Nocturnal (The Noctalis Chronicles, #1) by Chelsea M. Cameron

May 14, 2012 Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ok then. Talk about hitting the hard stuff right out of the gate. Chapter one has us out to dinner with Ava-Claire and her parents. They are there to tell her that her mother's cancer is terminal. In a public setting. Then they have dessert. I must say, props to this girl for not making a scene right then and there. I would have.

So obviously this sets the scene for Ava doing things most kids wouldn't. Like driving to the cemetery in the middle of the night for some fresh air and peace and quiet....more Ok then. Talk about hitting the hard stuff right out of the gate. Chapter one has us out to dinner with Ava-Claire and her parents. They are there to tell her that her mother's cancer is terminal. In a public setting. Then they have dessert. I must say, props to this girl for not making a scene right then and there. I would have.

So obviously this sets the scene for Ava doing things most kids wouldn't. Like driving to the cemetery in the middle of the night for some fresh air and peace and quiet. Of course this night it is anything but; she is almost killed, yet somehow wakes up in her car, safe minus some bruises on her neck. She must obviously go back to investigate, and meets Peter. And at that point I must say YAY NO INSTA-LOVE!!!! She is intrigued, and the more she gets to know him, the more she wants to (and the more I want her to!) Of course, things happen that make them have to be around one another, but by that point it is great. They don't really need an excuse.

She also has two great friends, Jaime and Tex, who she can't confide in about her mother's prognosis. My theory is that would make it too real. She has known them both since grade school, and have been BFF's ever since. P.S. Jamie is a guy. At first I wanted there to be a love connection with him, but now I don't think so.

And her parents ... how opposite could they be? Her mother is a SAINT. Her dad ... lets just say I wanted to kick his teeth in every time he spoke with her. Great with his wife, horrible to his daughter. I hope he gets his shit together; they are going to need each other. Very soon.

When I was first asked to read this book, I was nervous and put it off for weeks because I HATE crying. I must say, I almost didn't read it because I thought I might cry. But I jumped in one night figuring, "What the hell?" Boy am I glad I did! I did not cry, but there are some scenes where those more sob-inclined might. Like when Ava's mom makes a list of things she must teach her before she dies. Yup, that choked me up a bit and made me want to run and give my own mother a hug. I can't because she is several states away, but I wanted to.

Before I get too gushy about this book, I must admit there were just a couple of things that distracted me. First, and biggest, there are several editing errors. Not spelling errors, but words in places that didn't make sense. Which is usually a big turn off for me, but the story itself carried me through. Second, and only a personal preference, what is with everyone having 2 different eye colors? (Explained in the first part of Nightmare, book 2). That is just weird. One person, ok, that makes the unique, but all of them? And lastly, though it makes for a neat story, it is still somewhat cheesy how he died. Not gonna spoil that for you, just keep that in mind when you get to that part.

Those (what I consider minor) complaints aside, I thought this book was amazing. Cameron takes a typical girl-meets-vampire type creature, and adds a whole new element to it. And the only way for them to die ... man that is some more deep shit. This story made me feel things, and not just for the character, for myself. It takes an event we all fear and brings it to the forefront. The looming death of her mother colors everything Ava does, and in turn makes you think how you would handle the similar situation.

I could go on, but you will just have to read this for yourself. Nocturnal gets 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, and the only reason it isn't 5 out of 5 are the editing issues I mentioned. I immediately acquired book 2, and am already half-way through it.

This book took me less than 24 hours to get through. As I was finishing it, I was also tweeting the author about how mad I was because the book was coming to an end. She said it was all part of her evil plan and laughed! She is one funny lady, and if you get the chance, you should talk to her. I will leave it up to her if she wants to share her twitter handle with you. ;-)(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tours

The book begins with Ava receiving some terrible news. Her mom, who has had cancer, informs her that she only as a short time to live. Needless to say, Ava is devastated, but tries to put on a strong front for her mother. Later that night she has to get out of the house, and ends up at one her favorite spots, the cemetery. Usually she finds this to be a quiet place where she can just chill and think, but on this night, she hears voices. Before she knows it she is being grabbed by the throat by I...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-the-cover, vampire, series-i-will-finish

I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book baised solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen.
1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Ava-Claire is a strong character with an equally strong will. She knows what she wants and she does not want to spill all her horrifying secrets...more I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book baised solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen.
1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Ava-Claire is a strong character with an equally strong will. She knows what she wants and she does not want to spill all her horrifying secrets to her friends. Eventually, she will lean on her friend Texas and be strong for her other friend. She is very believable, because people are strong but we can still take only so much. I like how she has her own mind and is not a conformist. 5 out of 5 stars
2. Strong Minor Characters: The minor characters create a lot of intrigue and interest in the book. I love all of the minor characters. I find none of them lacking or boring, which is refreshing. All of the characters have a role to perform in the book. None of them are just stuck in there for the hell of it. 5 out of 5 stars
3. The Settling: Okay, so the setting can get a bit repetative. It is always at the house, graveyard, or school, but there are a few parties and a camping trip stuck in there. I wish there was a little more about the setting of where she lives was used a bit more. It makes the plot and characters a bit boring when they only go a few places in he entire book. 3 out of 5 stars
4. The Plot: I love how realistic the plot is. A mother is dying from cancer takes center stage in Ava's life, but another issue also enters the book. This bigger vampyric issue starts to take over, but Ava never loses sight on her mother's crumbling health. This story takes an unrealistic concept and makes it realistic by adding realistic elements and problems to the story. It is pure genius writing. 5 out of 5 stars
This book is incredable and I really want to read the next book to hear about what happens next. I wonder if Ava will be able to save her mother from death. That would be a very great plot twist. Hopefully, the setting is more diverse that way I can give this story the five stars that it deserves.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Awww I really liked reading this story. First, the cover looks amazing! I love tulips, and that purple one looks beautiful! Now, to me, there were different things going about, from family and friend issues to Noctalis-Guy Issues, and I was pretty pleased how this was all entwined together as it made a great, wonderful story, a promising start to the chronicles.

