the glow of a full moon. Just then, she sees beady eyes staring back through the falling flakes. She finds herself in the midst of a pack of hungry wolves. The wolves begin to howl. She can’t outrun them, and the shortest tree branch is out of reach. They slowly approach her. At the last moment, a stranger pulls her from the hungry pack. He grabs a branch and fights the pack of wolves until they retreat. In the scuffle the stranger is bitten. It is Brandon Maddox.

Celeste is enamored by her hero and can’t get him out of her mind. Where Nash is a hero on the field and court, Brandon is a hero in reality. Celeste steals away from her friends to find Brandon, and they meet on a hilltop near his home. A cloudy sky lingers above them, and Celeste realizes she has fallen in love with a Westsider. But in the next few moments, Celeste will face an even bigger challenge than falling for a guy from the wrong side of town. As the two lean in to kiss, the clouds pass, exposing the glow of a full moon. Brandon feels strange and pulls away. Something is about to change-him.

My thoughts:

You may know Schreiber from her Vampire Kisses series. Once in a Full Moon is very similar in tone. You have the girl who doesn’t quite fit in, who longs for something more. Enter: new boy… handsome, kind, different from everyone she knows. Mix in jock boy and supernatural elements. It’s a bit cliche but still a fun read. The characters and plot weren’t all that developed. I couldn’t get in to the deep abiding love that Celeste has for Brandon when they’ve never really had a conversation. Also, the dialogue didn’t seem to reflect how teens talk. For example, “I was so fatigued and cold, I welcomed her care.” I just don’t see my students saying that. Still, I know my middle schoolers will eat this book up and wait impatiently for the next one! Overall, an enjoyable read even though the quality isn’t on par with other YA lit out there. Give it a try if you really love supernatural or werewolf stories.