Hands Across the Moon    by Jane Meyer Order:  USA  Can Tyndale, 2003 (2003) Paperback     Reviewed by Melissa Parcel When Gretchen moves to Ecuador at the beginning of her junior year, she and her best friend Mia start to write letters back and forth to keep in touch. Letter writing makes the distance between South America and California seem like less of an obstacle to maintaining their friendship. Gretchen and Mia pour their hearts out to each other on every issue from boyfriends, to sports, to travel. The letters get longer and longer as the girls share each experience of their lives. There are joyful moments of triumph, frightening occurrences, and hilarious observations about life and love. The letters immerse readers in their lives, sharing the pain and happiness as Gretchen and Mia undergo various challenges. This is an excellent book for girls, especially for those who have had a friend move away. Gretchen's and Mia's emotions mirror what teens go through on a daily basis, and readers will identify with them. Both girls have unique personalities. Mia is a driven gymnast whose determination pushes her to succeed. Gretchen is headstrong and beautiful, and goes through many life-changing experiences in Ecuador that cause her to re-think her choices. Both have strong Christian faith that shines through in their letters and the way they handle everything thrown at them. Jane Meyer writes from firsthand knowledge of having a friend move to another country, and having to communicate through letters. Though the language is occasionally more formal and verbose than would typically occur in a teen letter, the author manages the limitation of telling a story via this medium, without dialogue, extremely well. Hands Across the Moon is a touching and quick paced book that readers will not be able to put down. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews