3⭐️

Wren Nightingale has always known about magic even though she always knew she would be a Mundane. Even though she was born to magickal parents, she wasn't born under a moon sign. So she's shocked when she begins to glow on her eighteenth birthday. This jumpstarts a whirlwind of events that includes Wren attending Academia de la Luna and participating in the trials on a secret island off the Seattle coast. While Wren still doesn't understand her powers, she feels better knowing her best friends, Lee and Sam, are magickal as well.

Lee Young has always known about his future at the Academia. He has one goal: pass the trials, impress the Moon Council, and uphold his family's reputation. But Lee and Wren quickly find out something is different, and more dangerous, this year.

This is being marketed as a YA fantasy, but even though the main characters are 18 and recent high school graduates, this read very much as a middle school/more juvenile book. So if you look at it as a middle grade book, I think this would be a good transition into the YA fantasy genre. I enjoyed that the magical system was based off the moon. I also liked the mystery the surrounded the school and what was going on on the island. The characters were also interesting.

This might be a me issue, but the fact that the magic system wasn't only moon based but also zodiac based made this feel more juvenile to me. Hearing the houses described as Leo Moon, Taurus Moon, etc was very off putting. And while I don't really know anything about the characteristics of different moon signs and this is just a way to characterize people like Hogwarts Houses, it just felt like a very black and white break down. Even though the characters were all 18 years old+, a lot of their conversations felt like ones I had in middle school. And the drama between Le and Wren's relationship all boiled down to a lack of conversation and I hate the miscommunication trope.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC to me!

Wren, our young heroine, has led her life believing she had no magical powers. However, on her eighteenth birthday, everything changes. Her radiant glow marks her as a "Moonstruck" and sets her on an unexpected journey to the Academia de la Luna, a clandestine magical school hidden away on a secluded island near Seattle.
Her childhood friend, Lee, has always been aware of his magical heritage, striving to carry on his family's legacy by succeeding in the trials and earning a place on the Moon Council. But he didn't anticipate attending the academy alongside the girl he's been secretly in love with for as long as he can remember.
P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, renowned for their "House of Night" series, deliver a compelling narrative that embraces the themes of destiny, friendship, love, and sacrifice. This book is perfect for readers transitioning from middle grade to young adult fiction, offering a delightful blend of magic, mystery, and budding romance.

While the story follows a familiar trope of young love and coming-of-age adventures, it doesn't fail to provide a captivating, enjoyable read. The promise of an equally gripping sequel is something readers can look forward to.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for providing an eARC of this book. Unfortunately this book is just not for me but I do think in 2009 I would have liked it. It just reads very juvenile and on the very young side of young adult. I think it would make more sense for the characters to be 15-16 and going to a magical high school. The dialog was awkward and the inner thoughts were immaturely written. It read like Harry Potter fanfic to me. On the positive side, the cover art is absolutely beautiful. The magic system has a lot of potential, the tie to the moon and zodiacs is interesting.

This beautiful, magical and mysterious read is a must for YA Fantasy lovers!
The moonstruck concept and the love interests, Wren and Lee, are a joy to follow on this journey.

3.5⭐️

The hidden magical school setting with the power system based on moon signs in this one were intriguing…I haven’t read a book with a magical system like that before.

That being said, it’s definitely geared towards a younger YA audience despite the characters being 18. It’s not like some of the upper YA reads I’ve read recently like I was expecting.
The characters narratives and actions were what you’d find in a younger teen book/show. So, if you’re just starting to read fantasy or are part of the younger YA audience, you probably would have enjoyed this one more.

Seasoned fantasy readers, like myself, might find the plot more predictable with less depth and complexity than expected.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

In this first of a Young Adult duology, the authors have done a lovely job of creating a contemporary world that holds both "mundane" (humans) and supernatural witches living side by side but without the humans having any cognizance of magic. Wren (FMC) is one of the rare few because she was born into a magical family but without any magic, herself. That is until her eighteenth birthday when every changes dramatically. Suddenly she is shipped off to a secret academy to learn the extent of her powers, along with all other magic-holding teenagers.

The premise, while nothing terribly unique, is engaging and the characters are compelling. There is just one single problem - but that problem affects the entire reading experience: The characters read MUCH younger than their stated 18 years old! If the premise was of 15 or 16 year old protagonists, the entire feel and enjoyment would have been substantially higher. As is, however, all of the inner dialogue, immature musings, reactions etc. throw the reader completely out of the story because it just doesn't fit with the age they are supposed to be.

