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In this tender genre-bending young adult novel by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed, two teen protagonists grow from friends to something more in the aftermath of a tragedy in their magical town. Moonlight Bay is a magical place—or it was once. After a tragic death mars the town, the pink and lavender waters in the bay turn gray, and the forest that was a refuge for newcomers becomes a scourge to the townspeople. Almost overnight, the entire town seems devoid of life and energy. The tourists have stopped coming. And the people in the town are struggling. This includes the two teens at the heart of our Yasmine and Rafay. Yasmine is a child of the town, and her parents are trying and failing to make ends meet. Rafay is an immigrant, a child of Willow Forest. The forest of Moonlight Bay was where people from Rafay’s community relocated when their home was destroyed. Except Moonlight Bay is no longer a welcoming refuge, and tensions between the townspeople and his people are growing. Yasmine and Rafay have been friends since Rafay first arrived, nearly ten years ago. As they've gotten older, their friendship has blossomed. Not that they would ever act on these feelings. The forest elders have long warned that falling in love with "outsiders" will lead to devastating consequences for anyone from Willow Forest. But is this actually true? Can Yasmine and Rafay find a way to be together despite it all?
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Vibes
Paranormal Romance
Community Love
Healing
Slow Burn
9.0/10 or 5/5
What I Loved
Characters
The characters in this weren't the kind I'm used to seeing in Fantasy. I loved how unique they were, and how they added to the world they lived in. Yas and Raf each had their own personalities and stories which were fun to follow. The supporting characters added to the story which was fun. I loved the family relationships in this. They felt real and tense.
Plot
This story took me a while to get into because it was a slow build. Once I was locked into the story, and where it was going, I enjoyed the ride. I loved how much the town and the tree played a part in this story. The town was healing as a whole, and characters in the town were healing from a tragedy. I loved the journey and growth Yas and Raf had.
Writing
The writing style in this book matched the vibe in my opinion. I loved the lighter moments mixed with the heavier ones.
Romance
This was a slow burn but the childhood friends to lovers was delicious. I loved the romance and how Yas and Raf helped each other, and how they made each other better.
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