The Immortals: Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR EVERMORE.

Synopsis

Things have changed for Ever since she met her beloved Damen – not least because she’s got a whole new set of powers, courtesy of her new Immortal status. Just as she's getting stronger, though, Damen seems to be weakening. Panicked at the thought of losing him, Ever finds a path to the in-between world known as Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen’s tortured past. But in searching for a cure for him, Ever accidentally discovers a way to twist time so she can save her family from the accident that killed them. It’s all she’s ever wanted – but so is Damen. And Ever must choose between them . . .

I loved Evermore and was keen to start Blue Moon although I was worried that the sequel wouldn't have the punch of the original. However, so much has changed for Ever between book one and two and Blue Moon had familiar characters but was a whole new adventure. The book opens with Ever working on her new skills while wrestling with the much more earthly worry of taking her relationship with Damen further. They decide to organise a romantic hotel stay that weekend but it coincides with the arrival of a new boy at school called Roman. Although everyone (literally everyone) welcomes Roman, Ever has a bad feeling about him. Soon she finds herself completely isolated and unable to do anything but watch as Damen grows weaker and weaker.

I enjoyed watching Ever develop her skills and starting to shed her hoodie and headphones. However, her happiness is short-lived and soon she's in a tricky situation. The bullying from the likes of the awful Stacia gets worse and I felt so sorry for Ever as her mishaps get posted to the internet for the whole school to laugh at. I think this is one of the strengths of the Immortals series in that no matter how entrenched Ever gets into her paranormal world there's always something real to drag her back to earth. Also, it's this kind of reality that enable her readers to feel close to her.

Soon Ever has to make a choice when she discovers a way she could remove herself from her misery and save her family by heading back in time. She finds out everything she needs to know in Summerland - a place which occupies the space between worlds. Here she meets the twins Romy and Rayne, young girls who help her access historical records that show her how to save Damen but also how to return to her family. The more isolated Ever becomes the more she relies on the Summerlands to provide her with a retreat. She also turns to the psychic Ava for help and I was pleased to get to know this character a bit more after the events of Evermore.

I found Blue Moon just as addictive as Evermore. Ever's far from perfect and I love this about her. She's not the best judge of character and makes misguided decisions which makes her all the more appealing. At times I was almost shouting, "No!" at her as I flipped through the pages. Blue Moon also introduces a little spell crafting and crystal use which adds to the richness of the story. I'm totally addicted to this series and can't wait to read the next one.