Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin | Low Red Moon Series
Other books in the series:
Series: Low Red Moon
Author: Ivy Devlin
# of Books: 2 (Low Red Moon, Moonrise)
Complete?: No, Moonrise will be released January 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery, Suspense
Heat Rating: warm
Thoughts:
This is one of those books that gets my special “judged by cover” tag on my Goodreads account because truthfully, the only reason I randomly grabbed this book off the shelf was the shiny red cover. Of course, I then read the plot and it seemed interesting enough for me to pick up.
I’m glad I did because I really liked this book. It was part mystery and part romance and I think Devlin does a great job of blending the two together. When it comes to the mystery, I was sucked in. It was suspenseful and I liked trying to figure it all out as I went along. It was a darker read but nothing that would scare you to stay up all night; it just felt like it wasn’t afraid to get nitty-gritty in the details which I really liked.
And when it wasn’t the mystery of Avery’s parents, it was the mystery of Ben and the excitement of their romance that drove me further into the book. I have to say that their romantic moments were steamier than most young adult scenes and that added another depth to the story. I think it is pretty obvious that this book never really seemed to have a dull moment and that is what really impressed me.
As for the werewolf aspect to the story, it wasn’t anything overbearing which I appreciated. Werewolves aren’t really my thing so I tend not to enjoy books about them. But I find you have enough to think about with the murder and the romance that it isn’t a book that focuses specifically on werewolves–it takes a bit of a backseat but it definitely adds to the story in a good way.
When I first read the book (back when it was first published in 2010) there hadn’t been a plan or announcement for a sequel so I was left really disappointed in how the book ended. While we do learn the truth behind Avery’s parents’ murder, I just felt like so many things were left unanswered between Avery and Ben and the town as a whole and I would have liked more closure if Low Red Moon was going to be a stand-alone novel. But luckily for me, it isn’t and I’m really excited to see where this sequel, Moonrise, will go because it has been long overdue!
Conclusion:
A refreshing read for those who enjoy Young Adult novels. It has a great blend of mystery, romance and paranormal activities so there is never a dull moment! Plus, it makes for a very quick read!
Rating: 4/5
Similar Reads: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, #1)
Synopsis for Low Red Moon (from Goodreads):
The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can’t, and there’s nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she’s ever experienced. When Ben reveals he’s a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she’s not the only one who can’t remember the night her parents died. Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans.