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Claire de Lune #2
Nocturne
Some secrets are too dangerous...
After the tragic events of the summer, Claire is looking forward to a new school year. All she wants to worry about is finding the most gorgeous dress to wear to the Autumn Ball with her perfect boyfriend.
But as Claire knows all too well, the life of a werewolf is never that simple, or that sweet.
When Claire’s human and wolf lives start to collide, her worst nightmares come true. She is hurting her best friend. She has been caught lying. And then the unthinkable happens: Someone discovers Claire’s secret.
If Claire’s werewolf identity is exposed, everyone she knows will be put at risk. And the pack’s response comes at a cost higher than Claire can imagine. Claire will be forced to determine just how far she is willing to
After the tragic events of the summer, Claire is looking forward to a new school year. All she wants to worry about is finding the most gorgeous dress to wear to the Autumn Ball with her perfect boyfriend.
But as Claire knows all too well, the life of a werewolf is never that simple, or that sweet.
When Claire’s human and wolf lives start to collide, her worst nightmares come true. She is hurting her best friend. She has been caught lying. And then the unthinkable happens: Someone discovers Claire’s secret.
If Claire’s werewolf identity is exposed, everyone she knows will be put at risk. And the pack’s response comes at a cost higher than Claire can imagine. Claire will be forced to determine just how far she is willing to
355 pages, Hardcover
First published August 23, 2011
35 people are currently reading
2,743 people want to read
About the author
Christine Johnson
7Ìýbooks234ÌýfollowersThere is more than one author with this name
I grew up in, moved away from, and finally came home to Indianapolis, Indiana. While I was in the “away� part of that adventure, I was living in Chicago, Illinois, where I went to DePaul University and met my husband. I majored in Political Science. For the record, Political Science is a totally useless degree. But it’s also totally fascinating and I loved studying it. I fall into that trap a lot. I graduated with about nine million extra credit hours because I was forever taking classes that seemed “interesting� instead of classes that I needed to fill requirements.
After college, I lived in Chicago for several more years with my husband. I had a string of jobs � some I liked, some I hated, but none of them ever stuck with me as a career. Writing is different. For this job, I could be a workaholic! Anyway, after several more years in Chicago, my husband and I moved back to Indianapolis. (We got tired of constantly looking for street parking in Lakeview.)
Now, I live in an old house in an old neighborhood with my husband and kids. I have too many books and a weakness for anything sweet. I love yoga and cooking, but I’m not much of a movie person. I like watching soccer, and always look forward to the first sweater-worthy days in the fall. But mostly, I like making things up and writing them down and having people read them. So, that’s what I do, and I’m very, very lucky to be doing it!
I grew up in, moved away from, and finally came home to Indianapolis, Indiana. While I was in the “away� part of that adventure, I was living in Chicago, Illinois, where I went to DePaul University and met my husband. I majored in Political Science. For the record, Political Science is a totally useless degree. But it’s also totally fascinating and I loved studying it. I fall into that trap a lot. I graduated with about nine million extra credit hours because I was forever taking classes that seemed “interesting� instead of classes that I needed to fill requirements.
After college, I lived in Chicago for several more years with my husband. I had a string of jobs � some I liked, some I hated, but none of them ever stuck with me as a career. Writing is different. For this job, I could be a workaholic! Anyway, after several more years in Chicago, my husband and I moved back to Indianapolis. (We got tired of constantly looking for street parking in Lakeview.)
Now, I live in an old house in an old neighborhood with my husband and kids. I have too many books and a weakness for anything sweet. I love yoga and cooking, but I’m not much of a movie person. I like watching soccer, and always look forward to the first sweater-worthy days in the fall. But mostly, I like making things up and writing them down and having people read them. So, that’s what I do, and I’m very, very lucky to be doing it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
September 26, 2020
For some reason I have always been so focussed on the vampires, that I never really paid much attention to the werewolves. Therefore I only discovered these books a few weeks ago when someone sold their copy of the first book on facebook. I got interested, bought the book (new) myself and after finishing it I was already really excited about the second book. Especially because there were so many amazing possibilities!
Well, let me start this review with saying that this book was not about what I had expected it to be. I had, for some reason, expected a really big and political story. Instead I got a really small story about a teenage girl figuring out how to balance her werewolf life with her human life. However, I actually really enjoyed this small story. Maybe because, even though in this case it was supernatural, it's very relatable to have to balance different parts of yourselves with different people.
Even though the plot was actually quite small, with an amazingly dark finale, the atmosphere of the book was built up perfectly. I could really feel Claire's tension, I could feel how she was slowly struggling more and more, slipping up more and more and getting into trouble more and more. It was quite an intense book in that way, because Claire's fear was so present throughout the book and as a reader I was constantly waiting for things to go more wrong.
What I love is that, even though all the werewolf stuff is fascinating, Claire also worries about her human life, her friendships, prom, her boyfriend. I think in a way it makes her really realistic. However, I still really love Matthew. Matthew is one of the realest boyfriends I've ever seen in a YA book. Things are far from easy for both of them, but we watch them work it out, talk it over, fight and make up. I like the honesty between them and I like how this is not a sickening perfect relationship, but one that seems realistic.
Well, let me start this review with saying that this book was not about what I had expected it to be. I had, for some reason, expected a really big and political story. Instead I got a really small story about a teenage girl figuring out how to balance her werewolf life with her human life. However, I actually really enjoyed this small story. Maybe because, even though in this case it was supernatural, it's very relatable to have to balance different parts of yourselves with different people.
Even though the plot was actually quite small, with an amazingly dark finale, the atmosphere of the book was built up perfectly. I could really feel Claire's tension, I could feel how she was slowly struggling more and more, slipping up more and more and getting into trouble more and more. It was quite an intense book in that way, because Claire's fear was so present throughout the book and as a reader I was constantly waiting for things to go more wrong.
What I love is that, even though all the werewolf stuff is fascinating, Claire also worries about her human life, her friendships, prom, her boyfriend. I think in a way it makes her really realistic. However, I still really love Matthew. Matthew is one of the realest boyfriends I've ever seen in a YA book. Things are far from easy for both of them, but we watch them work it out, talk it over, fight and make up. I like the honesty between them and I like how this is not a sickening perfect relationship, but one that seems realistic.
February 10, 2015
When I started reading this book, I was not aware that it was a sequel to Claire de Lune... Which was a book I had picked up, and put back down a while back. Despite not being interested in the first book, I still found this book to be pretty good and it grabbed my attention. It was well written, and I was able to connect with the main character. My only hangup, was that I felt like a lot of the book talked about the first book. Information and events were constantly talked about and I felt like, as a sequel, it should be focused on new events. But aside from that, I did enjoy Nocturne. I instantly knew how Claire felt with her friend troubles. Amy, the "intruder" was a character that I instantly recognized from my high school days. The always happy, never lets anything get to her, good grades, friends with everyone girl that I hated. Claire's character was stubborn and like many high school students, struggled with adjusting to a new lifestyle. Overall, I liked this book, but I regret not reading the first.
December 2, 2020
Geweldige duologie. Was van 1 net zo weg als deel 2
August 13, 2011
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The first book in the Claire de Lune series was just okay but unfortunately, as far as the second installment is concerned, it didn't even achieve that much. The saving point of book one was the action which Nocturne severely lacks. Also, Claire transforms from being a lovable character to being down right annoying. Basically, this novel is similar to its predecessor minus all of the elements that made Claire de Lune a passable read.
The plot line was monotonous and nothing really significant happens until the end. It seemed to me that this book revolved mainly around Claire learning to use her werewolf fire lighting skills. She spins this minute task into a massive, insurmountable undertaking that was just insulting in its ridiculousness. This young wolf is worried about the repercussions she will face if she fails which are laughable in my opinion. In her position, I would have been like screw it, do what you have to do. Claire's supposedly struggling to find a balance between her human and werewolf selves but is failing miserably. She lets all of her human life fall to the sidelines and focuses on her furry side. I found it hard to believe that a sixteen year old girl would value a pack of old ladies' (whom she just met) opinions more so than her BFF's and boyfriend's. Where's the teenage rebellion!? When I was her age, my mother didn't ask of me anything close to what Marie asks and I still never hesitated to give her a piece of my mind and do my own thing regardless of how she felt. I wasn't a bad kid either. Claire's actions are just so far from believable that I had a hard time finishing this book.
The ending just added insult to injury. After 300 pages of nothingness the last 50 pages or so throw in a twist that has absolutely nothing to do with any of the story that came before it. It was as though the author realized that there wasn't enough action in the book so she threw something together at the end to try and make up for that lack. Claire makes the exact same mistake that she made when faced with her fire lighting dilemma. She blows a little snippet of information way out of proportions, gets the whole pack involved before verifying the facts and almost ends up making the biggest mistake of her life. I would have liked the book better if it'd maintained it's uneventful pace until the end. At least it would have been consistent!
I hate writing negative reviews, especially when werewolf books are concerned but I'm unable to find a single thing that I liked about Nocturne. Claire de Lune was a passable read but this!? I dislike giving up on a series after only two books but unless drastic changes are made in the next installment, I'm going to have to pass.
The first book in the Claire de Lune series was just okay but unfortunately, as far as the second installment is concerned, it didn't even achieve that much. The saving point of book one was the action which Nocturne severely lacks. Also, Claire transforms from being a lovable character to being down right annoying. Basically, this novel is similar to its predecessor minus all of the elements that made Claire de Lune a passable read.