SO... if the story were to be promoted to a middle school/tween age market, this story would absolutely be a five star read. Geared to an older YA or even a YA that adults might enjoy, it doesn't work as well.

Ok , i enjoy and this was interesting. Would be looking more into this books, would definitely recommend to friends , i did like the setting and characters

*Received an eArc from Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

I wanted to like this book, but it fell far from the mark for me. I came into this book, thinking I'd be reliving the nostalgia I had for middle school classics like Percy Jackson.

The magic system is built off of an interesting concept, with certain astrology signs imbuing specific powers to the individual. I like that the main character, Wren, is unique in her ability to strengthen other people's magic. This doesn't make her overly powerful, which a lot of authors mistakingly do. When the underdog mc is suddenly gifted the powers of gods, it feels like a cheap attempt at making your character stand out without any subtlety or actual proper character writing. However, I enjoyed that Wren still relies on others in order for her powers to make the difference.

Aside from the initial concept, however, I had a hard time getting through this book. The writing was very juvenile, and many times I felt like the characters were talking in text lingo, even when they're just having an inner monologue. Sometimes characters would have a "squirrel!" moment and go on random tangents that had little to do with the plot. It was jarring to read and I can't count how many times it dragged me out of the moment. The jokes and references are so painfully modern that I couldn't help sighing my disapproval.

The plot itself was not so fast paced until the very end, so I found myself losing interest fairly fast.

The characters weren't very memorable or likeable, which makes the experience harder to get through because we're constantly in their head.

Overall, I wish the writing was more easily digestable. It took me quite a long time to get through this book and it could do with some edits to strengthen the writing style.

Wren was never supposed to have magick. Long after her parents passed away and she was sent to live with her Mundane uncles, she had grown to accept that she was destined for a less magickal life. However, when she finds herself Moonstruck on the night of her eighteenth birthday, Wren's entire life is flipped around. Now, she has to spend the summer on a secret island, learning to use and control her powers alongside her magickal peers.

But things are not what they seem at Academia de la Luna. The secrets there run deep, and as Wren and her friends get closer to the truth, they'll have to decide what is most important to them.

I really loved the concept of this book. The magick system is interesting, and I like the integration of Zodiac with supernatural abilities. However, this book falls very flat for me.

Not only is this novel oddly paced, but everything happens SO quickly that I don't have time to develop any attachment to these characters, so everything feels very low-stakes despite there being deaths. Wren's reactions seem very exaggerated and contradictory, and I find Lee just highly unlikable. There are some attempts at self-awareness (a character calls out the miscommunication trope, but then the miscommunication continues for three weeks??), but they make the plot points seem even more ridiculous.

I wanted to love this, but I am not invested in the characters or plot, and I don't think I will seek out book two.

I have very mixed feelings about this. Can't decide between 2 or 3 stars.
I enjoyed the premise, and the magical world, as well as most of the characters. But the dialogue was very juvenile, I get that the kids are all 18 but the dialogue seemed young for even 18. Also, the trials seemed to happen very quickly with not much in between each trial. There was no training or classes explained so I found it very odd?

I was drawn in by the cover but this book is very misleading! I was expecting a better story. Very poorly written, would not recommend.

I have been provided with a review copy of Draw Down the Moon from NetGalley for an impartial review. This was just a great read. I just had so much fun reading this story.

Wren Nightingale knows about magic because her parents were both Moonstruck - people who have magic gifts that come from the moon - but Wren herself is Mundane, one of the magicless few who are aware that magic exists. At least, that's what she thinks until midnight strikes and she turns 18, and suddenly manifests Moonstruck magic, but of a variety she's never heard of. Instead of being aligned with one of the four known magical signs, taken from the signs of the Zodiac, Wren's magic appears to not be aligned with anything. Despite that, she is invited - or perhaps ordered is more appropriate - to the Lunar Academy beginning the next day, to learn to use her new-found magic. She arrives with her friends, Samantha (Sam) and Leland (Lee), who magic she knew about because of her parentage, and the quest to understand her magic begins.

