Book Review of "Forever" by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal 

Source: Bought

Overall Grade: 
A
I thought...
Higher highs and lower lows make for a perfect end to one of my favorite series EVER!

Add to Goodreads | Order from Amazon

__________________________________________________________________

Summary (from Goodreads):

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

__________________________________________________________________

My Thoughts:

Sam. Grace. Cole. Isabel.

I love these books. I love the writing, I love the way that an otherwise ordinary story is made extraordinary with words and lyrics and poems committed to memory.

But most of all, I love the characters.

Maggie Stiefvater has done an incredible job with The Wolves of Mercy Falls. Each book adds complexity on complexity, as the characters are fleshed out and kissed and lost, but found again.

When Forever begins, each character still has their own set of problems that make their lives particularly difficult. By the end of Forever, these problems are addressed and resolved, but not SOLVED. There is no neat solution to the overall problems... Cole's guilt and tortured past, Grace's relationship with her parents, Sam's love/hate relationship with Beck, Isabel's explosive family life.

Nor is the problem at the heart of these novels, the mystery of the werewolf... disease? toxin? affliction? explained away and wrapped in a box with a shiny red bow. Rather, the issue escalates into a conflict where death, for every main character, is not only probable, but almost imminent.

While this book serves as a perfect conclusion to the series, in that it doesn't feel like a set conclusion, yet leaves very little lingering questions, it also stands out as a seriously enjoyable read on its own. Not only are we able to escape back into the heads of Grace, Sam, Cole, and Isabel, but we are also shown more romance, conflict, and complications than any of the previous books.

Forever is essentially a paranormal coming-of-age story with equal parts romance, thrill, and mystery. It is lyrical and poignant, but very, very readable. It is funny, yet brutal, honest, yet idealistic.

For those readers that are tired of overused clichés and characters that fall flat on the page, read this book. Well, read Shiver and Linger first... then read this one.

__________________________________________________________________

Overall Grade: 

A

Would I recommend it? 

Higher highs and lower lows make for a perfect end to one of my favorite series EVER!

Add to Goodreads | Pre-order from Amazon

Tweet

(Full Disclosure: Any books purchased from Amazon through the links on this page will result in a small commission to me.)