Goddess of the Night (Daughters of the Moon Series #1) by Lynne Ewing, Alessandra Balzer (Editor)

Publishers Weekly

This sexy but lackluster fantasy novel kicks off the Daughters of the Moon series by the author of Drive-By and Party Girl. High school sophomore Vanessa and her best friend, Catty, have magical powers. But while Catty sees her ability to time travel as a gift, Vanessa hates her own ability to turn invisible: she "tried to control her molecules, but in times of intense emotion, her molecules had more power than her ability to restrain them and the light from a full moon seemed to fuel their charge." Vanessa wants to date the handsome, long-haired Michael and be like everyone else, but whenever he kisses her, her feet and hands start disappearing. Then Catty turns up missing, and Vanessa's new friend Serena (a mind reader) reveals that they are goddesses, Daughters of the Moon, who must battle the evil Atrox and its dissolute band of "Followers" (from whose souls Atrox has sucked all hope) who haunt the Los Angeles club scene. Multicultural and cutting-edge, the California-hip backdrop may appeal to some readers and the book contains enough affirmations of "girl power" to please any budding feminist. But in the end, this series reads like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer without the camp. Into the Cold Fire, the next in the series, follows Serena as she falls prey to the dark side. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA

Vanessa Cleveland has the amazing ability to make herself invisible at will. Unlike her best friend, Catty, who revels in her power to shift time, Vanessa hates her dubious talent and wishes she were just like everybody else. Despite her misgivings, she meets and starts hanging out with girls, who, like herself and Catty, display supernatural aptitudes. Serena, a punk rock princess, can read minds, and Jimena, a former gang-banger, can see the future. With the help of Maggie, a sort of contemporary fairy godmother, Vanessa, Catty, Serena, and Jimena discover that they are the four Daughters of the Moon, modern teen goddesses of the Los Angeles club scene. Together, they are supposed to do battle with the forces of the Atrox, "the primal source of evil." In this introduction to the Daughters of the Moon series, Atrox flunkies kidnap Catty and Vanessa, who must embrace her goddess ability if she wants to save her friend. There is also a romantic complication as Vanessa is forced to choose between good-boy Michael and bad-boy Stanton, an Atrox follower, who nonetheless has a soft spot for Moon goddesses. While the cool covers and Wicca-like trappings are sure to sell this series to fans of Francine Pascal's Fearless books and Silver Ravenwolf's Witches Night Out series, Ewing's characterization of the goddess girls is rushed and somewhat vapid, and the dialogue is clunky. Better recommendations for teen readers looking for Wiccan fiction might be The Other Ones by Jean Thesman (Viking, 1999/VOYA August 1999) or Magic Can Be Murder by Vivian Vande Velde (Harcourt, 2000/VOYA December 2000). VOYA CODES: 3Q 5P M J (Readable without serious defects; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read ityesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2000, Hyperion/Disney Press, 294p, PLB. Ages 12 to 15. Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)

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