In the beginning of the story we face a real life, realistic situation: Ava’s Mother’s cancer is now life threatening and she has a lim...more Awww I really liked reading this story. First, the cover looks amazing! I love tulips, and that purple one looks beautiful! Now, to me, there were different things going about, from family and friend issues to Noctalis-Guy Issues, and I was pretty pleased how this was all entwined together as it made a great, wonderful story, a promising start to the chronicles.

In the beginning of the story we face a real life, realistic situation: Ava’s Mother’s cancer is now life threatening and she has a limited amount of time to live. Right there, I instantly felt for Ava. The situation with her Mom, to me it made it more personal, and I do like connecting with characters, and I felt like I connected with Ava here. In some of the scenes that Ava has with her Mom, they are sweet and sensitive, and let’s just say my computer screen got a little blurry...

Besides Ava going through that, it was not planned that she would meet this ultra hot looking guy, but wait, he’s a Noctalis? What’s that? And whoa he wants to kill her? What? Well, first I thought that concept (Noctalis) was really cool and to me, it just seemed different and unfamiliar as he’s not just like a vampire, but also like an angel with wings? Interesting, very interesting. Again, this is a different paranormal character, and I really enjoyed reading about ...Peter. Now about the part killing Ava? Well that was an interesting shock, but really just wait to you read about the why and all that, because then I understood more about Peter and I got to like him a lot more than I did in the beginning. So just continue on reading, trust me, you’ll like where the story leads.

Anyways, Ava deals with a lot in these couple of months; dealing with her Mom, Peter, and her friends, Jamie and Tex; both seem like cool friends, some that seemed familiar to a dew of my friends, so I enjoyed reading about them. They too have their own issues to deal with, and a lot of it seemed realistic, especially Jamie's situation. I just wanted to hug him, and I look forward to perhaps read more of him in the second book.

All in all, I think this was a great story with realistic elements with a paranormal twist. It was refreshing and I also liked Cameron’s writing; there was a good flow, and writing in Ava’s POV (and sometime’s Peter’s) it just seemed believable, so that was pretty good. All I can write now, is that I look forward to reading the second book! :) (less)

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Aug 16, 2012 BookHookup rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was also reviewed on The Book Hookup

**This book was given to The Book Hookup
but that did not influence the review**

Celeste’s review: 4.5 stars! First: I love the cover. LOVE! I’m a cover snob and this one is just gorgeous. Second: everyone needs to read this book! If you love being vested in characters, if you love having your heart broken and bursting with love at the same time, well this is the book for you. I really had no idea what to expect going into this novel and ended up falli...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Kari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I want to start off by saying that this cover is absolutely gorgeous! I am ashamed to say that that is what drew me to this blog tour in the first place. But trust me, the cover isn't the only great thing about this book. I absolutely loved it. So much so, that when I read this book, I immediately started the second one, finishing them both in a little over two days. This isn't something I have done in a while. I normally refuse to read books in a series back to back. I have a tendency to tire o...more I want to start off by saying that this cover is absolutely gorgeous! I am ashamed to say that that is what drew me to this blog tour in the first place. But trust me, the cover isn't the only great thing about this book. I absolutely loved it. So much so, that when I read this book, I immediately started the second one, finishing them both in a little over two days. This isn't something I have done in a while. I normally refuse to read books in a series back to back. I have a tendency to tire of them too easy. But that wasn't the case with this at all. I wanted to read the next one in the series ASAP! I'm sure glad that I signed up for both of the tours!! :)

I related to the main character, Ava, instantly. In the very beginning she is told that her mother's cancer is terminal I have had many family members diagnosed with cancer, and my grandmother passed away from it. So, I had an immediate connection and undertanding with the main character. This helped me know where she was coming from when she did certain things. Like how she would rather deal with things on her own, and not show her emotions to her friends. Ava was a very strong femaie character, and for that I am glad. I enjoy when the females aren't always portrayed as damesel's in distress. Ava carried her own, and has earned a spot as one of my favorite female characters.