I enjoyed this novel right up until the end, at which point it just... stopped. There is no resolution to the plot; it simply ends, almost as if the last chapter were omitted. If I wanted to read serials, I would - and I'd like to know ahead of time that that's what I'm reading. I hope that there is a sequel, but at the same time, I am concerned that any sequel will stop as this volume does, without resolution. Those interested in this novel may want to consider waiting until that sequel comes out. This one factor reduced my rating from a 5 to a 4.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the general premise and idea of this book, but I wasn't really gripped by the actual writing? The romance and the plot didn't mesh super well (atleast for me) and I found it difficult to focus on the magic/mystery subplot when the romance was angsty in a very distracting way

"Draw Down the Moon" by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast presents a magical world filled with mystical schools, elemental powers, and a dash of romance. While the premise holds promise, the execution leaves something to be desired, resulting in a three-star rating for this novel.

The story follows Wren Nightingale, a young woman who discovers her elemental powers on her eighteenth birthday and is thrust into the magical Academia de la Luna. The plot also introduces Lee Young, who finds himself attending the academy alongside the girl he's secretly loved for years. The combination of elemental powers, a hidden magical school, and the mysteries surrounding the academy's trials sets the stage for an intriguing narrative.

However, the pacing of the story feels uneven, with certain plot points rushed while others linger without sufficient development. The world-building, though containing interesting elements, lacks the depth needed to fully immerse readers in the magical realm. As a result, the story occasionally struggles to maintain a cohesive flow, making it challenging for readers to fully connect with the characters and their journey.

The characters themselves, while having potential, often fall into familiar tropes without much exploration of their individual complexities. Wren's sudden discovery of her powers and the whirlwind transition to the academy is glossed over, leaving readers with unanswered questions about the protagonist's background and the rules of the magical world she inhabits. The romance between Wren and Lee, while central to the plot, lacks the depth and development needed to make it truly engaging.

Additionally, the introduction of a murder mystery within the magical school adds an interesting layer to the narrative. However, the resolution of this mystery feels rushed and somewhat predictable, missing an opportunity to build suspense and tension.

In conclusion, "Draw Down the Moon" has an intriguing premise with magical elements, but it falls short in terms of execution. The pacing, world-building, and character development leave room for improvement. While the story has moments of excitement and charm, it doesn't quite reach its full potential, resulting in a three-star rating. Fans of magical school settings and elemental powers may find elements to enjoy, but the overall execution may leave some readers wanting more depth and coherence in the storytelling.

""It's not a women's job to make men better," I say. "Ever.""

This was such a cute refreshing YA book by some of my favorite YA authors. Wren and Lee are two very different characters, but that what makes their friendship work. I love the academy setting and the surprises that unveil. Wren is very relatable and fun to love. This book has some mystery, some light romance, and loads of "I need to know more" moments. Definitely an enjoyable read.

(Actual: 2.75⭐️, rounded up) To be honest, this book just wasn’t for me; it took me a *long* while to actually get through it and make it to the end. The YA genre has really grown over the last few years in terms of the complexities & diversity found within its many stories— unfortunately, for me, this book read as if it didn’t want to take such a “risky” chance, instead taking the safer route. However, that lack of depth here is painfully apparent because everything just felt and read so *juvenile* (even when compared to other standard YA fare). Again, and ultimately, while this book missed the mark for me personally, I do hope that there are plenty of others out there who truly enjoyed it.

Trying to get through this was a struggle. The premise was very interesting and had tons of potential, but it did not live up to it. The language is very juvenile as are the characters, despite the fact that they are supposed to be 18. It was very predictable and didn’t have much depth. The big moments didn’t read as big or monumental as they should have; everything felt rushed and underdeveloped. Sadly this just didn’t work for me.

This book didn't really work for me. I thought it was an interesting premise and a quick read, but it felt too young and I didn't really connect with any of the characters unfortunately. Swing and a miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars

This book perfectly highlights the disparity that now exists in the young adult genre. This was so juvenile compared to other YA books and it's such a shame. PC and Kristin Cast always have really interesting and magical stories to tell, but they always emphasize the Young in Young Adult.

The characters in this book are 18, which is certainly young adult, but there are so many books with the same criteria where it doesn't feel like you're actually reading about high schoolers.

I think there needs to be some discussions about how to categorize books nowadays. This is really, in a lot of ways, more suited to middle school level even though they're 18. Some of the language and scenes could be described as more adult, but that's what makes this book feel all over the place.