Four houses aligned with four "moons" or astrology signs at a magical school for students to hone their skills. The world in this book reminds me of Harry Potter without being so well-defined. The "chosen one" is even an orphan who lives with her uncles. Wren finds out too obviously for my tastes that she's destined to save the Moonstruck people and set things right, but being told pointblank is no different than being marked as a baby. Sam feels like Hermione, and I would have loved more of a glimpse into her character. Lee is dedicated to the Moonstruck way of life but also to Wren, which makes me very curious how he can reconcile everything.

The story progresses quickly with the trials pushing Wren along to learn about her magic. I like how the romance seems to have a natural progression and friendships evolve smoothly. The one issue that I found with the writing is the behavior of the characters. They are all set to be 18-year-olds, but their behavior and attitudes seem more fitting for much younger teenagers. Clues to a key element for Wren's answers felt obvious to me, and as intelligent as Sam is portrayed to be, I am awestruck at her taking so long to crack the code. The ending drops at a huge cliffhanger, but it works for a good setup leading into the second book in the duology. Hopefully, in the conclusion gaps from this story are filled in satisfyingly.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley for a chance to read this early.

I wanted to love this--magic schools that are always so interesting to me. I ended up not loving this. I didn't hate it, mind you, but I feel like this just wasn't tonally where it needed to be for a YA magic school story. The writing and narrative voice were both pretty young, which juxtaposed against the age of the characters (18 year-olds) was just sort of uncomfortable. I would probably have had less of an internal rub if the characters were genuinely like 12-15 years old. As it stands, their choices and attitudes were just *so* juvenile. Because of the writing and way the characters made me feel, I never really connected to this story or felt compelled to keep reading. I got through this in the end, but it was not a great read. Dated tropey writing, strangely juvenilely written characters, and a magic school that didn't give what it was supposed to have gave--this was not a memorable or favorite read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy!

Wren was born to macgickal parents, but she was not born under a full moon so has no magickal powers of her own--she is a Mundane. But her best friend, Lee Young, manifested powers years ago, and knows he is bound to attend the Academie the summer after he graduates. They are sad to be going their separate ways, but then Wren suddenly starts to manifest magick the day before Lee is to leave for the Academie. Contrary to her plans, Wren is thrust into the magickal world and is able to attend the Academie with Lee. But when they get to the Academie, something seems off. There is something sinister going on, and Wren and Lee want to find out what.

This was a really intriguing concept! I was pulled in by the idea of powers given by the moon, and the cover is beautiful. The beginning part of the book hooked my interest, but, sadly, it went downhill from there. I loved the magic school, but the characters acted immature and were not interesting to me. Like I said, the concept was good, but the execution wasn't the best. It wasn't my thing, but it was still an interesting read!

I wanted to love this so much! The cover is beautiful the plot sounded so interesting! I’m a sucker for a good magic school story. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me. The writing felt a bit too juvenile for YA, yet the characters were 18. Don’t get me wrong, I love when authors write teens at the appropriate maturity level for their age, however, from the get go the characters behavior felt very immature for their age….and that really had me struggling to want to keep going with the story. So, sadly I did DNF this.l and it bums me out.

DNF @ 15%

Draw Down the Moon shows how YA is not created equally. The writing is juvenile and the characters, who are supposed to be 18, act more like 13/14. I think I would have given them more slack if that's the case.

It felt more like a middle grade novel cosplaying as a YA fantasy. Just not for me.


Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books & MacMillan Audio for the ARC & ALC of Draw Down the Moon.

DNF at 15%. I really struggled to get into this story. I think it was a little too predictable, with the girl gets magical powers out of no where, must go to this magical school, may have a special power like no one else kind of plot. I also didn't love the main characters so it was hard to care enough to start reading. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me

(I don't review books I DNF, so I will not be posting this review on social media accounts)

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy. You can pick up Draw Down the Moon on April 2, 2024.

What a book. I won't lie to you -- I'm glad I stuck with it purely because of the number of times I cackled while reading this. Would I recommend it to anyone??? Loaded question. Depends on what you're looking for in a YA fantasy.

If you're looking for an interesting premise with zodiac signs and moon magic, you've come to the right place. If you're looking for quality writing, actual character arcs, and a plot that's more interesting than just "the chosen one," I'd look elsewhere.

I wish I were joking, but my Goodreads updates about this book said it all. Not only was "chosen one" but in Spanish an actual plot point, so was the concept of virginal magic, Hunger Games-esque Trials, and the MCs saying "I love you" on page 157.

I've also NEVER encountered a book where I didn't like the found family. AND YET, this found family grated on me so much because it felt forced? Not found? Is forced family a thing? It felt less like things happened in the book to make me enjoy these characters together, and more like I was being TOLD I would like these characters together.

