Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson
Series: Claire De Lune (#1)
Pages: 336
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: May 18th, 2010
Published: May 18th, 2010
IBSN: 9781416991823
Torn between two destinies?
Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.
As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?
[Synopsis by Goodreads]
Claire De Lune is written in the third person perspective of Claire, who has recently found out she's a werewolf. Claire's a likable heroine, with natural reactions. She takes time to get accustomed to being a werewolf, and sees the downside in it. She acts and thinks like a teenager her age, though matures as you would expect under her situation.
Claire De Lune was set in a world that already knew about the existence of werewolves, and had organisations set up with the aim of containing/curing them. This setting was completely at odds to most of the paranormal books I've read where the 'creatures' are secret. It was refreshingly different.
Matthew was a good love interest: funny and sweet. I liked how he wasn't typical mysterious one with the paranormal background, but completely normal instead. His relationship with Claire felt natural.
I liked how the antagonist turned out to be someone already part of the story, someone no one knew was actually bad. Their motives were clear without them giving the token villain speech, which always gets on my nerves. I mean, why would the bad guy just lay their plan out and invite it to be foiled?
I felt like the book could have used more action, or at least a more difficult solution to the complication. But the ending was satisfying. I don't think I'll read the sequel books, because this book ended happily and there aren't any loose plots to be continued upon in further books.
To summarize, Claire De Lune is a cleverly titled and well written debut. I give it a 4 out of 5.
