Helpful Score: 2
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Celeste Parker has the ideal boyfriend. Nash is the popular boy at school. He's also the best friend of her two best friends' boyfriends, so it makes it handy when they want to hang out. The six of them can do everything together. But things subtly start to change for Celeste the night the six of them go camping. Nash tells the gang the story of the Legend's Run werewolf. In the distance, a wolf howls, and they go running in fright from the woods.
When the boys make a bet that the girls are too scared to visit a psychic on the wrong side of town, the girls take them up on it. Abby and Ivy get generic fortunes, but Celeste gets one that haunts her: Beware of a kiss under a full moon. It will change your life forever. Celeste decides to walk home from the psychic and encounters a bizarre freak snow storm - and a pack of wolves. It's a newcomer to town, Brandon Maddox, who comes to her aid, but he is bitten in the scuffle.
Celeste can't stop thinking of Brandon and comparing Nash to him. Because the girls won the bet with the guys, Celeste forces Nash to invite Brandon to one of his parties. Of course it doesn't go well, and Celeste breaks up with Nash.
Slowly, Celeste and Brandon get to know each other in secret. None of Celeste's friends would approve of her friendship with someone from the wrong side of town. But Brandon is everything Celeste wants. Celeste visits Brandon on the night of a full moon and watches him transform into something else. Brandon doesn't know what is happening, nor does Celeste. But over time, Celeste is positive he's a werewolf and tries to convince him, as well.
ONCE IN A FULL MOON is only the start of a new series by Ellen Schreiber. I believe there will be mixed opinions with this series. On the one hand, it's by Ellen Schreiber, and she already has such a loyal fan base. But on the other hand, those expecting a story like VAMPIRE KISSES will be disappointed. ONCE IN A FULL MOON reads so differently from her other series that it didn't feel like the same author at all. I feel that ONCE IN A FULL MOON actually has more substance to the tale than Raven and Alexander's story does. This one took a little longer to build up to the action, but it gives the reader time to get to know Celeste and her friends and the background of Legend's Run.
Celeste is a positive role model for readers. She's a studious gal who volunteers willingly at a nursing home, and even develops a close friendship with one of the residents there. I can't wait to see more of Brandon in the future. He's kept brooding and to himself as the new boy in town, but I see so much potential in him. The cover is absolutely beautiful and that alone will draw readers to the book. If you like Ellen Schreiber, if you enjoy werewolves, and certainly if you love a little romance, pick up ONCE IN A FULL MOON.
Celeste Parker has the ideal boyfriend. Nash is the popular boy at school. He's also the best friend of her two best friends' boyfriends, so it makes it handy when they want to hang out. The six of them can do everything together. But things subtly start to change for Celeste the night the six of them go camping. Nash tells the gang the story of the Legend's Run werewolf. In the distance, a wolf howls, and they go running in fright from the woods.
When the boys make a bet that the girls are too scared to visit a psychic on the wrong side of town, the girls take them up on it. Abby and Ivy get generic fortunes, but Celeste gets one that haunts her: Beware of a kiss under a full moon. It will change your life forever. Celeste decides to walk home from the psychic and encounters a bizarre freak snow storm - and a pack of wolves. It's a newcomer to town, Brandon Maddox, who comes to her aid, but he is bitten in the scuffle.
Celeste can't stop thinking of Brandon and comparing Nash to him. Because the girls won the bet with the guys, Celeste forces Nash to invite Brandon to one of his parties. Of course it doesn't go well, and Celeste breaks up with Nash.
Slowly, Celeste and Brandon get to know each other in secret. None of Celeste's friends would approve of her friendship with someone from the wrong side of town. But Brandon is everything Celeste wants. Celeste visits Brandon on the night of a full moon and watches him transform into something else. Brandon doesn't know what is happening, nor does Celeste. But over time, Celeste is positive he's a werewolf and tries to convince him, as well.
ONCE IN A FULL MOON is only the start of a new series by Ellen Schreiber. I believe there will be mixed opinions with this series. On the one hand, it's by Ellen Schreiber, and she already has such a loyal fan base. But on the other hand, those expecting a story like VAMPIRE KISSES will be disappointed. ONCE IN A FULL MOON reads so differently from her other series that it didn't feel like the same author at all. I feel that ONCE IN A FULL MOON actually has more substance to the tale than Raven and Alexander's story does. This one took a little longer to build up to the action, but it gives the reader time to get to know Celeste and her friends and the background of Legend's Run.
Celeste is a positive role model for readers. She's a studious gal who volunteers willingly at a nursing home, and even develops a close friendship with one of the residents there. I can't wait to see more of Brandon in the future. He's kept brooding and to himself as the new boy in town, but I see so much potential in him. The cover is absolutely beautiful and that alone will draw readers to the book. If you like Ellen Schreiber, if you enjoy werewolves, and certainly if you love a little romance, pick up ONCE IN A FULL MOON.
I have read Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber and LOVED them! So of course I was going to read her new series. And I loved this one too! Many may disagree, but I dont care. I was not looking for another Vampire Kisses type book or the typical spin on werewolves! I wanted a little something different. And thats what I got. Youll either love it or hate it. It kept my interest, which sometimes is hard to do. If you liked her other books and you can actually let go of what you THINK it may be like, then read it. If not......oh well, Im sure youll find something else. This is just my thoughts and not yours. Read or not to read.....eh, you get it!
This was definitely a YA book, and much less complicated than many I have read previously. The author did a pretty good job of rounding out the characters, making their actions believable.
These kids are in high school and seem to have an awful lot of freedom to come and go as they please - along with cars to get them wherever they want to go. Very little adult supervision. Having been a high school student myself, at some point in the distant past, I found this to be a stretch of the imagination.
The dialogue was fairly simple, as was the meat of the story itself. Many scenes ended abruptly, or were somewhat confusing to read because they were so bare-boned. It seems to me that the target audience would be able to understand a more complicated telling of this tale - not to mention that it would add a great deal to the enjoyment of reading it.
I guess that what I am left with is feeling that the story could have been so much better had it been fleshed out more fully. My teenagers showed no interest in reading it. With so many excellent books out there, I probably won't read any more books in this series.
These kids are in high school and seem to have an awful lot of freedom to come and go as they please - along with cars to get them wherever they want to go. Very little adult supervision. Having been a high school student myself, at some point in the distant past, I found this to be a stretch of the imagination.
The dialogue was fairly simple, as was the meat of the story itself. Many scenes ended abruptly, or were somewhat confusing to read because they were so bare-boned. It seems to me that the target audience would be able to understand a more complicated telling of this tale - not to mention that it would add a great deal to the enjoyment of reading it.
I guess that what I am left with is feeling that the story could have been so much better had it been fleshed out more fully. My teenagers showed no interest in reading it. With so many excellent books out there, I probably won't read any more books in this series.
This is one of those books classified as "YA" that really are meant for their age level. I believe young readers, especially girls in the 9-12 range, will enjoy it, but if you're an adult who loves books in this genre in general, you'll be disappointed. There was nothing unique or intriguing about this story--get this one from your library!
