Parents' Guide to

Between Us and the Moon

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Honest, complex story of girl's first sexual relationship.

Book Rebecca Maizel Coming of Age 2015
Between Us and the Moon Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Logical, stargazing Sarah feels overshadowed by her beautiful, popular older sister, Scarlett. After she's dumped a week before her 16th birthday, Sarah launches her Scarlett Experiment: During her summer at the beach, she'll test whether acting like Scarlett makes her more likable. When she meets handsome Andrew, who's almost 20, she impulsively lies about her age. But there's a real spark between the two: He genuinely appreciates her intelligence and is charmed by her clumsiness, and she falls hard for him. Sarah feels she can be herself -- her new self -- with him, but her lie threatens everything ... especially as their relationship becomes sexual. Coming clean would mean risking everything, but she may not have a choice.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

By pretending to be someone else, 16-year-old Sarah finds herself, but the journey isn't all moonbeams and roses in this honest story of a complicated sexual awakening. Themes of authenticity and the need for connection give weight to the summer romance in BETWEEN US AND THE MOON. Rebecca Maizel offers a classic romantic hero: Andrew is gorgeous, sensitive, and responsible and loves working with troubled kids. Sarah is more interesting: Her desires and drive are relatable, but her poor choices betray a lack of experience with relationships of all kinds. Though the sexual content will raise some eyebrows, it depicts sexual intimacy as loving and attentive.

There are strong messages here about immaturity, selfishness, and trying to do too much too soon, but they're undermined by the abrupt ending. It's clear from the start that this romance is unlikely to last: We follow Sarah's Internal torment and glimpse the damage she causes, but we don't see the hard work of putting the pieces back together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the frank sexual content of this book. Do you think it's appropriate, realistic, romanticized, or helpful? Parents may want to read our advice on sexual content and media to help guide the conversation.

  • How does this book compare with romantic stories you've read? Do you think this is primarily a romance story?

  • How do you feel about Sarah, Andrew, and Scarlett by the story's end? What do you think Sarah's junior year is like?

Book Details

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