Mary Casanova is a well-respected, for me local, middle grade adventure novelist. Knowing that, when a person picks up Curse of a Winter Moon and starts reading it, they might think they are about to start reading a werewolf novel. I would say that's what the marketer who picked the title wanted the reader to do. However, a reader who is looking for that will be sorely disappointed. This isn't a werewolf adventure novel. Instead it is tightly plotted middle grade historical fiction about religious persecution in 16th century France. I'm tempted to give it a 4 or 4 1/2 star rating because it is very good at being what it is, not what it is marketed as. However, I found myself disappointed in it as a book. I wasn't disappointed because I was looking for a werewolf. I was disappointed because I was looking for a little more historical depth, the kind of depth that might not be appropriate in a middle grade novel but would've been in a YA novel. What makes this book great for middle grade readers is it's tight plot and fast pace. What would make it a great book for YA readers would be at the expense of the pacing - deeper characterization and a more detailed portrayal of the daily and religious life of 16th century France. ( )