Claire de Lune

I greatly enjoyed this novel, with its new (to me) twist on the werewolf trope. I'll be watching for Christine Johnson's next works!

This particular book drew me in by its amazing cover art. It is an exceptionally pretty book. It was extremely well-written and will appeal to teens and adults alike. The characters are well formed and you immediately relate to Claire as she realizes she is being thrown into the world of the supernatural--on her 16th birthday, she is told she is a werewolf. Claire soon meets Matthew, who she turns to as a string of lycanthropy attacks in the area threatens to cause panic; however, his father only further fuels the fire as he is organizing a hunt of his own. Claire must battle her new identity, her old identity, and a possible new love. Christine Johnson created an exciting new twist on the werewolf tale and I truly hope it becomes a series. The only downside was, as a YA book, it was an extremely fast read, but well worth the hardcover price!!

Claire Benoit is celebrating her sixteenth birthday with a pool party when the festivities are interrupted by reports of a werewolf sighting. Everyone knows about werewolves (there are even government agencies devoted to studying them), and everyone fears them. Everyone, that is, except Claire's mother, who later coolly informs Claire that she is a loup-garou, a werewolf, and that Claire too will begin turning into one at the next full moon. Claire de Lune is a great read, and an exciting new addition to the werewolf genre. In this twist, only females can be werewolves, and while they typically don't hunt humans, one of them has gone rogue. I also like how werewolves fit in this society; everyone knows about them while at the same time nobody knows anything about them. What really sets this book apart is that it uses the werewolf myth to explore Claire's relationship with her forbidden crush Matthew, son of a determined werewolf hunter, and with her mother, a famous photographer who has largely left Claire to be raised by au pairs. The identity of the killer werewolf is far less interesting than watching Claire and her mother try to build a relationship now that Claire knows the truth. And because the story is told over a three-month period, Claire's romance with Matthew also develops naturally (they actually go on multiple dates!). When their feelings are tested, it matters because they've been together for a time rather than the "instant connection" that is currently so popular in YA. I liked Claire de Lune a lot, and while it is satisfactory as a stand alone read, I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

"Claire de Lune" adds a new twist on werewolf mythology; in this world, all werewolves are female & worship the Goddess. The story focuses on Claire, who discovers that she is a werewolf on her 16th birthday. Throughout her life, Claire's mother has always been away on trips at odd times, but Claire never questioned her. Claire discovers that both she & her mother are werewolves & members of the local pack. Most of the story deals with Claire coming to terms with her identity, falling in love, & a rogue werewolf that is killing people in Hanover. I really enjoyed "Claire de Lune," mainly for the new twist on werewolf mythology. I actually didn't know who the rogue werewolf was until the end, which could definitetly lead to a sequel.

First of all I am 12 years old, but my review may help other young adults my age give this book a chance. I thought this book was very interesting because it was very descriptive. As I was reading it, I felt like I was there. In some ways I felt I was like Claire and related to her life as a teenager. Don't be fooled by reading just the 1st chapter and think that this book is boring, because it gets better and better as you read. I liked Claire's and Matthews relationship in the story because it has ups and downs and he never gives up on her so that shows that he loves her. I cant explain much because I don't want to give the story away. The ending of the story makes me excited to read the next book in this series! I can't wait! Thanks!