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Blue Moon: A Chilling YA Ghost Story Set in a Haunted Cape Cod House
Sophisticated sixteen-year-old New Yorker Julia is not expecting much excitement when she leaves the city to spend the summer as an au pair on Cape Cod. But when plans are made to remodel the dilapidated old house where she is staying, strange things begin to happen. Julia and her young charge, Molly, suspect the house is being haunted by the ghost of Molly's deceased mother, Maria.
But after a frightening incident on the night of the blue moon, Julia and Molly realize they must stop chasing down the spirit of the mysterious Maria and live in the present.
But after a frightening incident on the night of the blue moon, Julia and Molly realize they must stop chasing down the spirit of the mysterious Maria and live in the present.
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
36 people want to read
About the author
Hila Feil
5 books1 followerHila Feil is the daughter of author Robert Newman.
She divides her time between New York City; Montreal; and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
She divides her time between New York City; Montreal; and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by Rebecca Wells for TeensReadToo.com
At first, Julia Johnson, a teenager with penchant for Gothic novels, is less than enthusiastic about her summer job as an au pair in Cape Cod. However, she quickly warms to the task once she arrives and discovers her young charge, Molly, a rambling old house full of oddities, and a resident ghost: Molly's dead mother, Maria, a compelling photographer whose touch is still present in Molly's life.
As she explores the Cape over the summer, Julia quickly becomes embroiled in a conflict between Molly and her stepmother, Cheryl, as Cheryl attempts to renovate their old house. This project is complicated by inexplicable delays that Molly believes are sent by her mother in an attempt to stop the renovations, and as Julia learns more about the charismatic woman Maria was, she reluctantly begins to agree that something supernatural may be at work.
Meanwhile, Julia also finds adventure in Sean, a local artist who asks to paint her portrait, though she soon realizes that a romance between them may be impossible. As the summer in Cape Cod winds to a close, Molly's connection with her dead mother leads her into danger, and to save her, Julia must decide how much of her obsession is real - and how much may only be imagined.
Narrated in a meandering fashion by Julia, BLUE MOON reads like a Gothic adventure laid over events that at first glance seem ordinary. An old house due to be remodeled becomes a stylish old mansion haunted by a ghost who wants nothing more than to see the renovations fail; a local artist becomes a tall, dark stranger with a potential for romance; and natural phenomena like the sea and storms obtain sentience. The presence of such Gothic conventions is interesting and refreshing, but, perhaps because of this deliberate construction, the story is sometimes simplistic, and there were some conflicts and events I wish the author had delved deeper into.
However, BLUE MOON remains a compelling read because of Julia, a heroine whose thoughts are at once dark and romantic, and fans of Gothic literature will appreciate her references to such books as JANE EYRE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, THE TURN OF THE SCREW, and REBECCA.
At first, Julia Johnson, a teenager with penchant for Gothic novels, is less than enthusiastic about her summer job as an au pair in Cape Cod. However, she quickly warms to the task once she arrives and discovers her young charge, Molly, a rambling old house full of oddities, and a resident ghost: Molly's dead mother, Maria, a compelling photographer whose touch is still present in Molly's life.
As she explores the Cape over the summer, Julia quickly becomes embroiled in a conflict between Molly and her stepmother, Cheryl, as Cheryl attempts to renovate their old house. This project is complicated by inexplicable delays that Molly believes are sent by her mother in an attempt to stop the renovations, and as Julia learns more about the charismatic woman Maria was, she reluctantly begins to agree that something supernatural may be at work.
Meanwhile, Julia also finds adventure in Sean, a local artist who asks to paint her portrait, though she soon realizes that a romance between them may be impossible. As the summer in Cape Cod winds to a close, Molly's connection with her dead mother leads her into danger, and to save her, Julia must decide how much of her obsession is real - and how much may only be imagined.
Narrated in a meandering fashion by Julia, BLUE MOON reads like a Gothic adventure laid over events that at first glance seem ordinary. An old house due to be remodeled becomes a stylish old mansion haunted by a ghost who wants nothing more than to see the renovations fail; a local artist becomes a tall, dark stranger with a potential for romance; and natural phenomena like the sea and storms obtain sentience. The presence of such Gothic conventions is interesting and refreshing, but, perhaps because of this deliberate construction, the story is sometimes simplistic, and there were some conflicts and events I wish the author had delved deeper into.
However, BLUE MOON remains a compelling read because of Julia, a heroine whose thoughts are at once dark and romantic, and fans of Gothic literature will appreciate her references to such books as JANE EYRE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, THE TURN OF THE SCREW, and REBECCA.
February 26, 2017
**Spoilers might be in this review**
Have you ever wanted to know what would happen in a blue moon? Or what would happen if you would meet the weirdest little girl your life? Well then Blue Moon is a book just for you! It's about a girl named Julia who is going to an old house over the summer as an au pair. She meets a little girl, which her name is Molly, and her step-mother, Cheryl. Julia realizes that the house is different than any other house in cape cod. Julia later finds out that Molly's mother has died. Later on the story, Cheryl wants to make the old house into a newer modern house. Other bizarre things happen as well. The conflict would be nature vs person because the modeling was stopped by some natural force, and it appears molly can control the weather.
