The Moon Dwellers [NOOK Book]

A fabulous work of art appropriate for all ages

Wow, what an amazing journey into a completely unique world. This Dystopian/Urban Fantasy Novel stole my breath. Journey under the earth’s crust after post apocalypse into the tri-realms for an emotional adventure ready to sweep you into it.

Adele is a 17 year old girl sentenced to life in prison because her father dared to question their unfair existence. For six months she has held her own in the juvenile detention center while waiting for her 18th birthday only to be transferred to a maximum security prison. She is a moon dweller, in this dystopian novel a moon dweller is the middle class but don’t let that fool you most of their neighborhoods are slums.

Tristan is a Sun dweller, Prince of the Tri-realms, first born son to the President. Sun dwellers have been taking advantage of the moon dwellers and even lower class Star dwellers for 500 years. However Tristan is unique and feels his father’s tactics are unethical and disgusting.

One day while fulfilling his princely duty he is in a parade that passes Adele in the yard on the detention center, their eyes meet and Adele feels an instant connection to him. That had to be her imagination right?
Follow Adele and her band of rag tag friends in their mission to escape prison and rescue her father from the work camp he has been sent to. At the same time fate leads Tristan away from his Palace in his journey to escape his existence as the “Prince” of the realm.

Will they meet? Do they feel the same connection?

This was a fabulous work of art appropriate for all ages. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this sweet and fantastical world from the amazingly creative David Estes.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Wow! What a fun book. This novel had it all... a unique location

Wow! What a fun book. This novel had it all... a unique location, interesting characters, and that all-important dystopian struggle. It also had plenty of action and a very sweet "almost" love story.

I can't wait for the next in the series. Way to go David! After reading this I'm moving your other series up on my to-read list.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

It´s been a while since i read a book this good. The worl

It´s been a while since i read a book this good.

The world as we know it has come to an end, people are left with only one choice go underground and try to live as normal as posible.

Adele is a girl trapped, she lives in the Pen.,a juvenile Delincuent facility, her crime... NONE. Sentenced to life in prison cause her parents were "traitors" she fight for her life and longs to reunite her family again.

Her journey through the Tri realms is full of surprises; Tristan the Son of the president feels trapped by secrecy and disgusted with his life. He also starts a journey that could change the Tri Realms and the Dwellers lives as they know it.

This book is absolutely amazing, David Estes created something unique and enthralling. The Moon Dwellers trapped me since the first chap. and wouldn´t let me go; an emotional rollercoaster that had me crying and gave me goosepumps more times than im willing to accept LOL!!!

Now im crying cause i have a long wait ahead of me to read the next installment of this unique and magnificent series.

Cant wait to see what David Estes has in store for Adele, Tristan and the Dwellers. if i could give this book 100 starts i totally would.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An epic experience for a surprisingly epic book! Remember my e

An epic experience for a surprisingly epic book!

Remember my epic experience with Barnes & Noble? Yeah, totally epic fail! Anyway, I was beyond excited when I got a chance to review this book for free! Unfortunately, I don't have the credit card that Barnes&Noble requires so I wasn't able to redeem this interesting free dystopian e-book. :( But then, God's little blessing came! :) Thanks to David Estes--who did everything in his power to fix things up--I now have a copy of this awesome dystopian book!

I read this book for two days and I ended up fighting my closing eyelids at four in the morning to finish this action-packed novel! It is that good! The varying tones of the characters are also entertaining! I mean, seldom will you encounter a really good book with characters of distinct voices! I bet you'll enjoy that in The Moon Dwellers! And that joy wouldn't be complete without the not-just-likable-but-looovable characters! Adele. Tristan. Roc. (Oh, you'll love Tristan and Roc! Such a funny tandem!) Tawni. Cole. El. <3 <3 <3
Each of them carry a story. Each story, a lesson.

Okay, enough of the babbling. Let's move on to the story. Well, you pretty much read the summary on Goodreads, but let me give my own version ;)

Adele (BTW her name suits her) is not your ordinary heroine. She's gorgeous, tough, courageous, wise, family-oriented, and character-driven! When her parents are taken by the Enforcers and her younger sister is sent out to the orphanage, Adele is thrown in jail for the rest of her life. As part of her daily routine at the Pen (the jail), she sits across the fence that overlooks her hometown. One time, everything seems to fall in its place when her eyes lock with Tristan's, the President's eldest son. Soon they'll have this ineffable yearning to be with each other and to fulfill what they're called to do; such a strong yearning that outdares even the harshest of all sufferings and the most horrid of deaths in the Tri-Realms.

