11/05/2012

Review and Giveaway: Black Moon by Jessica McQuay

Black Moon by Jessica McQuay.
Paige Tailor Series #1.
ebook, 279 pages.
Paperback published in October.
Published by Cambridge Press.

I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Goodreads Summary:
"Am I losing my mind?"

Paige couldn't help but question her sanity. What other explanation could there be for her hearing a conversation held barely above a whisper in the back of a classroom full of students? What about coming home to find one of those very classmates lying in wait in the darkness of her home, ready to attack her? 

Confused, frustrated and feeling every ounce of her social ostracism, Paige confides in the one person she's always been able to count on: her mom. But when her mom reveals a deeply rooted, unbelievable family secret, Paige discovers her world is filled with more than she ever imagined possible. A world where fairytales live alongside nightmares and secrets are the glue that binds them together. Suddenly no one is who they seem and Paige is faced with more questions than answers. Can she survive in a world filled with creatures scarier than anything she could imagine and where deceit runs as thick as blood? Or will the truth send her over the edge?



Right from the beginning of the book, we've got mystery. Paige Tailor would just be your average teenager, except for the white lights that glow from her hands and her ability to hear a whispered conversation from across a classroom. The story only picks up from there, with Paige being attacked in and around her own home by a seemingly crazed classmate, Rachel (who has her own little story woven into this one in select chapters, which is interesting!). When she finally tells her mother what happens, Paige gets the shock of a lifetime: her mother is full-blood Fae, making Paige a half-blood. They travel to Varulean, the home of the Fae and her grandparents' kingdom, where Paige learns she is the granddaughter of the ruling King and Queen and will be taught how to use her wild powers. As she discovers, being a royal can get complicated, as can being a teenage girl. Put them together, and Paige ends up with a lot on her plate!

There is a lot to enjoy about this book. The plot is fairly fast-paced and has tons of unexpected twists and turns. As a reader, I felt as shocked as Paige did at some of the incredible things she learns. This is definitely not a predictable story, which is refreshing! Just when you think things will begin to clear up and make sense, the author throws another twist at you!

Paige is quite the character. We get a real sense of who she is right from the very beginning and she continuously develops as the story progresses. Early on, it appears she is fairly level-headed, even when worried or confused. However, once she gets to Varulean, she has a hot head and a quick temper, which likely comes out due to the abrupt change in world she experiences. Certainly going through everything she does would be too much for many to handle! Paige is not afraid to express herself and is very outspoken, which I admire, despite it sometimes coming off as rude. She also remains very much a typical teenager through the story; losing her cool when things go wrong, and not wanting to be her mother's "tag along". Not to mention the interesting, shifting dynamic between her and Naialah, whom she meets in Verulean, which never fails to be interesting and rile up emotions on both parts!

There is definitely an awkward family dynamic among Paige and her newly-discovered grandparents with her mother caught in the middle. This adds a sense of truth to the story because they do not immediately form one big, happy family when their ways and customs are so completely different.

I absolutely love the world-building. Varulean is presented as an absolutely enchanting place, with moss-like soil, an abundance of flourishing nature, and vibrantly coloured plants like you wouldn't see on Earth. I really appreciate that some history and description of Varulean is woven into the story, as it helps bring it to life. The magic in the novel is also incredible. The author describes things I've never imagined before, and it all sounds incredible fluid and unique.

There were a few things that didn't impress me as much. Firstly, that there were some errors in the writing as well as some awkward phrasings that should have been caught by an editor (which is who I am blaming for those!), though I was able to enjoy the story despite them. There were also moments where I wished there was better indication of who was speaking the dialogue. I am glad to say that this did improve over the course of the novel. I was also very interested in the side story that was going on with Rachel and was disappointed to find it disappear when Paige went to Varulean (though that's not the last time we see Rachel, thankfully).

There were definitely lots of enjoyable things about this novel! Those who enjoy magic would likely find something to love about this one. Especially the very climactic ending! It wasn't too much of a cliffhanger, thankfully, though there is definitely material for the next book in the series! It got me wondering what would happen next without feeling like the individual novel is completely unfinished, which is how I feel books in a series should end!

