Moonstone

Shadowlark

Shadowlark padded up to the moonstone to get her nine lives and new name. She touches her nose to it and instantly falls asleep. When she opens her eyes she finds herself surrounded by nine cats, all who had stars in their fur. The first one pads forward. "Mother!" Shadowlark purrs as the grey she-cat aproached. "With this life i give you fairness. Use it to find justice." She said as her nose touched her fur. Shadowlark dropped to the ground, spasms of pain going through her body. This happens eight more times. Her second life, courage, was given by her brother. Her third life, nobility, was given by her father. Her fourth life, energy, was given by her mate. Her fifth life, protection, was given by her kit Birdkit. Her sixth life, love, was given by her sister. Her seventh life, honesty, was given by her kit Feaherkit. Her eighth life, proudness, was given by her kit Stormkit. Her ninth life, to be able to be ready for battle at any moment(couldnt think of a single word), was given by Deathstar. The cats around her chant out "Shadowstar! Shadowstar!" She wakes up, feeling a mixture of exictment, happiness, sadness, and nerviousness, pads away back to fearclan.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Mosspaw

Ok now u r just being mean! Really i bet u say yes to cats all the time! Wait why am i asking u to join starclan? When u die u go to starclan anyway! Ha in ur face im in starclan!
-mosspaw

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

DEAREST STARCLAN....

We need your power here in dearest redblossomclan...for blazingecho is the new co-leader alongside me, and he needs his nine lives...please grant himthis gift......fiercestar

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Moonstone was an okay book It has the potential to be really goo

Moonstone was an okay book It has the potential to be really good as long as the characters grow throughout the rest of the books. The story is pretty simple. It basically involves Allie discovering her powers and trying to keep away from bad people. There are really no twists or turns in the book it’s all pretty much straight forward.

Allie (aka Alfreida Carlotta) lives with her mother who is faking an Illness to get money from the state because she refuses to get a job. If that's not bad enough, she lands in the field with Blaster the bull and he's not happy at all. That is when things start to get a little strange! Blaster charges Allie and is dead set to gore her but she somehow manages to stop him and she has no clue how she did it.

She ends up with a ghostly guide who is more hippie than helper and her mentor and friend gives her a Moonstone that she says is prophesied to be hers. Allie finds out that she may be part of a prophecy involving two ancient races that have been fighting each other for centuries.

I’m still reading the rest of the series I’m writing reviews as I go. Besides the fact that it was a very simple read it's meant for teens and it reads like it is exactly that. If you can look past that then it really is a good read. I kept going because I wanted to find out what happens next.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

D

Ok. Do you know what you have?

Dewstar

Okay

I enjoyed Allie, she's funny, smart, and not whinny. Unlike other authors that try to make their heroine strong only to turn their heroine into a that word that rimes with itch. Not only that, the author is very good at relating the story through a 15-14 year old unlike some other YA authors who make their characters talk like they have a PhD. There are lots of colorful characters in this book Kizzy, Faye, Junior and Trilby, sometimes they are so much fun and colorful that they do take over Allie.



I found it so refreshing when Allie shares her supernatural abilities with her mother, I think this is the first book in YA, actually, it's the only book where I've seen it done. But as the story progressed it bothered me, how easily characters accepted Allie's abilities. I found it a little confusing how little we know about the moonstone where does it come and what are the powers it gives to Allie, which were more than one. And why was there a ghost around? I know, the prophecy, but still I felt there was too long of a range of paranormalcy (not that it's bad) but it was so broad I didn't know where to draw the line because I didn't understand what were the "rules" in the Moonstone universe.

I am a sucker for romance, and I was glad there was a hint of one in Moonstone. Junior, the lovable but dangerous Hispanic! The set up for the couple was good, I enjoyed seeing how Allie debates between resisting or giving into her attraction for Junior. Junior on the other side was much harder to read, I suppose this was because the book is from Allie's point of view.

The pacing is truly great, there really isn't a point where the story is dull, which makes the book an easy read. Overall, it was entertaining and fills the quota for a paranormal but I felt there were too many loose ends, and that I did not really understand what the Moonstone was about or better said Allie's power and their rules. I liked it but it was just that, it didn't make me jump and try to get a hold of the sequel.

Cover commentary: To be honest I am not loving the cover.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

review taken from One Book At A Time

I would say this book originally came out before the young adult genre exploded like it has today. So, I'm not sure how much recognition the author will get for what she has created. Because, in all reality, there are better books out there (and obviously some that are worse).

I think the author tied to hard to make readers identify with Allie. She's seems more like the girl from the wrong side of the tracks instead of a likable heroine. Her mother, aunt and uncle, and even her cousin are just to much to bear at times. How is it that this girl is even remotely normal considering the influence she's surrounded by? The development of her powers is the only thing that makes this story interesting and gives it direction. The prophecy leaves me hope that this story can be turned into something. It definitely kept me reading when I thought the story might have lost a lot of its charm.

