Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Published: May 3, 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Received: bought from Barnes & Noble

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever. {taken from goodreads.com}

The first Tuesday in May packed a pretty big punch of new YA releases.  Moonglass happened to be one of them.  I saw the book being mentioned through out the blogosphere & twitter, but never took the time to really read what is was about.  Then while perusing the new releases on that day, I came across it.  Life at the beach? Family drama? A hot boy? What is this you speak of??  Oh I must want to read this book!  And that is exactly what I did.  Thank you Barnes & Noble for supplying this member with your speedy 2 day delivery (free of charge!).

The story starts out following Anna as she has to leave the comfort of her So-Cal home, embarking on a new adventure in the small beachy town of Crystal Cove.  Immediately I was swept up in the scenery.  The descriptions of the beach side cottages, nestled among the boardwalks & shops, with miles of golden sand stretched out to an endless ocean appealed to me.  I love the beach, after all.  I would be there every day if I could.  So why not visit it through a book?

Anna's father has uprooted her to the same small town that he once inhabited with Anna's mother.  Unfortunately, Anna is not so welcoming of the new digs because it is a constant reminder of one less person that is not around anymore.  Her mother.  This story touches on the concept of what it's like to lose a parent.  The unspoken words between Anna and her father are heartbreaking.  What's left of their little family is hanging on by the fringes; in fear of sharing what really happened and letting it all unravel bit by bit.

Anna relies on the beach, as her true solace from the grief she refuses to deal with.  But even here she is reminded of her mother in the pieces of sea glass that she finds on the sandy shores.  It's the sea glass that remains a constant symbol in Anna's life.  Representing her mother, but also showing that she can deal with the truth of what happened and learn to let go.  As the story unfolds, Anna meets Tyler the cute lifeguard for which her father is reluctant on her getting to know.  Their chemistry was spot on & immediately you knew that Tyler would lend a helping hand in Anna's discovery of finding peace with the death of her mother.

Jessi Kirby's writing made this book difficult to put down.  Her attention to detail kept me intrigued and I enjoyed the fact that she did not let on to the story's plot until later on in the text.  I find it more enjoyable when I don't always know, or expect, what may be coming next.  She also has the ability of creating characters with depth and purpose.  I really enjoyed the relationship between Anna and her father.  The awkwardness of a father not knowing how to handle a grieving teenager came across very real to me.  Though I always like a story with more romance, I was still satisfied with the relationship between Anna and Tyler.  The focus of this story was not on them, and I was glad to see the author remember that.

I recommend this book if you like stories set in beach side towns.  I also recommend this book to those who can appreciate a well written novel when it comes to the loss of a parent.