Review: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

First line: It took a moment for Emily to realize the car had come to a stop.

From the back cover: Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across  the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, not only wishing to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also dreaming of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

My thoughts: This is the second book by Sarah Addison Allen that I’ve read and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I loved this story. It is a light, quick read with just a bit of magic woven throughout – I read it in one afternoon.

The story is centered around two women – Emily, who returns to her late
mother’s hometown searching for information about the mysteries of her
family; and Julia, a woman who grew up and went away from the same hometown,
only to return with an enchanting talent for baking cakes and pies so
sweet that people can actually “see” how good they smell. There’s even a nice mystery, as the secrets about the town are
teased and finally revealed

This fabulous, wonderful, engaging book had me from the first page. It explores how the past and the future can loop and how each new generation has the opportunity to fix old wrongs. There’s an element of a fairy tale in Sarah Addison Allen’s writing, and yet she manages
to tackle some pretty significant issues in this story. And while I am not normally a fan of anything having to do with magic, there is just enough in this book that it almost allows you to suspend reality and believe it could happen. It just has that quality of being a sweet, fairy-tale-like story.

I will certainly be picking up more books by Sarah Addison Allen. Have you read anything by her? What’s your favorite?

 

(I received this book as a gift.)

Discover the Author:

Website /    Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads


Purchase the Book:

Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble

 

 

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12 Comments

  1. sawcat
    April 28, 2012 / 11:02 pm

    I've read Garden Spells and The Peach Keeper, and the former was by far a better book. I'd love a try like that! I've been told this, The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells are three of her best

    • Kristin
      April 29, 2012 / 12:14 am

      I have Garden Spells on my tbr list – I'm hoping to get it on audio the next time I go to the library.

  2. Mary (Bookfan)
    April 29, 2012 / 1:34 am

    I've read all of her novels. I think my favorites are Garden Spells and The Peach Keeper but really, I've enjoyed them all.

    • Kristin
      April 29, 2012 / 11:15 am

      I enjoyed The Peach Keeper – hoping to get Garden Spells soon.

  3. Kate @Midnight Book Girl
    April 29, 2012 / 6:30 pm

    I love her books! She's just amazing, and she won me over from her first novel Garden Spells. Thankfully, all of her books was wonderful. I really dig her brand of magical realism.

    • Kristin
      April 29, 2012 / 7:15 pm

      I do, too and I am not usually a fan of that stuff. I'm hoping my library has Garden Spells in so I can get it the next time I'm there.

  4. Christina T
    April 30, 2012 / 12:31 pm

    I started with reading The Peach Keeper and then I read Garden Spells and I liked both. I really like that the books are more than a romance. I also enjoy the use of food and the descriptions.

    I am really excited about trying this one and I hope to read it this summer. Thanks for your review!

    • Kristin
      April 30, 2012 / 2:57 pm

      Be forewarned – you might be able to read this one in one afternoon – it goes by very quickly! I liked The Peach Keeper, too and still need to read Garden Spells.

  5. Bonnie
    April 30, 2012 / 2:56 pm

    This was the first book that I read by Sarah Addison Allen (followed by The Peach Keeper) and like you she is up there with my favourite authors. Her books always leave me feeling so light and happy, and that is getting to be a rare quality in an author!

    I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it Kristin – I think it is time for me to pick up another one of her books soon! 😀

    Bonnie @ wordsathome.ca

    • Kristin
      April 30, 2012 / 2:58 pm

      I am hoping Garden Spells will be in at the library when I go later this week!

  6. Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer
    April 30, 2012 / 6:43 pm

    I adore Sarah Addison Allen, my friend in North Carolina has met her, and says she is the sweetest most down to earth author she has ever met. My personal favorite is Garden Spells. Allen is on my pre-order list..love your thoughts on The Girl Who Chased the Moon.

    • Kristin
      April 30, 2012 / 6:45 pm

      I would imagine she would be a sweet person – just as all her books appear to be sweet stories! I still need to read Garden Spells – hoping to get it at the library soon.