The plot line was monotonous and nothing really significant happens until the end. It seemed to me that this book revolved mainly around Claire learning to use her werewolf fire lighting skills. She spins this minute task into a massive, insurmountable undertaking that was just insulting in its ridiculousness. This young wolf is worried about the repercussions she will face if she fails which are laughable in my opinion. In her position, I would have been like screw it, do what you have to do. Claire's supposedly struggling to find a balance between her human and werewolf selves but is failing miserably. She lets all of her human life fall to the sidelines and focuses on her furry side. I found it hard to believe that a sixteen year old girl would value a pack of old ladies' (whom she just met) opinions more so than her BFF's and boyfriend's. Where's the teenage rebellion!? When I was her age, my mother didn't ask of me anything close to what Marie asks and I still never hesitated to give her a piece of my mind and do my own thing regardless of how she felt. I wasn't a bad kid either. Claire's actions are just so far from believable that I had a hard time finishing this book.
The ending just added insult to injury. After 300 pages of nothingness the last 50 pages or so throw in a twist that has absolutely nothing to do with any of the story that came before it. It was as though the author realized that there wasn't enough action in the book so she threw something together at the end to try and make up for that lack. Claire makes the exact same mistake that she made when faced with her fire lighting dilemma. She blows a little snippet of information way out of proportions, gets the whole pack involved before verifying the facts and almost ends up making the biggest mistake of her life. I would have liked the book better if it'd maintained it's uneventful pace until the end. At least it would have been consistent!
I hate writing negative reviews, especially when werewolf books are concerned but I'm unable to find a single thing that I liked about Nocturne. Claire de Lune was a passable read but this!? I dislike giving up on a series after only two books but unless drastic changes are made in the next installment, I'm going to have to pass.
August 16, 2011
I received this e-ARC from Simon & Schuster Galley Grab for review
Christine Johnson's Nocturne was a good followup to Claire de Lune. I remember enjoying that one, but wasn't totally "wowed". That's kind of where I fall with this one as well. It was okay, just not spectacular.
Once again we are in a world where only females are werewolves, but there isn't any danger to Claire and her pack from her boyfriend, Matthew's father. That lack of danger kind of made things bland. Although the new girl, Amy, does bring in some suspicion that makes things a little interesting. But its end result was a little too predictable.
Claire is struggling with her human life and her werewolf life. They seem to be two separate lives that she has to keep apart and she's not willing to leave one for the other. With her werewolf life, she's about to go through the ceremony that makes her a full werewolf or pack member, something to that fact, but she's struggling with one simple factor and if she can't overcome it, the results will not be good. There is also the naming ceremony coming up with one of her fellow werewolves who is pregnant.
With her human life, Claire struggles to maintain her friendship Emily and the new girl, Amy makes things difficult for her. She's too nice. Plus it doesn't help that she and Matthew continue to have little spats. And it feels like she's being driven away from her best friend and boyfriend.
There wasn't enough mystery to the book. Not like a mystery to be solved or anything, but no secretive things going on. It was all just sort of blah...kind of like a contemporary book but throwing in werewolf drama to make it a paranormal.
I don't want to come off like I hated the book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It was one of those books that was okay, but felt like could've been better.
And of course there's the Autumn Ball to think about. Claire is beyond thrilled about going. It feels human and normal for her. It was kind of easy to see how things turn out as you read. There are hints throughout that aren't too hard to figure out. And the ending, while surprising can also be solved. Things wrapped up neatly, yet there still felt like they left some things untouched. Such as events with reporters looking in the woods where Claire and her pack go on full moon nights led by Matthew's father who is trying to "cure" werewolves, but so far only the male ones, which is impossible. So that was another of the letdowns.
Overall the book was okay. Not really my kind of read, but thought I'd give it a try.
Overall rating 2/5 stars
Nocturne releases August 23, 2011
Christine Johnson's Nocturne was a good followup to Claire de Lune. I remember enjoying that one, but wasn't totally "wowed". That's kind of where I fall with this one as well. It was okay, just not spectacular.
Once again we are in a world where only females are werewolves, but there isn't any danger to Claire and her pack from her boyfriend, Matthew's father. That lack of danger kind of made things bland. Although the new girl, Amy, does bring in some suspicion that makes things a little interesting. But its end result was a little too predictable.
Claire is struggling with her human life and her werewolf life. They seem to be two separate lives that she has to keep apart and she's not willing to leave one for the other. With her werewolf life, she's about to go through the ceremony that makes her a full werewolf or pack member, something to that fact, but she's struggling with one simple factor and if she can't overcome it, the results will not be good. There is also the naming ceremony coming up with one of her fellow werewolves who is pregnant.
With her human life, Claire struggles to maintain her friendship Emily and the new girl, Amy makes things difficult for her. She's too nice. Plus it doesn't help that she and Matthew continue to have little spats. And it feels like she's being driven away from her best friend and boyfriend.
There wasn't enough mystery to the book. Not like a mystery to be solved or anything, but no secretive things going on. It was all just sort of blah...kind of like a contemporary book but throwing in werewolf drama to make it a paranormal.
I don't want to come off like I hated the book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It was one of those books that was okay, but felt like could've been better.
And of course there's the Autumn Ball to think about. Claire is beyond thrilled about going. It feels human and normal for her. It was kind of easy to see how things turn out as you read. There are hints throughout that aren't too hard to figure out. And the ending, while surprising can also be solved. Things wrapped up neatly, yet there still felt like they left some things untouched. Such as events with reporters looking in the woods where Claire and her pack go on full moon nights led by Matthew's father who is trying to "cure" werewolves, but so far only the male ones, which is impossible. So that was another of the letdowns.
Overall the book was okay. Not really my kind of read, but thought I'd give it a try.
Overall rating 2/5 stars
Nocturne releases August 23, 2011
June 28, 2012
The most intriguing and disturbing part of these books for me is Claire's relationship with her very distant mother. Marie (the mom) always makes it completely clear that her relationship with her daughter is far from the most important thing in her life. And Johnson (the author) makes this seems acceptable to Claire. In fact, the author dedicates this second book to her own mother. I'm sort of perplexed by it. Is this what parent/child relations have come to in our culture? Children must simply accept that they aren't any where near the most important part of their parent's lives? That they rank well below careers and other commitments? Marie basically hires someone to take care of Claire, and Claire tolerates it beautifully, despite the pressing problems it causes. I realize this book wasn't written as a commentary on parent/child relations, but I guess I've been thinking about the commitments mothers have to their children and themselves a midst the rather headed public conversation surrounded women and career/family balance at the moment. The rest of the story is a pretty good paranormal teen romance. PG 13
June 27, 2019
Even worse than the first one, wish I could give zero stars. Just watch the video for details if you need them.
July 28, 2011
Sorry I won't review this book. I was on the fence for the first book, I probably shouldn't have read this one. I tried - but it was just one monotonous event after another. I kept on reading but still nothing happened. If you liked the first you should probably like this one, I just can't recommend this series. I like action...
July 12, 2011
Fantastic follow up to Claire de Lune! I thought it was fantastic and really enjoyed it!
More to come closer to publication date!
More to come closer to publication date!
July 1, 2014
This was an enjoyable read! (WARNING: contains some spoilers - most are concealed!) :)
I loved Claire de Lune and debated for a long time whether to read Nocturne as there is always that worry that it won't be as good or that it will ruin the series. I am glad that Nocturne did not ruin the series and found that it was a nice read.
My reason(s) for leaving off two stars are because I found the blurb misleading, which annoyed me a little bit. I went in expecting to read about one thing and the novel ended up not REALLY being about that. OK...
(On the actual BOOK cover blurb) Paragraph 1 is accurate and I suppose paragraph 3 is arguably accurate however paragraph 2...??? NO.
'Claire de Lune' basically explored the story/plot of a teenage girl discovering that she is a werewolf, learning to accept this new part of herself and hoping that the people she loves and cares for will still love and care for her after discovering what she really is (mainly Matthew) *Matthew&ClaireFOREVER* (it also had that mix of action and the baddie being the father of the boy she loves and containing that excitement!!) I lOVED Claire de Lune.
THIS novel (NOCTURNE)
...then explored what happens after Claire has accepted what she is. There are elements to this novel that I really loved for example Matthew and Claire's relationship! I love them so much!! Yes it is a little rocky and they struggle to find their feet as they realise that their relationship isn't like normal relationships, but they love each other and Matthew is such a supportive boyfriend and i love how devoted he was to Claire even when they are perfect!! <3
What I also found misleading was how the blurb had built AMY up to be a sly b*tch, which she absolutely was NOT! Infact she was a lovely character - a slightly shyer version of Emily, who is a character I absolutely love! :) She only wanted to be friends with Claire and Emily, she does not at ANY point in the novel try to steal Matthew from Claire (I apologise if some find this a bit spoilery but I am putting this out their purely for those Claire&Matthew fans - like me - who are anxious/reluctant to read this novel for fear of Claire and Matthew being no more (like I was, because I just frickin LOVE them!) Hopefully this will put your mind at ease.
REALLY...
this novel is about Claire's struggle to balance her human life and her wolf life, while at the same time keeping the two separate...it is about her struggle to maintain her friendship with Emily while remaining loyal to her wolf pack. There is not the same excitement and tension like in the first novel which disappointed me a little but it's still very good.
Also for those of you who are reading the NOCTURNE synopsis on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ I found that one misleading too. (More so than the actual book cover blurb.)
For those of you who would rather not know, don't look at the upcoming (hidden) spoiler but I just want to put it on here for those people who (like me) hate going to read novels that say that they are one thing and end up being not that at all, which is what I came to find when I read Nocturne (I know this is probably coming across very negatively but I will quickly say that is not my intention - I enjoyed this novel a lot but just don't want any of you Claire de Lune fans going in expecting it to be what the plot says it is when actually it's exaggerating quite a bit, and be disappointed... because HONESTLY if I had been given a more accurate description of the plot beforehand I might have given this book more stars but the fact that I began reading it expecting something else caused me to rate it a little lower.
