Claire de Lune

April 26, 2010
Johnson’s debut—her take on the popular werewolf lit genre—glimmers with mystery and a budding romance amid Romeo and Juliet–like complications. Claire is finally starting to feel like a normal teenager. It’s her 16th birthday, popular kids have shown up at her pool party, and wicked cute Matthew seems to like her. Then Claire discovers the family secret—she and her mother are werewolves. It’s an especially inopportune revelation, since a rogue werewolf is killing people in town and Matthew’s father, a member of the Federal Human Protection Agency, is leading the charge to capture and “cure” lycanthropes. Claire’s feelings for Matthew are too strong for her to obey her mother’s order to stop seeing him, and her secrets keep piling up as her full transformation approaches. With Claire’s local pack on the hunt for the rogue and an innocent werewolf in danger, things accelerate quickly as the next full moon approaches. Claire’s supportive relationship with Matthew is downright enviable, and her struggle to adjust and integrate the two sides of her life rounds out a satisfying story. Ages 12–up.

April 1, 2010
Gr 7 Up-For Claire Benoit, life in Hanover Falls has been pretty normal and uneventful. But all that changes on the night of her 16th birthday when she discovers a secret that will change her world forever. Her mother explains that she is a werewolf, descended from an extensive line of strong, female wolves. After being introduced to the pack, Claire learns that her full change will occur at the next full moon when she will be initiated into the pack. Claire has never been close to her mother, so this revelation leaves her totally lost and alone. Struggling with her new identity, she turns to Matthew, the charming, hunky soccer star who has been recently flirting with her. As their relationship begins to heat up, events seem to work against them. Werewolf attacks are occurring at an alarming rate in Hanover Falls, creating a state of panic. This unrest is further fueled by Matthew's father, who is a lycanthropy scientist and has organized the hunt for the rogue werewolf. Overwhelmed with trying to balance her old and new life, Claire must make decisions that alter her behavior and have ramifications for her future. Johnson weaves a page-turning tale of forbidden love, loyalty, friendship, and deception that will leave readers eager for more. Strong characters and major plot twists coupled with a new twist on werewolf mythology make this a fun and entertaining read that will satisfy fans of the genre."Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2010
Grades 8-10 On their sixteenth birthdays, the women in Claires family begin a three-month transformation into werewolvesa secret kept from the girls until they turn 16. Beginning with Claires suburban birthday partywhich is abruptly broken up by a werewolf attack in another part of town, causing panicked parents to demand that their teens get home at onceJohnson spins out an engaging and provocative riff on the werewolf tradition. Are they intrinsically antihuman? Bloodthirsty? Due the same respect other animals should receive in laboratory situations? Those questions are underscored by a romance between Claire and Matthew, the son of the prime public-hysteria-provoking werewolf hunter. Smooth writing and engaging main characters make for an easy read, while a feminist focus offers just a bit more for thoughtful readers. The red herrings arent particularly deluding, but bypassing them doesnt frustrate either. A good summer read for the romantically concerned and monster-obsessed midteen girl.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)