Magic of the Moonlight

April 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-In this follow up to Once in a Full Moon (HarperCollins, 2010), readers rejoin Celeste and her hunky new werewolf boyfriend as they try to find a cure for lycanthropy. None of Celeste's friends at Legend's Run High knows that Brandon is a werewolf-except for her ex-boyfriend, Nash. He has his own reasons for dangling his insider knowledge over the lovebirds' heads. The overbearing snobbishness of Celeste's friends is unrelenting and detracts from the story of trying to find a werewolf cure. Celeste and crew live in the upscale Eastside. Brandon lives in the Westside, prompting her friends to harass him endlessly. This class distinction pervades every aspect of the book. Once, when Celeste (who's the nice one) contemplates sitting with Brandon at lunch, she explains her discomfort: "We never stepped foot on the other side of the cafeteria even to throw our trash away. And this time I was not only planning to venture onto their half but actually sit down with one of their own." Later Celeste's BFF retorts, "You have to sit with us tomorrow. You have to. Our friendship depends on it." The paranormal component is low-key and the romance is mild and sweet. A couple of twists at the end add surprise. Loose ends suggest a sequel. Reading the earlier title first is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. Buy where Schreiber's books are in high demand.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Library, NC

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