Then there is Peter. He shows up at the cememtary where Ava is. And to my great surprise, Ava didn't immediately declare her undying love for this gorgeous immortal. (Go Ava!) Nope, this was a romacne worth reading about. It was gradual, like relationships and love is supposed to be. Ava got to know Peter, and then started falling for him. And I really did like Peter's character. He wasn't all "I'm sexy and I know it.." (Yeah, I so put that in there lol)

This is not a typical vampire story. I have read my fair share, and I didn't feel like this was the same 'ol same 'ol at all. I enjoyed it, and thought it was a unique addition to vampire stories. I definately, if you havn't already been able to guess, would recommend this!! To anybody! Chelsea Cameron is a great writer. I'm extremely glad that I was able to be a part of this tour!(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Annabell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Vampires are one of the biggest themes within the paranormal genre and over the last few years they have gone from being portrayed as terrifying predators to sparkly controlling stalkers or so human-like they shouldn’t even be called vampires. With Nocturnal I had expected a ghost story (I don’t know why. Quite possibly because I had read the synopsis to Whisper, first book in Cameron’s Whisper Trilogy, and thought the Nocturnal would approach the same concept) but instead I was surprised to fin...more Vampires are one of the biggest themes within the paranormal genre and over the last few years they have gone from being portrayed as terrifying predators to sparkly controlling stalkers or so human-like they shouldn’t even be called vampires. With Nocturnal I had expected a ghost story (I don’t know why. Quite possibly because I had read the synopsis to Whisper, first book in Cameron’s Whisper Trilogy, and thought the Nocturnal would approach the same concept) but instead I was surprised to find a book of vampires. I haven’t been a big fan of the newer versions of vamps since they all seem to come off sounding the same. I was even more surprised at the fact that I liked the version of vampires Cameron created.

Ava, the female lead within Nocturnal who happens to narrate the book, has her world shatter at the news of her mother’s terminal illness. From the moment the book opens, the reader is thrown full force into Ava’s heartache, anger, resentment, and fear over facing her mother’s death sentence. Cameron does a beautiful and moving jump at showcasing Ava’s emotional rollercoaster. Emotions are often hard to capture and Cameron did a pretty lovely job. There was a good deal of repetition though and times where the scenes were dragged out so the emotions were too heavy handed but overall, not too shabby.

I haven’t fully been able to decide how I feel about Ava’s character. I can completely understand the pain and heartache she faces over the situation with her mother; I went through a similar situation with my own mother. I completely understand why she pretends to be strong, chooses to put distance between herself and her friends, prefers breaking down alone and keeping her true feelings to herself. When tragedy strikes, everyone has his or her own way of dealing with it and I can relate to how Ava dealt with her own. So in that sense I felt a connection with her and give her props for having the strength to get up everyday and keeping trying to give her mom a sense of normalcy and laughter so her mother can enjoy however much time she has left. But Ava also did some stupid crap I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes over (i.e. going to parties and getting drunk when she knew she shouldn’t, hanging out in a cemetery alone when she was already attacked in the same cemetery!, trusting a total stranger with her feelings and her life when said stranger threatened to kill her).

Ava may be strong with her mother but she is too much of a doormat with her friends, especially her best friend Tex which I didn’t understand. She gives into doing stupid things because her best friend tells her to instead of standing her ground and telling her friend to get over it. I also didn’t like the way Ava treated her father. How could she be so understanding with her mother but not with her father? Her father had to endure the same tragedy. Ava just acted too much like a brat with her father.

Peter was a very interesting character. He starts off seeming hard of emotions and deathly scary, literally. It takes a while for Peter to open up and let Ava in which was a nice way to have their relationship develop instead of them being all over each other from the moment they meet. There is a dark and ageless charm to Peter’s character. He moves and speaks with a deliberate patience and wisdom. I also liked the physical features to Peter’s character. He’s gorgeous but doesn’t have this ridiculous ego you would expect. He also doesn’t completely look like what you expect a vampire to look like. It was a nice little change. The only issue I had with the writing for his character was the fact the scenes where Peter narrated came off too telling, everything was dictated to the reader instead of experienced.

Tex and Jamie, Ava’s best friends, play the secondary characters alongside Viktor and Ivan, Peter’s brothers. I had moments where I enjoyed Tex and moments I couldn’t stand her character. She comes off too bossy and shallow. But there are scenes where she actually shows her heart and shows she cares about more stuff than just boys and clothes. Jamie was one of my favorite characters. He’s sweet as candy, adorable, and a great friend. He has such a big heart and truly cares about the people in his life despite the fact that he is facing such a hard life. I was annoyed since the author seemed to bypass Jamie’s situation. Ava brings it up a few times and makes some sad attempts at paying attention to Jamie but doesn’t really do anything to help then Jamie’s situation is thrown under the rug without any real resolve.

Viktor and Ivan aren’t in too many scenes and I would like to read more of them. Ivan is such the bad boy vamp but you like him for it. He doesn’t pretend to be anything more than what he is. Viktor carries himself with a quiet strength and deep wisdom. I look forward to reading more of his character.

The Claiming is one of the big moments in the plot and it was pretty predictable. I mean it’s been done in other vampire books before. I didn’t understand why Ava didn’t put up much of a fight. She just let’s Peter pretty much hold her down and do what he wants. Seriously?? Ava talks a big game about defending herself if someone came at her and standing her own ground and not being afraid to speak her mind but she’s only ever like that with her father who doesn’t deserve for her to be. The idea behind The Claiming is okay and presents a big conflict for Ava and Peter; I just would have preferred the scene coming off differently than it did.

Di, the real villain in the book, has only one real scene which I suppose works since the author wanted to use the first book to establish the characters and relationships so that didn’t really bother me. As a reader, you can tell Di is definitely cunning, selfish, and powerful. I look forward to reading more of her character as well.

The curse that binds Peter, Ivan and Viktor to Di I liked. It was a clever way to show how words have power and can harm as well as heal. The first book doesn’t really establish HOW the curse is binding but I’m guessing it’s more explained as the series goes on.

The pacing and fluidity of the story are done well. The suspense is tension filled and the world building is detailed just as well. The romance is built pretty well, if not somewhat shallow at the beginning. The action scenes really only consist of like three and the big meeting with Di is too anticlimactic because it ends so quickly there isn’t much of a buildup.

