2.75 rounded up.
Overall a very juvenile group of 18 year olds. They read way more 15-16 than 18.
Lee as a character was confusing and inconsistent. His actions in tje final chapter don't make sense at all.
The plot for this book was very slow. There was a ton of dialog but not much plot progression. I get that it's probably a set up for future books but you still need to hook people with the first book...
Also feels way too similar to Harry Potter, it was distracting.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me. I found the pacing to be really inconsistent, erring on the side of mostly slow and the story to be more middle grade than YA. I gave this three stars because I do think this story is interesting and fun, just not to me. If it had been marketed a bit younger and shown as middle grade instead of YA (which I know is vague) I think that it would reach its intended audience better. So, decent story, but not for me.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this book, truly I did. But, 10 hours of listening later and it seems like nothing really happened.

This book was advertised as YA, which I’m aware is meant for younger audiences… but this felt like something I would’ve read in late elementary school/early middle school. Maybe between 5th-7th grade or so. Despite the main characters having just turned 18, they definitely acted and seemed more in the 13-14 year old age range.

This also somehow seemed like a bad rendition of a Harry Potter fanfiction with some dystopian sub-tropes mixed in.

The narrators were fine and I did appreciate the dual POV narration.

DNF@ 25%

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the E-Arc and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I just lost interest in this one that while the plot is interesting, I felt like two main characters should have been a little younger like 14 or 16 instead of 18. The whole premise of going to a school of magic in the summer when you turn 18 when you become moonstruck with Elemental magic sounds cool for the most part. It’s just the fact the school felt so middle/ elementary school instead of feeling like a college campus that it should have felt like since they are 18 year olds about to go to college. One scene in particular felt like they were lining them up like they were elementary students instead of freshly graduated seniors about to be freshmen in college.

I need to go back and finish this book but The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith did something almost similar with the MC finding out she has magic at the age of 17 and thus going to a boarding school of magic but it felt like High School/College and elementary school on how they treated the students.

Another reason why I dnfed because I don’t really like the main character, Wren Nightingale. I am more interested in the secondary main character and potential love interest, Lee Young. The problem is the book dual first person but since Wren is new to this world since she just finding out she has magic while Lee already knew he had magic, we as readers going to be in her head more than in Lee’s head. I really don’t feel like being in a person's head that I partially don’t like so I'm going to head out.

Also it felt so much like Harry Potter with how Wren and her family found out about the school (just think if Dumbledore come to Harry and the Durleys instead of Hargid) and it supposed to be a “Tournament of Skill” during the course of them staying at the school.

The problem with this book is that if it came out in the early 2000’s around the time of Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games and the other early 2000’s YA Books, then it would fit right at home with those types of books. It has that early 2000’s YA feel to it since the P.C and Kristin Cast Books were very popular at that time.

So if you want that younger YA feel for nostalgia, this would be the book for you.

Although sold as a YA novel, this feels much more attuned to the less sophisticated tastes of middle graders. The plot is simplistic, characters clichés, the plot well trodden, and the logic of the world is head scratchingly silly. That said, it is an easy read. Note: I listened to the audio version and the narrators were ok - again, nothing special here.

Story: Wren may have had magical parents but has long since given up the idea that she has any magic herself. Even her best friend Lee has healing powers and has been to the secret magic academy. But on her 18th birthday, magic strikes her and she is whisked off to the school with Lee at her side. She hasn't shown any particular gift (or any magic at all) and fears she has been miscast in the role of magic user. But then weird and deadly things start happening at the academy and she may have the only magic that can save the world!

So yes all the eye wincing clichés are here: - unique snowflake denies she has abilities but it turns out she has the most powerful of all. Childhood friend is madly in love with her but afraid to say anything for fear of losing their friendship, so moons over her most of the time. All the adults in the academy are clueless, stupid or evil and no one will help her with her true power. Cue bumbling attempts to knock her off before she can use her power to save the world. Oh noes!

This is clearly just another Harry Potter fan fiction - just minus the extraordinary world building, lore, and magic. What magic there is feels very underwhelming and underdeveloped - and pretty random. Plot twists are well choreographed, to the point where only the heroine is unable to figure out simple truths. No one has any brains - even the supernatural creatures. I was bored through - except the times I was rolling my eyes at all the cliches.

So, if you are not a very demanding a reader, go for it. It's an easy book to follow, ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, and has the usual romance clichés. The audio version is fine - it was nice to have a male and female set of narrators for each of the POVs, though the male POV is pretty much there only to expound about how madly he is in love with the female. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I don't know if it was the dual pov or the sort of Mary Sue ish trope of being the super special case that doesn't get magic until she's 18, but I just wasn't a fan.

PC Cast can be a bit hit or miss for me. This was still right on that line. The character ages are right in that tricky gap between young adult and new adult. The writing and setting make it seem more upper reaches of middle grade, freshman year of high school, but hey, easy, accessible reads are a great thing. I like the world building and the magic systems (Cast does know how to set up an intriguing magic system), but the characters are a little flat for me. I do hate the "I'm keeping secrets for your own good" trope. Mainly because I have never seen it pulled off. If someone was really excited to read this one, I would encourage them, but it's not something that will live at the top of my recommendation list.

