Review: Moon River And Me by HL Zinda

Book: Moon River and Me by HL Zinda

Pages: 326

Genre: Young Adult

Source: Sent from author

Short Synopsis: Mykaela, a young teen is trying to find a way to cope through life with the loss of her mother. On a whim, Mykaela decides to take a journey through Europe to figure out who she really is.

My Thoughts: A surprising great read about friendship, coping with the loss of a family member, and figuring out life.

Mykaela, now nineteen, is discovering how to live life without her mother, due to cancer. After her mother's funeral, she decides to take a journey through Europe to find out who she really is, and to figure out how to cope with the loss of her mother.

When Mykaela stops at her first destination, in Rome, she meets two other travelers whom are also backpacking through Europe as well. Mykaela decides to join up with two gentleman who immediate become fast friends, and the trio travel all through out Europe, experiencing new adventures, meeting new friends, and the exciting cultures that come with Europe.

But not everything is fun and games as Mykaela is having a tough time dealing with the heartbreaking loss of her mother. Mykaela relives past memories of what her mother went through and how her mother tried to survive the horrible disease of cancer. As Mykaela makes her way through Europe, she finally comes to terms with what has happened, and figures out who she really is.

A surprisingly great read. It was very fast paced, and interesting characters. I loved how Mykaela seemed very level headed yet adventurous at the same time, and wasn't afraid to try new things. I loved the chemistry between Steve and Austin and Mykaela as well, but was a bit disappointed with the fact that Austin was gay, because it seemed like Austin and Mykaela might have been more than friends.

there were two characters, Vicky and Wendy, who sounded pretty selfish, and was a bit annoyed that they took Steve away from the group. I felt a lot of sympathy for Mykaela when she relived her past experiences. It was also interesting reading about how the group was able to travel from place to place, gaining more information and experience about traveling. One problem I had the novel was that it was sometimes confusing with the transitions of Mykaela's old memories and the present. It also seemed a little unlikely that Mykaela never had any money problems, even though she visited so many places. Otherwise, an interesting, and entertaining read.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

Rating: I give this book a 4/5.