Like Moonlight at Low Tide: Sometimes the Current Is the Only Thing That Saves You by Nicole Quigley

★★★★★
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When high school junior Melissa Keiser returns to her hometown of Anna Maria Island, Florida, she has one goal: hide from the bullies who had convinced her she was the ugliest girl in school. But when she is caught sneaking into a neighbor's pool at night, everything changes. Something is different now that Melissa is sixteen, and the guys and popular girls who once made her life miserable have taken notice. When Melissa gets the chance to escape life in a house ruled by her mom's latest boyfriend, she must choose where her loyalties lie between a long-time crush, a new friend, and her surfer brother who makes it impossible to forget her roots. Just as Melissa seems to achieve everything she ever wanted, she loses a loved one to suicide. Melissa must not only grieve for her loss, she must find the truth about the three boys who loved her and discover that joy sometimes comes from the most unexpected place of all.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nicole Quigley’s first novel, Like Moonlight at Low Tide. As a story geared toward young adults, it provided a welcome change of pace from all the inspirational romance I have been reading lately. (Of course, I very much enjoy inspirational romance, but every now and then, something a bit different is great.) Quigley creates a genuine and enthralling set of characters that captured my imagination, exploring themes of bullying, peer pressure, tragic loss and redemption. As Missy struggles to better her life, my heart, at times, broke and at others, soared, as I felt the emotions with her. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in inspirational young adult fiction. As usual, I thank BookSneeze for providing me with a free copy of this book and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)