Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Source: Bought
Overall Grade:
A
I thought...
Simply one of my favorite books ever. Really.
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Summary (from Goodreads):__________________________________________________________________
the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.
the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.
My Thoughts:
Wow.
Why didn't I read this book sooner?
I absolutely LOVED Shiver. I loved the split narrative between characters. I loved Grace and I loved Sam. I especially loved Isabel.
Stievater created characters that lived and breathed in the room with me while I read. When Sam ruminated on the poetry of German poet Rilke, I ruminated with him. I watched while Grace watched the wolves behind her house and I felt like her wolf was my wolf, too.
The paranormal and romantic sides of Shiver were perfectly balanced and well paced. I always felt that pull to keep reading, even in moments when the conflict wasn't especially strong.
I know this review isn't very balanced. So I'll try to sum things up:
Shiver is a welcome addition to YA lit's Paranormal Romance genre with its lyrical narration, deep characterization and new element of mysticism in the popular werewolf meme.
The only other thing I have to say about Shiver is a bit of a warning: this book is not the light-and-airy YA read that is full of rainbows and dancing puppies. It's not dark either. It's neither. It's different.
I'm reading the sequel in this "Wolves of Mercy Falls" series, called Linger, now. I'll let you know what I think. ;)
__________________________________________________________________
Overall Grade:
A
I thought...
Simply one of my favorite books ever. Really.
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Shiver and Linger are both on my TR pile. So many good books, so few hours in the day! Thanks for the follow, and I look forward to reading more from you here :))
ReplyDeleteHey, I just wanted to say I stopped by your blog because of the name. I love redhead heroines!
ReplyDeleteNicole: Yes, I definitely agree with you. There is no time to read all the books we want!!
ReplyDeleteHeather: Thanks so much! :)
Definitely a fun book to read! It's been a while since I read it though so I don't actually remember much from it! But great review!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this book, too. In fact, it looks like we've read a lot of the same books. Great taste, lady! And thanks for the follow on my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Mary! I guess we do have similar tastes. Just read your review of Evermore and I totally agree! What a flat ending to the first book in a (somehow) bestselling series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting! :)