Title: Red Moon
Author: Benjamin Percy
First published May 7, 2013
832 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781455545353 (ISBN10: 145554535X)
Rating: 3.37
Overview
In the world of Red Moon, they walk among us, hiding in plain sight. But when the government starts hunting them down, three lives are forever changed.
Claire Forrester discovers just how different she is when her parents are killed. Patrick Gamble is an ordinary man until he becomes the sole survivor of a plane crash.
Chase Williams has sworn to protect the nation from these creatures, but he’s slowly becoming one of them. As the night of the red moon approaches, a battle for humanity begins, and the world as we know it will be forever altered.
About the Author
Meet Benjamin Percy – a talented author known for his captivating novels and short stories. He has written four novels, including The Wilding, Red Moon, The Dead Lands, and The Dark Net.
His two books of short stories, Refresh, Refresh and The Language of Elk, are also highly regarded. As a contributing editor for Esquire, he has published both fiction and nonfiction in various publications such as GQ, Time, Men’s Journal, Outside, the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, Glimmer Train, Ploughshares, and the Paris Review.
Additionally, he is a writer for DC Comics’ Green Arrow and Teen Titans series and Dynamite Entertainment’s James Bond. Percy has been honored with numerous awards, including an NEA fellowship, the Whiting Writer’s Award, the Plimpton Prize, and the Pushcart Prize.
His work has also been featured in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics, making him a respected and accomplished writer in the industry.
Editoral Review
Red Moon by Benjamin Percy is a gripping book that delves into the complexities of identity and belonging, set against the backdrop of a political thriller. Percy is a critically acclaimed author who has written several other works, such as The Wilding and Refresh, Refresh, and has been praised for his skill in blending genres and captivating his readers.
Red Moon, first published on May 7, 2013, is a prime example of his prowess. The novel is a mashup of a werewolf tale and a political suspense thriller, which follows the story of two main characters – Claire Forrester and Patrick Gamble – who find themselves entangled in a society where werewolves, or “Lupines,” coexist with humans.
The story’s setting is laid out in an alternate version of the United States, where Lupines are often marginalized and subject to intense discrimination from human society. Percy cleverly weaves the social and political context with the challenges that these characters face, where shifting allegiances and betrayals are bluntly portrayed as part of the price of survival.
Red Moon plots out a broad spectrum of characters with varying relationships with the concept of Lupines in their society, all of whom influence the central theme of the novel. Claire, a Lupine, and her mother Miriam are forced to flee their home when Miriam is discovered to have contracted a disease that can spread to humans.
Meanwhile, Patrick, a young man who is visiting his girlfriend in Minnesota, finds himself caught in the middle of a terrorist attack, committed by a group of radical humans seeking to wipe out the Lupines. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that these two storylines are intrinsically linked, but toward what end readers can only guess.
Percy’s writing style is confident and evocative, creating a captivating world that lies just beyond the veil of the familiar. He writes with verve and confidence, demonstrating an excellent command of pacing, structure, and dialogue.
He develops his characters’ arcs meticulously, transforming them convincingly throughout each twist of the story. While Percy’s portrayal of the world that he meticulously crafted, sometimes lacks some finality even with the intricacies.
The author ably navigates the balancing act between a coming-of-age story and a socio-political commentary, which distinguishes Red Moon from other supernatural-themed books. The author uses a werewolf tale to craft a fresh take on socio-political commentary, painting an allegorical landscape of the post-9/11 era.
Percy’s writing is a riveting mix of horror, politics and even romance, bringing out an unforgettable maturing of two distinct characters with a resounding impact. Readers who love urban fantasy or socio-political tales will find this book totally engrossing, and Percy’s wealth of experience writing about human interactions doesn’t disappoint.
I highly recommend this book, which receives a solid 4.5/5 rating, for those looking for a thrilling ride into a world that is both otherworldly and deeply familiar.