(OK, for those that DO NOT want to know (i.e. have a bit more detail about what the novel is actually about - mixed in with my review of it -), don't look at this next (hidden) spoiler... but if you WANT TO...go ahead! :).) in my honest opinion NOCTURNE does not have the same excitement and obvious antagonist that CLAIRE DE LUNE has so I found this to be more of a relaxing read as opposed to a 'OH MY GOD I MUST STAY UP UNTIL 4AM TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT/UNTIL I FINISH THIS BOOK!!!'
A good read but would have preferred a more accurate description.
I liked how Claire's relationship with her mother developed more in this novel and how Johnson humanised Marie more as the book went on.
I also really liked Victoria and how her and Claire's relationship developed too. They were sweet. I really liked a lot of the scenes in the woods too! That was quite awesome!
Overall I would recommend this book! A good read.
:)
I loved Claire de Lune and debated for a long time whether to read Nocturne as there is always that worry that it won't be as good or that it will ruin the series. I am glad that Nocturne did not ruin the series and found that it was a nice read.
My reason(s) for leaving off two stars are because I found the blurb misleading, which annoyed me a little bit. I went in expecting to read about one thing and the novel ended up not REALLY being about that. OK...
(On the actual BOOK cover blurb) Paragraph 1 is accurate and I suppose paragraph 3 is arguably accurate however paragraph 2...??? NO.
'Claire de Lune' basically explored the story/plot of a teenage girl discovering that she is a werewolf, learning to accept this new part of herself and hoping that the people she loves and cares for will still love and care for her after discovering what she really is (mainly Matthew) *Matthew&ClaireFOREVER* (it also had that mix of action and the baddie being the father of the boy she loves and containing that excitement!!) I lOVED Claire de Lune.
THIS novel (NOCTURNE)
...then explored what happens after Claire has accepted what she is. There are elements to this novel that I really loved for example Matthew and Claire's relationship! I love them so much!! Yes it is a little rocky and they struggle to find their feet as they realise that their relationship isn't like normal relationships, but they love each other and Matthew is such a supportive boyfriend and i love how devoted he was to Claire even when they are perfect!! <3
What I also found misleading was how the blurb had built AMY up to be a sly b*tch, which she absolutely was NOT! Infact she was a lovely character - a slightly shyer version of Emily, who is a character I absolutely love! :) She only wanted to be friends with Claire and Emily, she does not at ANY point in the novel try to steal Matthew from Claire (I apologise if some find this a bit spoilery but I am putting this out their purely for those Claire&Matthew fans - like me - who are anxious/reluctant to read this novel for fear of Claire and Matthew being no more (like I was, because I just frickin LOVE them!) Hopefully this will put your mind at ease.
REALLY...
this novel is about Claire's struggle to balance her human life and her wolf life, while at the same time keeping the two separate...it is about her struggle to maintain her friendship with Emily while remaining loyal to her wolf pack. There is not the same excitement and tension like in the first novel which disappointed me a little but it's still very good.
Also for those of you who are reading the NOCTURNE synopsis on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ I found that one misleading too. (More so than the actual book cover blurb.)
For those of you who would rather not know, don't look at the upcoming (hidden) spoiler but I just want to put it on here for those people who (like me) hate going to read novels that say that they are one thing and end up being not that at all, which is what I came to find when I read Nocturne (I know this is probably coming across very negatively but I will quickly say that is not my intention - I enjoyed this novel a lot but just don't want any of you Claire de Lune fans going in expecting it to be what the plot says it is when actually it's exaggerating quite a bit, and be disappointed... because HONESTLY if I had been given a more accurate description of the plot beforehand I might have given this book more stars but the fact that I began reading it expecting something else caused me to rate it a little lower.
(OK, for those that DO NOT want to know (i.e. have a bit more detail about what the novel is actually about - mixed in with my review of it -), don't look at this next (hidden) spoiler... but if you WANT TO...go ahead! :).) in my honest opinion NOCTURNE does not have the same excitement and obvious antagonist that CLAIRE DE LUNE has so I found this to be more of a relaxing read as opposed to a 'OH MY GOD I MUST STAY UP UNTIL 4AM TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT/UNTIL I FINISH THIS BOOK!!!'
A good read but would have preferred a more accurate description.
I liked how Claire's relationship with her mother developed more in this novel and how Johnson humanised Marie more as the book went on.
I also really liked Victoria and how her and Claire's relationship developed too. They were sweet. I really liked a lot of the scenes in the woods too! That was quite awesome!
Overall I would recommend this book! A good read.
:)
October 19, 2011
.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t read Claire De Lune, the first book in this series, so for me, Nocturne was really a start-from-scratch project. I had to get to know the characters, their personalities and in which way they were all related, I had to find out � albeit briefly � what happened in the first book and what brought them to this point in their lives. However, I figured this out quite easily. The characters are straightforward (that doesn’t mean that they’re not divers because they are, but they are easy to comprehend and relate to) and although no real flashback is given, I sort-of figured out what happened in book one along the way as well. So for those of you new to this series as well, don’t let the fact that this is book two discourage you!
Although Claire and Emily have been best friends since the dawn of time, she can’t confess to Emily that she’s a werewolf. That leaves Matthew, Claire’s boyfriend, as her only source of help when it comes to werewolf stuff. And boy, some things certainly are going wrong in that department. For instance, Claire has trouble lightning fire with her mind. It’s something every werewolf should be able to do easily enough as being standard procedure, but for Claire it’s an almost impossible task. The fact that if she can’t do it properly within two weeks only adds to the pressure. If she wants any chance at combining a normal life with her nightly escapades as a werewolf without Matthew’s dad suspecting anything about actual werewolf living in the area, she’s going to have to be very, very careful.
Unfortunately fooling your best friend isn’t always that easy, and having to say ‘no� to every invitation she makes under the assumption that spending time with her boyfriend is more important than spending time with Emily, is driving Claire mad. Add the fact that Amy is making a move on Emily in terms of wanting to be her new best friend, and it’s enough to make Claire go completely berserk. Although she isn’t so sure as to what Amy’s gameplan really is � the girl is acting nice enough, but Claire doesn’t easily trust people, especially not people trying to take her best friend away � and she happens to be everywhere she shouldn’t at the wrong time. At the same time, Matthew begins pulling away from Claire, causing her to be even more on guard than usually. When things spiral out of control, who can Claire trust? And who is betraying her?
I absolutely loved the dynamics between Claire and her best friend Emily and I could totally understand Claire’s feelings as to being on guard around Amy, who she considers to be an unhealthy element in her relationship with her best friend. It seems to her that Amy can have everything she can’t: a normal life, time to hang out with Emily like a proper friend should, and perhaps even having fun with Claire’s boyfriend Matthew, something that Claire herself doesn’t get around to as of late, with him acting strange about the werewolf stuff. Naturally she feels threatened by Amy, and I must say that if it were me, I would feel threatened as well. Amy seems nice enough, but you never know what’s hidden behind that.
Apart from Claire’s struggle with her werewolf side and her struggle with school, her friends and her relationship, there is also an element of mystery and suspense in this novel as Matthew’s father is a lycantropologist or something along those lines and tries to investigate the existence of real werewolves, possibly exposing Claire and her fellow werewolves in the process, something they can’t let happen. Plus, there’s also prom coming up, and we all know that prom is usually an excuse for heavy-hearted teenage drama.
As I already mentioned, I loved most of the characters in this book. Claire is awesome. Her inner struggles are very convincing, and she’s suffering from the same teenage angst as most teenagers do. With her werewolf abilities on top of that, she is definately in a difficult spot. Emily is a wonderful best friend. She keeps on forgiving Claire for not showing up when she promised, and she keeps on creating opportunities for Claire to step up and do the best friend act. On top of that, she stays a loyal friend till the better end. Encouraging and inspiring, to be honest. But I did feel like slapping Emily around the head sometimes and say: “Figure it out sometime, girl! Your BFF is a werewolf. It’s not that hard to figure out!� In any case, the Claire-Emily friendship dynamic was at all times entertaining and interesting, and the solid bottom this book is built upon.
In regards to Matthew, let me say that I love him as well. I can’t wait to see what happens to his relationship with Claire in the next book, as they’ll probably be tested even further. For a regular highschool guy dating a girl who happens to be a werewolf, he sure manages to keep his cool. The only downside of this book, character-relationships-wise was Claire’s relationship with her Mom. Claire’s Mom doesn’t appear like an actual Mom. She’s more like a roommate, or a boss-type person, but not a Mom. That’s a bugger, because I like to read about good family relationships. Oh well, not every one has a perfect Mom I suppose, although this one does appear to be very cold and distant.
There wasn’t enough mystery or suspense in this book either. It reads like a contemporary novel with some werewolves thrown in just to turn it into a paranormal romance book instead. Perhaps not always a good idea. Paranormal books do require a higher level of mystery or suspense than contemporary novels and I’m not sure if Christine Johnson succeeded.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Nocturne and read it in one setting. I recommend it to all fantasy and/or werewolf fans who are up for a nice, light read with an amazing cast and some old-fashioned highschool drama. I’m looking forward to book three.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t read Claire De Lune, the first book in this series, so for me, Nocturne was really a start-from-scratch project. I had to get to know the characters, their personalities and in which way they were all related, I had to find out � albeit briefly � what happened in the first book and what brought them to this point in their lives. However, I figured this out quite easily. The characters are straightforward (that doesn’t mean that they’re not divers because they are, but they are easy to comprehend and relate to) and although no real flashback is given, I sort-of figured out what happened in book one along the way as well. So for those of you new to this series as well, don’t let the fact that this is book two discourage you!
Although Claire and Emily have been best friends since the dawn of time, she can’t confess to Emily that she’s a werewolf. That leaves Matthew, Claire’s boyfriend, as her only source of help when it comes to werewolf stuff. And boy, some things certainly are going wrong in that department. For instance, Claire has trouble lightning fire with her mind. It’s something every werewolf should be able to do easily enough as being standard procedure, but for Claire it’s an almost impossible task. The fact that if she can’t do it properly within two weeks only adds to the pressure. If she wants any chance at combining a normal life with her nightly escapades as a werewolf without Matthew’s dad suspecting anything about actual werewolf living in the area, she’s going to have to be very, very careful.
