Bunny's Reviews: The Star and the Strange Moon Review Spotlight

We are thrilled to share The Star and the Strange Moon this week. Read on for more details!

The Star and the Strange Moon is an engaging and truly hauntingly beautiful tale that weaves the past and the present together in a way that will make it hard for you to put this book down.

Author Constance Sayers weaves a story that tells of a young actress by the name of Gemma Turner. Gemma appeared to have "peaked" at such a young age after a couple of successful films and then one that, due to poor editing, was a complete flop. She's given a second chance when a French director approaches her. Gemma manages to wow him during an interview, and she gets the part! But more than that she is told that he would like her ideas and notes on the script as well! For Gemma, this is an unexpected boon.

While Gemma is the focus of the story, we're getting ahead of ourselves, because she isn't the character who begins the story.

The character who begins the story is going to be young Christopher. This dear child has led a less-than-charming life. His mother is struggling with a multitude of issues, one of which is her own lack of steady income. When things are good, they're good. But when things are bad...well, they're rock bottom. However, for Christopher's mother...something is about to send her into a spiral. That something? A picture of Gemma Turner. When you read her reaction to seeing this picture in a hotel, it is going to be quite bizarre. It's okay though, while you'll be puzzled for a time, the explanation will come.

The author shifts POV between Gemma and young Christopher. The focus starts out on Christopher, but then it will shift to Gemma. The Star and the Strange Moon will focus on Gemma more heavily for a portion of the story, but this is simply to give readers the background that they are looking for. To learn about Gemma and her own struggles. The lead-up to her strange disappearance and the mystery that surrounds it all.

It's going to build quite the intrigue. Trust us on this one. It all will begin to fall into place with strange happenings at a residence. Some will be dismissive of the strange noises, but Gemma knows what she hears.

Christopher is an interesting character in his own right. His youth has been not one truly meant for a child such as him. You'd think that his mother would have been more concerned for his well-being, but he was made to grow up fast. Even when he finds some stability after the bizarre incident with his mother, he never sets aside his desire to "be prepared." But it's his curiosity and interest in learning more about his mother and her strange reaction to the Gemma Turner picture that really sticks with him.

Little by little he will delve into the mystery that surrounds Gemma's disappearance. The deeper the story goes, the more the intrigue will build and pull you further into the story. You will frequently find yourself on the edge of your seat anticipating what is coming next.

This book unfolds into a gripping page-turner that is beautifully written with a haunting quality. With the bizarre disappearance, it reads more supernatural/paranormal, but it has some nice fantasy elements that bring it all together and create a story that you won't soon forget.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Constance Sayers, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to what comes next!

The Star and the Strange Moon

Publication Date: November 2023

Genre: Historical Fantasy

From the author of A Witch in Time comes a haunting tale of ambition, obsession, and the eternal mystery and magic of film.

A vanished star. A haunted film. A mystery only love can unravel…

1968: Gemma Turner once dreamed of stardom. Now the actress is on the cusp of obscurity. When she’s offered the lead in a radical new horror film, Gemma believes her luck has changed—but her dream is about to turn into a nightmare. One night, between the shadows of an alleyway, Gemma disappears on set and is never seen again. Yet, Gemma is alive. She’s been pulled into the film. And the script—and the monsters within it—are coming to life. Gemma must play her role perfectly if she hopes to survive.

2007: Gemma Turner’s disappearance is one of Hollywood’s greatest mysteries—one that’s captivated film student Christopher Kent ever since he saw L’Étrange Lune for the first time. The screenings only happen once a decade and each time there is new, impossible footage of Gemma that shouldn’t exist. Curiosity drives Christopher to unravel the truth. But answers to the film’s mystery may leave him trapped by it forever.

Get it Here!

About the Author

Constance Sayers is the author of two best-selling novels: A Witch in Time (Hachette, 2020) and The Ladies of the Secret Circus (Hachette, 2021), the latter receiving both a Publishers Weekly and Library Journal starred reviews. Her work has been translated into six languages and her third novel, The Star and the Strange Moon will be published by Hachette on 11.14.23. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.

She received an MA in English from George Mason University and a B.A. in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She lives outside of Washington D.C.

Constance Sayers