Moonsick by Tom O'Donnell

✦ BLURB ✦

High school senior Heidi Mills seemingly has it all: a charming (albeit pompous) boyfriend, loving (wealthy) parents, and an acceptance letter to Harvard (well, not yet). With her mom and stepdad away on vacation, this weekend she’s going to host a rager at their mansion to celebrate the end of high school. There’s just one catch: she has to make it through the next 24 hours. The full moon is coming tonight, and the worldwide werewolf epidemic that’s been running rampant for the past few years will awake those who are infected.

Safe in her home, with its state-of-the-art lockdown system to keep the monsters out, Heidi expects to wait out the night. But when two intruders show up to loot what they think will be an empty home, the life of privilege, ease, and safety that Heidi has taken for granted comes crashing down. Suddenly exposed to the realities of this virus and the way that the rest of the world has been living all this time, Heidi embarks on a dark adventure accompanied by the mysterious--but alluring--boy who broke into her house. But as she fights to survive the underbelly of a post-pandemic society, she'll learn that not all monsters have fangs.

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Pre-Reading Thoughts
A YA werewolf thriller with social commentary? Absolutely intrigued. I wanted to see how lycanthropy could act as metaphor while keeping the suspense alive.

Post-Reading

• As I thought… Heidi is naive but willing to learn, making her a delightfully engaging heroine. Her growth over the story feels earned.

• It surprised me by… How seamlessly the novel addresses police brutality, for-profit healthcare, and societal intolerance, using the werewolf epidemic as a metaphor.

Music Pairing

• 🎵 Featured Song: “Wolf” by First Aid Kit

• 🎶 Vibe Album: The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES

• 🎧 Artist Recommendation: Lorde, for youthful intensity and emotional depth

Vibe Check

• 🎨 Colour Palette: Moon silver, forest green, shadow black

• 🎼 Soundtrack: Howls in the distance, alarms, frantic footsteps

• 🌕 Season: Summer, night-long, full-moon chaos

• 😶 Mood: Growing up fast, survival, discovering hidden truths

• 🌹 Scent: Pine, rain-soaked grass, metallic tang of fear

Tarot Pull
🌟 The Fool, Light Seer’s Tarot — Naive but courageous, leaping into chaos and growth. Heidi’s journey through the night is a transformative one, balancing danger with discovery and self-awareness.

For Fans Of

• Gone series by Michael Grant

• All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue

Moonsick publishes on the 23rd of September, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.