Review: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
Published:  December 28, 2010
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 304
Series: Full Moon #1
My Rating: 1 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Beware of a kiss under the full moon.

It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend’s Run is famous for them. She’s used to everything in the small town until the mysterious Brandon Maddox moves to Legend’s Run. Despite already having the perfect boyfriend, Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. After a chance encounter late one night with a pack of wolves, Celeste is rescued by gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon. Is Brandon’s transformation a trick of the shadows in the moonlight? Or is there more to the werewolf stories of Legend’s Run?

My Review:  Well that was...how can I put this nicely? For now let's just say that I won't be continuing this series. Ever. Please if I'm ever considering reading Magic of the Moonlight someone should remind me how painful Once in a Full Moon was.

I'm surprised I finished this book. I almost gave up on it a few times but I didn't because I can't leave any book except Midnight Sun unfinished and that's not even because its not finished I stopped reading that one after a chapter or two.

Once in a Full Moon is not even close to the best werewolf book I've ever read. Basically Celeste falls in love with Brandon. He turns into a werewolf. She vows to find him a cure. He tells her to stay away from him because he might be dangerous. She doesn't listen. Weird stuff starts happening in Legend's Run.

Let's see my first problem with this book was the characters. Celeste's "friends" were not friends. Celeste kept saying how she had to keep her feelings for Brandon a secret because if she told her friends they would disown her or something. Yeah great friends you have there Celeste. Also Nash was just plain annoying and strange. So in the beginning he tells this werewolf story and he scares himself along with Celeste and her friends. Then when Celeste and Nash break up he tries to win her back by pretending to be a werewolf so that she would come running back into his arms. He actually tells her this when she discovers his costume.

Oh then there's Celeste. My goodness girl you need help. Serious help. I don't even know how you fell in love with Brandon. It was just like POOF Celeste loves him. At one point she says that she can hardly admit her feelings for him but she'd just been thinking about how awesome he is (he really isn't awesome) for the last five pages! Then there's the part where she gets lost in a snowstorm. I have major problems with this. First off she could see her house from where she was and then she walks off the path and gets magically lost. Why would you walk off the path in the first place? Then somehow in the middle of a blinding snowstorm Brandon finds her and saves her from a pack of wolves. How can he see in the snowstorm when she can’t? She was also extremely obsessed with Brandon. It was unhealthy.

"I wanted to use Brandon's coat--not because I was cold, but because it was his coat. It was close to his skin and cloaked him all day long. I knew it would smell good, too--like fabric softener or irresistible cologne or smoke from a fireplace. I wanted to wear it now, wear it all day, wear it forever."

She also wouldn’t stop talking about how “heroic” Brandon was and how he saved her life. It got to the point where I almost couldn’t take it anymore.

Some other parts of the book I didn’t care for:

"Then he stepped out from behind the tree. Brandon’s short, wavy brown hair was now savagely wild and shoulder-length. His normally clean-shaven face sported a goatee. His once-smooth chest was now lined with a thin layer of hair. His stomach was ripped as an Olympic swimmer’s, and his biceps were cut like a triathlete’s. His eyes were a gorgeous gray. He was breathing heavy, as if he’d run a marathon. Brandon had fangs like a wolf."

I don’t think this was supposed to be very funny but I couldn’t stop laughing at the fact that he grew a goatee when he turned into a werewolf. I’ll give the book points for werewolf looks originality but that only goes so far.

“I know. I have your shirt,” I confessed.
“You do?”
“Yes. I kept it as proof.” I showed him his folded shirt sandwiched in my bag.
“Proof?”
“That our time together wasn’t a dream. I know…you must think I’m a dork.”
“No—I think it’s really cool.”

“Describe!” she ordered, pointing her mascara brush at me.
“Brown wavy hair, royal blue eyes. His lips are full and dreamy. His stare can penetrate your soul.”

These people are not normal teenagers. They have to be at least sixteen and I don’t think I know anyone who would actually think keeping someone else’s shirt was “really cool”. After that she didn’t even give it back to him. She kept it the entire book. Also who describes someone by saying “his stare can penetrate your soul”? Not any teenager I’ve ever met. If I even described someone like that I think I’d get a few weird looks.

“I just wanted to let you know. You might have a psychic stalker on your hands.”
“The only stalker I want is you,” he said.
“I’m doing my best.”

What is with YA characters and them thinking stalking is ok? I don’t know anyone who wants to be stalked.

While reading this book I kept thinking this is like the werewolf version of Twilight. So maybe if you like that book you’ll like this one. For everyone else steer clear of this.