Overall, Nocturnal was an enjoyable and good read. I would recommend the book to fans of the paranormal romance and supernatural genres.
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Jul 04, 2012 Andrea Heltsley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been in the mood for a good vampire book lately. A little birdie or two told me how great Chelsea Cameron was. She did not disappoint:) This was a uniquely written tale of the Noctalis.

I will admit that I struggled a little through the beginning of the book. Ava's mom is dying of cancer and it was slow and hard to relate to for me. I found myself wishing she would get over it and come to terms already. I know I have never dealt with this before so I am sure it was a perfect reaction, I ju...more

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May 09, 2012 Gloria Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

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First off, I just love the cover. Gorgeous! A great cover always draws me in. And Secondly, I loved the characters right away. You have Ava, a high school student who's starting to face the painful steps of grieving as her mothers cancer becomes terminal. You can't help but love her mother. Ava is far from ready to deal with the emotions of her mothers impending death and she can't bring herself to tell her two best friends that her mother is dying. Her BFF's are Te...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Tiffany Mahaffy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, own

Ava is living with a lot on her plate right now. Dealing with her mothers sickness and the inability to share it with her two closest friends Tex and Jamie. Not because they don't want to hear it but because she isn't ready to talk about everything that is going on at home. Instead she takes to the cemetery. The dead listen but don't ask her anything or anything of her. What happens when she goes one night and it isn't only the dead there does she realize how dangerous the night can be. Terrifi...more Ava is living with a lot on her plate right now. Dealing with her mothers sickness and the inability to share it with her two closest friends Tex and Jamie. Not because they don't want to hear it but because she isn't ready to talk about everything that is going on at home. Instead she takes to the cemetery. The dead listen but don't ask her anything or anything of her. What happens when she goes one night and it isn't only the dead there does she realize how dangerous the night can be. Terrified or not she wants to see the guy that saved her from the one that was going to destroy her.

I'm not telling you the twist here but lets just say that i was totally did not expect it. I walked into this book expecting another vampire book(not that it is a bad thing). However when it got to reveal time I had to read over the sentence a couple times just to make sure I caught it right. I loved that it wasn't all a tortured secret and he just showed her. It's just the couple little things that really set this book apart and I loved it. I want to say so many of the little things that made this special to me but I don't want to ruin it for all of you.

Peter (our man in question) is kind of the typical mysterious guy. There is differences but mysterious all the way. He never talks too much, actually he doesn't really talk. The questions that Ava showers him with are answered in the most simple way possible. He doesn't over do it or try and make excuses for everything and anything. His lack of answers does cause some irritation every here and there but I chalk it up to he is a guy!

Tex (Texas Sarsaparilla Anne Hamilton <3 the name) is a very out going and loving. Like all good friends though when something is being hidden she can sense it. For the most part Tex just tries to support and be patient but that can only last so long... The question is what do you tell your best friend when you aren't even sure what's going on yourself?

My biggest problem in the book is that she really lets Jamie down when he needs her the most and then he just seems to disappear for a good chunk of the book. I really thought that he was going to be more and really felt that Ava let him down. I totally get that there is a lot of stuff going with her but I hate that he just seems to drop off the face of the book. I will admit though that I am super looking forward to the next book. I am not saying that this book is slow but it picks up some major momentum at the end and then ends. I feel the need for more and can't wait to see what Chelsea does with the next book!!
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Sep 09, 2012 Melissa Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this for The Indie Bookshelf.
4.5 stars
I am not a paranormal YA reader, as a rule. Sure, I've read the Twilight books and really enjoyed them. But, they made me skeptical. Any time I see a book with a teenage MC and an immortal-in-some-way boy who creeps into her life, I get really apprehensive. Let me just say that this book knocked my socks off!!! This story is original and unique---sure, there are elements of YA paranormal that we have seen before, but overall this book is different.

Fir...more I read this for The Indie Bookshelf.
4.5 stars
I am not a paranormal YA reader, as a rule. Sure, I've read the Twilight books and really enjoyed them. But, they made me skeptical. Any time I see a book with a teenage MC and an immortal-in-some-way boy who creeps into her life, I get really apprehensive. Let me just say that this book knocked my socks off!!! This story is original and unique---sure, there are elements of YA paranormal that we have seen before, but overall this book is different.

First, it's not just about Ava and Peter. It's about Ava's beautiful relationship with her mother, who's cancer has returned and is promising death. As Ava deals with the inevitable death of the most important person in her life, she is drawn to Peter. Ava's mother is incredible....she is strong and determined, light-hearted and loving. The bond between mother and daughter is powerful and overwhelming at times. I found myself sobbing while reading scenes between them. It added so much depth to the story.

Second, the author gives us short snippets into Peter's world. Several (but not all) chapters have a few paragraphs told in Peter's point of view. Let me just say, this was my absolute favorite part of Ms. Cameron's story-telling. These paragraphs are powerful and captivating and left me wanting more. I loved that they were not included in every chapter because I was so excited when I reached a chapter that contained a few paragraphs from Peter's POV. Brilliant.

Normally, I cast the books that I read----but, for some reason no actors match up with the Peter in my head....I've tried....I've scoured imdb.com....I've looked at pics on Google....but, no one is good enough to be Peter. He is almost too otherworldly in my head and I would, therefore, not be proud of any casting I could muster. Just trust me that he is a fascinating character, as is Ava.

