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Daughters of the Moon #1
Goddess of the Night
Vanessa is being followed. She doesn't know by whom, and she doesn't know what they want. But she knows why. Vanessa has a secret. She can become invisible, but the problem is, she can't control it. And her worst fear is being discovered. Only her best friend, Catty, knows, and Catty is different as well. She can travel back in time -- and take Vanessa with her.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2000
138 people are currently reading
7418 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Ewing
48 books863 followersLynne Ewing is an American author and a screen writer.
She always had to move around a lot when she was growing up because her father was in the Marine Corps. She has two sisters. Lynne graduated from high school in Lima, Peru after attending seven other schools. While she was in Peru, she learned to speak Spanish. She attended the University of California at Santa Barbara. When she was 30 years old, she began writing for newspapers, documentaries, magazines, and did screen writing. She also counsels troubled teens. Her first books were Drive-By and Party Girl. Drive-By took six years to write, and Party Girl has been made into a movie called Living the Life. She has written the completed Daughters of the Moon and Sons of the Dark series. She lives in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.. Ms. Ewing has two children, Jonathan, a molecular biologist, and Amber, an international lawyer. She has also traveled to Japan, China, Russia, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. She has begun a new series called Sisters of Isis.
She always had to move around a lot when she was growing up because her father was in the Marine Corps. She has two sisters. Lynne graduated from high school in Lima, Peru after attending seven other schools. While she was in Peru, she learned to speak Spanish. She attended the University of California at Santa Barbara. When she was 30 years old, she began writing for newspapers, documentaries, magazines, and did screen writing. She also counsels troubled teens. Her first books were Drive-By and Party Girl. Drive-By took six years to write, and Party Girl has been made into a movie called Living the Life. She has written the completed Daughters of the Moon and Sons of the Dark series. She lives in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.. Ms. Ewing has two children, Jonathan, a molecular biologist, and Amber, an international lawyer. She has also traveled to Japan, China, Russia, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. She has begun a new series called Sisters of Isis.
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January 31, 2016Read this book if: you really, really love Sailor Moon.
June 25, 2010
My boyfriend does a pretty spot-on impression of the show Charmed. According to him, there is really no need for a script because the same thing happens in every episode.
Charmed, the series, in five lines.
“Um, duh, we’re sisters and we’re witches and we’re quirky with a side of sass.”
Demon: “Rahr! I’m evil”
“Um, DUH, we’re WITCHES!”
Demon: “Oh noes, I’m slain!”
“Wooty-woo! We’re witches and we’re at a club and we’re havin' a good time!”
End scene.
I don’t know if I should be concerned that my boyfriend has seen enough episodes of Charmed to make grand statements like this, but I do know that if you replace the word “witches” with “moon goddesses” you’d basically have the book I just read.
Charmed, the series, in five lines.
“Um, duh, we’re sisters and we’re witches and we’re quirky with a side of sass.”
Demon: “Rahr! I’m evil”
“Um, DUH, we’re WITCHES!”
Demon: “Oh noes, I’m slain!”
“Wooty-woo! We’re witches and we’re at a club and we’re havin' a good time!”
End scene.
I don’t know if I should be concerned that my boyfriend has seen enough episodes of Charmed to make grand statements like this, but I do know that if you replace the word “witches” with “moon goddesses” you’d basically have the book I just read.
April 22, 2024
I read these books when I was younger and recently came across them and decided I'd like to read them again.
It always feels good to go back to our old stories and I hadn't read this collection for years, so I assume that my rating may be conditioned by huge doses of nostalgia and emotion.
Still, what a good book for young people and for that time! I love them so much!
It always feels good to go back to our old stories and I hadn't read this collection for years, so I assume that my rating may be conditioned by huge doses of nostalgia and emotion.
Still, what a good book for young people and for that time! I love them so much!
May 29, 2011
This is my favorite series ever! They're getting difficult to find nowadays, but if you stumble upon a copy, definitely read it! You'll become engrossed in Lynne Ewing's world, and if you're a fan of Greek mythology blended into a modern-day setting, this is one you definitely don't want to miss!
***
5/29/11
Just finished reading the book again! It was great because I noticed things I hadn't seen the first time. I love delving back into Lynne Ewing's world and reuniting with old characters I fell in love with years ago!
***
5/29/11
Just finished reading the book again! It was great because I noticed things I hadn't seen the first time. I love delving back into Lynne Ewing's world and reuniting with old characters I fell in love with years ago!
March 8, 2019
3.5 stars*
The nostalgia factor for this reread was intense and wow I loved this series growing up. As an adult, this read like an early 2000s magical school girl dramedy. I was so surprised how well this aged! There are some great feminism quips and there’s more than 1 POC (albeit the latinx, chola, ex-banger characterization is FAR too heavy handed and played out for my taste).
I really loved parts of this but, for the most part, this felt like a typical YA fantasy set-up for a long winded series with so much emphasis on the introduction and dynamic between so many characters. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Catty and Vanessa’s friendship is so supportive and that we get so many slice of life anecdotes between the two of them! However, the plot had a slow pace because of this emphasis. Overall this was such a fun experience with young teenage girls teaming up to overcome the great forces of evil.
TW: Self-harm and depression
The nostalgia factor for this reread was intense and wow I loved this series growing up. As an adult, this read like an early 2000s magical school girl dramedy. I was so surprised how well this aged! There are some great feminism quips and there’s more than 1 POC (albeit the latinx, chola, ex-banger characterization is FAR too heavy handed and played out for my taste).
I really loved parts of this but, for the most part, this felt like a typical YA fantasy set-up for a long winded series with so much emphasis on the introduction and dynamic between so many characters. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Catty and Vanessa’s friendship is so supportive and that we get so many slice of life anecdotes between the two of them! However, the plot had a slow pace because of this emphasis. Overall this was such a fun experience with young teenage girls teaming up to overcome the great forces of evil.
TW: Self-harm and depression
July 19, 2017
About a few weeks ago, I discovered one of my old notebooks from fifth grade where I used to write my stories about double agents and superhero girls with ice powers. Looking through it, I applauded my large vocabulary that I still utilize in my stories today, but winced at everything else. Also, if anyone can tell me what a PLOOTAR is, that would be greatly appreciated. I never finished the story so I wouldn't know.
Needless to say, that was my experience with this book, just without the timeless mystery of the PLOOTAR. The word choice was grand and atmospheric, it was just implemented into the plot poorly. The plot itself was flat, and also like what ten year old me would write. Characters were randomly introduced into the plot because their abilities are what move the plot forward, that's it. Events happened just to happen. The sentences were too much tell and not enough show. Here's a prime example:
"What was her mother going to do when she found out her daughter was a freak? What would the kids at school say? High school was hard enough without this, too. All she'd ever wanted was to be like everyone else."
Ugh. This whole "I'm different I'm a freak I want to be like everyone else" cliché needs to go sit in a corner and stay there for a long, long time, except that corner is actually just a coffin.
Now I may only be a teenager, but I think I can write that better. Let's give it a whirl, shall we?
She held her secret in trembling hands, close to her heart, which raced at the thought of setting it free. A few times around her mother, she'd feel her fingers slightly grow slack and the secret would stretch it's bladed wings, only for her to clench to it tighter. People are unpredictable, the best way to keep them from abandoning you if by not testing them to begin with. Especially with the kids at her school, who mold others to be a certain way. If she deviated from the strict wants of her peers, she'd find loneliness would be her only companion. She saw the her classmates' carefree smiles, relaxed shoulders, comfortable dispositions to each other. What, she wondered, would it be like if she was just like the rest of them?
Not my greatest work, but take THAT fifth grade version of me. Anyways this just shows exactly what the rest of the book is like. Everything is told, and even though the author doesn't go in-depth, we are expected to care. There's no emotional connection and it's lazy. Clichés and flat characters galore. If you're into that, I might be able to interest you in a notebook from a certain fifth grader.
PLOOTAR, my friends, PLOOTAR.
Needless to say, that was my experience with this book, just without the timeless mystery of the PLOOTAR. The word choice was grand and atmospheric, it was just implemented into the plot poorly. The plot itself was flat, and also like what ten year old me would write. Characters were randomly introduced into the plot because their abilities are what move the plot forward, that's it. Events happened just to happen. The sentences were too much tell and not enough show. Here's a prime example:
"What was her mother going to do when she found out her daughter was a freak? What would the kids at school say? High school was hard enough without this, too. All she'd ever wanted was to be like everyone else."
Ugh. This whole "I'm different I'm a freak I want to be like everyone else" cliché needs to go sit in a corner and stay there for a long, long time, except that corner is actually just a coffin.
Now I may only be a teenager, but I think I can write that better. Let's give it a whirl, shall we?
She held her secret in trembling hands, close to her heart, which raced at the thought of setting it free. A few times around her mother, she'd feel her fingers slightly grow slack and the secret would stretch it's bladed wings, only for her to clench to it tighter. People are unpredictable, the best way to keep them from abandoning you if by not testing them to begin with. Especially with the kids at her school, who mold others to be a certain way. If she deviated from the strict wants of her peers, she'd find loneliness would be her only companion. She saw the her classmates' carefree smiles, relaxed shoulders, comfortable dispositions to each other. What, she wondered, would it be like if she was just like the rest of them?
Not my greatest work, but take THAT fifth grade version of me. Anyways this just shows exactly what the rest of the book is like. Everything is told, and even though the author doesn't go in-depth, we are expected to care. There's no emotional connection and it's lazy. Clichés and flat characters galore. If you're into that, I might be able to interest you in a notebook from a certain fifth grader.
PLOOTAR, my friends, PLOOTAR.
January 21, 2016
Over all this book read like that Harry Potter fan fiction with Ebony Raven Darkness or whatever her name is. It's pretty ridiculous but a lot of fun to read out loud to your spouse who loved it as a kid.
May 21, 2012
Wow, I haven't read this book for ages, so I didn't remember much from it.
But I must say it was a lot better when I was younger.
It really feels like this book is for the younger generation.
But any young adult can read it too.
The first book (this one) is more like an introduction, we get to know the characters and know where they come from, and of course the abilities they're possessing.
This might be good to know and learn before you read, just in case so you won't get confused.
The abilities are:
Vanessa - Can become invisible just like a ghost or spirit, which isn't so good when she's dating guys.
Catty - Can travel through time, and that's not always good, you'll see.
Serena - Can read minds, but only if you feel it so it's real thoughts and not like "A dog have black spots".
Or something like that.
Jimena - Can see the future, well, that's all I have to say about her.
These people are the daughters of the moon, goddesses.
And They have to save the world from Atrox and their followers who wants to destroy all hope and happiness in the world.
But don't forget that the so-called "bad" or "evil" people also hava a good side that might have been forgotten.
No one is pure evil, everyone has a reason for their actions.
But I must say it was a lot better when I was younger.
It really feels like this book is for the younger generation.
But any young adult can read it too.
The first book (this one) is more like an introduction, we get to know the characters and know where they come from, and of course the abilities they're possessing.
This might be good to know and learn before you read, just in case so you won't get confused.
The abilities are:
Vanessa - Can become invisible just like a ghost or spirit, which isn't so good when she's dating guys.
Catty - Can travel through time, and that's not always good, you'll see.
Serena - Can read minds, but only if you feel it so it's real thoughts and not like "A dog have black spots".
Or something like that.
Jimena - Can see the future, well, that's all I have to say about her.
These people are the daughters of the moon, goddesses.
And They have to save the world from Atrox and their followers who wants to destroy all hope and happiness in the world.
But don't forget that the so-called "bad" or "evil" people also hava a good side that might have been forgotten.
No one is pure evil, everyone has a reason for their actions.
January 16, 2013
This is a review for the whole series (13 books). The idea for the series, super-powered girls based in Greek myth, was great. I also liked that each book had a different p.o.v.. Some of them were really interesting. Unfortunately, the series just drags on. It never feels like they gain any ground in their fight. To make matters worse, the author wraps up everything in a single book without any kind of build up at all. The reason for this is the cancellation of the sequel/companion series, Sons of the Dark, that was supposed to continue the Daughters of the Moon story but with new characters. When Sons of the Dark was suddenly cancelled, the author had to quickly put together an end to the Daughters series and, honestly, it kind of sucks. There's a lot of stuff going on, there's no rehash of what's happened (which is sort of necessary because the final book takes place after the Sons of the Dark series ends thus other stuff has happened), and what happens to each of the girls is kind of depressing.
July 27, 2018
I remember being obsessed with the first few books in the series when I was in high school. I stopped reading at vol 5, so decided to retry since I did buy them all back then.
I did enjoy the premise of the series, and the descriptions of clothes were done really well, as well as the makeup. I do feel like some of it could have been cut, as it does not really affect the story. I think teens would like it, it's a little too high school for me to really fall in love with like I did the first time. Not really disappointed, its more funny to remember what I was like back then, and this book helped me with that!
I did enjoy the premise of the series, and the descriptions of clothes were done really well, as well as the makeup. I do feel like some of it could have been cut, as it does not really affect the story. I think teens would like it, it's a little too high school for me to really fall in love with like I did the first time. Not really disappointed, its more funny to remember what I was like back then, and this book helped me with that!
February 12, 2011
Oh my goodness! I had the hardest time getting through this book. Every time I put it down I didn't want to pick it back up again. While in high school these were some of my favorite books and I thoroughly enjoyed them. This is a good perspective to look at them now because I see that I've grown up and matured but they are still great for teens. I have a new perspective on the subject matter now and I'm concerned that it idealizes what 14-15 year old girls think that they should look like. It constantly talks about their curves, how they move, dance sensually, and I'm honestly feeling a little like old Aunt Agatha. I also noticed this time around how vapid and shallow their conversations are. They consist of no more than boys, clothes, personal problems and oh... fighting the dark Followers of the evil Atrox. Wow. I thought these books were great in high school because they provided an escape from my boring, bubble living. I wanted to know how trendy Hollywood kids lived but I don't think that the portrayal of these gorgeous girl goddesses are great role-models for girls. I was more than a little disappointed.
Warnings: Some language but very moderate. Girls are highly aware of their sexuality.
Warnings: Some language but very moderate. Girls are highly aware of their sexuality.
April 5, 2010
Can't even finish it. I read a lot of teen books, but the writing on this is more similar to a first chapter book. Ugh. I eventually got to the point where if the author used the word "molecule" one more time, I was going to throw the book across the room (which I didn't...but I wanted to).
July 27, 2018
3.5 Stars
After picking up this book which I had never heard of before and which wasn't on my TBR from the local library, I made the mistake of looking the book up on Goodreads, which led to me seeing negative reviews and second-guessing why the heck I thought this dumb book looked interesting. I spent a week contemplating just returning the book unread, but, because I knew I could finish it in one day, and because there was just one day left of the library's Summer Reading Program, I bit the bullet and dove in. I have never been gladder to read something I was initially wary of.
Goddess of the Night had me intrigued and kept me hooked from page one. I honestly never knew what to expect, although I predicted that there would be a cliché ending. (Which there was. Which then turned into a double-cliché. Boo!) Despite some overall predictability, I was nevertheless enthralled by this lovely, magical, mysterious tale.
Some other bonus points go into this review for:
Diversity - Of the four protagonists, one is latina and another is African-American (though the latter is not explicitly conveyed, it can be assumed from context).
Feminism - There were a good number of feminist quips and opinions displayed in this novel, such as "If we were boys in a girls' locker room you'd snicker and pat us on the back.", and I'm like YES GIRL POWER!!
Humor (Sans Vulgarity) - I am such a prude. I hate romance, and vulgarity or anything explicit or sexual (in literature, that is) just grosses me out. This book was at times very funny without being rude or disgusting or offensive. Yay!
The only problem I really had was a lack of depth, both in the story and the characters. I feel like things could have been fleshed out more to produce a better, more enchanting story. However, I will excuse this fault on the premise that this is a 13 book series, and that, hopefully, they become more involved, and all come together to produce a magnificent saga, because I really enjoyed Goddess of the Night and I look forward to what this series has to offer.
After picking up this book which I had never heard of before and which wasn't on my TBR from the local library, I made the mistake of looking the book up on Goodreads, which led to me seeing negative reviews and second-guessing why the heck I thought this dumb book looked interesting. I spent a week contemplating just returning the book unread, but, because I knew I could finish it in one day, and because there was just one day left of the library's Summer Reading Program, I bit the bullet and dove in. I have never been gladder to read something I was initially wary of.
Goddess of the Night had me intrigued and kept me hooked from page one. I honestly never knew what to expect, although I predicted that there would be a cliché ending. (Which there was. Which then turned into a double-cliché. Boo!) Despite some overall predictability, I was nevertheless enthralled by this lovely, magical, mysterious tale.
Some other bonus points go into this review for:
Diversity - Of the four protagonists, one is latina and another is African-American (though the latter is not explicitly conveyed, it can be assumed from context).
Feminism - There were a good number of feminist quips and opinions displayed in this novel, such as "If we were boys in a girls' locker room you'd snicker and pat us on the back.", and I'm like YES GIRL POWER!!
Humor (Sans Vulgarity) - I am such a prude. I hate romance, and vulgarity or anything explicit or sexual (in literature, that is) just grosses me out. This book was at times very funny without being rude or disgusting or offensive. Yay!
The only problem I really had was a lack of depth, both in the story and the characters. I feel like things could have been fleshed out more to produce a better, more enchanting story. However, I will excuse this fault on the premise that this is a 13 book series, and that, hopefully, they become more involved, and all come together to produce a magnificent saga, because I really enjoyed Goddess of the Night and I look forward to what this series has to offer.
January 26, 2019
Oh man. So I really wanted to enjoy this again. I read the series back in middle school(?) and I really liked them. I'm doing a book challenge this year and one of the prompts was to read a book that brought a sense of nostalgia. I decided on this one. I'm still going to count it, but oh my goodness, all I felt were the cringes on every page.
There was so much detail to describe every little aspect of every little moment of the book. At one point, the MC puts on a Yellow shirt with dragons on it, pants that I think were equally as vibrant and shoes with butterflies on them. Towards the end of the book the same character decides all blue is okay and wears a blue dress, blue shoes, paints blue flames (sorry, ETERNAL flames) and hearts on her legs, blue glitter, blue eyeshadow, blue, blue, blue.
The little romance that happens (can I call it that?) is barf worthy. They are 15 in the book. When I was 15, it worked. I thought it was cute. Now? Oh my goodness. Nope. The MC falls instantly, barely knows the guy and he barely knows her (no character development- on either side actually) and they are already talking about love and future plans. At one point the guy says "I think you like me. I like you. I don't want this." All within a page but with little explanation as to how he came to that conclusion. There's a moment at the end where the MC and said guy kiss and it says "waves of desire rose inside her." SHE'S 15! I've certainly read books with teens that read like that but they are more in the 17-19 range and, well, the writing makes more sense to have a sentence like that.
The story was also pretty choppy. The idea is not a terrible one. The plot, also not horrible. But the execution was very poor. Too much went on to make it seem even remotely plausible. Not to mention, while each of their powers are pretty cool, the way they are described as a weapon to defeat the evil is laughable: "premonitions to tell us when someone needs help." "Mindreading to know when they are influenced by the Atrox." "Invisibility to spy on the evil and share their plans." "Time travel to confirm suspisions." It sounds like the beginning of an army, but where's the action? How is evil going to be defeated by that?
The series is a long one (12 books?) and I don't plan on going through them all. I do think there are some "action" sequences where the girls put up a fight but I'm not sure.
This series was obviously not written with my age group in mind and it would be suitable for 15 and under, but that doesn't mean you should read it. It's fun, it's quick, but it's not that great.
_____________________________________________
Language: Uh, I don't remember. I'm pretty sure there isn't any.
Explicitness: None. Unless you count little phrases like the one about desire above, it's as tame as you get.
There was so much detail to describe every little aspect of every little moment of the book. At one point, the MC puts on a Yellow shirt with dragons on it, pants that I think were equally as vibrant and shoes with butterflies on them. Towards the end of the book the same character decides all blue is okay and wears a blue dress, blue shoes, paints blue flames (sorry, ETERNAL flames) and hearts on her legs, blue glitter, blue eyeshadow, blue, blue, blue.
The little romance that happens (can I call it that?) is barf worthy. They are 15 in the book. When I was 15, it worked. I thought it was cute. Now? Oh my goodness. Nope. The MC falls instantly, barely knows the guy and he barely knows her (no character development- on either side actually) and they are already talking about love and future plans. At one point the guy says "I think you like me. I like you. I don't want this." All within a page but with little explanation as to how he came to that conclusion. There's a moment at the end where the MC and said guy kiss and it says "waves of desire rose inside her." SHE'S 15! I've certainly read books with teens that read like that but they are more in the 17-19 range and, well, the writing makes more sense to have a sentence like that.
The story was also pretty choppy. The idea is not a terrible one. The plot, also not horrible. But the execution was very poor. Too much went on to make it seem even remotely plausible. Not to mention, while each of their powers are pretty cool, the way they are described as a weapon to defeat the evil is laughable: "premonitions to tell us when someone needs help." "Mindreading to know when they are influenced by the Atrox." "Invisibility to spy on the evil and share their plans." "Time travel to confirm suspisions." It sounds like the beginning of an army, but where's the action? How is evil going to be defeated by that?
The series is a long one (12 books?) and I don't plan on going through them all. I do think there are some "action" sequences where the girls put up a fight but I'm not sure.
This series was obviously not written with my age group in mind and it would be suitable for 15 and under, but that doesn't mean you should read it. It's fun, it's quick, but it's not that great.
_____________________________________________
Language: Uh, I don't remember. I'm pretty sure there isn't any.
Explicitness: None. Unless you count little phrases like the one about desire above, it's as tame as you get.
April 9, 2021
TW: self-harm
This book was so much fun! It definitely is a product of its time but I enjoyed how it handled a lot of things. This book is very much for fun book and I love that. I appreciate how topics like sexism were tackled and it was something that the characters were always vocal about. I appreciated how when it came to sexism and overall when characters were being really mean to others it was always combated and it was never brushed off. It definitely is a bit progressive in that sense.
There are also a couple of characters who are POC. One is native American-Lebanese, he isn't the main character but a love interest and then a sort of the main character (will become more prominent in future books) is a Latina named Jemina. I will say, I am not sure if Jemina's character is a positive representation or not. She very much is a very stereotypical Latina "gangster" in LA and she talks a lot about it even though she left that life behind her. Even though I wouldn't say Jemina isn't portrayed as a bad character and isn't mean or evil in any way she does have stereotypical characters of a poor Latina involved in gang life. We didn't get a whole bunch of her backstory or a lot of interactions with her but in the next book she is best friends with the main character of that so we will see more of her and I think I will have more solid thoughts on this.
There is also something else that bugs me because I completely forgot it was there. But this book does have self-harm in it. Self-harm is used in a way that I am not sure how I feel about. It is used when the evildoers mind control someone and force them to do it (I have no idea if that makes any sense). Self-harm is not at all glorified and it is actually something that is seen as a bad thing made from evil. I haven't pieced together my thoughts about this but I hope to have a better understanding of it the further I read more in the series.
This was extremely fun and I am excited to continue rereading!
This book was so much fun! It definitely is a product of its time but I enjoyed how it handled a lot of things. This book is very much for fun book and I love that. I appreciate how topics like sexism were tackled and it was something that the characters were always vocal about. I appreciated how when it came to sexism and overall when characters were being really mean to others it was always combated and it was never brushed off. It definitely is a bit progressive in that sense.
There are also a couple of characters who are POC. One is native American-Lebanese, he isn't the main character but a love interest and then a sort of the main character (will become more prominent in future books) is a Latina named Jemina. I will say, I am not sure if Jemina's character is a positive representation or not. She very much is a very stereotypical Latina "gangster" in LA and she talks a lot about it even though she left that life behind her. Even though I wouldn't say Jemina isn't portrayed as a bad character and isn't mean or evil in any way she does have stereotypical characters of a poor Latina involved in gang life. We didn't get a whole bunch of her backstory or a lot of interactions with her but in the next book she is best friends with the main character of that so we will see more of her and I think I will have more solid thoughts on this.
There is also something else that bugs me because I completely forgot it was there. But this book does have self-harm in it. Self-harm is used in a way that I am not sure how I feel about. It is used when the evildoers mind control someone and force them to do it (I have no idea if that makes any sense). Self-harm is not at all glorified and it is actually something that is seen as a bad thing made from evil. I haven't pieced together my thoughts about this but I hope to have a better understanding of it the further I read more in the series.
This was extremely fun and I am excited to continue rereading!
June 10, 2009
So I read this book last night, and upon reaching the last page, immediately closed it and grabbed the second book in the series. So it's not until this morning that I actually reflected upon how I felt about the book. Honestly, not sure if it was really that great or not. It was a VERY quick read and somewhat immature. But I think the reason I got so pulled into it was the mythological aspect. I've always been fascinated with the entire premise of mythology. I used to know all of the gods and goddesses by name, attributes, AND planet name. (Aphrodite is Venus! That's the only one I remember.) I was fascinated by all of the stories - like the one about Hades stealing Persephone to be his evil queen underground, or the one with the boy (man? memory is fuzzy here) who goes into the cave to defeat some evil creature and brings a ball of string to help lead his way back out. Just awesome stories.
So a fiction book that incorporates some of this mythology into it is a must-read for me. I was hoping the awful House of Night books would delve more into mythology, but apparently they're too interested in having their main character be the class hoe. (Don't get me started, heh.)
So anyway, this book was probably mediocre. But for getting me excited about mythology again, it earns 3 stars.
And as a side note (*possible spoiler?) how cool is it to introduce an "evil" that is so strong, it convinced Lucifer to abandon Heaven and join the Dark Side? Now THAT is some powerful stuff.
Can't wait to read the next 3 books - the 2nd one referenced the Hades-Persephone story in the first page! =)
*UPDATE* Huh, upon doing some research on here apparently there is something like 12 books - not 4, as I previously thought. So now I have to get to work getting the other 8. =)
So a fiction book that incorporates some of this mythology into it is a must-read for me. I was hoping the awful House of Night books would delve more into mythology, but apparently they're too interested in having their main character be the class hoe. (Don't get me started, heh.)
So anyway, this book was probably mediocre. But for getting me excited about mythology again, it earns 3 stars.
And as a side note (*possible spoiler?) how cool is it to introduce an "evil" that is so strong, it convinced Lucifer to abandon Heaven and join the Dark Side? Now THAT is some powerful stuff.
Can't wait to read the next 3 books - the 2nd one referenced the Hades-Persephone story in the first page! =)
*UPDATE* Huh, upon doing some research on here apparently there is something like 12 books - not 4, as I previously thought. So now I have to get to work getting the other 8. =)
June 10, 2015
This book was okay but not enjoyable. I would read the sequel though.
Problems I had with it:
1. Putting goddesses on the back.
2. A fight scene that did not happen. It was the necklaces that did most of the heavy lifting. The main character did nothing.
3. Why wear dresses and high heels to fight?
4. The main character is the 'key'. Predictable and the sure sign of a Mary-Sue.
5. Vanessa and Michael's relationship seem forced.
6. The overuse of the word molecule. I can't feel my molecules, so how can she?
7. Am I suppose to hate Stanton or love him? Right now I feel like he's a better boyfriend than Michael.
8. Vanessa has a problem with her invisibility, so how can she control it after trying it once?
9. It went by too fast.
10. Why is there a night club on Tuesdays?
Things I liked:
1. At least Vanessa and her mother have a relationship.
2. At least Vanessa is popular and nice.
3. Vanessa and Catty have true friendship.
4. At least Vanessa has trouble with her invisibility and not automatically know to control it.
5. At least the romance didn't completely overtake the action.
6. At least Vanessa was worried about Morgan and Catty.
Problems I had with it:
1. Putting goddesses on the back.
2. A fight scene that did not happen. It was the necklaces that did most of the heavy lifting. The main character did nothing.
3. Why wear dresses and high heels to fight?
4. The main character is the 'key'. Predictable and the sure sign of a Mary-Sue.
5. Vanessa and Michael's relationship seem forced.
6. The overuse of the word molecule. I can't feel my molecules, so how can she?
7. Am I suppose to hate Stanton or love him? Right now I feel like he's a better boyfriend than Michael.
8. Vanessa has a problem with her invisibility, so how can she control it after trying it once?
9. It went by too fast.
10. Why is there a night club on Tuesdays?
Things I liked:
1. At least Vanessa and her mother have a relationship.
2. At least Vanessa is popular and nice.
3. Vanessa and Catty have true friendship.
4. At least Vanessa has trouble with her invisibility and not automatically know to control it.
5. At least the romance didn't completely overtake the action.
6. At least Vanessa was worried about Morgan and Catty.
March 10, 2023
I originally read this back in middle school or high school, and while I remembered that I enjoyed it, I couldn't remember much else about it. Upon rereading it recently, I still enjoy it, but I've now noticed some flaws with it. For instance, the pacing is a bit uneven, slowly meandering along for most of the book and then rushing through the ending. Also, as much as I like Vanessa's love interest, Michael, their courtship is a bit tedious, with Vanessa constantly sending poor Michael mixed messages before finally getting her act together. Also tedious: the whole storyline where someone keeps following Vanessa, before her stalker is finally, finally, finally revealed. However, I do like that Ms. Ewing is trying to empower young women with this book and presumably the rest in its series, and that she tries to let those with depression know that they're not alone (and in fact, she even gives it a supernatural explanation). Overall, I liked this book, and look forward to getting my hands on the rest of the series.
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February 5, 2015When I was, I don't know, twelve or thirteen I guess, I checked this out from the library. I remember virtually nothing about it except that it was a complete 180 from anything I had read up to that point (or so I thought). It had teenagers who went to (I thought...I think?) risque parties and wore flashy clothes and basically did things well past my bedtime and the like. Also, I think it had some sort of goddesses...?
Anyway, I was totally obsessed with this one in particular because of its cover. I would lay on my couch with this book and just daydream about the cover and the flashy, West Coast, nightlife-filled world in which it was set. I can't even really explain it now. For some reason, it just...enchanted me at the time, and I've had half-formed memories of it floating around my mind ever since. With hindsight, it's probably not that great. I certainly don't remember enough of it to review it properly or even rate it, and I never even finished the series, but man, I sure did love this cover when I was a preteen.
Anyway, I was totally obsessed with this one in particular because of its cover. I would lay on my couch with this book and just daydream about the cover and the flashy, West Coast, nightlife-filled world in which it was set. I can't even really explain it now. For some reason, it just...enchanted me at the time, and I've had half-formed memories of it floating around my mind ever since. With hindsight, it's probably not that great. I certainly don't remember enough of it to review it properly or even rate it, and I never even finished the series, but man, I sure did love this cover when I was a preteen.
November 30, 2019
This book is absolutely terrible, but I love it anyway. The characters are idiots, the whole thing screams "published in the year 2000," and you're about halfway through the book before anything actually happens except talking about boys, but also the writing is kind of engrossing and you have a great time reading it because it's such a hysterical combination of high-school melodrama with superpowers. And I will always have fond memories of this book being the raciest thing I read when I was about 12, and being one of the earliest YA series that seemed cool to me, with its distinctive cover design and extensive descriptions of how cool the main characters look when they dress up as moon goddesses. So, I hate it but I love it.
August 19, 2023
I can see why I liked this as a teen but reading it as an adult is rough. The writing is... not great. I am going to finish this first volume for the nostalgia factor, but it's tough when you get exchanges like:
"Don't you know how to make chocolate chip cookies? That's what mothers do to comfort their daughters."
"Let's talk about what's going on. We have chocolate chip cookies."
"You can't make everything okay with cookies and cocoa. I'm not a kid anymore!"
"Don't you know how to make chocolate chip cookies? That's what mothers do to comfort their daughters."
"Let's talk about what's going on. We have chocolate chip cookies."
"You can't make everything okay with cookies and cocoa. I'm not a kid anymore!"
May 28, 2020
I'm rereading the books I own from this series to see if I wanted to keep them. Because mostly what I remembered was all the fashion & makeup being described in great detail. lol
They ARE fairly cheesy & dated but still fun. And I still like the whole concept & mythology.
They ARE fairly cheesy & dated but still fun. And I still like the whole concept & mythology.
June 18, 2020
I actually liked this more as an adult than when I did as a wee little tween.
November 17, 2021
Vanessa is a normal girl living in the city of Las Angeles when she finds out she has the power to turn invisible. Her power is weak, and she does not know how to use it, but she really needs it when she starts getting followed by a mysterious darkness. Her friend, Catty, who has the power to travel to the past or the future helps her on this mysterious quest to see who is following her and if her power was discovered. Along the way, she meets Michael, who she falls in love with. Her feelings are so up in the air with him she is worried she is going to uncover her power in front of him. While running from Micael, trying to find her secret, she meets two other friends, Serena and Jimena, who tells her her fortune. She tells that Vanessa is in grave danger. When Catty disappears, and she find out that Serena and Jimena are like her, with powers, she realizes she needs to take action. Serena and Jimena agree, and take her to Maggie, a young woman who knows Vanessa's power and where it came from. She tells her she is a Goddess of the Moon, and she has to stop the Atrox from taking over the world with darkness. When she finds out who follows her, a young boy named Stanton who works for the Atrox, and took Catty, she decides to surrender and get her friend back. Stanton takes her to a party, where secretly, her Atrox followers start to drain her power and make her weak. Vanessa and Catty are surrounded by people who want to destroy them, and there is no hope. Suddenly, before all hope is lost, Jimena and Serena come bursting in, using their powers to stop and hold off the Artox while Catty and Vanessa escape. They all escape the hands of the Atrox, and stop them from taking over the world for one night, but they will be back for more, someday...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2024
Every few years I find myself rereading these books, because they’re just so fun and nostalgic for me. And I’d like to think that, despite being written in 2000, they still hold up pretty well all these years later!
If you’re into any of the following, I really think you might like these books, because they give a similar vibe:
—Charmed
—Twitches
—H20
—Or maybe a CW show like Vampire Diaries.
This series is about a group of high school girls who discover they have magical powers, and naturally they have to stick together to stop the forces of darkness. There’s something about these books that feels like an early 2000s show in all of the best ways. There’s just a way that Lynne Ewing writes that immediately pulls you into this world, introducing you to our cast of characters, their individual powers, the mystery behind these supernatural forces, and you’re immediately along for the ride, much like a new TV series that immediately grips you.
I can’t remember how I felt about the other books in the series after this…or if I even ended up finishing this series? But now I think I want to, and this first book was a strong start!
If you’re into any of the following, I really think you might like these books, because they give a similar vibe:
—Charmed
—Twitches
—H20
—Or maybe a CW show like Vampire Diaries.
This series is about a group of high school girls who discover they have magical powers, and naturally they have to stick together to stop the forces of darkness. There’s something about these books that feels like an early 2000s show in all of the best ways. There’s just a way that Lynne Ewing writes that immediately pulls you into this world, introducing you to our cast of characters, their individual powers, the mystery behind these supernatural forces, and you’re immediately along for the ride, much like a new TV series that immediately grips you.
I can’t remember how I felt about the other books in the series after this…or if I even ended up finishing this series? But now I think I want to, and this first book was a strong start!
April 14, 2017
Det här är en bok som jag tror att jag hittade första gången på Boktipset när jag var en aktiv medlem där. Det var ingen bok jag kunde få tag på på biblioteket så det blev aldrig av att jag läste den. Jag sprang på den på myrorna och såg min chans att se om den var något.
Jag måste säga att jag blev lite besviken. Den var inte det som jag nog hoppades på den första gången. Det känns som att Ewing inte riktigt kan bestämma sig för vilken målgrupp boken rör sig till. Ena stunden är det ganska läskigt och i nästa känns allting väldigt tillrättalagt för att det inte ska vara för komplicerat och läskigt.
På ett sätt känns det som att det är en prolog till serien. Får se om jag kanske ger serien en chans till.
Jag måste säga att jag blev lite besviken. Den var inte det som jag nog hoppades på den första gången. Det känns som att Ewing inte riktigt kan bestämma sig för vilken målgrupp boken rör sig till. Ena stunden är det ganska läskigt och i nästa känns allting väldigt tillrättalagt för att det inte ska vara för komplicerat och läskigt.
På ett sätt känns det som att det är en prolog till serien. Får se om jag kanske ger serien en chans till.
April 24, 2024
Ok so my rating might be due to nostalgia rather than how good the writing truly is, but I was SO IN LOVE with this series as a pre-teen and I am currently re-reading the entire series now. These books would most likely be considered middle grade, but for that genre these books stand out and are really unique and inventive. Re-reading this first book took me back, and I really enjoy the descriptive writing and the storyline as well as the characters. What's not to love here!?
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September 26, 2023Is it absolute garbage? Yes.
But it is a book series that I loved at (approximately) age 13, and there is no loyalty like the passionate nostalgia held towards books loved by 13-year-old girls. (Also, this re-read is embarrassing and explains a lot, in retrospect, about 13-year-old Christiana)
But it is a book series that I loved at (approximately) age 13, and there is no loyalty like the passionate nostalgia held towards books loved by 13-year-old girls. (Also, this re-read is embarrassing and explains a lot, in retrospect, about 13-year-old Christiana)
July 14, 2017
Unremarkable, but not wholly bad.
2.5 stars rounded up.
2.5 stars rounded up.
November 17, 2019
Read it 3 times now and I like it just as much every time.
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