This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC - any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. Draw Down the Moon is now available to purchase as of April 2, 2024.
Wren has lived her entire life believing she was Mundane-born to two Moonstruck parents, but everything changes after she turns eighteen and suddenly begins to glow. From living a normal life to being thrown into a new experience by attending the Academia de la Luna with her best friend Lee, Wren must now reorient herself while watching her back. While this book is young adult - the characters are out of high school and all eighteen or older - the writing personally felt more middle grade, which did not really feel like it meshed well with the environment the authors wanted to convey. It definitely felt more juvenile than what was expected, and I unfortunately found myself becoming agitated with the characters because they were acting like twelve-year-olds instead of college students.
Lee's character was certainly the most level-headed for the majority of the book, and his perspective chapters allowed readers to see his feelings about being at the Academia de la Luna with the unexpected twist of having Wren be by his side. Considering the tragedy that his family experienced prior to the book's start, it was admirable for him to continue on, but his dedication seemed to cloud his judgement towards the end of the book. Could it have been that he was afraid he would lose another person that he loved? Possibly. But he seemed to have this blind dedication to a system that he really did not know that much about, and it is a system that was covering up student deaths and even more secrets.
If you are like me and loathe constant modern day references and pop culture references, I fear this book may send you into a spiral. Mere pages into this first installment, we are presented with main characters Lee and Wren, and Wren's internal monologue reads like she is getting paid by Netflix to advertise Bridgerton like her life depends on it. Sure, it is probably only mentioned three or four times over the course of the entire book, but frankly, that was three or four times too many for my liking. The references to TikTok amongst other things died down a little bit but ramped right back up just when I thought that they were through with - while I can appreciate the authors wanting to show the Mundane side of things in the story, it was a touch overkill.
While the plot was intriguing based off the summary, I have to say it just seems to be a story that has been done before and will probably be done again. The quintessential young adult book of the main character suddenly coming into powers or magic just to be the very being that threatens the current rulers / order's way of doing things. The pacing moves so quickly that you are introduced to a number of characters at the Academia de la Luna that will support Lee and Wren's journeys, both together and on their own. I do wish I cared about them more, because when things did go south, I did not feel like I knew them enough to be upset about it.
If you are looking for a quick fantasy read with only a touch of romance, Draw Down the Moon could be next up on your list. I will probably see this duology through in the far future if I need to up my fantasy kick again, but for now I would say I can complete this at a later date.
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