This story is incredible. I loved it so much. The dialogue is realistic, the story is heartwrenching and raw. The pararnormal aspect is fascinating and unique and I'm so excited to read more from this author!!! And luckily, I don't have to wait (and neither do you!). Book 2 is already available on Amazon. com and B& N(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Cierra (The Book Lover's Report) rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book starts out with Ava and her mother and father eating dinner together. Then her mother turns to Ava and tells her that she only has about six months to live. Ava immediately looses her appetite and feels sort of angry/sad that her mother is going to die. She doesn't know how to tell her best friends, Jamie and Tex, so keeps that secret, Secret Number One, to herself. But, she has another secret, too. After they get home from the dinner, Ava gets in her car and drives to the place that's...more This book starts out with Ava and her mother and father eating dinner together. Then her mother turns to Ava and tells her that she only has about six months to live. Ava immediately looses her appetite and feels sort of angry/sad that her mother is going to die. She doesn't know how to tell her best friends, Jamie and Tex, so keeps that secret, Secret Number One, to herself. But, she has another secret, too. After they get home from the dinner, Ava gets in her car and drives to the place that's her number one therapy-- the cemetery.

While there, she walks around, in the peace and quiet, looking at graves, and just minding her own business. Then, she hears two voices talking about some weird things. She hides and looks at the two people-- two guys-- and guesses that they are talking about her. Then, all of a sudden, one of them grabs her, and traps her. He tells the other one to get her, or he will. The other one refuses, so the one holding her goes in for the bite. Ava faints. Secret Number Two.

When Ava comes to, she's in her car, and she has hickey like marks on her neck. She's calm, but on the inside, she' freaking out. Eventually goes back to the cemetery, and meets the other guy who refused to bite her, Peter, and tells him about her problems--things that she couldn't tell her friends, or anybody else. She feels like Peter understands her, more than anybody else.

Well, I like this story. I feel like it gives off the most real teen experience in that she speaks like a teen would.

I like Ava's character, too. She's trying to do the right thing, but she doesn't know how. She wants to tell her friends the truth, but she can't get it out. She just wants her mother's cancer to go away and never come back. I think that meeting Peter was a good thing for her, personally, because she can talk to him. I think she feels like he's non-biased on things she tells him, although, him threatening to kill her several times would've made me leave.

I also like the mini parts of Peter's point of view, thought I thought that there should have been more of it, like alternating chapters of it. I feel like it would've been better with several chapters worth of it.

So, as you can see by the long summary, I obviously like this story, and I've most obviously given the book five stars...(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Elle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, fiction, freebie, own-a-copy, do-not-ever-read, clueless-female-protagonist, not-realistic, romance, supernatural, vampires, violent-male-protagonist, young-adult, wtf

Okay, this is from the first chapter of the next book which pretty much explains why I don't like this book:

"I'd been the one who, after I knew he could kill me, still came and hung out with him. Multiple times. Even after he'd physically threatened me, that wasn't a deal breaker. The only way he could have gotten rid of me was to actually kill me. Which he hadn't done yet."

WTF?

I seem to keep reading books that start off pretty good then take a big nose dive once the heroine gets choked by her p...more Okay, this is from the first chapter of the next book which pretty much explains why I don't like this book:

"I'd been the one who, after I knew he could kill me, still came and hung out with him. Multiple times. Even after he'd physically threatened me, that wasn't a deal breaker. The only way he could have gotten rid of me was to actually kill me. Which he hadn't done yet."

WTF?

I seem to keep reading books that start off pretty good then take a big nose dive once the heroine gets choked by her potential love interest and his brother on two separate occasions and she goes looking for her potential love interest because she just can't stay away from him. What are authors saying to teenage girls? This is not love nor is it the beginning of love. It's psychotic. You can't have a human fall in love with a supernatural being who threatens to kill her and bruises her neck so badly she spends time finding makeup to cover it (which she doesn't do successfully) and wearing a scarf until the bruises fade enough where no one will notice or ask her questions. Can you tell me how this isn't abusive or her removing the blame from Peter for hurting her? He never apologizes, only says after she asks him on numerous occasions, "Are you going to kill me?" that he won't hurt her. Seriously? I don't understand this and I don't get why this is supposed to be romantic.

The story has serious issues which need to be addressed and I don't really care to go into them because there are too many. Just know that the characters are two dimensional, disappear and reappear when Ava cares to think about them, and simply don't hold your interest. There's no one I liked in this book. I don't care to know what happens with Ava and Peter; even Ava's mother's cancer issue probably will get swept under the rug. I totally think that's a terrible plot device, by the way. My only consolation is this was a quick read. I wouldn't bother with this one unless you like reading stories which throw information at you with no explanation. If the heroine doesn't care, why should I? Right? *smh* And let's not forget the odd ending. I can't even...(less)

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Jul 26, 2012 Stephanie Moakes rated it 3 of 5 stars

I did enjoy this book but I can't say it wowed me, in fact at points I was ready to put it down and forget about finishing it but because I hate to leave things half done I carried on and I'm glad I stuck with it because I ended up liking the story even though it felt like more of an introduction than a full book. I feel like I've been introduced to a story and a bunch of characters but I don't feel like I really know any of them.

