Ivy Cole and the Moon

I love wolves and I love the paranormal but I usually find the werewolf story tiresome - tortured soul controlled by the moon who goes around depressing everybody when he's in human form and ripping throats out of everybody he comes across when he's a werewolf. Boring. Ivy Cole and the Moon is nothing like that. Ivy went through her change when she was a child and has worked through all that. Instead she uses her condition to cull undesirables from the human pack. Not a bad use in my opinion. But law enforcement officials in Doe Springs don't agree. When they go on the hunt for the Devil of Doe Springs hijinx ensue. I enjoyed the whole thing. I enjoyed a werewolf who accepted her condition and even saw some use in it. I enjoyed her power and her intelligence. I also enjoyed the canine aspect - Rex, the terrier was the best character in the book as far as I'm concerned - and the true hero of the story. Read the book just so you can meet him, if anything. I found the werewolf lore fascinating, along with the werewolf interaction. I do think the author skipped around from viewpoint to viewpoint a little too much. And I felt there were still some questions that needed to be answered. And Melvin, the love interest, needed to get that stick out of his butt. The bad guy was thoroughly repulsive and evil - there was nothing redemptive in him. Gloria, the sheriff, was a beautiful character, so was Tee. I think the one thing I would have liked to have seen differently was letting Auf, wolf-hybrid, get more paper time with action scenes. Now you know, I look forward to the sequel to this novel. I sure hope Rex is in it. Don't know if it will be worth reading without Rex.

I decided to read this book based on the fact it was a finalist for the IPPY awards for best first horror novel by a new author. I read the book straight through - something I rarely do anymore. Ivy is a different werewolf - one more like the ancient wolf strain introduced to her in the aftermath of the intial werewolf attack she endured on Christmas Eve as a child in Germany. This is a great read with likeable, eccentric characters, setting and dialogue which capture the region, unexpected twists, and the real treat - intelligent. And if you don't have an opinion about wolves - you may find you do by the end. I anxiously await the sequel!!

To say this was a page-turner is a definite understatement. You don't have to be an animal lover to appreciate the detail and descriptions Farago so eloquently gives throughout the story. I enjoyed being surprised and caught off guard with the suspense and drama, because it was not expected and kept me guessing throughout the novel. Farago has mastered the difficult task of keeping her readers captivated and intrigued by this story which jumps off the page at you. There is a little bit of Ivy in all of us and I look forward to the next installment.

If you are looking for a new outlook on the 'bad guy', then this is the book for you! Ivy Cole is a cold-blooded killer that you will absolutely love. This book was cleaverly written in a way that the reader is swept away into Ivy's world and you will be right there by her side experiencing everything with her. Seeing everything, hearing everything, and feeling everything. You will get lost in Doe Springs, fearful that the warewolves are right around the corner when the moon is full. Beware!

"Ivy Cole and the Moon" is a very interesting novel. You can't help but like the title character even if she is a werewolf with a taste for blood. This is just a fun, well-researched book. It is perfect for the Halloween season! If you like murder mysteries, you will like this book.