The setting of Blue Moon is important to the theme because it's the main setting of the whole book. When I read this book I realized that the setting really had a way that made the reader want to learn all the secrets of the house. It really dragged the reader a lot. The house has a really good backstory into it. It's like it's connected to nature. As when in one page something started to prevent changes to the house to be made. Was it nature? Was it Maria (Molly's dead mom)? Was it just a problem with the remodeling? People will later on know but it really makes the reader wonder a lot about the old house.
I was struck by this part of the book, "'I knew she'd never let it happen." "Who?" "My mother. I knew she'd find a way to stop them."" It shows that Molly believes that her dead mother is connected to the reason that the house was not able to be re-built. Molly thinks that her mother is the reason every bad thing is happening to Cheryl. Molly is really close to her mother it appears. She only talks about her mother and the things she did with her, or the stories her mother used to tell her. The really hates Cheryl because she misses her mother. The thing is that Molly thinks way too much about her mother that she is starting to say that every little or big bad thing that happens to people who want to rebuild the old house is her mother's actions.
I give Blue moon 4 stars because it really bothered me that Molly believes such weird things her mother is doing. Other than Molly, the rest of the book was really interesting to read. Many things make me question the theme of the book, and question the actions of the characters. I recommend this book to people who like mystery, houses with weird history, and a little romance. As the book once said, "Once in a blue moon, you meet someone who changes your life."
Have you ever wanted to know what would happen in a blue moon? Or what would happen if you would meet the weirdest little girl your life? Well then Blue Moon is a book just for you! It's about a girl named Julia who is going to an old house over the summer as an au pair. She meets a little girl, which her name is Molly, and her step-mother, Cheryl. Julia realizes that the house is different than any other house in cape cod. Julia later finds out that Molly's mother has died. Later on the story, Cheryl wants to make the old house into a newer modern house. Other bizarre things happen as well. The conflict would be nature vs person because the modeling was stopped by some natural force, and it appears molly can control the weather.
The setting of Blue Moon is important to the theme because it's the main setting of the whole book. When I read this book I realized that the setting really had a way that made the reader want to learn all the secrets of the house. It really dragged the reader a lot. The house has a really good backstory into it. It's like it's connected to nature. As when in one page something started to prevent changes to the house to be made. Was it nature? Was it Maria (Molly's dead mom)? Was it just a problem with the remodeling? People will later on know but it really makes the reader wonder a lot about the old house.
I was struck by this part of the book, "'I knew she'd never let it happen." "Who?" "My mother. I knew she'd find a way to stop them."" It shows that Molly believes that her dead mother is connected to the reason that the house was not able to be re-built. Molly thinks that her mother is the reason every bad thing is happening to Cheryl. Molly is really close to her mother it appears. She only talks about her mother and the things she did with her, or the stories her mother used to tell her. The really hates Cheryl because she misses her mother. The thing is that Molly thinks way too much about her mother that she is starting to say that every little or big bad thing that happens to people who want to rebuild the old house is her mother's actions.
I give Blue moon 4 stars because it really bothered me that Molly believes such weird things her mother is doing. Other than Molly, the rest of the book was really interesting to read. Many things make me question the theme of the book, and question the actions of the characters. I recommend this book to people who like mystery, houses with weird history, and a little romance. As the book once said, "Once in a blue moon, you meet someone who changes your life."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2013
A wistful, mysterious novel outlining the coming of age of a young woman as she spends her Summer in Cape Cod watching over a young loner named Molly.
Over the Summer, Julia fights her way through feeling different than her peers, falling for a painter significantly older than herself, and the restless spirit of Molly´s deceased Mother, Maria.
Overall a pretty enrapturing read; although the ending was extremely vague and could have been executed better.
Over the Summer, Julia fights her way through feeling different than her peers, falling for a painter significantly older than herself, and the restless spirit of Molly´s deceased Mother, Maria.
Overall a pretty enrapturing read; although the ending was extremely vague and could have been executed better.
July 12, 2014
A beautiful ghost story with shades of the Brontës and Henry James. Even the diary structure channels a certain 19th-century vibe. Beneath the Gothic trappings, this is a moving (and painfully recognizable) story of grief and inconvenient love. Written long before paranormal YA became a cliché, the novel emphasizes thoughtful character development over heavy-handed plot twists. Feil's voice—filled with compassion, intelligence, and humor—shines through every sentence.
March 3, 2025
I am alone now in my room, the summer stretching ahead of me like the empty pages in this notebook. Outside the window there is a thin new moon and I can just make out the humpbacked silhouette of the dunes. There is a scattering of lights, but the darkness hides the ugliness of the new houses. This room, at least, is just what I would have chosen: an iron bedstead, little dormer windows tucked into the sloping ceiling, faded blue flowered wallpaper, and a bathtub with clawed feet. It really is the room for one of those desperate young women in gothic novels who take a job as a governess and find themselves catapulted into romance and adventure.
