The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Synopsis: Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town's sweet tooth - but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily's backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

Review: This book was very easy get into, it's not too involved but it's quirky enough to stand out from the crowd. It's quite mystical, the wallpaper in Emily's bedroom changes according to her mood, there are strange lights that seem to beckon, a mysterious family that never appear at night, and a notion that baking can summon a lost love or rekindle fond memories. I enjoyed it at first but as it went along, it seemed to ingest too much of it's own sweetness and it became too saccharine and obvious. The male characters were a little bit cardboard too, I never quite believed in them and I didn't warm to Emily much either preferring it when the narrative was with her neighbour Julia. Having said that it is well written and engaging, I liked the setting and the sense of mystery which pervades the story and keeps you wondering, it just needed that extra something to nudge it into being really memorable.

Perfect reading for when you don't want to have to think that hard but ultimately disappointing .. like a jam doughnut that's not heavy enough on the jam. A good beach or garden book though.