Review--ARC Low Red Moon

HER PARENTS ARE DEAD. SHE CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. AND NOW SHE'S IN LOVE WITH THE MOST DANGEROUS CREATURE IN THE FOREST.

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. Ben is a werewolf, but Avery trusts him--at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash an 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. A powerful YA voice makes her paranormal debut with this breathless, spooky novel--a book to be devoured in one sitting.

Two reviews in one day! Truth be told I was almost finished with the last book, but I just started this one around 9:30 in the morning or so and it was amazing! I devoured it in one sitting just as the BOC suggests!

Low Red Moon was given to me by Jess over at The Cozy Reader and it was just amazing! I've been devouring werewolf books lately, getting a craving for them for some reason. And Ivy Devlin's soon to be debut novel really satisfied my cravings!

Avery Hood, who ironically has red hair, ;) is not really your typical teen. She grew up raised in a house her father built in the woods living with her parents, she only attended public school when she was ready for high school, so Avery is already a sort of outcast there, since everyone there has known each other since grade school. She's an outsider. She's different.

What makes matters even worse is when her parents are brutally murdered, people start talking about her even more than they did before. Avery feels like a bigger outcast and you really have to feel something for her, most people feel like outcasts at some point during their school years. Avery is different then her classmates because she's literally lived in the forest, a place she's loved living, until her parents are murdered there.

Then a new boy comes to town, Ben, and Avery feels a connection with him. There is something that draws her to him that she can't explain. Nor Ben. The BOC describes him perfectly, eyes that flash silver, something that triggers the memory of her parents' murder--something that she can't quite remember and tries to, for it will lead to who the murderer is. And Ben's a werewolf. We know right away, if the silver eyes weren't something to go by.

I loved the connection between Avery and Ben. It was strong, yet fast. But sometimes love can be like that as we may learn. It was another strong bonding that just seemed like destiny between the characters, that kind of relationship always grabs at me and touches my heart in ways that I can't really explain well. It sort of felt like the relationship from Shiver, but with different qualities behind it. But that overall feel of connectedness is the same.

The mystery elements were REALLY good too. As the book made it's progress I began to develop theories as I tend to do when reading something with a mystery and my speculations that something was "up" with two so-and-sos were correct. With one it took further reading to really grasp at it and I can only hope there will be further development on it when the next book comes out, which may be awhile since this was an ARC. My second one! (Reader girl squeal!)

The ending was breathtaking and intense. Avery's memories slowly come back to her as she makes even more startling revelations about things, including the murder of her parents. My pulse beat with every word read, I couldn't read fast enough to get to the final conclusion to know what would happen. And sometimes I read too fast and miss something and then I have to backtrack all due to my excitement of the conclusion unfolding. It was very shocking as I said.

The romance level as I briefly mentioned before between Avery and Ben was intense and endearing. It was sweet, yet deep. Almost like a Romeo and Juliet, which did make an appearance in the book which made me wonder if we're to see Avery and Ben's romance as such, but I think theirs wasn't as lustful as Romeo and Juliet. There was more endearment to it. Which may also be due to it being set in the now and not when Romeo and Juliet was.

Overall a GREAT read and one I HIGHLY recommend to werewolf YA lovers, as the BOC says. There's a lot to the books as the BOC says as well, to recap there was murder mystery, grief narrative--which we can all relate to on some level--and romance that really takes your breath away, causes your heart to skip a beat and go into overdrive. The book was really mind-blowing and now I am eagerly awaiting a sequel and hoping that there will be one!

Low Red Moon will release on September 14, 2010.

Thanks again Jess!!