MOON RING

Hope springs eternal when two high school romances, set 40 years apart, intertwine in Loye’s supernatural debut novel.

The setting: 1969, Hope Springs, Ark. High school sweethearts Gabriel and Lizzy consecrate their undying love for one another with a moon ring. During a romantic encounter, Lizzy hands it over to Gabriel for safekeeping. But he never has a chance to return it before, hours later, he is suddenly killed by Lizzy’s jealous ex-boyfriend. It remains on his body, which goes undiscovered as the mystery of his death remains unsolved. Gabriel reappears 40 years later as an angel visible only to Maddy, the 17-year-old girl who has moved from Las Vegas to Arkansas and is now living in his old boyhood home. Maddy welcomes the vision of Gabriel and is not fearful, in part because he resembles her new boyfriend David. She sees many parallels between her feelings for David and Gabriel’s love for Lizzy and agrees to help Gabriel find the ring. Loye’s teen characters are strong and fully developed. Maddy is feisty without being aggressive as she embraces the challenge of identifying Gabriel’s killer. Danger is a recurring theme in this novel, and Maddy stands up for herself when needed; teen readers will feel empowered by the fearlessness and strength she exhibits. She also has a warm and compassionate side that becomes evident when surprising connections are revealed between the past and present. The adult characters are more one-dimensional and not as strongly defined as Maddy and her peers. As a result, the younger characters take on important responsibilities and demonstrate a maturity beyond their age. A well-crafted narrative that combines the intrigue of romantic suspense with elements of the supernatural.