Bookinistas: MOONGLASS

It's no secret that I'm in love with Sarah Dessen. I've been working my way through each of her novels this past year (just finished another yesterday, actually). So when I saw Sarah Dessen's blurb on the front cover and read the name-drop in Kirkus, I was ALL over this book. And, of course, Jessi is one of the nicest people on the face of the planet, so that didn't hurt either.

What the back cover has to say:

When Anna was little, she and her mother used to search for sea glass, but since they looked at night, they called it moonglass. Now, ten years after her mother's mysterious death, her father is working as head lifeguard on the same beach where her mother grew up and her parents first met and fell in love.

Reluctant to get close to anyone (including her father) and not pleased about having to start at a new school, Anna begins to spend more time alone, running the length of the beach and wondering about who her mother really was. After meeting a lifeguard named Tyler, she slowly lets her guard down and together they start exploring the abandoned houses that dot the beach.

But when learning more about her mother's past leads to a painful discovery, Anna must reconcile her desire for solitude with ultimately accepting the love of her family and friends.

What Lila has to say:

Oh, I loved this one. The setting plays a huge role in the story and there's nothing I love more than a beachfront setting. The fact that the setting is integral to Anna's journey is a huge bonus for me. Not only does it contribute to the memories of her mother, but it plays a very important part in the discoveries she makes in regards to her mother's mysterious death.

And the beach is significant in other ways as well. It's intertwined in her dad's history (one particular scene Jessi wrote involves Anna's parents and the beach and is my favorite of the book) as well as the life of another haunted character, who was absolutely fascinating.

But at its core, this book is about finding your own way, growing up, coming to terms, remembering, moving forward--all of those themes I enjoy so much in a novel. It's sweet, it has heart, it's romantic, it's sad, it's a little bit of everything and I would highly recommend checking it out! You won't be disappointed.

Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week!

• Shelli Johannes-Wells gives us THE ROYAL TREATMENT
• Elana Johnson hosts a blog tour stop for 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS with a giveaway
• Shannon Messenger adores THE DAY BEFORE plus a giveaway
• Carolina Valdez Miller is passionate about POSSESSION and gives away an ARC
• Beth Revis shares some SOLSTICE cover love
• Lisa and Laura Roecker and Stasia Ward Kehoe marvel over MOONGLASS
• Megan Miranda and Veronica Rossi delve into DIVERGENT
• Shana Silver shows her desire for DEMONGLASS
• Carrie Harris is PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE
• Sarah Frances Hardy wants to be just LIKE MANDARIN