The story started out strong with Ava finding out her mother's can...more I did enjoy this book but I can't say it wowed me, in fact at points I was ready to put it down and forget about finishing it but because I hate to leave things half done I carried on and I'm glad I stuck with it because I ended up liking the story even though it felt like more of an introduction than a full book. I feel like I've been introduced to a story and a bunch of characters but I don't feel like I really know any of them.

The story started out strong with Ava finding out her mother's cancer is terminal in the first chapter and with the arrival of Peter shortly after i thought it was going to continue at the same pace but it slows considerably and with the next fifteen chapters I found myself daydreaming because there was nothing remotely interesting happening.

There isn't much I can say about Peter, he doesn't have much of a personality and I understand why. His character only works because he's supposed to be devoid of human emotion but this does make the book rather boring because there isn't an exaggerated, over the top personality to balance out his lack of one. In my mind this should be Ava but she's too preoccupied with her depression, which has filled the book with melancholy. I found it really hard to connect with Ava because I can't relate to her situation, all I can do is speculate about how I would react and feel if I found out my mother was going to die. It was frustrating because i could understand her feelings and her actions but I couldn't relate to them.

The only thing that had me laughing out loud was the moment Ava finally finds out the truth about Peter because she reacts like a NORMAL human being. She doesn't smile and pretend it's fine, she freaks out even though up until that point she'd known there was something off about him. It's a real display of human nature and it was refreshing to have a real human reaction to a situation that is far from normal.

I also felt that the book was all about Ava which for the most part is fine but I wanted to know more about the other characters. I have a vague understanding of their back stories but I'm still not sure of who they are or what role they are going to play in this series.

I love Ava's mother and she is definitely my favourite character because she has me believing that things are really going to work out well for Ava and that even though the situation seems hopeless, there is always something to be thankful for. She is the one thing that made this book even remotely cheerful, which is ironic considering she has terminal cancer.

This book may have been slow to start but I won't hold that against the series and I'm looking forward to the next instalment. I'm hoping Cameron provides more information about the Noctalis and I want to see more of Ava's relationships with her friends.
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Feb 09, 2013 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: werwolfes-vampires

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ava-Claire hat gleich mehrere Geheimnisse, die sie innerlich auffressen:
1. ihre Mutter stirbt an Krebs - das ist etwas über das sie nicht reden will. Wenn man es ausspricht ist es viel realer.
2. Peter, der Vampir-Engel, den sie auf dem Friedhof kennengelernt hat und der sie vor seinem Bruder gerettet hat.
2,5. Peter hat sie um ihres Schutzes Willen zu seiner Gefährtin gemacht - ihr Blut wurde gemischt und kein andere seiner Art (Noctalis) kann ihr nun etwas anhaben.

Natürlich wird alles noch verwi...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Beth Cutwright rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ava-Claire Sullivan, is not the normal teen. She has issues and her favorite place to think and resolve her issues is the cemetery....even late at night. Her first issue was that the parents took her to a restaurant to tell her, her mom was dying and had six months to live, bizarre huh? The second issue was what or who she met that same night in the cemetery. Scary enough to hear voices coming from one of the mausoleums in the cemetery and nearly killed by one of two strange beings....Noctalis....more

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May 10, 2012 Julie(Reading By The Beach) rated it 4 of 5 stars

As seen on -> http://readingbythebeach.blogspot.com...

"My mind goes to some strange places sometimes."

There are so, so many great aspects to Nocturnal that escalated my reading experience!

One. Chelsea Cameron took the ever popular vampires and spun them into a unique species that captivated me. They are unlike any vampires that I have ever read about and I'm more than interested to learn more about their history.

Two. Ava-Claire Sullivan. Period. She's an amazingly sarcastic, feisty and funny...more As seen on -> http://readingbythebeach.blogspot.com...

"My mind goes to some strange places sometimes."

There are so, so many great aspects to Nocturnal that escalated my reading experience!

One. Chelsea Cameron took the ever popular vampires and spun them into a unique species that captivated me. They are unlike any vampires that I have ever read about and I'm more than interested to learn more about their history.

Two. Ava-Claire Sullivan. Period. She's an amazingly sarcastic, feisty and funny female protagonist that completely entranced me. There are so many lines that I highlighted for many different reasons, but most of all because they struck a chord in me. Chelsea Cameron managed to capture characteristics of a REAL person and portrayed them in a way that brought life to Ava. Here and there I became frustrated with Ava, but this wasn't an author induced flaw, it was more of how Ava chose to handle (or really not handle them) that frustrated me. I actually welcomed the frustration though, because it made Ava even more fleshed-out.

"I just listen and replay the moment when Peter pulled the rug out from under the normal world. Hell, he ripped up the floor of the real world, showing me a basement I didn't know was there, full of creatures I never thought existed."

Three. Tex and Jamie. Simply awesome supporting characters where the loyalty and friendship is palpable. Tex is just something else, she's crazy fun with a somewhat erratic personality but she's so lovable. Tex and Ava fit perfectly together, they are soulmate friends. Chelsea Cameron captured the essence of their deep friendship that they've had since 1st grade. Jamie is also a great character, but he's the more subdued of the three. More serious, but still readers will be falling for him. He's not in Nocturnal a whole lot, but I hope to see more from him in Nightmare (the second book).

Four. The slow budding romance. It's set at a more natural pace that I greatly appreciated. Peter and Ava appear more intrigued with each other at first and then it starts to evolve into something more.

