‘Double Eclipse’ by Melissa de la Cruz book review

On Nov. 8, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books released the next novel in Melissa de la Cruz’s Summer on East End series, Double Eclipse. In this second book the main characters have grown up to exude a warmth towards family and friends which vastly improves the tale over the original.

Mardi and Molly Overbrook are teenage goddesses, literally – specifically, the goddesses of strength and rage. They’re trying to spend a quiet summer with loved ones on East End. While one falls in love and the other’s relationship is failing, their estranged mother appears on the scene with a crazy prophecy. Are the twins strong enough to survive all the turmoil or will their topsy turvy lives drive a wedge between them?

I found this book more pleasing than the first, Triple Moon. Both are definitely written for mature teens, with plenty of underage drinking and discussions about sex, but that’s fine as long as you know what you’re getting into. What I didn’t like in the first novel was that the twins were completely self-absorbed. They didn’t care about anyone but themselves, not even each other. In the second novel, they’ve both grown up considerably and relish their time with friends and family. They fight for those they love and are willing to create an emotional bridge with their newly discovered mother, whether she deserves it or not. When you care about the main characters, it makes the whole story much more entertaining.

Overall, I thought this book was well written. I enjoyed watching the relationships progress from the first novel and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book with the girls’ mother. If you like witches in YA fiction, you might have fun with this series. Just hang in there through the first book. I promise it gets better.