Last, with the trend in young adult you might get the impression that teens want romance. They want the swoon worthy guy. I'm sorry to say that Junior is not it. He seems like a good guy, but the romance just isn't quite there.

So overall, the story is just off a little. Maybe it's needs a little bit more development, more romance, and little bit more action. Hopefully the next in the series satisfies those requirements a little bit more.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Read

Moonstone, the first in a series of three YA novels is a fun and quirky jaunt that starts off with sparks and offers a whole different perspective on being 'different' in high school. Allie, our main character, is immediately likable. I'm not sure if it's her tough situation, her conversational style, or her always semi-humorous response to the frequently off-kilter events in her life. She never fails to learn from her misadventures (like never wear flipflops on an aluminum ladder.) Sometimes, she makes goofy decisions or takes forever to realize something we long since suspected, but she's always honest about how she sees things.

She's often annoyed with her mother (Faye) and so are we! Allie is the sensible adult of the pair, and we can't help wishing she could be the kid at times. She kicks off a somewhat weird relationship with Trilby too, who just shows up out of thin air. Well - to be honest, Allie has on odd relationship with pretty much everyone. Her friends are perfectly willing to believe in the paranormal (would love to meet a vampire,) but she doubts their capacity to believe in her guardian angel.

Kizzy, her pal the elderly gypsy-slash-witch, helps her identify her unusual abilities in a way I think anyone would question a bit more than Allie does, but there it is. If you haven't much tolerance for magic and the second sight (or the third eye, or the power of suggestion) this book may not be for you. One crush (that might or might not lead to something meaningful) and the High School bully all help to round out a cast of all slightly-unusual personalities.

The rural atmosphere provides a fun background which comes so clearly through when poor Allie has to avoid the cow patties as she plunges off the roof, and has an obsession with garden-fresh produce. Author Marilee Brothers tells us this is a small town -- and then she very believably creates Peacock Flats. And more importantly, she creates Peacock Flats High School and its population: the all too believable high school social scene. Throughout, the setting is clearly there and occasionally humorous, but never intrusive, and never slows the fast paced story line.

Everything about this story is funny and unexpected; from Allie herself to all the events that surprise her. Life is never boring for Allie, and so this tale never suffers one dull moment. It does require a willingness to believe in magic in a world trying desperately to be everyday: it all lends to the overall charm.
The most appealing part of this work is Allie herself, her take on the world, and her usually positive approach to problems. Do read.
Originally posted at Aurora Reviews

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great read from YA to adult readers

I really liked this book. It has a little bit of something for everyone. It has a bit of young romance, laughter, suspense, and paranormal fun. I read it in two days and had a great time with the characters and storyline.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Allie and her powers

Alfrieda Carlotta Emerson, Allie for short used to be a normal teenage 15 year old. She lives in 24 foot trailer situation on his Uncle Sid's land with her destitute single mom who claims she has Fibromyalgia just so she can get some support from the government. Their situation was depressing but in real time there are people with similar situation. Allie's dad supposedly left when his parents threaten to disown him. Her mom then swore that she will never ask anything from him. But one day something weird happened, upon investigation and of course with the help of a hippy ghost named Trilby and her friend Kizzy she found out that she has special powers of Telekinetic. Not only that she was the "chosen one" from the prophecy. Kizzy gave her the Moonstone that have some awesome powers. To name one, when she rotated it she can hear other people's thought. What is this stone all about? A lot of people seems to want it to themselves. When her friend Kizzy got beaten up people called the Trimark sudenly wants her dead.

This is the first book of the Unbidden Magic series, and it looks promising. Allie is a likeable character, she's smart, strong, charming and has a good heart. The story was comical, magical, suspenseful and the supernatural plot draws you to Allie's world.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fun Fantasy Read

Moonstone was a really fun and exciting book. The plot was original and by the middle of the book there was a lot of excitement. Mystery and suspense on every page, you never knew who to trust. At first I couldn't really get into it, but pretty soon I couldn't put the book down, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. There were a lot of sub-plots as well that really kept the book interesting. I was wondering how all the points would work out in the end, but they did. Moonstone definitely left room for a sequel, which I'm really excited to read. The ending was perfect, but there was still some things that left you wondering what was going to happen. This was a fun read for fans of mysteries because there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot that kept you guessing. And don't forget the romance. Allie, the main character, definitely had her share of romances. All in all this was a fun book, that might take you a little while to get into, but it's definitely worth it at the end.

Allie was a really cool main character. She lived with her mother in a trailer on their Uncle's property. She never complained about her way of living and didn't ever think of using her powers to get them more than they needed. Kizzy was also a great character. I loved how she lived in a big house and had tons of money, but never once overused it or acted like she was rich. Known as the town witch, from the beginning I knew something was going to happen with Kizzy. She was the one who gave Allie the moonstone necklace and told her about the prophecy. Allie has to figure out most of her powers and the facts about the prophecy by herself, but she does have a caring mom, and great friends to help her out, but I was glad Allie was mostly independent and didn't need everyone helping her all the time. She was brave and could take care of herself.

