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.
THE LUMINARIES was my introduction to Susan Dennard’s writing, and it was one of my absolute favorite books of 2022. The vibe of that book just settled over in me a way that I can barely begin to describe. But I found myself utterly lost in that story & feeling such an intense pull towards Hemlock Falls, the town where the book is set.
A town with a spooky, monster-infested forest right on its edge. A monster-infested forest patrolled by an ancient order of monster hunters, the Luminaries.
At the center of the story is Winnie Wednesday, a character who quickly became one of my favorite protagonists. Things are…kind of looking up for Winnie in book two.
Maybe?
She’s passed her hunter trials, and her family is slowly being brought back into the fold after being shunned for so long.
But Winnie is unsettled; no one believes her about the so-called Whisperer, there’s a goddamn werewolf on the loose, and then there’s Jay.
Ugh, Jay.
There’s some great moments between Winnie & Jay in this one, as they kind of dance around one another in the slowest of slow burn romances. But Jay is also a tremendous asset to Winnie in THE HUNTING MOON, as he helps her unravel some of the seemingly-indecipherable clues that her father has left behind.
I read Winnie as a character with a ton of anxiety, and it felt like she was working through a lot of it in this second book. Especially where her friend group is concerned…there’s this sense of Winnie releasing a breath (that she didn’t know she was holding) and just…letting herself relax around this group of friends (Emma, Bretta, and Fatima), who all have her back.
The lore in these books…the history of the town & its inhabitants that seeps into everything…oof. I think that’s what’s felt so impressive to me about the first two books in this series. Everything just feels so incredibly real, while also extremely fantastical & nightmarish.
Also, the forest is truly one of the most incredible places I’ve ever read about. The way Susan Dennard describes this place is incredible. Like, yes, it’s full of strange creatures & monsters that can fully fuck you up. But there’s just something so beautiful & mesmerizing about this place. Every time the characters head out into the forest I am just glued to the page!
This series has me in a chokehold. I’ve truly loved spending time in Hemlock Falls, and I’m so curious to see where the story goes from here!
Massive thanks to Tor Teen for sending a copy my way!!
Grimdark Dad 