Draw Down the Moon
by P. C. Cast; Kristin Cast
Narrated by Ina Marie Smith; Jordan Barton

I received an ARC of this audiobook from Netgalley. I enjoyed this audiobook!

In this book there are mundanes and moonstruck. The moonstruck have types of magic based on the full moon they were born under.

The main characters are Lee and Wren. They’ve been best friends for years, but there might be room for romance.

One of the main characters finds out they have a special magic that comes about on their 18th birthday, and because of this newfound gift their life unexpectedly changes forever.

What I like about this book is that there’s a lot of little things that make the book so wonderful. For example: there’s a card catalog in the library that on it’s own gives the reader a sense of nostalgia if old enough or a sense of wonder if they’re younger. I appreciate the little things like this that make the world within the book feel so real that I find myself lost in the new world. It’s a fantastic sense of adventure.

The characters are well done enough that you easily feel like you know them.

P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast are great authors on their own, but they are even better together.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of YA, fantasy, supernatural, adventure, mystery, light romance, quirky characters, pop culture references, and urban fantasy.

DNF 30% arc audio, might try to re attempt to get back into it at a later date

Thank you netgalley and macmillian audio.

This book is marked incorrectly as Ya in my humble opinion, This is definitely a middle school level book even though the characters are 18 and on there way to essentially a college for magic kids.

I was really excited to get into this because the story sounds great but it is extremely child like and not YA at all for me. If it was marketed for younger readers i would not have requested it.

i dont think the story is bad its just not for me personally

Every book I read by the Cast's just hits right and full cements them as auto read authors for life. I really enjoyed the magic system in this one and how it brought in the moon signs. The characters were fun and I enjoyed the dynamics between them. The settings was cool I really enjoyed the Island and the way that the Academia was set up. I found myself fully immersed into the mystery and mayhem that ensued once they landed. I can't wait til the next book to see what happens to Wren and Lee.

DNF at 34%

I am uninterested in this reskinned harry potter book.

The juvenile nature of all the characters, the unrequited love, and the cringe things all of them do is too much.

Wren is annoying because she is built to be not like other girls with her blond hair that has pink/ magenta ends and she loves the regency era (we get it her hair is dyed and she likes Bridgeton). Lee is annoying because he is grossly in love with Wren and has a big burden to live up to his dead sister. The other characters have their own stereotypes, but none of them are memorable enough to remember their names.

I have beef with the YA genre because of books like this. This book should be considered a middle grade book. The characters are 18 but it would have been better if they were 13. I would have been able to see and understand the way they act better, but in this book some moments they are acting their age then another they are being stupid preteens. Things like that always pulls me out of a book quicker than anything.

I also have beef with books that have trials. I am over that trope and think we should move on from it.

A big thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for letting me listen to this book. I am sorry I do not have a better review for you.

Wren is sure she will never have powers. Since she was born in the wrong Zodiac sign, she will never have the magick that her parents had. However, on her 18th birthday she suddenly starts glowing and she realizes she may have been wrong. Soon she is on her way to Academia de la Luna to learn more about her mysterious powers that don't seem to act the same way as her classmates.
This was so fun with interesting world building and a lot of great characters. This definitely is on the younger end of YA but that was so refreshing. The narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life and made the story seem so real.

Prepare to be taken on a magical journey with wren and Lee as they tap into their magic in the trials in academia de la luna. Upon wrens birthday after believing she’s been mortal her whole life has an enchanting encounter with the moon where as Lee knows he comes from a legacy of high prestige.

This series a great choice for young YA readers with an interest in the fantasy genre

Thank you to the author and publisher for the this pre-released audiobook.

I absolutely loved this story!! I really enjoyed having it narrated by two different characters and getting both view points. I loved the setting, the friend group, the challenges faced and the emotions each character had to manage and figure out. I'm just sad that I have to wait now for the next one!

This is probably my favorite PC/Kristin Cast book so far! It feels familiar to their style of writing, especially with the magical kids going off to a magical school…but it also felt a little more mature than some of their previous books, which I appreciated. The pacing is quick and keeps moving through the events at a clip, no down time or meandering which worked for me, keeping my interest piqued in the story. And the cliffhanger ending has me eagerly looking forward to the next book!

I enjoyed the audiobook narrators and felt they suited their characters well, especially the narrator for Wren, and their performances kept me engaged in the story.

This is a YA book that reads like a middle grade book and is incredibly juvenile. I did not enjoy this one.

Honestly, this book felt like a rehash of House of Night but make it a school about witchcraft instead of vampires. The magic system gave of the vibes of the book Curios Tides but the major plot twist of Ninth House.

