Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love—a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing—not the sea glass that collects along the shore, and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death—stays buried forever.

Even when it came out, Moonglass was a quiet (but I believe successful) release in tone. This was one of the first review copies I read as a baby blogger way back when, lathered in sunscreen and laying out by the lake during a Canadian July.

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Some books use Southern California as a setting that's neutral or default, even. This one brought a lovely, melancholic quality to the coves around Newport Beach. When I think of the word "poignant," I think of this book first.

It doesn't feel young in that it's naïve or too light. But Moonglass is young in that it's simple and clear and graceful, so would make a thoughtful pick for a preteen maybe transitioning to reading young adult books for the first time from middle-grade novels.

Anna is focused on reconnecting with her mom, mostly, and building a life in her new school, and getting along with her dad. She kind of feels to the reader like Bella from Twilight—in the books, not movies!—if you took away the vampire bit: reserved, meditative, and responsible in a way others might see as "boring" but conveys a certain groundedness that I find appealing.

The plot is character-driven, of course. Anna's not sure what to think about returning to this new home where her parents met. Over the course of the book, we learn that her mother committed suicide. Her dad is a career lifeguard (loved that rep, as a North Shore resident myself!) Anna herself is internally, and often indirectly, processing a lot.

The underwater imagery and beach culture were my favorite aspects. I thought of salt-crusted wetsuits and the deep, dark meditation of being immersed in blue, and the peace of sunburnt grilling with family friends after a long day. My neighbor and friend Erin loves diving. I'm asthmatic, so can't get my license, but I have snorkeled and this book reminds me to do it more (or at least go swim!) There's a particular tint and peace and cold and quiet to being literally underwater, and Moonglass channels that serenity like no other book I've ever read—which is likely why it's a favorite.

Imagery-wise, the book is like being on the beach at night. The sound of the waves when it's dark out and you just feel...cleared out? It's not Blue Crush-style beach (a sand and sun radiance of tropical bliss) but an equally resonant coastal perspective that's deserving and perhaps underrated. I also absolutely love the cliff jumping scene. Activities like surfing and swimming still show the water's gentle, soothing personality.

Anna has a layer of solemness and curiosity as she indirectly processes. She's steady but feels off-balance in her transition to a new place and school, which throws off her understanding of herself. I loved her bubbly friend's support. The thoughtful lifeguard's tentative interest.

I also appreciate how the book gives proper attention to the adult influences in Anna's life. When I was growing up, my family and family friends were significant, but often YA books "have to" focus on the teen relationships—despite those close ties being impactful too. Her family friend and his girlfriend. The older neighbor woman she meets while combing for seaglass, who illuminates more about her family and community. The lifeguards. Etc,. It's definitely a rare community feel I appreciate.

It's a simple, good story with surprising layers. It's a short book, but never feels underdeveloped. The ingredients all separated might sound like what you've heard before, but I promise they're all so fresh and well-done together in a way that feels significant. I've reread it a few times, but it never feels plain or lesser—just lovely. Moonglass deserves more love!

For fans of:

Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols; Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui; Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour; The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby; Dream Factory by Heather Hepler; Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler; Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel; The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder; Small Damages by Beth Kephart; Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot; Ingo by Helen Dunmore.

You just can't get away with "girl just moved" opening chapters to introduce YA contemporaries anymore—what a holdover from those '00s and '10s releases! Love to see it.