Moon Stone

 By: Laura Purcell 

Location: FIC PUR

Genre: Fantasy, Gothic

From award-winning bestseller Laura Purcell comes her YA debut, MOONSTONE, a sparkling, chilling gothic romance with real bite… Following a scandal at Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Camille is sent away to her reclusive godmother, who keeps a strict watch over her and her own sickly daughter, Lucy. Camille must stay away from everything she has known until the scandal is forgotten, keeping strictly to the small farmhouse in the woods. Away from the corsetry and curtsies of polite society, Camille finds herself surprisingly…free. She is also strangely drawn to Lucy, a pale, fragile girl who dreams of stars, but has never left the farm. Yet as Camille and Lucy grow close and cross forbidden boundaries, the fine balance of their woodland home begins to death stalks between the trees, claw-marks rake the doors and the moon rises to the song of a creature Camille has never heard before. Camille begins to realise her godmother was holding more than unladylike behaviour at bay… 

Cait rates it this way on Goodreads.com

Young Adult, Gothic, Romance
➳ Gothic 🦇
➳ Masquerade Balls 🎭
➳ Non-Linear Timeline ⌛️
➳ Regency Era 🕯️
➳ Slow Burn ❤️‍🔥
➳ Mystery 🔎
➳ Deadly Secrets 🤫
➳ Plot Twists 🪢 

Laura Purcell’s captivating atmosphere and compelling mystery distinguish ‘Moonstone’ within the realm of the YA Gothic Fantasy Romance genre. From the first page, Purcell immerses readers in a haunting and atmospheric setting reminiscent of classic gothic literature. Eerie woods, a secluded farmhouse and mysterious occurrences build a sense of imminent foreboding. Mystery, suspense and plot twists meld together to create an engaging narrative.
As the protagonist Camille undergoes a significant amount of development throughout the story. Her journey from a sheltered young woman to a more independent and resilient individual was incredibly appreciated and necessary. At the beginning of the book, it is difficult to connect with her fully (which is understandable given her privileged upbringing) but her charm grows as her naivety wears off. Lucy was a closed book in the beginning, and it took a while for us to truly get to know her without al of her guards up. Once we managed to meet and truly know her, she became a favourite character.
I loved seeing the characters grapple with the societal restraints of the regency era, and their hunger for truth as they sought out freedom and their sense of identity.
The revelation of secrets, and resolution of conflicts provided closure and a sense of fulfilment by the end of the book. However, the ending did feel slightly rushed when compared to the slower paced beginning and middle.

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LIKES:
⋆ I loved the gothic vibes and regency setting in this novel. It made for a lovely mood and definitely added to the mystery and intrigue.
⋆ This was the sort of novel where you find yourself interested in the side characters, and curious to know more about their backstories.
⋆ I loved loved loved who the FMC ended up with.

❤️‍🩹
DISLIKES:
⋆ The pacing was slower in the beginning and middle and made the ending feel slightly rushed. I know there are publishing limitations (especially within the YA genre) and sometimes not every page can be fit into the final copy but i would have appreciated more pages dedicated to the climax and conclusion.
⋆ Without giving spoilers, i would have loved more build up and romantic tension between the relationships in this story. I’d like to note that i do appreciate and enjoy the romantic couple that ended up together. 💖💖