Unfortunately fooling your best friend isn’t always that easy, and having to say ‘no� to every invitation she makes under the assumption that spending time with her boyfriend is more important than spending time with Emily, is driving Claire mad. Add the fact that Amy is making a move on Emily in terms of wanting to be her new best friend, and it’s enough to make Claire go completely berserk. Although she isn’t so sure as to what Amy’s gameplan really is � the girl is acting nice enough, but Claire doesn’t easily trust people, especially not people trying to take her best friend away � and she happens to be everywhere she shouldn’t at the wrong time. At the same time, Matthew begins pulling away from Claire, causing her to be even more on guard than usually. When things spiral out of control, who can Claire trust? And who is betraying her?
I absolutely loved the dynamics between Claire and her best friend Emily and I could totally understand Claire’s feelings as to being on guard around Amy, who she considers to be an unhealthy element in her relationship with her best friend. It seems to her that Amy can have everything she can’t: a normal life, time to hang out with Emily like a proper friend should, and perhaps even having fun with Claire’s boyfriend Matthew, something that Claire herself doesn’t get around to as of late, with him acting strange about the werewolf stuff. Naturally she feels threatened by Amy, and I must say that if it were me, I would feel threatened as well. Amy seems nice enough, but you never know what’s hidden behind that.
Apart from Claire’s struggle with her werewolf side and her struggle with school, her friends and her relationship, there is also an element of mystery and suspense in this novel as Matthew’s father is a lycantropologist or something along those lines and tries to investigate the existence of real werewolves, possibly exposing Claire and her fellow werewolves in the process, something they can’t let happen. Plus, there’s also prom coming up, and we all know that prom is usually an excuse for heavy-hearted teenage drama.
As I already mentioned, I loved most of the characters in this book. Claire is awesome. Her inner struggles are very convincing, and she’s suffering from the same teenage angst as most teenagers do. With her werewolf abilities on top of that, she is definately in a difficult spot. Emily is a wonderful best friend. She keeps on forgiving Claire for not showing up when she promised, and she keeps on creating opportunities for Claire to step up and do the best friend act. On top of that, she stays a loyal friend till the better end. Encouraging and inspiring, to be honest. But I did feel like slapping Emily around the head sometimes and say: “Figure it out sometime, girl! Your BFF is a werewolf. It’s not that hard to figure out!� In any case, the Claire-Emily friendship dynamic was at all times entertaining and interesting, and the solid bottom this book is built upon.
In regards to Matthew, let me say that I love him as well. I can’t wait to see what happens to his relationship with Claire in the next book, as they’ll probably be tested even further. For a regular highschool guy dating a girl who happens to be a werewolf, he sure manages to keep his cool. The only downside of this book, character-relationships-wise was Claire’s relationship with her Mom. Claire’s Mom doesn’t appear like an actual Mom. She’s more like a roommate, or a boss-type person, but not a Mom. That’s a bugger, because I like to read about good family relationships. Oh well, not every one has a perfect Mom I suppose, although this one does appear to be very cold and distant.
There wasn’t enough mystery or suspense in this book either. It reads like a contemporary novel with some werewolves thrown in just to turn it into a paranormal romance book instead. Perhaps not always a good idea. Paranormal books do require a higher level of mystery or suspense than contemporary novels and I’m not sure if Christine Johnson succeeded.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Nocturne and read it in one setting. I recommend it to all fantasy and/or werewolf fans who are up for a nice, light read with an amazing cast and some old-fashioned highschool drama. I’m looking forward to book three.
February 1, 2022
I remember reading the first instalment of this duology when I was younger but never got round to reading the second! But when I was offered it in a book swap I thought why not finish what I started.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that you really got to see how Claire grew up from the beginning of the first book. It felt like such a short amount of time but what’s that saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility�? It seems that she really took what she was given and ran with it so to speak. The challenges she faced and how she chose to deal with them showed us the reader how much she grew up from the first novel. Which although good I found her to be quite the whiny teen. The world building was really good I love how different authors have different rules when it comes to lore on werewolves.
It was a lovely end to the duology short and sweet.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that you really got to see how Claire grew up from the beginning of the first book. It felt like such a short amount of time but what’s that saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility�? It seems that she really took what she was given and ran with it so to speak. The challenges she faced and how she chose to deal with them showed us the reader how much she grew up from the first novel. Which although good I found her to be quite the whiny teen. The world building was really good I love how different authors have different rules when it comes to lore on werewolves.
It was a lovely end to the duology short and sweet.
January 3, 2020
Did not like. One of those main characters whose 'personality' is that they like coffee. What happened in this book could have been covered in a few chapters. The main character is so 'busy' without doing much at all, and maybe if she'd have more time if she wasn't showering between each activity. That;s my main take from this book, the main character whined and showered a lot.
June 23, 2018
Absolutely loved this book! I loved it so much that I read it in one week! I really recommend reading this. I like this book because you really relate with the characters in some ways.
January 11, 2021
This book was good. I admit that Claire De Lune was much better and I was expecting more from this.
I still believe that it's worth reading :)
I still believe that it's worth reading :)
March 18, 2024
A great second novel
September 3, 2011
1) Character Development: Whatever Claire was like in the first book, she's definitely dealing with some new changes in this story. She's adjusting not only to the fact that she's now a werewolf, but her mom is also the alpha of the local pack. I really felt for Claire as she struggled to balance her human life with her new werewolf responsibilities. She wanted to be able to spend time with her best friend, Emily, but just by hanging out with her she was putting her life in jeopardy. If Emily was to ever find out what Claire truly was, it would have meant death for her to protect the members of the pack. We see her friendship with Emily flounder, as well as her relationship with her boyfriend, Matthew. Matthew is sort of a friend to the pack; he's one of the few humans who are aware of the existence of werewolves and he is sworn to keep the secret. Just as Claire is having to adjust to her new life, so too is Matthew adjusting to having a girlfriend who shapeshifts; this certainly wears on their relationship and tests it like nothing else could. I was really rooting for them to survive as a couple, as they complemented each other very well and seemed to genuinely care for about one another. I liked Emily a lot and I felt so bad for her when Claire started to bail on hanging out with her, since she had no way of knowing how serious the situation was. She only thought her friend was too busy to spend time with her anymore. Cue Amy, the new girl who Emily immediately befriends. I definitely found Amy to be a bit suspicious in the beginning, but it was impossible to figure out what was going on in her head, what she could possibly be thinking. I'm not sure what Claire's mom was like in the first book, but in this one I found her very cold and formal. They didn't seem so much like mother and daughter, more like roommates, or even an employee/boss relationship. I suppose this makes sense, seeing how much pressure her mom was under being the pack alpha, but I still wished she would have treated Claire with a little more passion. Overall I enjoyed all of the characters and it was easy to see how much Claire grew and matured by the end.
2) The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: First, The Good - The story had some tense moments for sure, but it was overall a pretty light read. I loved reading about Claire learning the werewolf traditions and seeing how she handled the numerous difficulties in her life. I thought the writing flowed along very smoothly and I found it extremely easy to finish this book in one sitting. I thought the storyline was interesting and I'm sure everyone can relate with the teen human problems that Claire had to deal with. I also thought that the author did a good job of relaying enough information about the storyline from the first book that I didn't feel lost while reading. The Bad and The Ugly - Honestly I can't think of anything negative to say about this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it!
3) Romance Sizzle Or Fizzle?: Overall I would say sizzle. They hit some bumps and rough patches in their relationship throughout this book, but I thought they had really great chemistry. It certainly helps that Matthew is aware that she is a werewolf; she doesn't have to hide who she is from him. She can just be herself, which is so important to her.
4) Uniqueness Of Plot: There were a few different twists to the typical werewolf story, which I enjoyed. You'll have to read the book to find out about them! Their rituals made me think more of witches than wolves, but I found it all really interesting to read about.
5) Final Thoughts: Even though I didn't read book 1 before I tackled this one, I still was able to enjoy it. I think people will be able to relate to Claire, and while it wasn't packed full of action like some werewolf stories it was still a great read. Definitely glad I gave this book a chance and will be reading first in the series at some point in the future!
If you'd like to read more of my reviews, make sure you check out my book review blog,
2) The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: First, The Good - The story had some tense moments for sure, but it was overall a pretty light read. I loved reading about Claire learning the werewolf traditions and seeing how she handled the numerous difficulties in her life. I thought the writing flowed along very smoothly and I found it extremely easy to finish this book in one sitting. I thought the storyline was interesting and I'm sure everyone can relate with the teen human problems that Claire had to deal with. I also thought that the author did a good job of relaying enough information about the storyline from the first book that I didn't feel lost while reading. The Bad and The Ugly - Honestly I can't think of anything negative to say about this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it!
3) Romance Sizzle Or Fizzle?: Overall I would say sizzle. They hit some bumps and rough patches in their relationship throughout this book, but I thought they had really great chemistry. It certainly helps that Matthew is aware that she is a werewolf; she doesn't have to hide who she is from him. She can just be herself, which is so important to her.
4) Uniqueness Of Plot: There were a few different twists to the typical werewolf story, which I enjoyed. You'll have to read the book to find out about them! Their rituals made me think more of witches than wolves, but I found it all really interesting to read about.
5) Final Thoughts: Even though I didn't read book 1 before I tackled this one, I still was able to enjoy it. I think people will be able to relate to Claire, and while it wasn't packed full of action like some werewolf stories it was still a great read. Definitely glad I gave this book a chance and will be reading first in the series at some point in the future!
