 | Title: Nocturne
 Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sexual activity and sex. Rating:
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. |
Description
Some secrets are too dangerous...
After the tragic events of the summer, Claire is looking forward to a new school year. All she wants to worry about is finding the most gorgeous dress to wear to the Autumn Ball with her perfect boyfriend.
But as Claire knows all too well, the life of a werewolf is never that simple, or that sweet.
When Claire’s human and wolf lives start to collide, her worst nightmares come true. She is hurting her best friend. She has been caught lying. And then the unthinkable happens: Someone discovers Claire’s secret.
If Claire’s werewolf identity is exposed, everyone she knows will be put at risk. And the pack’s response comes at a cost higher than Claire can imagine. Claire will be forced to determine just how far she is willing to go to protect her family, her identity and her life, before she loses it all...
Review
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.
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