This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Underground Moon is a work of fiction in the urban fantasy and adventure subgenres. It is intended for the young adult reading audience but does come with a content warning for suicide and some moderate explicit language. It was penned by author Melissa K. Magner. Set in Tennessee, we find ourselves with protagonist Rosella Gill, a fifteen-year-old who is new to the area and living with her aunt after a family trauma. Looking after her younger sister Hettie and adjusting to life in a new state is hard enough, but when the girls discover a chilling forest and a dark secret at work, life becomes all the more sinister.
It can be challenging to hit the mark between suspenseful and shocking for the YA market, but author Melissa K. Magner has crafted a superb balance in this novel that will satisfy both teen and adult readers at once. I loved how the heavier subject matter was dealt with delicately but clearly, and an ethereal dark fantasy atmosphere placed around it softens the blow of some of the more terrifying aspects nicely. The work was also beautifully penned and emotionally resonant in terms of its characters and craftsmanship, with realistic dialogue and unique voices for the central players that made them so relatable. Rosella embodies a realistically mature coming of age under extraordinary dark circumstances and readers are sure to feel deeply for her and her sister as the story unfolds. Overall, The Underground Moon is a triumph in dark, thrilling fantasy, and a must-read whether you’re a YA reader or not.