If you'd like to read more of my reviews, make sure you check out my book review blog,
February 12, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: Can Claire straddle her two lives, one as a teenage girl with a friends and boyfriend and as a werewolf with responsibilities to her pack?
Opening Sentence: Claire’s human form offered no protection from the chill in the moonlit clearing.
The Review:
As some of you may remember, I reviewed Claire de Lune, book 1 of this series a couple of weeks ago and I was left neutral but had high hopes for book 2. I’m sorry to say my hopes were dashed.
Nocturne builds upon our ties to book 1 but this story took way too long to develop. The plot goes off on numerous side roads instead of getting us to the point, which is how Claire deals with her identity as a werewolf becoming known by a human.
Meanwhile, I don’t think anyone will miss the HUGE markers that we are given as to the human who discovers Claire’s secret. It was like Ms. Johnson left neon lights on the secret guesser which was a true shame. There should have been a red herring or two in the hopes that the reader would guess wrong. But when words such as “paying so much attention to me� and “something suspicious in her voice� makes it hard to miss the obvious.
What should have been an oasis was Claire’s relationship with Matthew but it definitely wasn’t. His character becomes a cardboard representation of his self until the last 60 pages, which I was shocked at. I felt his character was so strong at the end of Claire de Lune and he came across as wimpy and self obsessed for the majority of the book.
Thankfully Emily’s character is less abrasive but that is softened with the addition of Amy to our merry troop. Amy is the typical blonde, All American girl that everyone loves. She finds her way into almost every scene with Emily and helps tone down all the things that annoyed me about Emily from the first book.
Lastly we have Marie, Claire’s mom and Alpha. She has moments where she shines as a mother and also as the Alpha but overall her character is not one that endears her to a reader’s heart. Her attitude about the Autumn Ball and other “human� activities started to really grate on my nerves by the end of the book.
The story doesn’t really get interesting until the last 60 pages and the rest of the story is ordinary. Additionally, this is a book that I nearly threw across the room during the last 60 pages while Claire is dealing with the repercussions of her secret becoming known. The overall impression of this book is give it a miss.
Notable Scene:
Hang out? A quiver passed through Claire. Why was Amy paying so much attention to her?
Claire gave her an apologetic shrug. “Maybe next time?�
If next time was in a million years and Claire wasn’t a werewolf.
So, actually, maybe never, but there was no good reason to be bitchy. She gave herself a mental shake. Amy was Emily’s friend. She was nice to people. She probably cried during ASPCA commercials.
“Definitely next time.� Amy grinned, looking like she’d won the lottery. “You two off to the after party?�
“We haven’t decided yet,� Matthew said.
FTC Advisory: Simon and Schuster provided me with a copy of Nocturne. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,� or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Can Claire straddle her two lives, one as a teenage girl with a friends and boyfriend and as a werewolf with responsibilities to her pack?
Opening Sentence: Claire’s human form offered no protection from the chill in the moonlit clearing.
The Review:
As some of you may remember, I reviewed Claire de Lune, book 1 of this series a couple of weeks ago and I was left neutral but had high hopes for book 2. I’m sorry to say my hopes were dashed.
Nocturne builds upon our ties to book 1 but this story took way too long to develop. The plot goes off on numerous side roads instead of getting us to the point, which is how Claire deals with her identity as a werewolf becoming known by a human.
Meanwhile, I don’t think anyone will miss the HUGE markers that we are given as to the human who discovers Claire’s secret. It was like Ms. Johnson left neon lights on the secret guesser which was a true shame. There should have been a red herring or two in the hopes that the reader would guess wrong. But when words such as “paying so much attention to me� and “something suspicious in her voice� makes it hard to miss the obvious.
What should have been an oasis was Claire’s relationship with Matthew but it definitely wasn’t. His character becomes a cardboard representation of his self until the last 60 pages, which I was shocked at. I felt his character was so strong at the end of Claire de Lune and he came across as wimpy and self obsessed for the majority of the book.
Thankfully Emily’s character is less abrasive but that is softened with the addition of Amy to our merry troop. Amy is the typical blonde, All American girl that everyone loves. She finds her way into almost every scene with Emily and helps tone down all the things that annoyed me about Emily from the first book.
Lastly we have Marie, Claire’s mom and Alpha. She has moments where she shines as a mother and also as the Alpha but overall her character is not one that endears her to a reader’s heart. Her attitude about the Autumn Ball and other “human� activities started to really grate on my nerves by the end of the book.
The story doesn’t really get interesting until the last 60 pages and the rest of the story is ordinary. Additionally, this is a book that I nearly threw across the room during the last 60 pages while Claire is dealing with the repercussions of her secret becoming known. The overall impression of this book is give it a miss.
Notable Scene:
Hang out? A quiver passed through Claire. Why was Amy paying so much attention to her?
Claire gave her an apologetic shrug. “Maybe next time?�
If next time was in a million years and Claire wasn’t a werewolf.
So, actually, maybe never, but there was no good reason to be bitchy. She gave herself a mental shake. Amy was Emily’s friend. She was nice to people. She probably cried during ASPCA commercials.
“Definitely next time.� Amy grinned, looking like she’d won the lottery. “You two off to the after party?�
“We haven’t decided yet,� Matthew said.
FTC Advisory: Simon and Schuster provided me with a copy of Nocturne. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,� or bribes were exchanged for my review.
August 22, 2011
I like it when I sit down to read a sequel and it begins not long after the previous book, which is exactly how Nocturne starts. Picking up right where Claire de Lune ends, Nocturne continues with Claire's story, only this time it focuses more on her struggles with trying to find balance within both the human and wolf world, something that's becoming harder and harder for her to do.
As if being a teenager and dealing with high school wasn't complicated enough, keeping her wolf side a secret and living in the human world at the same time proves to be a tougher feat for Claire. She struggles with feelings of insecurity throughout the story, as she wants to be the perfect wolf and complete a task that if she fails will have her removed from the pack and she's also not as close to her best friend Emily anymore. She wants to remain close to her friends, yet she's constantly having to lie to them to keep her wolf side a secret. Claire is constantly waging a battle within herself on whether or not she should follow in her mother's footsteps and have as little contact as possible with humans or try an almost impossible feat and keep doing what she's doing.
With Nocturne I felt I was able to connect more with Claire on an emotional level than I did in Claire de Lune. I felt sympathetic towards her struggles and wanting to maintain some sort of normalcy in both worlds. I like Christine's writing with this series. The story line flows well, and the characters have become a little bit more in-depth. The only thing I felt was missing was some action. However, Christine did keep me invested with the story through Claire and the choices she makes. I also really like Christine's unique twists with her wolf mythology. I'm sure I said this before in my review of Claire de Lune, but I like that Christine's characters aren't typical werewolves. Her wolves are much like Andrea Cremer's and Maggie Stiefvater's, and I love that about her characters. They're humans who happen to turn into actual wolves. They have a similar wolf hierarchy, pack rules and they have the same mannerisms as wolves in the wild would have, when they become their wolf selves.
Nocturne for me was a nice book to sit back and relax with, and it's one I read in one sitting. I liked the flow of the story, and surprisingly it's a wolf story that reads well even without any action. It has a nice pace to it and after reading a few books with a lot of action in them, I enjoyed being able to and read a book that was really all about the main character and her struggles. If you enjoyed Claire de Lune than I'd recommend picking Nocturne up.
As if being a teenager and dealing with high school wasn't complicated enough, keeping her wolf side a secret and living in the human world at the same time proves to be a tougher feat for Claire. She struggles with feelings of insecurity throughout the story, as she wants to be the perfect wolf and complete a task that if she fails will have her removed from the pack and she's also not as close to her best friend Emily anymore. She wants to remain close to her friends, yet she's constantly having to lie to them to keep her wolf side a secret. Claire is constantly waging a battle within herself on whether or not she should follow in her mother's footsteps and have as little contact as possible with humans or try an almost impossible feat and keep doing what she's doing.
With Nocturne I felt I was able to connect more with Claire on an emotional level than I did in Claire de Lune. I felt sympathetic towards her struggles and wanting to maintain some sort of normalcy in both worlds. I like Christine's writing with this series. The story line flows well, and the characters have become a little bit more in-depth. The only thing I felt was missing was some action. However, Christine did keep me invested with the story through Claire and the choices she makes. I also really like Christine's unique twists with her wolf mythology. I'm sure I said this before in my review of Claire de Lune, but I like that Christine's characters aren't typical werewolves. Her wolves are much like Andrea Cremer's and Maggie Stiefvater's, and I love that about her characters. They're humans who happen to turn into actual wolves. They have a similar wolf hierarchy, pack rules and they have the same mannerisms as wolves in the wild would have, when they become their wolf selves.
Nocturne for me was a nice book to sit back and relax with, and it's one I read in one sitting. I liked the flow of the story, and surprisingly it's a wolf story that reads well even without any action. It has a nice pace to it and after reading a few books with a lot of action in them, I enjoyed being able to and read a book that was really all about the main character and her struggles. If you enjoyed Claire de Lune than I'd recommend picking Nocturne up.
October 8, 2011
I read book 1 back in March and really liked it, I saw this one come in the library as a new book and I just had to grab it.
Claire is hoping life will settle down now, she is more comfortable in her werewolf skin, her boyfriend knows all about her and is gardien to the pack as well as being totally in love with her and the pack is stronger than ever. But things are never so simple.
If anything life is harder than anything. There is a new girl at school, Amy, everyone loves her but Claire feels a bit pushed out. She's losing touch with her best friend and being replaced by Amy, she is expected to learn new powers as a werewolf and there are still people sniffing around the mystery of werewolves. Claire must work hard to appear normal whilst growing into her fur more each day.
Claire seemed much more mature in this book and had a very good sense of right and wrong, she came across strong and confident, except when facing her mum. I didn't get it, her mum practically ignored her or shouted at her, or told her she wasn't doing well enough, yet she never stood up to her. She just stayed quiet. I really wanted her to stand up for herself.
I loved the wolf scenes. They are so well written, it feels like you're there in the moment, with the forest around you in the breeze with the smell of wolf fur and fire. So magical.
I think Matthew is a rock, he puts up with so much rubbish and tension and never once gets cross or over-reacts, he does shut down a little bit and it may seem he is drifting from Claire a bit, but he is still willing to be there for her no matter what. Gotta love him!
I would say I didn't find this book as exciting as the first. In book 1 there was a real sense of danger and a mystery, this one seemed to be trying very hard to come up with a threat.
Amy is sweet, kind and so open, I couldn't agree with the whole 'hidden agenda' idea. She didn't seem deep enough, so pinning the fate of the werewolves on whether or not Claire is friends with her just seemed silly and a bit irrational. It sort of seemed like the book was saying - 'be nice to someone and be accused of destroying secrets and ruining lives.' Not a good message really.
So overall I was torn with this book, the werewolf scenes were great and I liked the magic, but the human aspect seemed to fail a bit.
It was still quite a quick read and I am slightly curious for more. I'll see where it goes.
Claire is hoping life will settle down now, she is more comfortable in her werewolf skin, her boyfriend knows all about her and is gardien to the pack as well as being totally in love with her and the pack is stronger than ever. But things are never so simple.
If anything life is harder than anything. There is a new girl at school, Amy, everyone loves her but Claire feels a bit pushed out. She's losing touch with her best friend and being replaced by Amy, she is expected to learn new powers as a werewolf and there are still people sniffing around the mystery of werewolves. Claire must work hard to appear normal whilst growing into her fur more each day.
Claire seemed much more mature in this book and had a very good sense of right and wrong, she came across strong and confident, except when facing her mum. I didn't get it, her mum practically ignored her or shouted at her, or told her she wasn't doing well enough, yet she never stood up to her. She just stayed quiet. I really wanted her to stand up for herself.
I loved the wolf scenes. They are so well written, it feels like you're there in the moment, with the forest around you in the breeze with the smell of wolf fur and fire. So magical.
I think Matthew is a rock, he puts up with so much rubbish and tension and never once gets cross or over-reacts, he does shut down a little bit and it may seem he is drifting from Claire a bit, but he is still willing to be there for her no matter what. Gotta love him!
I would say I didn't find this book as exciting as the first. In book 1 there was a real sense of danger and a mystery, this one seemed to be trying very hard to come up with a threat.
Amy is sweet, kind and so open, I couldn't agree with the whole 'hidden agenda' idea. She didn't seem deep enough, so pinning the fate of the werewolves on whether or not Claire is friends with her just seemed silly and a bit irrational. It sort of seemed like the book was saying - 'be nice to someone and be accused of destroying secrets and ruining lives.' Not a good message really.
So overall I was torn with this book, the werewolf scenes were great and I liked the magic, but the human aspect seemed to fail a bit.
It was still quite a quick read and I am slightly curious for more. I'll see where it goes.
August 14, 2011
Now that she's a werewolf, life hasn't gotten any easier for Claire. Her mother is still hardly in her life, except as the alpha of their pack. Claire's amazing relationship with her boyfriend is starting to show signs of strain from her constant pack obligations, and Claire is losing her best friend because of the secrets keeping them apart. Additionally, Claire needs to up her werewolf game and learn to do all of the things her kind are able to do in order to be accepted as a full member of the pack.
Sadly, this sequel to Claire de Lune really fell flat for me. There were several times when I was tempted to simply put this book down and not continue, but I kept reading, hoping that the story would pick up. It never did.
My issue with this book was that it was just boring. Nothing much happened, and I didn't feel compelled by the plot. There are various conflicts present: Claire's inability to create werewolf fire, the threat of her friend finding out what she is, the impending werewolf baby. None of these did it for me, though. And at the end, Johnson gives us another, far more intense conflict, but I never felt a sense of urgency, or like the story would take a dark turn and that everything might not be okay. I had no doubt that things would resolve in a happy manner, and so I just didn't care. I was shocked--a book that actually makes werewolves seem dull is a real shame.
Additionally, this book was entirely too full of teen angst for my taste. Maybe I'm just too old, or never having been somebody who went to high school dances or the ability to take my mom's Mercedes or fancy credit card, just couldn't relate. The back and forth of misunderstandings and tension in Claire's friendships frustrated me, because I wanted her to learn to communicate with other people and stop letting life roll over her. Take some responsibility for your relationships and grow. Instead, we got pages of pining over the upcoming school dance, and listening in on other people's phone conversations by using werewolf hearing.
I think there may be an audience of people who could enjoy this book. If you loved the first in the series, you may as well give this book a try. I was somewhat indifferent to Claire de Lune, and after reading Nocturne, I'm going to cut my losses and move on.
Sadly, this sequel to Claire de Lune really fell flat for me. There were several times when I was tempted to simply put this book down and not continue, but I kept reading, hoping that the story would pick up. It never did.
My issue with this book was that it was just boring. Nothing much happened, and I didn't feel compelled by the plot. There are various conflicts present: Claire's inability to create werewolf fire, the threat of her friend finding out what she is, the impending werewolf baby. None of these did it for me, though. And at the end, Johnson gives us another, far more intense conflict, but I never felt a sense of urgency, or like the story would take a dark turn and that everything might not be okay. I had no doubt that things would resolve in a happy manner, and so I just didn't care. I was shocked--a book that actually makes werewolves seem dull is a real shame.
Additionally, this book was entirely too full of teen angst for my taste. Maybe I'm just too old, or never having been somebody who went to high school dances or the ability to take my mom's Mercedes or fancy credit card, just couldn't relate. The back and forth of misunderstandings and tension in Claire's friendships frustrated me, because I wanted her to learn to communicate with other people and stop letting life roll over her. Take some responsibility for your relationships and grow. Instead, we got pages of pining over the upcoming school dance, and listening in on other people's phone conversations by using werewolf hearing.
I think there may be an audience of people who could enjoy this book. If you loved the first in the series, you may as well give this book a try. I was somewhat indifferent to Claire de Lune, and after reading Nocturne, I'm going to cut my losses and move on.
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August 22, 2011The dramatic arc of NOCTURNE has a fair bit of adult politics (this time it's pack business rather than the government agencies of CLAIRE DE LUNE), but the majority of action in this book takes place in the accessible arena of high school insecurities. Claire is juggling changes with her best friend, a new boyfriend, a difficult mother/daughter relationship, and the massive shift of her own self image as she adjusts to being a werewolf. Though NOCTURNE is a satisfying novel in it's own right, I think readers new to the series should make sure to start with book one to make sure they understand the foundation of the relationships that will be tested in book two.
While I found the issues Claire struggled in NOCTURNE more relatable than the public scrutiny in CLAIRE DE LUNE, the crux of the conflict in both books is still self confidence. Claire tends to bottle things up for two thirds of the book, which frustrates me, then come through with articulate and mature conversations that save the day (and my patience). For the right audience (most likely younger readers), the issues Claire struggles with are going to be more meaningful and compelling. NOCTURNE does contain more teenage drinking and references to sexual activity, but the series still gets high marks from me for portraying characters making good choices and not focusing the narrative on glorifying or vilifying certain behaviors.
As an adult, I admired NOCTURNE more from a technical perspective than anything else. It was well paced, had an even better plot line than it's precursor, and the characters seemed both believable and admirable for their age group. While I don't particularly like focusing on the insecurities of being a teen, and I loath drama that is fueled by characters refusing to talk to each other (, I’m looking at you), NOCTURNE was never too frustrating for me. Claire rallies to a strong finish that had me ending the book with a smile, and looking forward to continuing the series. I'd love to read a book in the Claire de Lune series where she gets to play to her strengths and enjoy the ground she's gained maturity-wise in books one and two, I’ve got my fingers crossed for book three.
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sexual activity and sex.
While I found the issues Claire struggled in NOCTURNE more relatable than the public scrutiny in CLAIRE DE LUNE, the crux of the conflict in both books is still self confidence. Claire tends to bottle things up for two thirds of the book, which frustrates me, then come through with articulate and mature conversations that save the day (and my patience). For the right audience (most likely younger readers), the issues Claire struggles with are going to be more meaningful and compelling. NOCTURNE does contain more teenage drinking and references to sexual activity, but the series still gets high marks from me for portraying characters making good choices and not focusing the narrative on glorifying or vilifying certain behaviors.
As an adult, I admired NOCTURNE more from a technical perspective than anything else. It was well paced, had an even better plot line than it's precursor, and the characters seemed both believable and admirable for their age group. While I don't particularly like focusing on the insecurities of being a teen, and I loath drama that is fueled by characters refusing to talk to each other (, I’m looking at you), NOCTURNE was never too frustrating for me. Claire rallies to a strong finish that had me ending the book with a smile, and looking forward to continuing the series. I'd love to read a book in the Claire de Lune series where she gets to play to her strengths and enjoy the ground she's gained maturity-wise in books one and two, I’ve got my fingers crossed for book three.
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sexual activity and sex.
August 22, 2011
Once again, the concept and structure of NOCTURNE has me swept away by this series. A satisfying novel in it's own right, I think readers new to the series should make sure to start with book one to make sure they understand the foundation of the relationships that will be tested in book two. The dramatic arc of NOCTURNE does have a fair bit of adult politics (this time it's pack business rather than public scrutiny), but the majority of drama in this book takes place in the accessible arena of high school insecurities. Claire is juggling changes with her best friend, a new boyfriend, a difficult mother/daughter relationship, and the massive shift of her own self image as she adjusts to being a werewolf.
While I found the issues Claire struggled in NOCTURNE more relatable than the government scrutiny in CLAIRE DE LUNE, the crux of the conflict in both books is still self confidence. Claire tends to bottle things up for two thirds of the book, which frustrates me, then come through with articulate and mature conversations that save the day (and my patience) in the end. For the right audience (most likely younger readers), the issues Claire struggles with are going to be more meaningful and compelling. NOCTURNE does contain more teenage drinking and references to sexual activity, but the series still gets high marks from me for portraying characters making good choices and not focusing the narrative on glorifying or vilifying certain behaviors.
As an adult, I admired NOCTURNE more from a technical perspective than anything else. Well paced, an even better plot line than it's precursor, and characters that seem both believable and admirable for their age group. While I don't particularly like focusing on the insecurities of being a teen, Claire always rallies to a strong finish that has me ending the book with a smile. I'm curious to see if book three changes the game at all, I'd love to read an installment for this series where Claire gets to play to her strengths and enjoy the ground she's gained maturity-wise in books one and two.
Full review at .
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to messing around and sex.
While I found the issues Claire struggled in NOCTURNE more relatable than the government scrutiny in CLAIRE DE LUNE, the crux of the conflict in both books is still self confidence. Claire tends to bottle things up for two thirds of the book, which frustrates me, then come through with articulate and mature conversations that save the day (and my patience) in the end. For the right audience (most likely younger readers), the issues Claire struggles with are going to be more meaningful and compelling. NOCTURNE does contain more teenage drinking and references to sexual activity, but the series still gets high marks from me for portraying characters making good choices and not focusing the narrative on glorifying or vilifying certain behaviors.
As an adult, I admired NOCTURNE more from a technical perspective than anything else. Well paced, an even better plot line than it's precursor, and characters that seem both believable and admirable for their age group. While I don't particularly like focusing on the insecurities of being a teen, Claire always rallies to a strong finish that has me ending the book with a smile. I'm curious to see if book three changes the game at all, I'd love to read an installment for this series where Claire gets to play to her strengths and enjoy the ground she's gained maturity-wise in books one and two.
Full review at .
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to messing around and sex.
February 8, 2017
This book was really on edge. Claire was trying to battle two different versions of her and no one was really helping her. Not even her own mother because her mother wanted to be more of a "alpha" than a mother to Claire's human life.
Matthew is a guardian to Claire and her pack but lately he just have been feeling weird about it. Which to me was stupid because if he was really a boyfriend to her then he would love all of her no matter what. He never really looked up to her when she needed someone to talk to her about her situations and when she did talk to him it just felt like to her he wasn't paying attention or just didn't want to be a part of it anymore.
Her best friend Emily practically changed around Claire. She finally found a new best friend name Amy. At first Emily was a great friend to Claire no matter what Claire did to turn her down half the time. But with Amy, it's like "Sorry Claire, we can't do things just to two of us cause I always have to bring the little lost puppy along even though Amy and I are together all the time." or "Yeah, I kind of told Amy that she could come along too.." blahh blahh blahh.
Amy was practically a instigator. Always trying to assume things about Claire without actually getting to know her human side. Claire thought Amy thought who she truly was but it turned out that she thought Claire was pregnant. I thought that was super funny.
But, who I disliked the most in the story was her mom. The "Alpha" Claire was nice enough to save her in the first book but she never actually told her thanks and meant it. She never wanted to be in Claire's human life when Claire wanted to go to the Autumn Ball with Matthew and be there to take photos with her like Lisbeth did. Her mom didn't care to actually sit down with her calmly when she was having trouble with Emily and Amy because Claire was scared her mother was going to snap at her. "punishment this" "punishment that" "I command you to do this" "you're going to suffer that" really? You can't love Claire unconditionally?
In the end, Claire is just Claire and people have to love her. I love her. She's brave, respectful and just is trying to figure out how to balance everything out.
Matthew is a guardian to Claire and her pack but lately he just have been feeling weird about it. Which to me was stupid because if he was really a boyfriend to her then he would love all of her no matter what. He never really looked up to her when she needed someone to talk to her about her situations and when she did talk to him it just felt like to her he wasn't paying attention or just didn't want to be a part of it anymore.
Her best friend Emily practically changed around Claire. She finally found a new best friend name Amy. At first Emily was a great friend to Claire no matter what Claire did to turn her down half the time. But with Amy, it's like "Sorry Claire, we can't do things just to two of us cause I always have to bring the little lost puppy along even though Amy and I are together all the time." or "Yeah, I kind of told Amy that she could come along too.." blahh blahh blahh.
Amy was practically a instigator. Always trying to assume things about Claire without actually getting to know her human side. Claire thought Amy thought who she truly was but it turned out that she thought Claire was pregnant. I thought that was super funny.
But, who I disliked the most in the story was her mom. The "Alpha" Claire was nice enough to save her in the first book but she never actually told her thanks and meant it. She never wanted to be in Claire's human life when Claire wanted to go to the Autumn Ball with Matthew and be there to take photos with her like Lisbeth did. Her mom didn't care to actually sit down with her calmly when she was having trouble with Emily and Amy because Claire was scared her mother was going to snap at her. "punishment this" "punishment that" "I command you to do this" "you're going to suffer that" really? You can't love Claire unconditionally?
In the end, Claire is just Claire and people have to love her. I love her. She's brave, respectful and just is trying to figure out how to balance everything out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2022
*contains spoilers*
I really enjoyed Claire de Lune when I reread it so I was very excited to finally finish this duology. You wouldn't believe my disappointment when nothing happened throughout the book and the "threat" to Claire and her pack didn't feel like a threat at all.
Unlike the Doctor in the first book who had captured Claire's mum and hoped to find a cure for lycanthropy by experimenting on her, or the suspected seule (lone wolf) who was killing innocents and could have exposed the pack, this books threat was a teenage girl who wanted to make friends with Claire. The new girl was acting quite shifty which made Claire think that she knew about Claire's true self but no, she just thought Claire was pregnant. It was the most anticlimactic plot twist I have ever read and this girl almost got killed because Claire jumped to her own conclusions and her pack and boyfriend seemed absolutely fine with Claire becoming a murderer.
There were some interesting, and slightly dramatic, aspects to the pack law. Like Claire having to prove she was a full werewolf by lighting a ceremonial fire with her werewolf magic and if she failed she'd have part of her ear cut off which played some part in the story and mostly showed how stubborn and childish Claire is, even with the threat of losing an ear, because she wouldn't ask for help. Most of the story just seemed to focus on the teen drama of Claire and her social life. I'm not saying that's bad but it did kind of overshadow the werewolf elements of the story and made it feel like I was reading two completely separate stories at times. It's a shame because one of the things I liked about the first story was how it showed Claire balancing her pack life and her human life, especially when it came to her friends and boyfriend but in this she just seemed to keep pushing them away instead.
Honestly this book had a completely different tone to the first book. They didn't feel like they shared the same world at all.
TW: Threats of violence, manipulation, attempted murder, toxic parent, animal death, gore
Rating: 2/5 Stars
I really enjoyed Claire de Lune when I reread it so I was very excited to finally finish this duology. You wouldn't believe my disappointment when nothing happened throughout the book and the "threat" to Claire and her pack didn't feel like a threat at all.
Unlike the Doctor in the first book who had captured Claire's mum and hoped to find a cure for lycanthropy by experimenting on her, or the suspected seule (lone wolf) who was killing innocents and could have exposed the pack, this books threat was a teenage girl who wanted to make friends with Claire. The new girl was acting quite shifty which made Claire think that she knew about Claire's true self but no, she just thought Claire was pregnant. It was the most anticlimactic plot twist I have ever read and this girl almost got killed because Claire jumped to her own conclusions and her pack and boyfriend seemed absolutely fine with Claire becoming a murderer.
There were some interesting, and slightly dramatic, aspects to the pack law. Like Claire having to prove she was a full werewolf by lighting a ceremonial fire with her werewolf magic and if she failed she'd have part of her ear cut off which played some part in the story and mostly showed how stubborn and childish Claire is, even with the threat of losing an ear, because she wouldn't ask for help. Most of the story just seemed to focus on the teen drama of Claire and her social life. I'm not saying that's bad but it did kind of overshadow the werewolf elements of the story and made it feel like I was reading two completely separate stories at times. It's a shame because one of the things I liked about the first story was how it showed Claire balancing her pack life and her human life, especially when it came to her friends and boyfriend but in this she just seemed to keep pushing them away instead.
Honestly this book had a completely different tone to the first book. They didn't feel like they shared the same world at all.
TW: Threats of violence, manipulation, attempted murder, toxic parent, animal death, gore
Rating: 2/5 Stars
February 9, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is not a great story, but I still enjoyed it. And I love the originality of the story, it is about a teenager who is a werewolf. Where book 1 mostly focusses on Claire becoming a werewolf and the man-eating werewolf, this book mostly focusses on Claire and how she tries to keep her wolf life a secret from her friends. I really liked seeing how Claire deals with her secret while also trying to be a normal teenage girl. I think she not always deals good with her secret, but she has a lot to deal with.
The first half of the book mostly focusses on Claire and how she has to lit a fire. There are other topics woven in between so it didn't get boring, but I still think it got a little bit too much attention. Altough I did like it that Claire struggled with some things, like lighting the fire, this makes her so much more believeable. Some new friendships form in this book and Claire has some obstancles to overcome with Mathew.
One minpoint about this story is the fact that I think that it would be nice if there where more werewolf hunts etc. The book mostly focusses on pack troubles and Claire's troubles with lying against her friends. There are very little scenes where Claire is just a wolf and enjoys her wolf senses. I still enjoyed the book and I think it shows a very believeable story about how a teenager deals with being a werewolf.
In this book we do get to learn a bit more about Claire and the pack. We see Claire make some tough decisions and I think she is a very strong character. We also get to know a bit more about the other pack members and I really enjoyed getting to know them more, because they got a little too less attention in book 1.