I felt no attachment to any single character, despite the dual POVs giving me a look inside both love interests' heads. The friends-to-lovers trope was as poorly done as I've ever seen it, and neither character felt different from the beginning of the story to the end of the story.

Don't even get me started on the ending. Maybe I rushed through reading it, but the final "battle," made no sense, the MMC made weird decisions that confused me AND the FMC, and we have zero explanation for any of what happened all in the name of leaving things off with a "cliffhanger." Safe to say we've plunged fully over the cliff at this point and need a rescue crew to help us figure out what the fuck is going on.

I'll end this rant/review by touching on the writing style and why it wasn't for me, personally. Now, I was a YA girlie in the 2010s. I know the deep lore. And while some books try to touch on the nostalgia from that day and age (cough Fourth Wing cough), other books completely transport us back a decade to some truly heinous writing choices.

Tell me this character with "aquamarine eyes" and "porcelain skin" who smells like "sugar cookies" isn't the epitome of a 2010s pick me. She's so quirky, she pours dish soap in public fountains for fun on her birthday! And she's so small! I could pull out a dozen other examples to show why this writing definitely seems to cater to a younger YA crowd.

But the cover's pretty! And the premise has potential, even if it was poorly executed, in my opinion. Pick it up if you feel like seeing all this for yourself!

I absolutely love this writing duo of Mom/Daughter. I devoured their House of Night series and want to continue to read everything they publish.

I was a bit put off on how the story was structured, the pacing and even some of the dialogue. I felt like there were parts that were way too drawn out or didn't quite make sense where other parts we pretty much zipped right over.

I will be purchasing a physical copy of this beautiful book because I enjoyed it enough to add it to my library!

Unfortunately, I had to give up on this one. I had high hopes for it because of the gorgeous cover, premise, and because I've heard great things about the authors. I know I'm not the key demographic for this one, but I read and enjoy lots of YA. Having said that, the story wasn't really anything new and felt very similar to Harry Potter (especially with the Magicks/Mundanes). I also believe it teetered closer to middle grade instead of the mature end of YA.

The friendship between Wren and Lee was very odd and also part of the reason to why the story wasn't working for me. (I didn't get far enough into the book to find out if it grew to more than that.) Wren seemed very reckless and carefree while Lee seemed fairly serious, a bit depressed, and conflicted. In what I read, it almost seemed as if she didn't take into consideration how her actions would impact him even when he warned her that things would be different for him. The friendship just felt a bit uneven or even one sided.

Overall, I hope this book finds it's people, and I hate that it didn't work out for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a change to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

Draw Down the Moon, the first in a new duology, was an ok read for me. I thought the premise was really interesting, and I love the magical school setting where the majority of the story takes place. Wren and Lee, the two main characters, have to compete in trials while there, and there's a lot of mystery and danger involved. The world is fascinating, and I was really intrigued by the magic and the history.

The story switches between Lee and Wren's perspectives, so you get to see all of the trials and tribulations each goes through. Though often together, Wren and Lee are both dealing with different pressures as well as their complicated feelings for each other. Lee feels so much guilt and pressure to live up to his family name, and Wren has newly gained powers she knows nothing about. They both have compelling stories, however, I felt like they were a little underdeveloped, and I wanted more.

I love a good romance, and I was totally rooting for Wren and Lee. Lee is so smitten with Wren, and she's so clueless. lol There's definitely some lack of and miscommunication between these friends, which frustrated me at times. I had to remind myself that they were eighteen because sometimes they acted much younger.

Overall, this was a fun read, and I think it would appeal people who enjoy younger YA fantasy. Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing m e with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful, one of the best I've seen this year. Unfortunately, the story itself was just fine, and not much more. I understand that this is YA but I feel like the main characters felt so young, and I didn't enjoy them a ton.

Draw Down the Moon by PC Cast and Kristin Cast brings us to a new world that has been created for us, set primarily at a magical school hidden on an island. The way the authors create this world, filled with magic and whimsy. The magic is based on the moon and impacts everyone differently, specifically our two main characters, Wren and Lee. This book was definitely one where it was undoubtedly YA, which is fine, but I definitely felt a little old reading it. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much and would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 15%. Would give the reason why but until publishers under Saint Martins Press address the racism, islamophobia, and zionism they have enabled and perpetuated, i will not be reviewing. Please do better, your silence speaks volumes.

An interesting read about power, a magical school, lunar gifts, and more for a fantasy read. While I like to read middle grade and young adult books, this one seemed in between the two genres. Maybe we need new age group genre for in between? Either way, this author duo always has fun magical ideas in their stories and keep things interesting.

I received a gifted copy of DRAW DOWN THE MOON by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast from Wednesday Books and Netgalley.

DRAW DOWN THE MOON is the first book in a new YA series, Moonstruck. The book follows two teens in a magical world. Wren Nightingale is just turning eighteen as the book opens. She’s lived with the knowledge that she is a Mundane borne to two magickal parents. Since her parents’ death, she has lived with her fellow Mundane uncle with the knowledge that her magickal friends will one day go on to do special things while she lives the life of a normal human.

Lee Young has been Wren’s best friend for years, even after he and his family moved away. Now he is back to spend the summer at a magickal school where his family expects him to flourish and impress given their family’s importance. When Wren shockingly begins to show impressive signs of powers on her birthday, Lee is the one there to witness it and walk her through what it may mean. When they arrive at the school, however, it seems there are secrets being kept about Wren’s powers and the school’s dangerous history.

This book had a lot of positive elements to it and I enjoyed learning about the magic and the mysteries of the setting. That said, it read on the very young side of YA to me when it came to the relationships. Wren and Lee are friends, both wanting more, but there’s a lot of failure to communicate. For my personal preference, there was a bit too much relationship angst in comparison to the trials and magic that I wanted to focus on.

In the end, I think this book was probably just not quite the right fit for me personally, while it definitely will find it’s younger audience. The end does come with a big cliffhanger, so I would be curious to see where the next book in the series takes things!

This book was just meh. It had no shining moments was just dull over all. The relationships felt hollow.

Rating this at 3 stars solely because something is required, I will be DNF this book and it doesn't feel fair or true to rate it with my current impression.

I'm about a quarter of the way into this book, and I cannot get past the immature, tropey, pick-me style tone. Every time the MC talks, all I can hear are the comedy social media accounts making fun of "random girls" or "pick-me girls"... it's just not for me.

The categorization of Young Adult feels very generous, and I do agree with others that this would be better aimed at Middle Grade beginner Fantasy readers.

The magic system is really neat! I tried so hard to get past the dialogue so I could learn more, unfortunately it's not going to happen.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I am in love with this new version of moon magic PC Cast is writing! I could not stop reading from the moment I started. I want to see it in film!!! I want the next book -what torture to have to wait. The characters are charismatic. The story line is the perfect balance of solving a mystery and preparing to save the world! Wren is spectacular!!! The way the author looks at the characters and introduces them is well done. Read it!!!

I’ll be honest, I was drawn into this one mostly because of its whimsical cover! And then I read the description which focuses on a magical school and academia, and I knew this was one I’d like to check out. I haven’t read anything by either of these authors before either, so I went in with very few expectations. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me.

But let’s start with some of the pros first, as always. I really enjoyed the magical school and the fantasy components of this world. The idea of characters gaining certain powers based on the lunar cycle is very intriguing and not something I’d come across before. I also liked that the concept, while new feeling, wasn’t overly complicated, but felt approachable, especially for younger readers. And this is where part of my problems come in, I believe. When stepping back from my reading experience, I would say much of the reason I didn’t enjoy this one was because it seems to be the type of book best suited towards one fairly specific audience: middle school to young teen readers who are fairly unfamiliar to the fantasy genre and its conventions. For these readers, much of what is being done here may hold more interest, but for older readers, or those who read a lot of fantasy, much of it feels standard to the point of banality.

Further, this book is a perfect example of the YA “genre” being a bit to broad, or perhaps the marketers/publishers getting it wrong when promoting this book. The characters are meant to be 18, but throughout the entire story they read much, much younger. This shows itself in the dialogue, but even more so in the rather simplistic approaches to life that they incorporate, as well as some of the more ridiculous decisions they make. I believe even older teenagers would struggle to really connect to these characters without growing quickly frustrated by their storylines, let alone the many adult readers of YA fantasy fiction.

As far as fantasy concepts go, the story also follows a fairly tried and true “chosen one” plot line, very rarely veering into any territory that truly feels original. And, again, while I think the simplicity of the magic system can also be a pro, it can work against the story as well, coming across as overly basic at times, with very little room for growth, depth, or context. The romance, too, struggles in much the same way. There is nothing overtly wrong with this aspect of the story, but it never felt like it was ever taking any risks or swerving in any way that might surprise readers.

Ultimately, this book could be a success for younger readers looking for an entry point into fantasy fiction. But older readers, even just older teens, and those well-versed in fantasy stories will likely find themselves bored for much of this read and would do better to look elsewhere. For these readers, I’d likely rate this a 6, but I’ll bump it up since so much of this rating comes down to this disconnect between reader and book, more so than any distinct failures on the book’s part.

Rating 7: Perhaps a story that will work for middle grade readers looking to first dip their toes into fantasy fiction, but there’s not enough in this book to truly appeal to general fantasy readers.

(Link will go live April 19 on The Library Ladies)

Thank you to the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to shelf this book for later. I overloaded myself and was unable to get to it when I needed to. The premise sounds amazing and I love the art for the cover so much. I also haven’t read this author before, so I’m excited to get to it when I can. Thank you again for the opportunity!