Five. The snippets that we get from Peter. Am I a male perspective fan? Do you even need me to answer that question? I love being able to get into the male leads head anyway possible. Chelsea Cameron supplied me with that desired male perspective with those little snippets. They successfully added more depth to his character which was needed since he's prone to one-word answers when asked a question. He's quite intriguing despite the one-wordedness and I really want to know more about his life as a Noctalis.

With all that said, I did have some minor issues with some things. There were more than a few grammatical errors, but they honestly never hindered my reading, they were just mild annoyances. Also, there was an inconsistency with a name (not major since she wasn't in the story, just mentioned). Overall, I really enjoyed Nocturnal, more than appreciated the new take on vampires, and am very eager to see where the series will lead.

Recommended to YA readers who enjoy vampires, want a new breed of vampires, or YA readers who love paranormal romance. Plus, Nightmare (the second book) is already out, so you won't have to wait to continue the adventure!(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Shieka( Doctor's Notes) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to start by saying the cover of this book was so beautiful. The colors flowed so well together and made for an amazing background. The flower and the girl were so pretty and looked just right on the cover for this amazing book. I love everything about this book from the beginning. Ava was such a great character.

I have to say she had to grow on me a little though because she came off as not to smart with some of the choices she made at the start of the book.

We start this book out by meet...more I have to start by saying the cover of this book was so beautiful. The colors flowed so well together and made for an amazing background. The flower and the girl were so pretty and looked just right on the cover for this amazing book. I love everything about this book from the beginning. Ava was such a great character.

I have to say she had to grow on me a little though because she came off as not to smart with some of the choices she made at the start of the book.

We start this book out by meeting Ava who has just learned that her mom is dying. She takes it in typical fashion and shuts down and doesn't want to tell her friends. Her grief leads her out one night to the cemetary. It is there that she meets a strange boy. She just doesn't realize just how strange he really is. Peter saves her life and she is instantly drawn to him. I liked the character of Peter he wasn'tthe average character and was even a little weird which I liked. Peter gives Ava a little something to cling to when she feels like her life is falling about.

Ava cotinues living her life and meets up with her friends Jaime and Texas. Jaime is the caring friend with his own set of problems but he is still the school athelete that everyone loves. Tex was such a larger than life character that I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things she said. Although Ava has these amazing friends she ends ups drawn back to Peter. I liked the slow building chemistry between Ava and Peter. They eased into their relationship and it was cute to see how Peter looked through others eyes. I like Cameron's twist on what Peter was also.

Ava soon finds herself thrown into Peter's world and forced to deal with some things she didn't see coming. Her and Peter have to work together to keep her safe and learn to cope with their relationship also. I loved the world buildindg Cameron created when Peter told Ava of his early years. The scenes just seemed so real and vivid. I loved the chemistry between them and couldn't wait to read the next book after the way thi one ended. Overall this was a great read and a non stop ride that I didn't want to get off. I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it to others.

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Aug 09, 2012 Steph at Starry Night Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is defiantly a different kind of book, not what I was expecting I don’t want to give too much away. I will admit I struggled to get though the beginning of the book it moved a little slow for me until things started happening though the action was over kind of fast. But I’m excited to start book 2 after this review.

I loved the unique characters Peter is defiantly your strong sexy silent type and some of the things he says to Ava are really swoon worthy.

Ava is stubborn, reckless and strong...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Title: Nocturnal
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Series: The Noctalis Chronicles #1
Release Date: February 11, 2012

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Ava-Claire Sullivan isn't one for doing the expected. Especially when she finds out her mother's cancer is terminal. After a crying session in the local cemetery where she's attacked by one strange guy and saved by another, she doesn't call the cops. Because those guys definitely weren't your average hooligans.

And the one who sort-of saved her? Well, he's odd. H...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, kindle, review-on-blog

This is another one of those series that I read books 1 and 2 back to back. It's great for instant gratification, not so great for writing reviews. It's hard for me to separate the two from each other. (oh, the problems oh book bloggers. ;) haha)The Noctalis Chronicles is a very promising vampire series; one that I am enjoying a lot!

It is a pretty typical portrayal of vampires with a slight twist. Not only are they ok with sunlight- they actually need it to process the blood. I thought that was...more

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May 31, 2013 Imani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nocturnal is a great book.

It's about Ava-Claire Sullivan who meets a guy in a cemetery. I know weird.

But it's about her meeting him and how she deals with her mother dying in about 6 months from cancer. It's also about the relationship with her friends and the secrets she keeps from them and there lives.

What I liked about it was her thoughts during the story. I chuckled a couple times and smiled. She has great friends, especially Texas who goes by Tex. She is a great friend.

I like the way Chel...more

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May 21, 2013 Lenore Kosinski rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, okay-creations-cover, book-bash-author, fav-authors-recommend

4.5 stars -- I must say that this book broke the mold for me for paranormal romance. For one, the romance was really slow and in some ways more realistic b/c it started out with an innate curiosity about the other...something that tugged them together, for reasons they could not explain, and made them both behave out of their norms. And it wasn't all about the romance...in fact it was kind of a small part. And the paranormal aspect was intriguing b/c it had pieces of a lot of myths, and yet was...more 4.5 stars -- I must say that this book broke the mold for me for paranormal romance. For one, the romance was really slow and in some ways more realistic b/c it started out with an innate curiosity about the other...something that tugged them together, for reasons they could not explain, and made them both behave out of their norms. And it wasn't all about the romance...in fact it was kind of a small part. And the paranormal aspect was intriguing b/c it had pieces of a lot of myths, and yet was not completely explained b/c it couldn't be completely explained...but we were given enough to want to read more and find out more.

