Moon Shadow.

Downing, Erin. Moon Shadow.
May 16th 2017 by Aladdin
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Lucia is struggling with the fact that her mother has left the family to live in Sweden with a woman she met at a yoga retreat. Lucia has never been fond of her mother's hippy dippy ways, but she keeps a moon stone her mother gave her. When her birthday approaches, she plans to go to former best friend Velvet's house with her new friends, Anji and Jonathan, to watch the eclipse. Velvet has just become very, very mean ever since she decided that she likes Will, who has been Lucia's best friend. Lucia still likes Will, but hasn't talked to him. A strange thing happens at Velvet's party, and Lucia starts to wonder what is going on. She seems to be having very vivid dreams... that are actually happening while she is asleep. She's freaked out by this, so seeks support from her friends, her mother, her sister, and her mother's New Age friends who start to help her understand what is going on. Will Lucia be able to take her new found power and dare to try out for the play and to rectify things with Velvet and Will?
Strengths: While Lucia has to deal with the abandonment of her mother (who does at least call and Skype her), she has a LOT of support. What's even better is that she consults this support network when things in her life get weird. This doesn't make the magic any less effective, just less scary. I really enjoyed the characters in this and thought that they were all well developed and likable. Even Velvet had her reasons!
Weaknesses: The whole idea of moon magic took more suspension of disbelief than I had, I kept worrying that Lucia was actually having some kind of seizures. Young readers will not have this problem.
What I really think: I have a lot more students asking for books with magical realism, and Moon Shadows, with its friend, family, and boy drama, will be very popular.