Ashley Stoynaoff Reviews: The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

★ASHLEY STOYNAOFF'S REVIEW★

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

Title: The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga, #1)

Author: David EstesNumber of Pages: 369Publication Info: David Estes (June 2012)Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopian

Shelf: Books I BoughtRating: ★★★

Goodreads:Here

Purchase:Here

Author’s Website:Here

Goodreads Summary:

In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms.

17-year-old Adele, a member of the middle-class moon dwellers, is unjustly sentenced to life in prison deep underground.

When a war breaks out within the Tri-Realms, Adele must escape from prison and seek to uncover her parents' true past, armed with only a wicked roundhouse kick and two fists that have been well-trained for combat by her father.

In her world someone must die.

My Review:

David has a beautifully creative mind and it shows in his writing.  The Moon Dwellers is not the first book I’ve read of his, and will not be the last.  His books are original and he infuses the storylines with wonderful twists and turns that hook you, and most importantly keeps you hooked throughout the story.

What I loved:  First of all, I loved the connection between Adele and Tristan.  I love the whole soulmate vibe and how Tristan was willing to risk everything to find her.  

The character of Adele was fantastic.  I loved her energy.  She was easy to care aboutand she was a strong lead.  Her passion kept me involved in her life until the very end.

What I liked: The secondary characters were well developed. Roc brought some needed humor to the story, and Tawni and Cole’s fiercely loyal personalities gave them a special place in my heart.

What drove me crazy:  The pacing.  I know this is the first book in the series and there is a lot of world building involved but I found that the first 50% of the book was filled with back story and narrative that dragged the story down.  Some of it was needed.  Some of it was interesting, but the rest ended up feeling like page filler and the information stalled the story for me instead of pushing it forward.

The other thing that had me frustrated was the ending.  It felt rushed, and kind of unbelievable. Tristan spent the entire book looking for Adele and then when he finds her, they go their separate ways without even a kiss. Although I understand why this happened, and I’m sure their connection will be explored further in the future books, I guess I just expected them to at least stay together for a bit.

My overall thoughts:  At the end, even though I was frustrated, I still enjoyed the book.  The world that Estes created was interesting and the characters were strong.  I can only see this series getting better with the next book.

Would I recommend it?  Sure, all in all it was entertaining.

Would I read the next book in the series?  Probably.

Would I read it again?  Probably not.