Review: The Crescent - Jordan Deen

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 the days 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.

The Crescent Series:
The Crescent
Half Moon (Jan 2011)
Full Moon (Jan 2012)

Visit Jordan Deen's website for more information

Review:
Lacey has a difficult home life and the constant arguments between her parents have her longing to go to a college as far away as she can get.  She is about to turn 18 and can't wait to finish school and leave home.  When she meets and starts dating Alex the new boy at school she has no idea how drastically her life is going to change.  Then Brandon, another new boy, arrives on the scene and although she loves Alex she feels a strong connection to his rival Brandon.  With one boy filling her days and the other overtaking her dreams she is struggling to distinguish dream from reality and make a choice about which one to choose.  What she doesn't know is that she is the key to winning a war and both sides will do anything to get her on their side.  Torn between her heart and her head how can she know which to follow?  Does she choose her family and everyone she knows or take a chance on a stranger and believe what she has been told?  It is a difficult decision but she has to pick a side - before it's too late.

The Crescent is Jordan Deen's debut novel and what a start to a new series.  I was impressed by the depth of the story and Jordan did a great job of pulling me towards both Alex and Brandon - I really struggled to know who Lacey should trust and felt her confusion completely.  This is one of those books that you pick up thinking you'll just read a couple of chapters and the next thing you know you're half way through the book.  I just couldn't put it down as I had to know what would happen next.

Lacey has a lot of shocks in store for her throughout the story and revelations that are made leave her doubting everything and everyone she's ever known.  The decision she is forced to make tears her apart and will have a major impact on her family and friends.  I found Lacey was a very realistic character and I felt myself desperately hoping things would turn out well for her.  Although I was drawn to both Alex and Brandon I definitely know who I was routing for, I'm not going to say anymore for fear of spoilers so I'll just say I was very happy with the outcome and you'll have to read the book to find out more.

I feel I have to point out the fact that this book was very badly edited, I'm usually a stickler for this and as I was reading the first few pages I really did worry that I wouldn't be able to finish the book.  However, by the end of the first chapter I was so drawn to the characters and captured by the story that I found myself noticing the errors less and less.  I have been assured that the sequel will have been properly edited so please don't let the errors put you off of reading this fantastic debut.  I can't wait to get my hands on Half Moon and am very much looking forward to seeing what Jordan Deen comes up with next!

Source: Received as part of a book tour arranged by UK Book Tours, this book has already been sent on to it's next destination.

Other reviews of this book:

Narratively Speaking
The Fiction Enthusiast
Cem's Book Hideout
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.