As Khanh so gracefully put it in her review of, “Where the Stars Still Shine”, by Trish Doller, which can be read here: Click Here , Ms. Khanh states the following in the opening paragraph of her review:I had a little bit of an personal identity crisis while reading a novel. I had to set the book aside at one point to ask myself: Am I a horrible person? Am I completely lacking in emotions, in empathy? Do I even have a heart?In all honesty, the last few years I can honestly say I had an identity crisis when trying to read anything I attempted. I kept losing my mojo for the written world and I keep straying from books I start to never finishing them. I don’t know what has caused my lack of focus and why I would always get sleepy when reading something and drift off to lala land every time I even attempted to read a book. I believe I’ve been hit with a fairy dart somehow as Gwen did in The Hunter’s Moon by O. R. Melling when she met the Island King. She had that kind of dazed look on her face, and no words would escape her lips as the witch doctor talked to her while the Island King went to fetch her things after a freak moment of panic for fear that Gwen was hit by something more sinister than a fairy dart. No doctor was needed in her case but Granny. Well, O. R. Melling in this case, was my doctor, and she somehow lifted that predicament I was in and kept me hooked to the pages of her debut to the faerie chronicles. The interest in her world never faded. Because of Melling here, I entered the world of the fae. My mortal spirit left the human world for a few days for I was immediately drawn inside the world of Gwen and Finn. I’m calling her Finn because her name is difficult to spell. Findabhair I think. I’ve often sat and thought, after I read Patti Roberts, Paradox, the Angels are Here, I swear she had cast some kind of spell over my senses. I was distraught, traumatized, because I was afraid I would never find another brilliant book again that just felt like a mere dream. And as Khanh stated, I felt like a horrible person for straying away from something I use to love when growing up and was obsessed with back in High School. I was the nerdy kid always reading and hiding in the back of class anyway. Books were my sanctuary and they kept me sane. But now I realized it wasn’t me. O.R. Melling has a way with words. Her writing style enchanted me in that poetic tongue and I swear the author had entered the world of the fae herself at one point and this was a representation of her own adventure across Ireland to discovering the myth of the fae was real. For anyone who wants to study writing and how to write well, this book is a great introduction to the craft. I personally enjoy when novels are quick and scenes move quickly. I don’t need every single detail. Show us not tell us, and O. R. Melling in my opinion does a lot of show. It was theater performance masterpiece though sadly trapped in a book. Every character was a delight, Midir was my favorite. The Fairy King was a trickster, I didn’t like him. My only issue I had with the book was the young romance and the fact that the sixteen year old girl Finn (for short), would willingly give up her mortal soul to live in the world of the fae and be a queen, stripping her of all her essence of mortal diviner. This is a coming of age story where Gwen is first seen as an insecure sixteen year old and then finds that she is much more than she gave herself credit for in the beginning. She found her strength to overcome trickery and her chivalry towards rescuing Finn was a powerful message. Never leave your friends and family behind. Despite the issue with the young Romance going on here, I envied these girls for being able to Travel Ireland. Of course being sixteen is very young to travel Ireland without parents. I can see why some people would have an issue with this. The author did great things with this book. Here’s a warning to all:never sleep in a fairy mound. You have been warned.
My thoughts and impressions of this book weren’t that great. The writing was extremely choppy, disjointed, and the pacing of the story was extremely rushed. Everything happens so bam bam bam right after each other that you just couldn’t get into the characters or get a decent grasp for the whole build-up of suspense. So in the end you have a shallow portrait of the characters and what they’re really like. Another thing that I found really strange was that Findabhair is the name of the author's daughter.I know the whole love at first sight thing is sweet, romantic, and everyone wishes that it could happen to them but at least make it plausible. The worst part about the romance interests for the two female leads is that this book happens in a timeframe that is just a few short days. And in that time Findabhair manages to fall in love with the King of Faeries and he vice versa? So much so that he’s willing to sacrifice his life for her? Gwen also had the whole, “wow I meet a hot guy” and they hit it off and then in one outing they become girlfriend/boyfriend and are super affectionate, kissing, hugging, what have you? I’m sorry I just don’t dig that. Then all of these people who barely knew her were willing to fight alongside her even if they would die in the attempt? Err… okay.The writing does pick up by about the halfway mark and sort of settles down into a decent pace. There was a twist at the ending that I totally wasn’t expecting so that was some thumbs up. The author exploits fantastic knowledge of Irish mythology and knowledge of the area with great success. I was quite fascinated by the language and names.
What do You think about The Hunter's Moon (2006)?