As soon as Adele and her friends, Tawni and Cole, escape the Pen to save Adele's family, Tristan, together with his bestfriend Roc, leaves the comfort of his father's palace to look for Adele and to carry out the noble task they have yet to understand.

Will Adele be able to save her family? Are they still alive? Will Tristan and Adele ever meet? What will happen to the Tri-Realms if the President learns that three prisoners escaped and that his son defied him?
Answer: Ha! :) Check it out. ;)

MAJOR LESSONS LEARNED:


1. Value your family because they will never leave you even at your darkest times.

I got this from Adele. She really was brought up well even with their family's condition. We'll see that though her family is taken by the Enforcers, she'll do everything that she can to save them. She'll do everything even if it costs her life and personal joy. We'll also see that the same thing applies to her family. Though they're in pain and suffering, they never lost their hope and trust for each other. Their support and love remain intact despite the catastrophes that try to break them apart.

2. Each one of us has the will to resist the evil that is being imposed upon us.

This is very true to Tristan and Tawni. They both have parents who are agents of evil, yet they try to step up and resist the evil. It doesn't mean that because one person pushes you to do evil things, you have to do it. NO! You have the free will to overthrow this temptation and fight for the good!

The Moon Dwellers will surely captivate you even in the early few chapters! I also find the use of two POVs very effective because each POV ends with a cliffhanger and it'll make you crave for more! =) My only problem was the ending. Seriously, they just met and it'll end like that way? I'm torn. But I guess, that makes me even more desperate to read Book 2! :) I'm just hoping it isn't infected with the second book syndrome!!! Heehee. I'll watch for Book 2 this September! :) Oh! Before I forget, it has such beautiful writing! It's well crafted and is really funny! =))

Enjoy reading! Godbless you!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wow, let I just first say what an amazing and surprising book th

Wow, let I just first say what an amazing and surprising book this is. I really enjoyed it!!!

Adele is a moon dweller and has been sentenced to life in a prison called Pen. When she met Twaini and Cole, and saw for the first time Tristan (son of the president), her regular prison life comes to an end. In the short time they see each other, their eyes connect, and that has consequences for Tristan and Adele. She plans to escape with her friends to find her family, and Tristan plans to go back to meet her in the Moon dweller district. Will they find each other and will Adele find her family?

The futuristic world that is described in the book is realistic (for dystopian). How further you read, how sooner you get the answers what is happened with the earth and why have the people names like sun, star or moon dwellers well they all live under the ground. I find the name Adele beautiful and original then most of the books in this sort of genre. She is strong, not helpless but she has also a human part with emotions. I don’t believe in love at first side, but it doesn’t bother me that Tristan goes to find Adele after they had only eye contact. The connection between them is well written and believable. The travel and the meeting with friends as Cole and Tawni are well written. I like the characters and that all of the characters are on their own way strong/ independent and not helpless in my eyes. The journey has lot of surprises and is not predictable. The writing style is clear and the change between Tristan and Adele were nice, so I get a good picture of both to better understand the story and their purpose of their journey.

Tristan and Roc have a friend/ brother band and that was nice, that Roc is not just strong but has also his ‘human’ faults. The history of the earth is interesting, and a little more explanation about what is above and not under the ground, is the only lack. Is there not an opportunity to get up (on the earth, not under) finally at the end?

I can’t wait for the next book, just curious how this war goes on, if they join forces to the sun dwellers and what their future is after all this. Hopefully, I can read this book then also in read 2 reviews, but I definitely recommend this book to my friends ;)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Hmm...I had to let this one sink in a bit. Very City of Ember f

Hmm...I had to let this one sink in a bit.

Very City of Ember feel to it, but MORE everything.... more action, more romance, more back story, more violence... even more caves (I think!) And it's definitely an 'older' read than City of Ember. Very dark themes, and just the slightest smattering of young love.

"My heart is alive again. Because I see her."

I am always drawn to dystopian fiction, but have not read very much of it. So I can't proclaim how similar or dissimilar it may be to The Hunger Games, or Delirium... or many other books. If most dystopian are like this one, I really need to get cracking!

"I'm not sure what everyone's been smoking, but I want some - clearly it's good stuff."

You really want to root for Adele and Tristan, you want everything to work out for them. It's easy to connect to the characters, and wish you could be there beside them to help their lofty goals to better their world.

"No matter how much I try to wish it all away, my past is the zit that you pop, watch bleed, watch heal, only to see poking from your skin again a week later."

"Me, the queen of sarcastic comments - self-declared - has been outsarcastified."

"In reality, he's never so much as negotiated a turd from his butt."

