Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater


author: Maggie Stiefvater
release date: July 31, 2009 (paperback May 31, 2010)
AR Level/points: 4.9/14.0
appeals to: Young Adult
length: 400 pages
overall rating: 5 stars

the inside flap:
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 review:
I first heard of Shiver while procrastinating and reading book reviews mid-November, and since it was a well recommended werewolf story, I checked it out. From the first page, I was captivated by the writing and the story in this book. The story is told from the perspectives of both Grace and Sam in alternating chapters. I thought the insight from both characters added to the story because as a reader, you are able to feel both of their feelings, even when they can’t explain them to each other.

While Shiver is a “werewolf” story, it is also a story of a strong, all encompassing, first love. Maggie Stiefvater creates such a beautiful world and such realistic feelings and emotions with her writing, that I wasn’t ready to leave the world she had created when the book ended. For the first time in my life, I actually reread this book immediately after finishing it the first time. Then, I found out that Stiefvater’s plan is for this to be the first book in “The Wolves of Mercy Falls” trilogy. I am anxiously awaiting book two – Linger – which is due out July 20, 2010.

short and snappy:
writing: beautiful – Stiefvater draws you in to a beautiful world!
plot: strong – the plot keeps you hooked and has unexpected twists
characters: personable – Sam and Grace are well developed and realistic, but there are also additional - “supporting” – characters that are also developed and definitely add to the plot.
judging by the cover: the cover is beautiful, and gives you the feel of the story.
miscellaneous.: I love that the book is set with a blue font – it just adds something. (I had to hold it up to a light to double check – the color isn’t distracting to the eyes or difficult to read.)