Overall I give Black Moon: 
3.5 stars!

I wrote down one of my favourite quotations from the novel which I found really helped highlight that despite all she experiences, Paige is still just a teenage girl, and things can get overwhelming:
"I grabbed my pillow, covered my face and screamed as loudly as I could. I screamed for the old me and my old life and all that I knew slipping away. I screamed for this new person with all of these new ideas and for how little control I felt I had over my own life... I screamed because I couldn't think of anything else to do." - Paige. (p71 of PDF copy).

Jessica McQuay has kindly agreed to provide one signed paperback copy to a lucky reader! Open Internationally! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. The winner will be emailed and announced on Twitter and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will pick another winner.

Please note that I am not responsible for shipping the prize, the author will be doing so. She is not responsible for any packages that get lost or damaged in the mail.

Good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

26 comments:

  1. What is your favourite paranormal novel?

    ,,Beautiful creatures" by by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl and ,,Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.

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    1. Beautiful Creatures is on my to-read list! Good to know you really enjoyed it!

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  2. I would like to thank you so much for this fantastic book giveaway, that i would love to have the oportunity of reading. In response to your brilliant question, i would have to say that my favorite paranormal novel is 'blood song' by Rhiannon Hart. Thank you once again x

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    1. I can't say I know this one. I'll look it up :) Thank you!

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  3. My favourite is probably Vampire Academy. Thanks for the great giveaway!!

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    1. I've heard a lot about the series. Maybe I should finally get around to reading it! Every time I see the first book, all I can think is how similar the cover model looks to Angelina Jolie!

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  4. What an intriguing cover! I like stories with twists and turns so I guess I will enjoy this. Thank you for the giveaway! :)

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  5. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

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    1. Ah, one that I have read! Thank you for sharing :)

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  6. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, thank you for the giveaway!
    Artemis

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    1. I don't believe I've heard of that one... I'll have to go check it out!

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  7. Ooh, that's a tough question.
    Sooooo.... I'm gonna go with Anna Dressed in Blood since that's the one that comes to mind at the moment. :)

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    1. I have heard so many good things about that one! I suppose I should pick it up, shouldn't I? :)

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  8. This does look like a really good book and I added it to my Goodreads TBR. As for my favorite paranormal novel there are too many to narrow it down to my favorite. Some of my favorites are the Vampire Academy series, the Kate Daniels series, the Mercedes Thompson series, the Jessie Shimmer series and the Breed series. It is kind of like trying to pick your favorite child or which body part you want to part with.

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    1. Hahaha that's a great comparison! I'm sorry to have put you in such a tough spot with my question!

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  9. My fave Paranormal novel would be anything with Werewolves in it. Yes I read any type of Werewolf Novel out there because I just love Werewolves so much! Thanks for the great giveaway!

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    1. Ahh yes, werewolves are popular! I think you would enjoy Black Moon... trust me on this ;)

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  10. Wow! Let's see I love Of Poseidon, it was funny and action-packed at the same time. :D

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    1. I've seen mixed reviews of that one but I'm still planning on reading it! Good to hear another positive one :)

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  11. Starcrossed by Josephini Angelini

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    1. That's one I only discovered recently but really want to get my hands on!

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  12. Hmm...hard to say. I think "Twilight" stands out in my mind. But any of the Anita Blake books by Laurel K. Hamilton stand out as well. :)

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    1. Ah, Anita Blake. I've heard such good things. I think those will definitely come for me in the future!

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  13. Oooo, cool cover! I like the summary - "Am I losing my mind?" is a fabulous opener! I am sooo not a huge fan of the name "Paige" though. I judge whether or not I want to read a book by its synopsis, cover, AND characters' names. I can't read books with atrocious names, unless they are names that go with the fantasy world (like, made-up names that are supposed to be strange because they are of the fantasy world). Anyway. Great review! :)

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    1. Haha you and your names! I think that even if you don't like the name Paige, this one is worth trying. It definitely had a fantastic opening and was a really good story. Give it a shot! :)

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I'd love to hear what you think!