Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Source: BEA 2010
Language: English

Synopsis: Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there. She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before. It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents... But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?

With a summary that promises a story of part dangerous romance and part murder mystery, Low Red Moon unfortunately managed to deliver only half of what I was expecting. I'll start with what Ivy Devlin did right: Avery was a likeable character and her emotions over losing her parents and the frustration over not being able to remember who killed them felt real. There were flashbacks of Avery's parents and her home life that were interspered throughout the story and I especially enjoyed reading them since parents are many times overlooked in YA; it was great to read about a character who had a realistic and loving relationship with her parents. Avery also felt a strong connection to the forest (which had been her home until her parents were brutally murdered) and as the reader I was able to understand how precious it was to her. Avery's character is where Devlin succeeded in capturing my interest: I truly cared for Avery and what was happening to her. The mystery in the novel was slightly predictable but Devlin made it intriguing enough so that the reader will be pulled into the story and be curious enough to see how everything plays out.

However, there was one detail that bothered me with Low Red Moon. I had trouble believing in Ben and Avery's romance since it was very sudden and it felt like they had fallen more into lust than love. Ben, while sweet, was a static character and it would've been more nice to see his character develop more. He was too perfect and that didn't work for me. But despite this minor drawback, Low Red Moon was a quick read that readers will appreciate more for its mystery than for its romance.

Rating: 3.0