The Girl who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen - 4 stars

I had just recently purchased this book and decided on reading it since I was struggling with my current read. This was a first time read of this author and I found that this was light enough to keep me from going into a reading slump. I am glad that I had this one on hand. Parts of it reads more like a YA than an adult book, but it had a good mix and I found that it was very fluid.
Synopsis
Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. Such as, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? And why did she vow never to return? But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew—a reclusive, real-life gentle giant—she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor bakes hope in the form of cakes.

Everyone in Mullaby adores Julia Winterson’s cakes—which is a good thing, because Julia can’t seem to stop baking them. She offers them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also in the hope of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Flour, eggs, milk, and sugar . . . Baking is the only language the proud but vulnerable Julia has to communicate what is truly in her heart. But is it enough to call back to her those she’s hurt in the past?

Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

I thought that there was a lot going on in this book, lots of magical and mysterious elements. Some of this however made the story feel a little unrealistic, but despite that I really enjoyed the story as a whole. There are several different perspectives in this book so you are getting involved with the lives of many different people. I think that it kept the story more upbeat and it did not become confusing while switching to different people. I did find some things that were kind of left unexplained and I am not sure if there is a sequel coming or not, but it would be nice to have an answer for my questions. So we will see.

I did like the characters a lot. Emily was a little less relatable since she was a teenager, but she was still very likable and she had to put up with quite a bit, and despite that she stayed pretty level headed so readers do not have to deal with a lot of teen drama. My favorite character though was Julia. I really related to her the most, she was much older and had been through quite a bit. I thought that she was a pretty strong character and also very smart and likeable as well.

I recommend this to anyone who likes YA or adult contemporary with some magical elements mixed in. I look forward to more from this author in the future and I hope for a sequel to this book. I would love to spend some more time with these characters.