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Pulled out of a Little Free Library, this is the first Hila Feil book I've come across, and I am now very grateful it's mine. In many ways this reminds me of In Summer Light -- similar in setting, tone, narrative voice, and even the element of a teen girl falling for a local artist too old for her, confined to the tension wrought by his resistance to crossing the line -- but minus the direct parental conflict, and with a deliciously chilling hint of the supernatural.
I got drawn very quickly into the setting, and immediately fell for little Molly as soon as she produced her pet hedgehog (less cute/very effective in convincing me not to want one for a pet of my own: Molly's delight in feeding her spoonfuls of wax worms from the fridge). Then there are the ghostly elements -- which are subtle, consisting mostly of unexpected scents or footsteps, yet cannot be explained away. And there's a cat! Tobermory is the best name I've ever heard.
The story goes downhill a bit in the second half, as Julia loses her mind in relentless pursuit of Sean, immediately losing all interest in her nannying charge the minute the hormones hit. Where before she & Molly had been a tight-knit partnership of outsiders against Cheryl and the Rich Kids, Julia henceforth seems to be doing the bare minimum of care, daydreaming moonily about Sean's company when physically present and sprinting away from the house the moment she's off the clock. And since I am TEAM MOLLY all the way, this is pretty distressing.
Side note: Cheryl is the actual worst. Working overtime to be a stereotypical Wicked Stepmother. She's been married to this man for all of about a year, but has decided it's "morbid" for her stepdaughter to remain so attached to the memory of her dead mother, so not only is it high time to pack away all the woman's things, she's going to remodel her house, largely out of spite (did u know that sometimes watching your childhood home Irrevocably Change is even worse than being forced to move away). At times she's actively cruel -- for instance, when she catches Molly breaking into her mother's locked former studio, she declares, "I've had enough. Tomorrow, we begin on this room."
Events build to a very inevitable (but no less satisfying) conclusion, and summer draws to a close leaving
All that said, the writing is utterly beautiful. It's so full of themes and evocative lines that this is very much a book that deserves to be memorialized in essays about classic teen books of the 90s. As unpleasant as I found the running storyline of Julia's modeling work -- Sean never crosses the line, but he's very clearly only into her in a physical sense compared to her romantic mooning, so his repeated statements about holding himself back are truly doing the bare minimum -- I have not stopped thinking about this book since. I'm on the line of possible 5 stars, that's how much I think this book had to say.
And what's really wild is that I don't know if I would have felt so strongly, had I read the cheesy 2007 paperback reprint instead of the original hardcover. I feel like the traditionally painted cover illustration went a long way to reinforcing the gravitas in the writing.
Final notes: I found these characters so well drawn that I looked hopefully for a sequel and did not find one. However, among her personal papers at the U of M(innesota) is a record for a notebook related to an unpublished book called "Magical Molly" -- could it be related?? I will add this to my infinite stack of reasons I need and have no excuse NOT to finally make a trip to the archival library there.
March 3, 2021
It takes a deep thinker to understand this book. With a hint of mystery, romance and foreign experiences it really captivates readers. The journal form makes it more appealing as though reading a diary.
July 6, 2012
The writing was really good... that was the first thing I noticed.
The story seemed to drag till half the book was done, but then i understood that it was so that the characters develop completely and everything doesn't happen in a rush.
Some of the things Sean and Mabel and even Molly taught Julia are applicable to any person that's even slightly interested in the unknown. It's good to have a connection but it's dangerous if you don't stay grounded.
I personally thought Maria's message was a little hard to understand considering she's trying to tell this to a 9 year old.
I like how the end was left open for the readers to interpret. It didn't frustrate me like some other books that give you a closed ending and sort of tell you to suck it up and deal with it.
It was an easy read and interesting.
The story seemed to drag till half the book was done, but then i understood that it was so that the characters develop completely and everything doesn't happen in a rush.
Some of the things Sean and Mabel and even Molly taught Julia are applicable to any person that's even slightly interested in the unknown. It's good to have a connection but it's dangerous if you don't stay grounded.
I personally thought Maria's message was a little hard to understand considering she's trying to tell this to a 9 year old.
I like how the end was left open for the readers to interpret. It didn't frustrate me like some other books that give you a closed ending and sort of tell you to suck it up and deal with it.
It was an easy read and interesting.
May 21, 2010
well i judged this book by its cover and i thought it looked pretty cool with like the blue and the blurry face in the foggy mirror...well it wasnt what i expected a horror book not even close but an okay book..and if it werent for the cover i wouldnt have ever read it.
November 18, 2008
this book is eerie and amazing. i love the sense of chills that go up your neck when you read each sentence. its that good.
September 8, 2016
Was there a point to this book?
No. There was not.
No. There was not.
January 8, 2011
A strange story. Very nicely written.
November 13, 2012
This a solid book with a solid plot and characters. There was some mystery to it but I'm not fond of how vague it ended up being. Overall a quick good read.
March 12, 2009
read this book years ago as a teen... early tastes showing through. I remember really liking it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews