Author’s Note: We were provided with a free copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Plot & Storyline Quality (.5 point)
A Piece of the Moon is an eccentric novel with an intriguing storyline that, unfortunately, leaves the reader with little in the way of meaningful content.
Like most novels, this one contains both strengths and weaknesses. However, I regret to say that the weaknesses outweigh the strengths. Major strengths of the novel include it’s timely message of finding meaning and hope in the midst of trying circumstances, and the way the story illustrates the importance of learning from past mistakes. Biblical principles like these are a vital part of any story’s foundation, but with the absence of excellent storytelling, the message gets lost in translation. This brings us to the novel’s weaknesses.
First, the storyline’s pace is inconsistent – one minute we’re riding the wave of a tutorial on how to run a radio station, only to fall back into the sea of the story’s overwhelming amount of content. Second, the plot goes in and out of focus as the reader is pelted with different story ideas all rolled into one – is this a story about a treasure hunt in the mountains of West Virginia, an unlikely love story, a broken father-daughter relationship, one man’s path to salvation, how to run an old-fashioned radio station, or a boy who finds redemption and purpose working with his mentor at said radio station? Two or three of these ideas would have fit well together, but all of them in the same novel results in both wordiness and a hasty ending that tries to resolve everything too quickly (and cheesily). Finally, the dialogue and storytelling style are not engaging for multiple audiences.
For these reasons, A Piece of the Moon earns less than an average score in this section.
Character Development (1 point)
Much like the plot and storyline, the story’s characters are also fraught with errors. While there are strengths in this section, they are not enough to outweigh the weaknesses.
Major strengths include the spiritually sound themes and the occasionally meaningful dialogue between characters, along with the author’s use of comedic imagery to build character traits. The biggest weakness in this section is that the reader is basically told what to think about the characters. Using first-person dialogue would have allowed readers to develop an organic understanding of who the characters are and what they learn/experience/feel as the story unfolds – no one wants to feel like the outsider looking in while they’re reading a novel. All-in-all, the characters seem a bit thrown together and needed more depth, and reader engagement is nil.
For these reasons, A Piece of the Moon earns less than an average score in this section.
Creativity & Originality (0 points)
In conclusion, there is really nothing especially creative or original about Moon. We are all familiar with small-town plots like this one – although I must say this novel is in an a category all on it’s own in some areas. When it comes to Moon, this section can be summed up in the following sentence. A plethora of oddities (and eccentric metaphors) is no substitute for great storytelling. This being said, Moon earns zero points in this section. Finally, we do not recommend that anyone make this into a Christian film/series…unless they want to embrace the zany qualities and make it a comedy of errors. 🙂
Wish List Rating: 1.5 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 