Another great aspect of the novel, was that no one was what they seemed. Every character was under suspicion at least once in the book. There were a lot of characters, but it was easy to keep up with who was who. I was surprised many times during the book, and was glad the ending surprised me. Moon Rise, the sequel, looks like it will be just as good, so I'm really looking forward to reading this. If you like mysteries, books about magic, or just a fun read, Moonstone is for you. Definitely give it a read.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

Fifteen-year-old Alfrieda Emerson already had enough to deal with before finding out she has freaky psychic powers.

Crammed into a one bedroom trailer with her mother on her half-uncle's property, Allie's life has been pretty miserable since her mom decided (thanks to Oprah) that she has fibromyalgia and can't work anymore. Every Thursday, her mother's lawyer, "Big Ed," comes to spend the night, and Allie has to escape to her creepy neighbor's opulent home.

The eccentric Kizzy keeps telling Allie that she has the Gift, but Allie never believed her until a fall from a ladder into the bull pasture triggers something strange in Allie's brain, and she's suddenly able to keep the bull from charging her with a mere thought. Later that night, a hippyish ghost named Trilby appears out of nowhere, claiming to be Allie's spirit guide.

Apparently, Allie has passed "the first test," but Trilby refuses to tell her anything more, except that Allie is part of an ancient prophecy.

Things get weirder when Kizzy gives Allie a moonstone pendant that has been in her family for generations, saying that Allie is meant to have it. If this piece of jewelry means even more magic, Allie wants nothing to do with it. But despite her reluctance, she finds herself in the middle of a magical tug-of-war between those who would misuse the power of the moonstone and those who would see the prophecy fulfilled.

It's time for her to live up to her destiny as "The Maiden Who is Strong of Mind" so she can protect the people that she loves.

This first book in the new UNBIDDEN MAGIC series starts off with great promise, and draws the reader into Allie's world, where ancient conspiracy and magic meet the most common of circumstances. Watching the main character grow to take charge of her life and deal with her new role left me itching to read the next book and find out what happens to her.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great start to a new series

Allie's day doesn't start out right. Climbing up on the roof to fix the TV antenna in flip-flops isn't the smartest plan. She falls off the ladder and into the bull pen. Immediately, the bull isn't happy and come charging at her. Frightened almost to death, she realizes that the bull is running backwards on her command! Freaked, she doesn't know what to do. She confides in her best friend, who looks at the star on her palm and understands. Allie is special: she has powers. She gives Allie a moonstone necklace that has been in her family for generations. At first, Allie isn't convinced. But she's visited by a fairy godmother (Sort of) where she passes three tests and gains more power. The necklace helps her to read minds. But someone's after the necklace and they'll stop at nothing to get it. When her best friend is brutally attacked, Allie knows she needs help. She turns to tough Junior, knowing she can trust him. Trust might lead her into falling for him. When her mom goes missing, she fears for the worst. Can she use her powers to save her mom...and more importantly herself?

A great start to a new series filled romance, paranormal, finding yourself, and family drama which just equals fun. I love how Allie discovers something new about herself, that changes her outlook on life. I'm already looking forward to the next book.

~ http://yabooknerd.blogspot.com/

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful tale

The daughter of Faye, an impoverished single mom, Allie is living in her uncle¿s trailer. Allie Emerson knows she is a classic klutz. However even for her this latest fiasco could not have been more unlucky short of breaking a bone. Standing on a ten foot ladder she is fixing a TV antenna on the trailer¿s roof when she falls touching an electric fence before landing face first into cow pie. Though the dive would have been scored a 10 for its perfect landing right into the bulls-eye, Allie Blue Note believes she has nothing but bad luck

However, something weird happens to Allie besides Child Services stalking her and her mom. She suddenly has developed paranormal powers. Her friend Kizzy the witch gives her a moonstone to help her focus. However, as is the case with Allie, her luck turns all bad. The Trimarks now know she is the Star Seeker and need her removed to complete their evil plan starting with stealing her Moonstone. Allie turns to student Junior Martinez, a retired gangbanger for help even as her unknown stalkers abduct her mom and then her.

The first Unbidden Magic teen fantasy is a wonderful tale due to Allie. She is a terrific protagonist who holds the story line together in an optimistic way in spite of her belief that she is jinxed. The support cast like her mom and the Trimarks is weak and underdeveloped except as a major cause of her bad luck. Still young adult fans will appreciate her efforts to learn to use her power reminiscent of the Greatest American hero¿s early days while the Trimarks stalk her and her unique choice pf a hero as her sidekick is a former gangbanger.

Harriet Klausner

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.