This is one of my favorite books of all time and deserves a full 5 stars. Don't let the other reviewers tell you otherwise. This book opened my eyes to the wonders of the world beyond the North American shores. It brought my interest back to novels (for a period of time I went on a manga tangent) and encouraged my interest in mythology.This book ties in the mythology of the Tuatha Dé Danann (the Irish fey), the geography of Ireland, and a riveting story of two girls on an adventure. While the story starts off with both girls, the plot quickly shifts to focus on Gwen. So technically, the adventure of Gwyn and her friends.Some readers say that they didn't like the story because Findabhair was 'flaky' and 'shallow.' And in the beginning, she was. But I felt that Melling did that on purpose so we, the readers, could focus on Gwyn and her personal growth. And despite that Findabhair was technically not the main character in focus, she also underwent some personal growth.(view spoiler)[The story started with Gwyn trying to save her best friend, who appeared to be in danger. The danger? The Irish fey keeping Findabhair forevermore, which meant death in the human world. But as Gwyn attempted to rescue Findabhair, she uncovered a much darker agenda of the Fey. A devious plot that needed a human sacrifice, and the fey had their eyes set on Gwyn. So now, Gwyn must use every bit of knowledge and connections in her arsenal to save both their lives. (hide spoiler)]
—Ali
I really really like this book. I wish I could say I love it, partly because I love the way Melling inverts some of the most problematic aspects of Susan Cooper (like, SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't read the whole "Dark Is Rising" series, the way the mortal kids are forced to forget everything). But somehow the characters didn't have enough depth--and therefore the plot didn't have enough propulsion, subjectively speaking, for me to give it a fifth star. Overall, though, I'd recommend this highly to readers of YA fiction.
—Kellyann
2.5 StarsThe best words I can think of for describing this book are "expectations sadly unfulfilled." Reading the back of this book and the quotes plastered all over it I was excited to read it. Maybe it was actually better than I give it credit for but... so disappointed.Basic plot- girl ad her prettier cousin go looking for something magical. They find it. Cousin is kidnapped. Girl must go after her and "save" her. Along her way meets many interesting people and many faeries etc. It sounded good, I smiled as I read the blurb.At the start I found myself tapping my feet excitedly. A pretty girl in a bookshop is given a book by a handsome stranger who talked about strange things... I was anticipating Big Things. I was wondering if I had found the next 13 treasures. As it turns out, I hadn't. Because then we are introduced to Gwen. An American girl who comes to Ireland and obviously charms everybody and makes everything go right. Huh. Gwen herself was alright but she was the type of girl I wouldn't really want to be friends with. For starters she's a bit of an idiot sometimes. She eats food at the fairy feast despite being told not to, (later she is told that this is "All Okay guys!" because no one could pass the test.) she accepts an apple from a strange boy despite being entangled with the faeries. Stops to talk to an old crone. And this girl is supposed to be obsessed with faeries and know everything about them. No. The thing that annoys me is that everything seems to be pushed onto Gwen's path. There's no coincidence and she's always being helped on and on and on. And then at the end, of course, everyone's like "Oh my god Gwen you are totally awesome in every way! You are the definite leader of our little crew!" Everything goes right for her and even when they go wrong they are all fixed in a second and no one stops for a second and shakes Gwen's shoulders and says, "Look, Gwen- wake up. You did something stupid and ruined everything. Go into a hole and cry, ta." I can't actually think of a character that I really liked apart from maybe Kate and Matthew. Maybe. But they weren't given big parts and most of the words put into their mouths were all "Gwen, Gwen- you're so awesome!" Her cousin annoyed me so much. It's like I don't like Gwen but she's come all this way and done all this stuff to try and help you mean whilst you're swanning about in a ball gown and falling for a fairy king who of course loves you too. Another problem is that description was unfulfilled. I think there was a fair bit of it but it was dry and boring and quite often OR Melling commited the cardinal sin. Don't tell- show. We are constantly being told things. For the battle scene (because there's always a battle scene) we are told what happens in a boring detached way (also- they've never fought before but now all of a sudden they are great and Gwen can suddenly shoot a bow and arrow. Sure.) Here's the problem. I'm sorry to say this but it was so stereo typically American-American. Gwen says someone is her boyfriend after kissing them and they are now are each others "twu luvs". Added on to this there are two boys who are interested in her. Really? Really? Can't these YA heroines just get on with ONE? For once? Please?But all of these small sins I probably could have got over. But the ending was so rubbish! So unfulfilled, so everything is now all right. Just so disappointed...
—Sorrel
