Review--The Crescent by Jordan Deen (Book 11 in Reading Challenge)

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.

Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused.

Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever known.

I actually got two books finished today, as Jordan Deen's The Crescent was a rather quick read being only 187 pages. But it's shortness didn't detract from the thrilling story!

I found myself immediately engrossed once I got a few pages in. Lacey's parents are fighting and she leaves the house to escape the arguments. School soon starts and that's when Lacey's dilemma begins when the new boy, Alex comes into the office where she spends first period as a student aide and everything changes from there.

Even though this was a YA book, it didn't have the high school feel to it, even though a portion of the book is spent at school. But the parts that rang of a YA book felt to be much more sophisticated than what I was expecting. Lacey begins to fall for Alex and I won't get into the details but she finds herself questioning things about their relationship, and things that revolve around the "L-word". For some reason, I enjoyed that part. I liked her confliction and her wondering if what she was feeling was real. So many books have the teens just end up being in love or lust, yet Lacey, a 17 year old, has feelings that seem more real.

Then in comes Brandon and the ever popular love triangle continues, but it was so hard to figure out which guy I wanted to see Lacey with. Both were mysterious, and yet kind. They both seemed to know Lacey and she in turn knew them in different ways. It was very deep.

There was a bit of a mystery element going on, not a "who-done-it", but still there were secrets, secrets that involved Lacey. Things Lacey didn't really know about. And that's disregarding the whole "werewolves are among us" thing. Which it clearly states on the BOC that there are werewolves and the cover tells you that as well, so it shouldn't come as a spoiler.

I fell deeply into this book, I could hardly put it down. With the exception of a few grammar and spelling errors, it made for an easy and fun read. But it still leaves enough questions at the end that make me want to read the next book, Half Moon, on my list for next year.

It's hard to review much on this one since there was a big secret that reveals itself in small pieces gradually throughout the book and I can't reveal much along the way to that without giving something away. But basically there is a BIG secret, some of which I guessed a little at, but was fuzzy on the other details. It's hard to explain, best just to read it and enjoy!

Overall I give the book 4/5 stars!

This was my 11th book in the September Spectacular Reading Challenge.