ARC Review--The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard

 

The highly anticipated sequel to The Luminaries by New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

 

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

 

Susan Dennard returns to the hit sensation series that is The Luminaries! She rocked the once famed social media site with a Sooz Your Own Adventure story a few years back and it essentially launched The Luminaries last year and now she continues Winnie's story with The Hunting Moon! This is definitely a series you must read in order for continuity's sake, but if you missed the social media adventure, never fear, because the story differs a bit from its original format.

We pick up Winnie's story pretty much where we left off. Winne has completed her Hunter trials and is now a full fledged Hunter. But the town is still reeling from the death of Grayson Friday. Of course, everyone thinks a werewolf killed him when Winnie knows it was The Whisperer, a still unknown creature that is stalking the forests of her hometown.

Meanwhile, Winnie is still investigating the cards and notes her father left behind for her. As she puts clues together, she starts to wonder...did her dad really betray the Wednesdays and the rest of the town by joining the Dianas? She's determined to find out one way or another. Her latest clue is something that she is hoping dig into and piece together how it all fits with what her father was accused of.

If that wasn't enough on Winnie's plate, she's still trying to find the werewolf that saved her last time around as well, but now everyone is convinced that the werewolf is Grayson's true killer, so they are out hunting him night after night.

Mysteries and secrets abound this is a read that will keep you guessing and hold you enthralled with the magic it weaves! This world is so intricate with all the paranormal creatures that hide within the town's forests. And Winnie is starting to question everything she thought she knew about said creatures and what she was always taught.

The tension in this story was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Cliche, yes, but also very true! So many things happen around Winnie and to her...this girl is a force to be reckoned with. She's not your typical monster-hunting-kickbutt-girl-who-takes-no-prisoners. She wears glasses, is a little on the short side, and is just trying to make it through each day! I love this girl! Plus, can we also just bask in the glory that she wears glasses? Not too many heroines wear them all the time like Winnie! She deals with the problems of them falling off during running or other intense moments, fogging up, sitting crooked if they fall wrong...just all the actual problems people with glasses have on a daily basis! You gotta love when authors make their characters feel more real with actual problems anyone would deal with and I love that about this series!

Winnie's relationships are also tested in this story! She has formed great friendships with other Wednesdays that continue to develop positively and then there's the reflecting back on her past friendships with Erica and Jay and everything that went wrong when her father sold the Luminaries out to the Dianas. Things are still touch and go with Erica and I feel like things that happened that weren't fully explored in this book might pop back up in the next one! Then there's Winnie and...Ugh Jay! Lol! Things are definitely very intense between these two and I am reminded of all the angst and drama and feelings that ran rampant during the social media run! Things develop further this time around, let's just say that! All the hints that were teased among the pages of The Luminaries come to play in this one and go a step further!

The ending was very satisfying as well. While it seems largely that not all was resolved with issues here and there. Things did happen that makes Winnie question the way things have been running in her town. While some may say this feels like a very "middle" book of a trilogy, and while it does have those trends to it, I feel like that statement is only half accurate. While the plot thickens greatly in this one, we still have loose ends but there was a great deal of character development and laying the foundation down for more problems to come! Needless to say, this book is the hook and the first book was the line! The next book is bound to be epic if the formula continues!

The Hunting Moon was an intense and enticing read! This is once again, a book that defines the term "pageturner!" This is a series that you will want to devour in one sitting should circumstances allow it for you and I cannot wait for the next installment! While it doesn't end with what I would call a cliffhanger, it does leave you with a bit of puzzle that will leave you mind spinning!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

The Hunting Moon releases November 7, 2023