Peter was a fascinating hero....in that in some ways he wasn't a hero at all. There were many dark elements about him and that is just who he had become. Ms. Cameron didn't try to sugarcoat him....he wasn't some good misunderstood evil thing....he was who he was, and he wasn't good so much as tugged into a different set of feelings. I really appreciated that....it gets kind of tiring to read the same sorts of "evil but good" characters. And she wrote him so well, he was so...long forgotten of humanity.

The real gem of this story is Ava. I didn't always understand her, and I didn't always get her choices and reactions and her relationship with her father (probably why I rounded down instead of up), but she was an intriguing character. She was skeptical and scared when she needed to be, but with a complimentary insatiable curiosity. And the crux of this story for me was that it was a contemporary story about a girl dealing with grief and the inevitability of a death, with a strange paranormal twist on the side. There was a lot about how she was going through losing her mother, and I could relate having lost my father to the big C as a teenager. It's so hard to try to be "strong" for them, but you're also sitting there dealing with something horrific and sometimes you don't want to be strong. Anyways, this is what got to me and had me wanting to round up to 5 instead. I LOVED how Ms. Cameron dealt with such a difficult subject.

I guess in the end the round down won b/c there were bits of the story that I didn't understand, and I kept thinking I missed something. It was like they would say she told him about her MOm, but I didn't remember it happening, and it left me confused and jarred out of the story occasionally. REgardless, I can't wait to see where this goes.(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Martha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Never have I read a book quite like Nocturnal. From beginning to end it definitely was not what I expected.

Ava and Peter are two characters that are truly unique. Ava is a strong high school student that has had to deal with a Cancer sick mother for a few years now. She is trying to deal with the loss that her mother is alsmost guaranteed to make in about six months. The schock of it all is what leads her to meet our mysterious Peter. Peter is a unique creature. He is a different sort of vampir...more

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Aug 04, 2012 JennRenee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-to-start, ya-paranormal, 2012-july-read, challenge-2012-summer-read, read-2012, series-currently-read, blog-tours-finished

Beautiful Cover! Beautiful Story! I didn’t want to put the book down. I was so excited to be a part of this tour, the synopsis and the cover drew me in. I was not disappointed, Sensational!

The story is about Ava-Clair and a mysterious boy she meets in the graveyard during a hard time in her life. A devastated Ava just found out her mother is dying after a long battle with cancer. She feels alone and trapped in a life that is hopeless, until she meets Peter. Peter is odd, he seems to always be i...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Sabrena rated it 2 of 5 stars

One of the nitpicks I have with this book is the formatting or lack of in this case, some of the grammar in the book wasn't placed right and the chapter names in the book were hard to pick out.

Another thing is the plot line, OK so Ava's mother is dying from cancer and her father is being a right bastard about it. The characters are likeable but also rather stereotypical in ways that turn me off and I nearly didn't finish the book but I kept going because I wanted to finish my obligation for one...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Michele Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, pn-can-i-stroke-your-wings, pn-i-vant-to-suck-ur-blood, 2012-5-star-books

Shut the front door! Wwwwhhhhaaaatttt!?!

So I picked this up on Amazon a few weeks ago intending to read it 'eventually' and then our Goodreads group (Lovers of Paranormal) decided to do a purple covers challenge for September; add to that the my girl Heather at Supa Gurl Books raved on it and I just knew I needed to move this one to the front of the line. Boy oh boy was I right!

I totally loved this book. It is just the right mixture of human emotions and PN elements.

Ava struggling with coming to...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars

All I have to say is talk about throwing all the curve ball out there right at the beginning! I think the start of this book was the most emotionally intense scene that I have read as a first chapter. Holy moly! The first lines grabbed me and had me locked on for the duration. There is no turning back once you read that first paragraph! You just can't! It's impossible! Now...onto the story itself... I really loved the story line, the writing style of the author, and the descriptions that she gav...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Kerry rated it 1 of 5 stars

True Rating: 1.5 stars.

"I want to kill you."

Ava

She is an insufferable character. Cameron did not incorporate any redeeming qualities into Ava's character development. She starts off extremely bitter and self centered. As the story progresses, she gets worse and worse. She is very selfish, inconsiderate, mopey, suicidal, irrational, and ridiculous. She is in love with a creature who strangled her. I mean, how is that for an epic romance? She is a lousy friend, daughter, and a shitty person altoge...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Carla Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, young-adult

I wasn't expecting much when I started this book. It was a cheap read for Kindle and my book experience is, you pretty much get what you pay for. This, however, was a pleasant departure from that mantra.

The basic plot? A girl falls into doomed love with a paranormal creature. Yada, yada, yada. But, this book is so much more than a paranormal romance. What makes is so different is that the romance seems almost to come into second place to....characterization and plot! Gasp! There's a new concept....more

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Book Giveaways: International giveaway of Nocturnal or Nightmare by Chelsea M. Cameron	1	13	Aug 04, 2012 04:49am
TeAmNeRd ReViEwS: Author Chelsea Cameron	1	1	Aug 02, 2012 11:24am
TeAmNeRd ReViEwS: Nocturnal (Noctalis Series #1) by Chelsea Cameron	1	2	Aug 02, 2012 10:50am

title link	preview: Nocturnal
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Nocturnal (The Noctalis Chronicles #1)

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