Draw Down the Moon

"{3.75/5}<br/><br/>CW: death of family members, some violence<br/><br/>Read via NetGalley.<br/><br/>I don’t even know what to think after that ending. <br/><br/>Wren Nightingale is a perfectly ordinary troublemaker. Or she was until the night of her 18th birthday. Thrown without warning into a magical world she never expected to be part of, everything in her life changes literally overnight. Wren’s best friend, Lee, hasn’t been the same since his sister died two years prior, but Wren’s sudden inclusion into his world seems to be a step in the right direction. Unfortunately for both Wren and Lee, something’s not right about the academy they’ve been sent to attend, and it looks like the two of them may be stuck directly in the middle of things.<br/><br/>I have a lot of thoughts about this book, and they’re all jumbled up, so let’s start with some basic information about it first. A contemporary fantasy novel falling somewhere between YA and NA and told in a dual POV, “Draw Down the Moon” manages to somehow do a lot while also just…not. It gives the feeling that it’s fast paced, but if you were to actually break down what happens when, it’s actually a little slow up until the last 20-25% or so. <br/><br/>The worldbuilding, to me, feels a little lacking for what could have been a particularly magical setting. Our two MCs are sent to a hidden island to train their magical talent, and a large part of the experience is that there’s basically no outside contact, no Wi-Fi, no phones, and so on. This would have been a great place to really fixate on some magical (or even just unique) details of the island, the school, or the magic systems. While there is some basic background on the types of magic, and there are some really interesting magical entities on the island, there’s very little actual expansion on any of these things. I really wanted more of the magic aspect, and it just wasn’t there.<br/><br/>Limited worldbuilding aside, I did really enjoy the book’s characters. Wren and Lee are fine as far as MCs go, but the really fun people were the side characters. They were easy to like, and I would have liked to have seen even more of them. In terms of our MCs themselves, while they may not have been as robustly developed as some characters I’ve seen, they also weren’t entirely flat. Wren’s not entirely sure she’s going to fit into this world, but she’s fairly certain she can figure something out, and Lee’s struggling with being himself and becoming what tragedy and family has tried to mold him into. The only thing they both know, and the thing I personally love about them the most, is that they have each others’ backs, full stop. “I don’t get it, but you do, and that’s enough” —both of our MCs, almost the entire book. Were there also times I wanted to bodily shake both of them? Yes, but they’re 18, and I’m pretty sure that’s a universal feeling about people that age. <br/><br/>The final, arguably most important, point is the plot itself. Honestly, up until the last 6ish chapters, I was enjoying myself. There were some mystery vibes and some dark academia vibes; it was a good time. But those last chapters? Everything, all at once, immediately and with very limited explanation. Instead of feeling like our characters were finally getting to some answers, it felt rushed. There was limited explanation of why things were happening, or even really *what* was happening, and the actual conclusion was, for me, less than satisfying. I know this is supposed to be a series, so presumably we’ll get more answers in book 2, but based on the info we have I’m not 100% certain of what the questions even are. <br/><br/>So, what are my final thoughts on this book? Well, I’m not entirely sure, if I’m being honest. I most definitely did not hate it. For the most part, I enjoyed it. This one’s an easy read that doesn’t require too much brain power or focus, and that can be a nice change of pace, especially if you’ve been reading a lot of more intense books lately. If I’d read it when I was younger, it probably would have been a book I absolutely loved. For a fantasy that’s not fully either YA or NA, it’s decent, and it might be a good starting point for readers trying to determine if fantasy and/or dark academia might be something they enjoy. I just wish there had been a little bit more to it so I could really sink my teeth in."

"Read if you like:<br/>- Lower YA books <br/>- Magical and astrology world<br/>- Ya romance <br/>- Friends to lovers <br/>- Magic school<br/><br/>I think this book was enjoyable, easy to read with a really cool magical world. This book is in two povs, the fmc Wren and her best friend Lee. In the beginning of the book Wren is a disappointed that she doesn't have magickal powers even although she is from a magickal family. On her 18th birthday she discovers some abilities and is enrolled into the magickal school with Lee who already had his powers. As she learns to wield her powers at the school she meets new friends that become family, learns more about spells and astrology and the world. She also discovers that there are many secrets in this school and works to find them out. I loved the atmospheric and astrological feel to the school. There's also a cute blossoming romance between Lee and Wren that I'm glad was in here. This book read younger even though the main character was 18, the characters actions and behaviors were very younger ya and at times it was a bit annoying. The ending though was very fast paced with a lot of action that left me wanting to read the next book. I would recommend this especially to lovers of ya books! Thank you Wednesday Books for this arc for an honest review. <br/>3.5/5"