Glendy Vanderah - The Oceanography of the Moon

 

Glendy Vanderah - The Oceanography of the Moon

 4.5 ⭐

Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism, Domestic Fiction 

Pages: 334

Format:  eARC on NetGalley 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Date Published: 22nd March 2022

Huge thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for eARC to read and review. 

Book Blurb: 

After the untimely deaths of her aunt and mother, young Riley Mays moved from Chicago to her cousins’ Wisconsin farm. Here she found solace in caring for her extraordinary adoptive brother, exploring the surrounding wild nature, and gazing at the mystical moon—a private refuge in which she hides from her most painful memories. But ten years later, now twenty-one, Riley feels too confined by the protective walls she’s erected around herself. When a stranger enters her family’s remote world, Riley senses something he’s hiding, a desire to escape that she understands well.

Suffering from writer’s block, bestselling novelist Vaughn Orr has taken to the country roads when he happens upon the accommodating, if somewhat unusual, Mays family. He’s soon captivated by their eccentricities—and especially by Riley and her quiet tenacity. In her, he recognizes a shared need to keep heartbreaking secrets buried.

As the worst moments of their lives threaten to surface, Riley and Vaughn must find the courage to confront them if they’re to have any hope of a happy future. With the help of Riley’s supportive family, a dash of everyday magic, and the healing power of nature, can the pair let go of the troubled pasts they’ve clung to so tightly for so long? 

My Review:

The Oceanography of the Moon is the first book I’ve read by Glendy Vanderah. Although I have heard of her other books, The Oceanography of the Moon just captured my attention. I was so intrigued by the name of the book and the blurb, that I had to read it. 
I was not disappointed. This book is so beautifully written, I just loved the bits where the author used magical realism to bring this story alive. For me, the meanings behind the seas of the moon and how that links to Riley and her story were so well integrated into the plot. 
The story itself, follows Riley, a 21 old girl who is living with her cousin Alec, his wife Sachi and their kid Kiran. Riley lived with them since a tragic accident involving her mother and aunt when she was 11. Riley is not been herself since that accident. Her soul is broken, she has a big secret that she can’t share with anyone. Her escape from all that is the moon and its seas…a life that she created for herself and where she spends most of her time until bestselling writer Vaughn enters her life. However, Vaughn has his demons, his past tragedies that intertwine with Riley’s life instantly.
There were a few things that I didn’t particularly like. Firstly, I felt that Vaughn’s and Riley’s love was a bit forced. I felt the attraction that they had but, I also felt that the romance between them happened too quickly. Maybe I just hoped that they will become friends who help each other overcome their own pain and demons, which will then turn into love.   
I honestly really liked this story, especially the slow build-up, as each chapter revealed something new about the past of either Riley or Vaughn. This very much kept the suspense for me as to what happened to both of them to make them so hurt, so broken, so fragile inside. I also fell in love with other characters in this story, especially Kiran and Sachi, as they were so loving, caring and genuine. Also, don’t forget the backdrop of the story, how the nature and natural world were used to bring this book to life, making it more mysterious and magical. I really loved that aspect. 
At times Riley to me seemed a bit immature in the way she acted, but at the same time, it made me realise that she mostly kept herself to herself all her life and hasn’t had a chance yet to explore what is outside her world. 
Third, the Kaz character and his scene at the end were so predictable and didn’t add anything to the story, just made it a bit longer. I think this book would have been so much better without that scene. 
In summary, I liked this book and I would give it a solid 4.5 rating for it. This story made me intrigued about other Vanderah books, which I will definitely be adding to my reading list. I do recommend this book if you want a story that has some mystical vibes, has loads of lovable characters, written beautifully, whilst exploring past traumas, love,  pain, trust and family relationships.

Big thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This review was first published on NetGalley and can be found on:

https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/241886/review/959200 

About an Author: 

Glendy Vanderah worked as an endangered bird specialist in Illinois before she became a writer. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in rural Florida with as many birds, butterflies, and wildflowers as she can lure to her land. 

 http://glendyvanderah.com/