"I don't particulary like confrontation. Unfortunately, confrontation seems to like me"

"I've had some strange requests in my life, but this one takes the cake (if we had cake, that is)."

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself... there are SO many wonderful little gem of quotes in this book! I laughed, I cried (well at least got misty-eyed), I said "NO!", I gasped... it really takes you, wraps you up into this strange new world, and sweeps you away into the story. I cannot recommend this enough!

"Belly flop time."

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

No Copycat Here!

Once again, David Estes has put an original twist to a popular theme. Moon Dwellers is a Dystopian novel filled with action, great characters and romance. I was lucky enough to read this at the beta stage and it had the makings of a best seller then. Since then Estes has sharpened the plot and made the read fantastic. If you like Dystopian, Moon Dwellers will not disappoint. Adele was fiesty and likeable, and Tristan was a true hero full of valor. My only complaint is now I have to wait for the sequel. LOL.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

So we have these kids, Adele, Tristan, Tawni and Cole, who are b

So we have these kids, Adele, Tristan, Tawni and Cole, who are brought together in a time when the world's inequality is coming to a
breaking point. 

The characters are well drawn and you like them. Adele is motivated by the age-old hook of saving her family. She's a strong character
who is tough, knows how to kick some ass, and puts her family first. Selfless to the point of sainthood. Tristan is disgusted by his
family's wealth and greed, and his friendship with Roc is endearing. Tawni is just like-able (as well as Adele's younger sister, who
gosh, acts just like a younger sister should. You know, sometimes you want to smack her and sometimes you want to hug her). Cole is
 a bit of a hot-head, and he comes down from his 'episodes' a little too quickly, almost like he's unbalanced. I don't know! But he's still a
nice guy who's loyal and friendly...most of the time. :)

While starting a little slow, the plot eventually moves forward at a good pace, and kept me riveted to find out what happens next. Once
 things got moving, wow, these characters find themselves thrown into one situation after another. Bim! Bam! Boom! And off we go!

The total inequality of the system, and the magnitude of the differences between the haves and the have-nots is nothing short of
 teeth-grinding. It sort of brings to mind the French Revolution, where people are down-trodden to the point of out-right revolt. It's
explosive. People are pissed. People get hurt. People die, dudes.

There are some things that kind of had me bummed. There are a lot of mysteries to be solved, and the majority of them aren't
 resolved in this book. I love to read series, especially I'm on board with the characters and the story, but I still like to have each
book stand on its own merits. For me, there were too many unanswered questions.

Sometimes it's hard to imagine that kids can out-fight trained warriors. I've noticed this in a couple of books lately, and this one is
included. However, I did let that tidbit slide, because there were other things going on that could be argued as a distraction. So what
 the hoo, don't sweat the small stuff, in my opinion.

This was a fine read, and I do plan to continue on with the series, because overall, the pros far outweighed the cons and was highly
enjoyable!

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes is nothing less than a tale of

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes is nothing less than a tale of a dark underground dystopian society consisting of the lucky few who won the lottery to escape an oncoming falling rock that was to destroy the world above. The characters are extremely well developed and a connection is made from the beginning based from the sincere emotions that the characters portray to the ghastly pasts that each character has somehow managed to endure. Although the pain and suffering of the characters themselves trap you into the storyline it is the hope that they emit that really gets you onto their side through this incredible journey. So different from the world we know and live in there are enough aspects that make it completely relatable. Somehow David manages to make you feel like you are there a part of the journey making the book irresistible to put down.

The book is flows seamlessly with just the right amount of action and romance to help the plot rather than distract. David takes a different approach to the usual Prince Charming making the connection between the two characters physically painful and like a story based on Cinderella, holding very different social statuses. Heros are born, families are reunited and torn apart and characters will risk everything and anything to stand up for what they believe is right. I love that this isn't a tale where theres action but no one gets hurt and everyone is happy, people are bound to get hurt and unexpected events are bound to happen which this book takes full advantage of pulling you into a plot that is well thought out and extremely eventful. I think it is the little twists in the plot that make this book, the little times the characters are pulled away and forced to act is what makes it realistic.

Those who loved City of Ember (although the only similarity is really the fact that the society is underground) are bound to love this tale full of romance, action and adventure.

I heard a lot of buzz about this book, and I had to read it for

I heard a lot of buzz about this book, and I had to read it for myself. It did not disappoint me! If you are looking for a dystopian theme story, full of action, then "The Moon Dwellers" is the book for you.

Adele's life is turned upside down when her parents and little sister are seized by Enforcers, and she is sentenced to life in prison. Adele, who has been taught to fight and survive by her father, will need those skills to endure prison life. Prison has been a very lonely, depressing place until she meets Tawni and Cole. Together they plan to escape and rescue Adele's family. This is a perilous journey that will test their newly formed bonds of friendship. Will they survive and find Adele's family?