I really liked the magic system and thought the elementals were also really cool. The narrator was good too, I just definitely think this is for a younger audience based on the writing style. Overall very enjoyable!

Short synopsis: Wren was born a mundane, but on her 18th birthday she’s struck with Moon power and gets to attend the Academia de la Luna with her best friend Lee.

My thoughts: This seemed like a mish mash of a couple of popular magical/dystopian YA books. I read the House of Night series years ago, and this one seems to have similar themes.

It had some fun magical elements, and great side characters that added to the story. The friendship between Wren and Sam was just so sweet, everyone needs a bestie that will break some rules to find answers with you.

There was a little too much teenage angst and lack of communication in this one for my preferences. I felt like the middle was too drawn out and long with a really quick confrontation and big cliffhanger.

The audio was so fun with dual narration for each POV, I felt like the narrators really brought the story to life and their voices perfectly portrayed Wren and Lee.

Read if you love:
- “The Chosen One” trope
- Magic
- Academia setting
- Star signs
- Friends to lovers
- Series

Although this was a great concept for a story, I feel it didn't hit the mark. It read younger than YA and just couldn't keep my attention. The characters were nice but needed more depth and development. I wanted to love it but could not. The cover, however, is beautiful and drew me in.

I love the idea of this one with the boarding school and magic!

I will say this reads more juvenile than the YA I have been reading recently which was hard for me.

I found myself finding some parts not believable and ultimately ended up not finishing about half way through.

Thank you for the opportunity to try it! This one just wasn’t for me.

Draw Down the Moon
Moonstruck, Book 1

I Picked Up This Book Because: Cover lust + liking the author’s previous work.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 4/2/24 - 4/3/24
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Ina Marie Smith and Jordan Barton

The Characters:

Wren Nightingale:
Lee Young:
Sam, Lily, The one that wears the red sweatshirt all the time and is super brave

The Story:
This is a YA tale that reminds me of Harry Potter Meets Divergent. There’s a magical school, four different houses and something is just not quite right. I love the relationships the Wren has both before and after attending Academia de la Luna. (view spoiler) By the end Wren finds out the truth and some terrible decisions must be made.
I’m really looking forward to the next installment to see how things unfold.

Draw Down the Moon tells the story of two friends: Wren and Lee. Wren was born to magickal parents, but not under a magickal moon sign, so she was never supposed to have powers. Lee was born into a prestigious magickal family, and after the death of his older sister, all of his parents' expectations fell to him. Lee and Wren were together on Wren's 18th birthday when she was suddenly struck by moon magick. The next day, Lee and Wren are swept away to the Academia de la Luna to learn how to use their powers and compete in trials. The premise for this book was a classic and the system of magick was quite interesting, if underdeveloped in this first book. It is a good setup for the rest of the series, though. The characters came across as a bit younger than they were in the story, so this series will be good for a wide age range. The narrators of the audiobook also did an excellent job. This series will likely appeal to fans of Rick Riordan.

1.0 Star

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

Draw Down the Moon felt like it was trying too hard to be Harry Potter with a splash of Divergent and Hunger Games in cursive with zodiac throw-ins.

I really really really wanted to like this one, but sadly this was a case of ‘it’s the book and not me’. (I honestly considered dnf-ing, but I stuck through it when I shouldn’t have.) After recently reading ‘Marked (House of Night, #1)’ by the same authors, the parallels between the two are uncanny.

This is a YA read, however, if I had to categorize it, then middle school read would be more suitable. Even with their ages, our characters acted very child-like and juvenile. My biggest pet peeve is too many unnecessary pop culture references and modern slang, and this book did exactly that. Not in an ironic and HAHA way either at times. *rubs temples*

After 336 pages or 10 hours of listening…. nothing really happened. The ending was rushed. The climax to the cliffhanger is laughable. We are missing so much background information and solid worldbuilding. The main trope is Friends to Lovers, and by the end of it I wasn’t even rooting for them.

I wish I could say that I was more disappointed than mad, but after reading the summary, I was so hopeful that now I am upset. I don’t have the energy to even anticipate what is coming for the characters in book two of this duology. It’s going to be a no from me.

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Audiobook
Pace:
Slow to fast to slow to fast
Cover thoughts:
This cover is beautiful! The best cover of any other PC Cast or Kristin Cast books!
POV: (single or multi)
Multi - Wren Nightingale and Lee Young

Triggers:
Death, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Grief, etc.

Wren was born to one of the great moon-blessed families that are bestowed magickal abilities upon their birth. Those with magickal abilities attend an elite training college after their 18th birthday to hone their abilities and strengthen their gifts. Unlike her friends and her parents, Wren has no power to speak of whatsoever, but after an unexplainable supernatural experience on the night of her 18th birthday, she is whisked away to Academia de la Luna to be a part of the elite training.
Lee is determined to fill his late sister's shoes after her mysterious death while attending Academia de la Luna. He will do anything it takes to reach the top, except give up his best friend Wren. But when mysterious deaths begin to occur all over campus and Wren begins to pull further and further away from him, he wonders if her secrets may be enough to tear them apart.

