Nocturne (Claire de Lune, #2)

Jun 27, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Majanka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, teen, young-adult, werewolves

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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...more Read the review on my website.

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.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was disappointed in this sequel. It started out pretty slow, and stayed pretty slow. It wasn’t difficult to read, I was just some what bored because I felt like it could use more humor and action. The plot was okay. Claire had a problem and set out to solve that problem. About 2/3s through the book, it got better and made up for the slow dragging of the 1st parts.
I understand that sequels have a hard time living up to the 1st book. When I read the 1st book, I thought it was a stand-alone. I m...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more 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.(less)

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Jul 29, 2011 Asche rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more

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Sep 19, 2011 S.J. Bell added it

I had some harsh words for Claire de Lune when I first read it. After a year, however, I look on it a little more highly. Yes, the author made some bad mistakes, and her general inexperience was obvious, but at least it was creative. It wasn't just trying to be another Twilight knockoff, and it wasn't just another batch of standard-issue lycanthropes, either. Johnson had some good ideas, and blended the werewolves with elements of a witch's coven and a predominantly-female cast to give the story...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book! Once again, it's nice to have the werewolfy things different than usual. In this book Claire really struggles to find a balance between her werewolf and human sides. She's more mature then she was in "Claire de Lune", which makes sense because of all she has been through. The conflict is more internal then external in "Nocturne". That made Claire seem more real to me by showing us more of her personality. However, it also made the book a little more boring. Christine Johnson ma...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Amber (The Musings of ALMYBNENR) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 100-reading-challenge-2011, august-2011-ultimate-reviewer-s-cha, 2011-e-book-challenge, arcs

Disclaimer: No spoilers from Nocturne, but read with caution if you have not read Claire de Lune.

Claire has survived her first summer as a werewolf despite the initial obstacles she had to overcome. Although she still cannot confess her secret to her best friend, Emily, it has become easier for Claire to lie to her. She still hates to deceive Emily, but at least she can confide in her boyfriend, Matthew.

Even though school is in session and Claire is preparing for her first ever school dance with...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Jamie Kline rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 wa...more 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, Bookerella(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, library, wolves

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 06, 2011 Natalie Rochester rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall, I gave this book 4.5 Stars. It was very creative and entertaining. This book was also a very quick read. I think that people who enjoyed Claire de Lune would enjoy this book. If you haven't read Claire de Lune and you like reading teenage fantasy (especially werewolf books) then you should give the series ago. I also recommend this series to girls who like contemporary fiction and are trying to branch over into fantasy. Claire de Lune isn't too violent and has plenty of normal girl stuf...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-i-own, 2011-100-book-challenge, mundie-moms-review

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.

Reviewed on MM's here http://mundiemoms ...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 someo...more 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.(less)

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Feb 09, 2012 Lolita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: already-released, books-that-i-own

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...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Giselle at Book Nerd Canada rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publishers, own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 13, 2011 Theresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nocturne picks up right where Claire de Lune left off. It's fast paced, but predictable. I enjoyed the story; however, I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I'd hope to.

Claire is still trying to manage her human life with her werewolf life just as her boyfriend Matthew is trying to balance humanity with the responsibility of being a guardian.In addition to being the Alpha's daughter, Claire is having to be tested in her new abilities as a young werewolf. The story leads one to assume...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, arcs, urban, available-for-swap, dropbox

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...more 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 All Things Urban Fantasy.
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to messing around and sex.(less)

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Aug 16, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 gir...more 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 (less)

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Feb 23, 2012 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

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, bec...more

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Aug 21, 2011 All Things Urban Fantasy added it

Shelves: reviewed-by-julia

The 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...more The 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 (REBECCA, 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.(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-shirene

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.

Noct...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, 2011-100-book-challenge, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews

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 l...more 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.
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Aug 13, 2011 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolves

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

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 nothin...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

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.(less)

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Aug 29, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Ms. Johnson writing, I love her style of writing and the way she is able to capture her readers. Immediately as the reader begins this book, you are thrown in the world Ms. Johnson created in her mind, its comes to life before your eyes and then your gone...

What I loved most about this book is the drama the is played out in the book. As Claire learns more about being a werewolf, things become more dangerous. Much more is expected from Claire since she is the Alpha's daughter. Cl...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Kristina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

What I Liked
Wolf Issues
In book 1 it was almost too easy for Claire during her new difficult transformation times, but in book 2 she struggles with a very important ability and I like that about her in this book. Less perfect wolf and more human in her struggles.
Claire
I liked how Claire kept on persisting through her difficult and seemingly impossible task to accomplish. I also loved how she didn't betray her morals and took a brave risk for not violating them.

A Little Too Much Drama
The middle c...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Hp Tan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, ya

The start was a little stiff, but I suppose that's fine, because sometimes you need to integrate the reader back into the story. Although a little slow and all, the book was still smooth-flowing.

What I didn't like, though, was that there seemed to be a huge deal of fuss made over what turned out to be less. Maybe not "what I didn't like", but more like I feel.. cheated? Lol. Like, you know how sometimes you think that a certain character means harm, or is more than he/she appears and all? And it...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-reading-2011-2012

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 happene...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Super Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, read-in-2011

Having read and enjoyed Claire de Lune last year, I looked forward reading Nocturne. Luckily I was able to get an early copy through GalleyGrab! Nocturne is a compelling read with relatable characters. Claire is struggling to balance her human life and her werewolf life. Her secret is making her distance herself from her best friend, and her boyfriend is acting funny lately. Claire is also under tremendous pressure to perform well at an upcoming gathering with her pack in which she must demonstr...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, i-own-but-havent-read-yet, simon-and-schuster-sent, publisher-sent

Aug 23rd

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Oct 02, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-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...more

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Nocturne (Claire de Lune #2)

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