The author does a great job developing each character and capturing our attention through his vivid details. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens next.

First I want to thank the author for the opportunity to read thi

First I want to thank the author for the opportunity to read this story.

This story was awesome! I was captivated from the beginning. This story is so action packed that once you start you can't stop. one thing for me was that when you think nothing else could possibly happen another event takes place. I love that Adele is so head strong and Tristan goes after something even though he's not sure about it. I fell in love with ALL the characters. You definitely Have the perfect supporting characters for these two. Tic had me giggling through the whole thing and I liked how he kept Tristan on the right track when he wasn't sure.

Awesome awesome story and I can't wait to read the next installment to find out what happens.

*This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fa

*This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fair review.*




First, can I get a round of applause for David Estes? This has got to be one of the best dystopians I have read, and he's an indie author. Honestly, I found it to be better than some of the really popular ones out there! It ranks up there with The Hunger Games and Divergent for me.




I don't even know where to start. I guess at the beginning.




The book starts off with a prologue that is full of violence and mystery. We see Adele's parents get beaten up and hauled off, but we have no idea why. Fast forward to chapter 1, and it's 6 months later, and Adele is the Pen, her world's equivalent of a juvenile detention center, watching as a parade goes by. When she locks eyes with the President's son, Tristan, who is in the parade, she experiences a blinding headache like she's never had before. And there starts the mysteries and action of the story.




I think what I liked most about the story was the writing style. The book is told from both Adele's and Tristan's perspectives, and it alternates chapter-by-chapter through most of the book. In a lot of cases, this could be annoying, but I thought it really worked. The chapters are fairly long (about 20 minutes each, according to my kindle), so the reader is able to get a pretty good picture of what is going on from that character's perspective before it switches. Also, almost every chapter ends on some sort of a cliffhanger (as any good chapter should), but for the most part, it isn't immediately resolved because the story switches perspective. Another thing I liked about this was that sometimes the perspective change would come with a slight rewind in time, to retell a certain scene from the other perspective, but sometimes it picked up right where the previous chapter left off.




In some ways, this book reminded me of Crossed by Ally Condie. We have two characters on a journey, and the reader gets to see how closely their paths come to crossing several times throughout the story.




I absolutely loved Adele. She gave a new meaning to kick-ass heroines in my eyes. She had all the strength and training of Tris, but not as much self-doubt or hesitance. She was really amazing. I loved seeing her fight. And Tristan was really great, too. I loved that he had his own mind, and wouldn't let his circumstances dictate how he was supposed to act and feel. He was also another ass-kicking character.




There was one scene, specifically, towards the climax of the book, where there was a huge surprise. I suppose in the reality of a world torn apart by violence and war, it wasn't surprising, but for a YA author to go there in the first book of the series really surprised me. And to be honest, I loved it. I love that David had the guts to throw uncomfortable things in here that a lot of authors would shy away from.




Very similar to Divergent by Veronica Roth or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the ending wrapped up enough of the loose ends within this book to not leave me dissatisfied with the end, but also left enough strands hanging to keep me hooked. Also, I think it also provided a nice set-up for book two.

David Estes The Moon Dwellers The Dwellers #1 First reaction:

David Estes
The Moon Dwellers
The Dwellers #1

First reaction: wow, how did I not know about this book earlier! If you love the Hunger Games books then this series is for you, and everyone else on the planet that enjoys a good read.

Excellently written, this book does not let up and will have you gripped instantly. The suspense is built that you literally are unable to stop reading, you have to know what is going to happen next, and combine that with some of the twists and turns, some of it is just maddening for the reader – you might think you know what will happen next but you’ll be wrong every time. The character development is amazing, the way they all fit into the storyline so well, I’m sure there is so much more to come from them all in the books to come.

I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I love this action packed book. Right from the beginning you cou

I love this action packed book. Right from the beginning you could tell that it was going to be a page turner. It's nothing like the Hunger Games. It is so much better. The Moon Dwellers surprised me with its exciting and thrilling pages. This book deseves to be known for its grandeur, David Estes will soon be known for his incredible work. From the characters to the action, this is not a book one easily puts down or forgets.

First of all, I'd like to thank David Estes for granting me a co

First of all, I'd like to thank David Estes for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I positively love the character of Adele. She is tough, awkward, and stand-offish after living the last 6 months of her life in self-imposed isolation in The Pen. She's independent and capable of defending herself. When she meets 2 other "guests" her life really starts to change, and she learns what it is like to feel human again. Within a handful of days, her life becomes very, very interesting.

