Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic Press
Released August 1, 2009
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.
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.
The first thing I noticed about this book, as I’m sure most people who have read it also did, was the language. It was written beautifully. There is just no other way to describe it. The words flowed together like poetry. Poetry was a big part of Sam’s character so it was a perfect fit.
Speaking of characters, I not only fell in love with Grace and Sam, but I fell in love with their story and their relationship. They are perfect for each other and have the kind of relationship anyone would want. But of course, there’s that one thing that’s threatening them. And it's a very big thing. As the reader, I felt so worried about them. Even when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about them and wondering how their relationship will survive Sam’s unavoidable existence as a wolf.
The only negative opinion I have about this book is I found some of the plot to be a bit unrealistic. Of course in a paranormal fantasy story, you have to suspend reality a bit, but you would expect the characters to still feel real. They did for the most part, but when Grace believes Sam and his condition so easily, I was surprised. I know she felt the connection between him and the wolf, but still. I think someone in her situation would have been a bit more afraid or doubtful. This criticism is extremely minor though because it did not stop me from enjoying the book as a whole or the other elements of the plot.
Speaking of characters, I not only fell in love with Grace and Sam, but I fell in love with their story and their relationship. They are perfect for each other and have the kind of relationship anyone would want. But of course, there’s that one thing that’s threatening them. And it's a very big thing. As the reader, I felt so worried about them. Even when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about them and wondering how their relationship will survive Sam’s unavoidable existence as a wolf.
The only negative opinion I have about this book is I found some of the plot to be a bit unrealistic. Of course in a paranormal fantasy story, you have to suspend reality a bit, but you would expect the characters to still feel real. They did for the most part, but when Grace believes Sam and his condition so easily, I was surprised. I know she felt the connection between him and the wolf, but still. I think someone in her situation would have been a bit more afraid or doubtful. This criticism is extremely minor though because it did not stop me from enjoying the book as a whole or the other elements of the plot.
I was so happy I checked out not only this book from the library, but the sequel, Linger, as well. As soon as this was done I dove right in to Linger and you might want to consider having it handy so you can do the same!
Read my review for the next book, Linger, here.
Beautifully written review! I'm really glad you liked it. It's an AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL story. Can't wait to read Linger. I don't know why I'm waiting so long to read it. I've been wanting to read it ever since I finished Shiver.
ReplyDeleteGuess I'm just waiting on Forever. :p
Can't wait to see what you think of Linger!
Glad you enjoyed it! I love Maggie's writing, and wish my own was a quarter as good as hers. Glad you enjoyed it, and I can't wait for Forever! Though I do recommend putting off Linger for a bit, because the wait between Linger and Forever is so much worse than the one between Shiver and Linger.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great review! Shiver and Linger are BOTH on my to-buy list this year!
ReplyDelete