Reviews

The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh

hlford22's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

faithhohman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

lynnebolduc's review

4.0

"'Should have' tasted like unsent letters and unfinished stories, like ghost breath on a mirror."
4.5 stars (not five stars only because the denouement seemed to drag on unnecessarily). I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I found it similar to Where the Crawdads Sing. It felt like magical realism, but was real realism. I had never heard of synesthesia before but those who have it (2 to 4% of the population) have their senses crisscrossed. The main character who has synesthesia tastes words (Tuesday tastes like licorice) and sees sounds (music looks like colored clouds, streaks and smudges) which contributed to the feeling of magical realism. Held my attention with complex characters, compelling plot lines, beautiful prose, varied locations, lots of action, and interweaving stories yet not difficult to follow at all.

kelli7990's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Here’s what this book is about:”After their mother’s probable suicide, Jazz and Olivia Moon struggle to move on with their lives. Olivia, an 18-year-old who can taste words and see sounds, blinds herself by staring at the sun, then decides to walk to the remote setting of her mother’s unfinished novel to resuscitate her hopes and dreams. Jazz, 22, plagued by unresolved conflict with her mother and a hidden trove of her unsent letters, takes a job in a funeral home before being forced back into the role of her sister’s keeper. The sisters’ journey through the wilds of West Virginia, disaster-prone from the start, takes a turn when they meet two train-hoppers with dangerous secrets, and Jazz learns that Olivia holds a dark secret of her own in the form of their mother’s final unread letter. Mistrust, resentments, and new attachments threaten to tear the two apart, until a final bizarre misadventure forces them to decide what’s really important. “

I listened to this book on Audible and I liked the narrator. I liked what the synopsis says about this book. It sounded interesting to me but I didn’t like this book very much. The only thing that I liked was the romance between Olivia and Hobbs. I thought it was interesting when they were spending time together talking. I didn’t like Jazz very much. She wasn’t very nice.

chocolatelady1957's review

4.0

This hauntingly personal story is about two sisters who are about as different as two people could be, and the fascinating way they deal with their mother and her death. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2014/03/15/unseen-visions-hiding-in-plain-sight/

laurat's review

4.0

I love Walsh's knack for weaving tragedy with whimsy, and she does it so beautifully. I was swept up right away in this tale of two sisters, Olivia and Jazz, who are both in search of closure after their mother’s apparent suicide. Each chapter alternates between the sisters' perspectives and I especially enjoyed getting to experience Olivia’s synesthesia (a neurological condition where the senses are crossed).

If you want a summer read that is off the beaten path and hard to put down, then read The Moon Sisters.

witchyreader13's review

4.0

I enjoyed the interplay between the sisters and their different reactions to the tragedy of their mother's death. Being a dreamer, I could see pieces of myself in Olivia, and Jazz's lack of imagination frustrated me. I thought the story was put together well, although the ending seemed a bit trite. It was just wrapped up in a way that seemed too sentimental and forced. The rest of the story really drew me in though, so I give this book a full 4 stars.

vegebrarian's review

4.0

Slow burn on this one. Two sisters grieve the loss of their mother. An unexpected and cathartic road trip gives them each the opportunity to hash out their differences and walk a mile in each other's shoes.

thebookishlass's review

3.0

3.5, really. A little slow to start, but picked up toward the end.

abookishaffair's review

4.0

"The Moon Sisters" is the story of Olivia and Jazz. They are sisters but incredibly different from each other. Jazz is grounded. She has had to be her sister's keeper ever since they were little girls. Olivia is a dreamer. She was diagnosed with synesthesia, a neurological syndrome that mixes up Olivia's senses. She can see sounds and taste words. It has caused her to be sort of an outcast in their small town. I loved this element so much. It really added a lot to the book.

After their mother dies, their world is thrown into utter chaos, which will cause Olivia to run and Jazz to chase after her, just as they always have. This is a unique story and one that I know will be on my mind for a very long time.

I love stories about sisters. I love reading about that kind of relationship so much. The relationship between Jazz and Olivia is so interesting. Their relationship is very tumultuous but you can tell underneath all of that chaos that there is a strong love and a strong care for each other. Even the secondary characters in the book were really good. Olivia meets a train-hopper that "tastes like tomorrow" and follows him and throws her life into even more chaos. It's really wonderful.

I really liked the writing in this book. On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It did get a little bit slow in the middle but then it picked back up towards the end. Overall, this is a very interesting tale filled with great characters!