Just not original

I do not want to say this is a DNF just yet. For now, I am putting it off to the side. I only got to 15% in before deciding to put this book aside.

I've only read one PC Cast book, but I have not read any books by Kirstin Cast and PC Cast. I know the mother-daughter duo has been writing popular books since I was in middle school (around '06-'07).

When I was approved for this ALC and was sent a physical ARC from Wednesday Books, I was excited because this book sounded amazing, and was from a popular author who has been around for a long time.

So far, this book has not been for me. The FMC is supposed to be an older YA, but comes off juvenile and seems more like 12-14 years old when it comes to the inner dialogue and when they are speaking to others. The writing was lackluster and felt once again on the juvenile side. If the character ages were lowered and this was marketed as middle-grade, then this would be fine and be enjoyed by a more suitable audience.

Do you love urban fantasy? Magical school settings? How about a chosen one trope? A potentially evil school leader? Draw Down the Moon has all that and more. This combination of tropes is like catnip for me. Sure, it sounds a lot like Harry Potter. And, yes, it's not exactly groundbreaking material. But Draw Down the Moon is fun and full of hijinks, friendship, and magic, and that's what I love in my young adult fantasy.

The main thing in Draw Down the Moon that didn't work for me was the romance. The love interest's POV was dramatic and extremely focused on the main character. I'm sure I'll age myself with this reference, but the best comparison I can think of is Dawson from Dawson's Creek. If you would choose Dawson over Pacey, then you absolutely need to read Draw Down the Moon. There's no love triangle in this book, but I was so over Lee's POV chapters by the end of the book. I do give bonus points to the authors for doing great things with anxiety representation with Lee. That part of his character was extremely well done.

I'm hoping I like Lee a little more in the next installment because this is a series I want to continue! I enjoyed the magic system and the magical school setting immensely. The main character is delightful, and her POV is clear and well-written. I listened to Draw Down the Moon by audiobook, and the dual narration was great. The narrator for Wren was excellent and made the book a great listen.

Rating: 3.75 Stars. I would have rated Draw Down the Moon higher had I enjoyed Lee's point of view and internal dialogue more. 

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an arc of the book!

I adore P.C. And Kristin Cast. The House of Night Series was iconic of my teen/early adult years. This book isn’t bad, but it isn’t super entertaining either. That said though it is only the first book, and this book seems to be doing the ground work of the world building. I will definitely read the next and would say it’s worth reading! Also, this is YA and for the most part, it’s pretty heavy on the Y so keep that in mind.

The Cast ladies are back with a new dark academia duology. Wren Nightingale (what a name) was born to magical parents who were moonstruck, however, she has never manifested powers of her own. That is, until her 18th birthday, when she suddenly "draws down the moon." Anyway, she, along with her best friend, Lee Young, who has always been magical, head to a hidden magical island off the coast of their small Pacific Northwest town called the Academia de la Luna, to learn how to use and wield their magic. As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie's grueling trials, they quickly learn there's something different--and dangerous--about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies--and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect--his family's legacy, or the girl he loves.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

DNF @ 15%

Draw Down the Moon shows how YA is not created equally. The writing is juvenile and the characters, who are supposed to be 18, act more like 13/14. I think I would have given them more slack if that's the case.

It felt more like a middle grade novel cosplaying as a YA fantasy. Just not for me.


Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books & MacMillan Audio for the ARC & ALC of Draw Down the Moon.

Draw Down the Moon is a YA contemporary fantasy set in a magical school with an interesting astrological magic system.

I had high hopes for Draw Down the Moon, but it fell flat for me. Many side characters felt the same, and the main characters felt forced and stiff. The MCs were annoying, and the love interest was unlikable and uncomfortable at times. The characters' interactions (especially between the two MCs) were cringy and felt forced. Sometimes, there were moments or interactions that felt thrown in and unnecessary. There were also a lot of pop culture references, which is fine, but occasionally they felt like too much.

I enjoyed the fun astrological magic system and dark magic school setting. The book was entertaining, especially in the last 20% when everything started to come together. I liked some of the sweeter moments in the romance (though the MCs were driving me crazy with how they approached their romance for a bit), and I also enjoyed the sweet friendship between Sam and Wren.

The audiobook narrators fit the characters and performed well. They made me feel like I was right there with the characters!

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC!

In my opinion, this was a very enjoyable book. The magical world was amazing, and it was easy to read. I love books that have multiple POV’s to get a better feel of how the characters view certain things. I feel that the pace of the book was very consistent and middle ground (not too fast or too slow). I also loved the astrology magic aspects I thought that was a very unique take on a magic system. The only drawback that I have for this book is that the characters seemed younger than the stated 18-year-olds. I would recommend this book for a younger audience.