This book includes:
- magical training school
- childhood best friends to lovers
- elusive spirits
- astrological magic
- cliffhanger ending

"Drawn Down the Moon" has the most compelling title and a gorgeous cover. The story concept it fun and I like the way magical training school mixed with some "who done it" murder mystery elements. If you love "The Zodiac Academy" series you will enjoy this book as well. Unfortunately, I did not connect to any of the characters and felt they were one-dimensional. The magic system felt underdeveloped and there were large, distracting plot holes in the world-building.

I listened to this book on audio and the narrators were very talented, especially the female narrator, and the production was solid.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is the first book in the Moonstruck duology. Wren Nightingale and Lee Young are two young adults who live in a world where there are mundane (people without magical power) and moonstruck (those with magical power). Wren and Lee's lives are irrevocably changed after they are both moonstruck and sent to the Academia de la Luna, an academy for young adults who are moonstruck. Readers follow the journey of Lee and Wren as they learn more about their powers as and the dark history of the origins of moonstruck and the council who leads them.

Overall this was a fun story! It's YA so it doesn't necessarily have much spice or as in-depth world building as some fantasy series do. The characters have depth and the story was interesting. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a good job portraying the various characters. Fans of series such as Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Fourth Wing will likely enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me an advance copy of the audiobook in return for my honest review. This book was published on April 2, 2024.

Draw Down the Moon is a story about two best friends, Wren and Lee who find themselves in a magical school together after accepting it would never happen. As Wren tries her best to discover who she really is, Lee is left to fill his sister's shoes and be the person his parents have raised him to be. As they begin to understand their roles, deaths in the school begin to happen, the 1st time can be classified as an accident but when it continues it becomes apparent something deeper is going on. While this book was enjoyable, it didn't draw me in and get me connected to the characters. The buildup was predictable and basic. You could very easily tell where the story was going, and although the characters are likeable, I found it hard to really root for them. The pacing of the book is good, it's just the story is missing that spark that leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

I feel like the Cast Crew are chasing the bang that happened in the House of Night series, but have been unsuccessful to truly find that magic again. This bookk wasn't bad. but was just sort of meh.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast, Marie Smith (audio narrator), and Jordan Barton (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Draw Down the Moon in exchange for an honest review.

Draw Dawn the Moon is the first book in a duology, and it is a fast-paced, magick-filled romance taking place at an academy for elemental witches. The pacing is brilliant, the conflicts are dark and intriguing, and the overall impact makes for an excellent start to a two-part series. Being a long time fan of House of Night, I was excited to explore another academy-type of novel in the real of paranormal from the mother-daughter writing duo. I am certainly not disappointed, and I think this duology will be one of their best works to date!

Wren's parents are both magickal, harboring elemental powers, but she was not born under one of the astrological moons, meaning she is fated to be a Mundane (basically a regular human being).  On her eighteenth birthday, some semblance of power makes its presence known to her, and instead of saying goodbye to her best friend, Lee, she is abruptly going with him to the Academia de la Luna, a special school for elemental witches.

With alternating first person perspectives, not only does the reader see Wren's first-hand experiences, but Lee's as well. Unlike his best friend, Lee has always known he would be attending the Academy (think of it as kind of like a college, as students attending have already graduated high school). Lee is from a more prestigious magick family and aims to pass the school's trials for a shot at upholding the family name. 

While Lee fight's the attraction he has had for his best friend since, well, forever, Wren is working on navigating just how her magick works. As the female main character, she follows the chosen-one arc in a way that keeps the reader wondering about her powers and just what makes her different, and why. With her newfound friend, Sam, she embarks on a journey to discover her magick, learning that there are darker pieces at play at the academy, and Wren might be on the verge of discovering them.

I greatly enjoyed this novel as a first in a duology. Even though I love House of Night, I do still find the writing style to be a bit immature at times, though this is a young adult novel. Technically. The characters being eighteen and just out of high school makes it lean a bit more in the new adult direction, and there is some more mature ideas being explored, though not crossing the line of the safety that generally comes with a young adult novel. Some of the dialogue is a bit off-putting, yet there are other conversations that truly make the book impossible to put down.

I truly love the characters, I love the conflicts, and I love the incredible end that makes me want to read the next one. I generally don't get too into "witch" type novels, but this one really sucked me in and blew me away! Draw Down the Moon is perfect for lovers of paranormal, magic schools, and dark events. An excellent first book.

I didn't enjoy this book. It is not a bad book. It is just not for me as much. It is the start of a series and for me it is a bad sign when the book ends with a cliffhanger and I just don't care to continue. This is a great book for early HS students who still have that love or fascination with Harry Potter and Twilight. For me, it has already been done. This books isn't bad, but I just didn't like it.