When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore – Blog Tour!

When I first read The Weight of Feathers, I was captivated by the magic and beauty that was contained within its pages.  At that point, I hadn’t really read many novels with magical realism and such descriptive passages, and characters that practically jumped right out of the pages, so I fell in love.  When I heard that Anna-Marie McLemore was coming out with another book, I can’t even tell you how excited I was to get my hands on it (so a huge thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for sending me a copy!).  Also, do you see that cover?  It’s one of the most stunning covers that I have seen to date.  Seriously, I think I’ve spent more time staring at that cover than any other book cover that I’ve come across.  It’s so fitting to the story…and trust me when I saw that the writing inside is even more beautiful.

When the Moon was Ours tells the complicated story of Miel, who is a strange young girl who appeared one night when the town’s old water tower fell, and it left her behind.  Dripping wet, no one wants to go near Miel, as she screams and screams, terrified for many different reasons.  Only Sam, a young boy who wants to help Miel calm down, actually goes near her, whispering that everything is okay.  When Sam’s mother’s friend decides to take Miel in, she has a home again, and she and Sam grow up to be friends, and fall in love with each other, despite the secret that Sam lives with, and the fact that Miel is thought of as “cursed” because of the roses that keep growing out of her wrist.

“They’d touched each other every day since they were small.  She put her palm to his forehead when she thought he had a fever.  He’d set tiny gold star stickers on her skin on summer days, and at night had peeled them off, leaving pale constellations on her sun-darkened body.”

When the infamous Bonner sisters (who succeed in stealing every boy they desire and making them fall in love) begin threatening Miel for her roses, saying that they will reveal Sam’s secret if she does not snip the roses off of her wrist and give hand them over to the four sisters.  Not knowing what else to do to solve the problem, she tries to do what she can to help keep the secret of the boy she is in love with.

Even the chapter titles in this book are beautiful, and the romance that blooms within the pages is the kind you can feel deep in your soul.  The love that Miel and Sam have in this novel is the kind of romance that you dream about, but few people are lucky to find.  Combined with the flowery prose, this book is the equivalent of an unlimited supply of your favorite chocolate bars, a bouquet of your favorite flowers, and a heartwarming love that will make you believe again, and that will give you hope.

I adored Sam’s character…he was a strong individual who struggled with his identity, but deep down knew what he wanted and kept it in mind.  Miel was such a sweet girl with so much love to give, and she proved that she would do anything to protect those she loved.

If you are a fan of descriptive writing that will transport you to another time and place, this is a book that you won’t want to miss.  It’s clever, it’s sweet, and it will captivate your heart.  You will never be able to look at roses again without feeling light and hope.

Let me assure you, if you have read The Weight of Feathers, you will love this one.  Anna-Marie McLemore has once again created a novel full of beauty and one of the most beautiful romances that I have read.

And if you haven’t read The Weight of Feathers, pick that book up, too…you can’t possibly go wrong that one or When the Moon was Ours.  They are both complex and heartfelt novels that will leave you wanting more and falling in love.