Below the Moon {Book 2} by Alexis Marie Chute {YA Book Review}

The 8th Island Trilogy includes Above the Star {my review}, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. Over the three books, we follow the adventures of a quirky family, the Wellsleys. The main characters are frumpy senior citizen Archie, his daughter-in-law, Tessa, and his ill fourteen-year-old granddaughter Ella.

Archie, searching for his missing son, accidentally transports his family—and a cruise ship full of people—to a magical planet. There, they uncover the truth: all worlds are dying. Yet hope is not lost. A way to restore all that will soon be destroyed is revealed, along with the realization that Ella will play a role no one could have imagined—especially not her.

On the mysterious island of Jarr-Wya, many races of creatures battle for dominion and magic lurks around every corner. When the world falls dark, that is when bravery must shine the brightest, and the Wellsleys will reveal the strength they never knew they possessed—as well as the power of love to save the day.

“A Wrinkle in Time meets The Princess Bride.” – Review by Lee Lee Thompson, The Perpetual You Magazine

“Chute’s novel weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for booklovers of all ages.” – US Review of Books

“Fast and bizarre… Never a dull moment.” – Foreward Reviews

Disclosure: I received this book to review through iRead Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

Ella Wellsley is not your typical teenager. Cancer left her mute, but not powerless. Trapped in a parallel dimension, Ella rallies her strength to join her family―her mother, Tessa, her grandpa Archie, and her magical boyfriend―in locating the cure to her illness. This cure is entangled in the fate of all worlds, and threatened by the presence of an evil Star anchored in the sea. The Star has thrown life everywhere into chaos―and it is Ella who holds the key to unlocking its mystery.

Caught in a web of betrayal, mistaken identities, secrets, and love triangles, Ella, Tessa, and Archie must overcome their troubled pasts to ensure a future for all worlds. On this journey―armed with unearthly abilities and unexpected allies―each member of the Wellsley family will learn the power of love in the face of their greatest fears.

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This is book two of the 8th Island Trilogy and I was able to start it immediately after finishing book one.

Book two is written differently in that rather being a flowing story, each chapter is told by a different viewpoint of a character (Luggie, Tessa, Archie, Ella, etc.) Personally, I don’t have a preference and did not feel it take away from the story line at all.

One thing that I did notice (likely because I was able to read book one and then immediately start book two) was that book one and it’s events were repeated frequently. It made some parts of the book slower (in my personal opinion) but some parts were helpful because it helped reiterate in my memory what happened. It also provided a new reader background if they had not read the first book.

I don’t want to share too much and have it be a spoiler if you have not read the first book, but book two literally starts off where we left book one.

Our ‘company’ has returned to the glass city.

There seems to be a lot of… secrets – more so than the first book – and the action and adventure continue as we continue our trek to find Ella’s cure.

Book two also has a bit more romance about it as Luggie is still with Ella (and Captain Nate is still trying to woo Tessa).

I don’t know if my mood has changed or if I have gotten used to the details of the book, but I did not find this book quite as gory as the first… that is not to say it wasn’t present… it just didn’t affect me as much as in the first book.

I also felt book two had more mystery laced into it.

Overall, the story is bizarre and out there, but I like the story line. It’s the young adult in me that still enjoys fantasy and new worlds and new creatures.

The series, thus far, has been a win for me!

About the Author
Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning author, artist, photographer, art curator, filmmaker, and public speaker. She has received over 40 noteworthy distinctions for her visual and literary work. Her award-winning fantasy series The 8th Island Trilogy includes, Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. The series has been described as “A WRINKLE IN TIME meets THE PRINCESS BRIDE” by The Perpetual You magazine, and “Fast and bizarre… never a dull moment” by Forward Reviews. The 8th Island Trilogy “weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for blooklovers of all ages” – US Review of Books. Chute’s bestselling memoir, Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After Loss, was a top Kirkus title of 2017 and received a plethora of other literary distinctions. The memoir was accompanied by the feature documentary of the same name, which has screened internationally for the last three years. Chute received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design from the University of Alberta, Canada, and studied at Media Design school in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated valedictorian with her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, USA. Chute is a highly regarded public speaker. She has presented on art, writing, bereavement, and the healing capacities of creativity around the world. Contact the Author/Artist for bookings info@alexismariechute.com When not in her art/photo studio or at her computer, Chute loves to spend quality time with her family, read fiction and non-fiction, watch reality TV, paddleboard, and canoe. She is not a winter person but lives in frosty Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with her husband and their three living children.