I love the mysteries that surround both Adele and Tristan. The alternating points of view are woven together very smoothly, and although the two characters' chapters often overlap chronologically, it is very easy to follow.

I really like Mr. Estes's writing style. It is relaxed, well-paced, and easy to read, but it is also emotionally complex. I couldn't stop reading this book...

I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an

I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 
I'll admit, I didn't hold out much hope for this book before I read it. I've been burned before by self-published authors trying to re-create a dystopian world. I know I read a book similar to this last year in the fact that the society was underground. Maybe it was Alternity by Mari Mancusi. 
Either way, that was where the similarity ended in the plot. This was an incredible book! You feel for each of the characters. The action is constant. The story line is unique, and I like that the most. There are so many dystopian books out there now that I've found that it has super-saturated the market. 
I can't believe this was self-published. Most self-published books are all over the place with grammar and spelling. He is an excellent author. 
I really want to read the second book now.

What a great creative concept for a book series! This dystopian

What a great creative concept for a book series! This dystopian world blew me away when it was revealed where and how it came about. I really enjoy David's writing along with his heroines and heroes and can't wait to continue with the world of The Dwellers!

Original review featured on the Bookluvrs Haven blog. ** Review

Original review featured on the Bookluvrs Haven blog.

** Review may contain mild spoilers. **

One thing I noticed while reading 'The Moon Dwellers' is that most of the book involves a lot of running away. In fact, about three thirds of the novel involve just that. Running away from prison, running away from home, running down alleys, into basements, through caves, through waterfalls..... Just running, running, running...

Granted, in Adele's situation, I would be running too. She really has nothing to lose, having been incarcerated and marked a traitor (her parents were taken for the same crime, and she was labelled along with them). She faces spending the rest of her life from one facility to maximum security. So when given the opportunity to escape and rescue her family, she certainly did not hesitate.

She is really not your conventional 17 year old girl so all of this makes sense. She is a lethal fighter, taught from a young age by her father to kick some serious ass. She is a force to be reckoned with and she is extremely underestimated, which in most occasions works very well in her favor and in that her two friends who escape with her.

The strange element of this novel was her connection to Tristan, the son of the President. Don't think those two ever really crossed paths, but randomly one day their eyes connect. Adele on one side of the prison fence, and he on the other. Both implode with longing for each other and forge a connection of love so deep nothing, and no one can break it...

... Just kidding!

Actually what happens is just as strange but quite the opposite. They feel pain, keel over with a horrid headache, and at times even blackout. Not the best way to start a romantic relationship.

That being said, Tristan is inexplicably drawn and curious about Adele, and even somewhat angry as he doesn't understand why he is so physically afflicted by her presence, and think its some kind of spell that she has on him. Yet when the dominoes fall, and all characters run and keep on running, he is hell bent on protecting her. Why? Even he is unsure, but both want to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Do they? Well... much to my disappointment, not really. Because they spend the majority of this novel just running. Am I curious enough to continue the series and find out what the heck is going on??

Oh ya. 'The Star Dwellers' has been added to my 'to-read' list. It's a hard one to pass up when so much mystery is built around both these characters. How can I not want to find out why they pass out when their eyes lock? Sounds pretty intriguing to me!

*I received a eBook copy of this book for free to review from the author; this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*

Good book

Good but not great

Ok, so I finished this book about 10 minutes ago and have alread

Ok, so I finished this book about 10 minutes ago and have already purchased 2 sequels. I must say, I was captivated from page one to the final word. This is the first time in a very long time that I have read every word on every page of a book, not skimming a single sentence. Estes makes the weird seem real and very possible while intermingling moments of sheer comedic delight with suspense and heart warming personal moments.

Estes’ action packed story keeps you riveted page after page while he takes the pyramidal caste system found in every society throughout history and makes the differences and trials of each class poignantly clear. He helps demonstrate the differences between the classes by switching the speaker in each paragraph between the 2 main characters. As I am normally not a fan of this style of writing I was a bit leery at the beginning but the author keeps the different perspectives very clear and it greatly helps the progression of the story.

Within Estes’ work you feel like you are reading about real people and living every moment with them. The lack of “cardboard cut-out” characters coupled with the progression of real relationships between individuals draws you further and further into this post-apocalyptic world. You also see the beginnings of a forbidden love story makes your heart twist, hoping for the best but expecting the worst in the suspenseful, war torn era in which the characters find themselves. By the end of the novel I found myself dying to get my hands on the next volume in the series, needing to know what happened next and if everyone would be alright.