Hi everyone and welcome to my tour stop for Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty hosted through TBR and Beyond Your. I’m so excited to share a full spoiler free review as part of my tour stop.
You can find the full schedule here.
About the Book
Primal Animals by Julia Lynn RubinPublished by Wednesday Books on May 24, 2022
Pages: 304
Goodreads
Protect the girls
Arlee Gold is anxious about spending the summer at the college prep Camp Rockaway—the same camp her mother attended years ago, which her mother insists will help give Arlee a “fresh start” and will “change her life.” Little does Arlee know that, once she steps foot on the manicured grounds, this will prove to be true in horrifying ways.
Even though the girls in her cabin are awesome—and she’s developing a major crush on the girl who sleeps in the bunk above her—the other campers seem to be wary of Arlee, unwilling to talk to her or be near her, which only ramps up her paranoia. When she’s tapped to join a strange secret society, Arlee thinks this will be her shot at fitting in...until her new "sisters" ask her to do the unthinkable, putting her life, and the life of her new crush, in perilous danger.
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About the Author
Erin Beaty was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means she can’t drive a tractor but won’t eat veggies that come from a can.
She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics) and German, then served in the fleet as a weapons officer on a combat destroyer and later as an instructor the Center for Naval Leadership.
After a few years as a stay-at-home mother and navy wife with a casual family blog, Erin upped her game and started writing her first novel in the spring of 2014. She is now the author of the Traitor’s Circle Trilogy published by Imprint, Macmillan and in several foreign languages.
She and her husband have five children, two cats, and a vegetable garden and live wherever the navy tells them to go.
Erin has taught classes at The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk and has also served on the advisory board of Hampton Roads Writers.
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My Thoughts
I would describe Blood and Moonlight as a YA mystery with fantasy elements. The focus of the novel is the hunt for a serial killer believed to be responsible for a murder our protagonist stumbles upon in the dead of night.
The twisting plot is experienced through the lense of Catrin or “Cat” as she prefers to be called. As an orphaned baby she was under the care of the Sisters of Light, where she lived a hard life and ran away when she was old enough.
At the novel’s opening she is working for an architect on a cathedral-like building, with a magical gift that allows her to detect any flaws. It is during this opening scene that she hears a murder occuring and stumble across the scene.
The story focuses on finding the killer. But in the processes of Cat’s hunt, the author explores issues of mental illness, connecting with one’s ancestry, and what really makes a family.
I enjoyed the first half of this book immensely. But in this case, the build up was much more satisfying than any of the big reveals. It also made me wonder if I’m losing my interest in YA generally. Only time will tell I suppose.
Overall, I gave Blood and Moonlight 3.5⭐ and would recommend it to those who love YA novels like Descendant of the Crane by Joan He and Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco.
What About You?
Have you read Blood and Moonlight? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!
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