To conclude: a very enjoyable story about a teenage werewolf. There are some points in the story that could've been better, but overal it is a very enjoyable read and Claire reacts very believeable in this story.
The first half of the book mostly focusses on Claire and how she has to lit a fire. There are other topics woven in between so it didn't get boring, but I still think it got a little bit too much attention. Altough I did like it that Claire struggled with some things, like lighting the fire, this makes her so much more believeable. Some new friendships form in this book and Claire has some obstancles to overcome with Mathew.
One minpoint about this story is the fact that I think that it would be nice if there where more werewolf hunts etc. The book mostly focusses on pack troubles and Claire's troubles with lying against her friends. There are very little scenes where Claire is just a wolf and enjoys her wolf senses. I still enjoyed the book and I think it shows a very believeable story about how a teenager deals with being a werewolf.
In this book we do get to learn a bit more about Claire and the pack. We see Claire make some tough decisions and I think she is a very strong character. We also get to know a bit more about the other pack members and I really enjoyed getting to know them more, because they got a little too less attention in book 1.
To conclude: a very enjoyable story about a teenage werewolf. There are some points in the story that could've been better, but overal it is a very enjoyable read and Claire reacts very believeable in this story.
February 23, 2012
Even though I didn’t read the first book in the “Claire de Lune� series, it was easy to get into the story. While some things of the first book were left unexplained, I could understand this entire book without problems. But it probably is better to read the first book, too. So, I liked that this book was about werewolves and the entire things Claire had to struggle with, being a human and a werewolf at the same time. She had problems like normal teenagers, but there was a lot more going on, because she had to go to the gatherings of her werewolf family as well and had to deal with problems concerning this matter, too. I especially liked her boyfriend who was always there for her, no matter what happened. Even though his father is a local werewolf researcher, he respected Claire’s “other form� and supported her as much as possible. Furthermore, I found the French names really nice and I especially liked that they had a meaning for the story. So for example Claire’s family name is de Lune, which is a reference to a full moon. I thought that it fitted very well and that Christine Johnson made a great choice by giving her that name. I also liked the writing style of this book, which was fitting. The chapters had a great length and the writing was easily comprehensible. Nevertheless it bothered me that her friend abandoned her so easily. I understand that Claire hadn’t had much time for her lately, but she should have fought harder for her and not have her nearly exchanged. There were also a few funny parts in this story, but mostly it dealt with Claire juggling with her werewolf and human life. It was a bit to superficial in my opinion and I would have wished for a bit more tension. Still, I enjoyed reading this book and I can recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, easy read.
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August 23, 2011When I read Claire de Lune, I was very pleased with it and could not wait to read more from this world. So, when I found out about Nocturne, I was immediately excited and started it as soon as I got my hands on it. Nocturne was just as good, no, better than Claire de Lune.
Nocturne starts very shortly after the ending of Claire de Lune. I was thankful for this, because I was able to slide right into the story. With some sequels, it is hard to transition back into the world, but I had no trouble adjusting to Claire and the pack in Hanover Falls. Nocturne had everything there was to love about Claire de Lune, but added extra elements which made it that much better.
Christine Johnson has a rich, elegant writing style that paints a clear picture of what is going on, just through her prose. I have never had trouble getting into her writing or books. Something about her writing is just welcoming and easy to enjoy. I am excited to see more from her in the future.
Claire is a likable character, and I never really get annoyed with her within these books. She does have very intense emotions, but she is easy to relate to. I love Claire's friends, along with the rest of the characters in the book. They are well-written and I find myself connecting and relating to most of them. The romance between Claire and Matthew, though strained in this book, is sweet and is pretty believable.
If you haven't had the chance to read Claire de Lune, I suggest you do so soon. If you have, then you will no doubt be pleased with this fantastic follow-up. Nocturne is a great sequel and I can only hope we get to see more of Claire and the pack in the future.
Nocturne starts very shortly after the ending of Claire de Lune. I was thankful for this, because I was able to slide right into the story. With some sequels, it is hard to transition back into the world, but I had no trouble adjusting to Claire and the pack in Hanover Falls. Nocturne had everything there was to love about Claire de Lune, but added extra elements which made it that much better.
Christine Johnson has a rich, elegant writing style that paints a clear picture of what is going on, just through her prose. I have never had trouble getting into her writing or books. Something about her writing is just welcoming and easy to enjoy. I am excited to see more from her in the future.
Claire is a likable character, and I never really get annoyed with her within these books. She does have very intense emotions, but she is easy to relate to. I love Claire's friends, along with the rest of the characters in the book. They are well-written and I find myself connecting and relating to most of them. The romance between Claire and Matthew, though strained in this book, is sweet and is pretty believable.
If you haven't had the chance to read Claire de Lune, I suggest you do so soon. If you have, then you will no doubt be pleased with this fantastic follow-up. Nocturne is a great sequel and I can only hope we get to see more of Claire and the pack in the future.
October 2, 2011
Nocturne continues the story of Claire Benoit, a teenage werewolf trying to successfully live a human and a werewolf life.
The original story in the series, Claire de Lune, was packed with action, so that is what I expected from Nocturne. The sophomore novel, however, focuses on Claire's struggle to stay friends with Emily and make her relationship with Matthew work amid the complications that become with having a secret double life.
Pack duties and a boyfriend keep Claire from spending as much time with Emily and a new girl, Amy, begins to take Claire's place in Emily's life. Constantly lying to her friends begins to take its toll on Claire as do tension in her relationship with Matthew. Claire's life as a werewolf is far from perfect, too. She has trouble learning skills that are essential to a fully functional wolf, does not see eye-to-eye with her mother on certain subjects, and has tenuous connections with some of the pack who do not seem to approve of her.
Because most of the story's conflict is Claire's internal struggles, it has much less action than the debut novel. In fact, there is little to no action. Reading Claire complain about her boyfriend and how hard her life is got old after a while and finishing the story became a chore. Certain parts of the story gripped me, but overall, I felt that this plot was fairly lackluster. The ending was exciting and left the series off on an interesting note, but I hope the third book, if there is a third, has more happening and less complaining.
I'm rounding up and giving Nocturne 3 stars, but I really feel that it was 2.5.
The original story in the series, Claire de Lune, was packed with action, so that is what I expected from Nocturne. The sophomore novel, however, focuses on Claire's struggle to stay friends with Emily and make her relationship with Matthew work amid the complications that become with having a secret double life.
Pack duties and a boyfriend keep Claire from spending as much time with Emily and a new girl, Amy, begins to take Claire's place in Emily's life. Constantly lying to her friends begins to take its toll on Claire as do tension in her relationship with Matthew. Claire's life as a werewolf is far from perfect, too. She has trouble learning skills that are essential to a fully functional wolf, does not see eye-to-eye with her mother on certain subjects, and has tenuous connections with some of the pack who do not seem to approve of her.
Because most of the story's conflict is Claire's internal struggles, it has much less action than the debut novel. In fact, there is little to no action. Reading Claire complain about her boyfriend and how hard her life is got old after a while and finishing the story became a chore. Certain parts of the story gripped me, but overall, I felt that this plot was fairly lackluster. The ending was exciting and left the series off on an interesting note, but I hope the third book, if there is a third, has more happening and less complaining.
I'm rounding up and giving Nocturne 3 stars, but I really feel that it was 2.5.
March 17, 2012
Ehh it was alright. I was a little bored but otherwise it was a fine book!
Review: Nocturne was a enjoyable book. Yet, it wasn't awesome or extremely horrible. It was a nice read just not what I was expecting.
I was a huge fan of Claire de Lune and it was one of my favorite books at the time I read it. My reading tastes have taken a 180 since that time so that's possibly why I didn't enjoy this one as much as I could have if I read it a year ago.
One of my biggest complaints is that nothing happened. My heart didn't race, there was no mystery. In fact, some of the things and situations that Claire had to deal with just seemed a little silly. The book just seemed like one big filler, if you know what I mean. Some things just had no purpose and it seemed like an extension to the first book.
But that doesn't mean that it wasn't enjoyable. It was very enjoyable and I had fun reading it.
Clare is a very easy character to connect with. She has some insecurities and while I hope teenage girls don't have to deal with being a werewolf, Johnson knows how to make her characters somewhat relatable. The Autumn Ball was a really cool aspect to the story and I enjoyed reading about all the dress shopping!
In Claire de Lune I loved the writing style and in this Nocturne I did, too. Johnson's writing has a beautiful flow to it and sometimes I felt like I was "in the moment."
Nocturne is fun read for one of the last lazy afternoons of summer. With great writing and an interesting werewolf idea this series is definitely a good one! I wonder if there's going to be another book, though?!
Review: Nocturne was a enjoyable book. Yet, it wasn't awesome or extremely horrible. It was a nice read just not what I was expecting.
I was a huge fan of Claire de Lune and it was one of my favorite books at the time I read it. My reading tastes have taken a 180 since that time so that's possibly why I didn't enjoy this one as much as I could have if I read it a year ago.
One of my biggest complaints is that nothing happened. My heart didn't race, there was no mystery. In fact, some of the things and situations that Claire had to deal with just seemed a little silly. The book just seemed like one big filler, if you know what I mean. Some things just had no purpose and it seemed like an extension to the first book.
But that doesn't mean that it wasn't enjoyable. It was very enjoyable and I had fun reading it.
Clare is a very easy character to connect with. She has some insecurities and while I hope teenage girls don't have to deal with being a werewolf, Johnson knows how to make her characters somewhat relatable. The Autumn Ball was a really cool aspect to the story and I enjoyed reading about all the dress shopping!
In Claire de Lune I loved the writing style and in this Nocturne I did, too. Johnson's writing has a beautiful flow to it and sometimes I felt like I was "in the moment."
Nocturne is fun read for one of the last lazy afternoons of summer. With great writing and an interesting werewolf idea this series is definitely a good one! I wonder if there's going to be another book, though?!
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