Review of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I've never written a review for a book or anything, so I will do my best :)
I don't recall exactly how I first heard about Shiver. It was probably in one of my many raids of the Chapters website.
Since everything in our society is being based around the fantasy worlds of vampires and werewolves, I've been into some vampire stuff (TV: Vampire Diaries, Movie/Books: Twilight Saga). However, when I read the synopsis I thought it sounded like a really good book and decided I should try out werewolves for a change, especially because I took such a liking to Jacob Black in the Twilight Saga. It was a good choice.
Shiver is the story of a girl, Grace, who has an obsessive fascination with the wolves living in the woods behind her house. One wolf in particular she calls her wolf, who saved her from an attack from the wolves when she was younger. Typically, the wolves are only wolves in the winter, until the weather warms up and they are human for the short summer months. When the wolves begin to appear again, there is an accident that changes Grace's wolf, Sam, back into his human form. They meet, finally, and Sam makes a point of trying his absolute hardest to stay human in order to be with Grace, his true love.
I've always loved romance stories, adult or teen, but of late they have been disappointing me, perhaps because I'm no longer in that lovey dovey state all the characters end up in. I was worried that the same thing would happen with Shiver, but this story really warmed my heart. The writing flowed amazingly and I just couldn't put it down. The love story of Sam and Grace was very precious to me. I think it had to do with the fact that it was such a fragile relationship, what with the prospect of Sam changing back to a wolf for who knows how long.
The book might be considered slow to some people who want more drama or action. However, I like the simplicities of the daily actions that Grace and Sam participate in (going to school, the bookstore, walking in the woods). It makes the fact that Sam is a werewolf seem like an underlying detail that isn't of importance, because as long as they can continue with daily life together, they'll be fine. At the same time though, the reader knows that something has to happen to go wrong and I think the suspense of that is what kept me from putting the book down. I was waiting for the big climax that caused their world to come crumbling down. Which it eventually did.
I want to continue and ruin the ending, but that wouldn't be fair to those who haven't read it yet. I will say that this book is amazing though, and Maggie drags the suspense of Grace and Sam's fragile relationship out to the very end. And the end, well, it's really good.
I just wanted to mention that as I read I felt an odd connection to the Twilight Saga. Some characteristics of Maggie's werewolves are similar to Stephenie Meyers's, however I never found myself comparing them, but only feeling that odd connection. Also, I did feel like Shiver would be an amazing movie as I was reading. How happy was I when I found out it will be and that it'll be out in 2012? VERY.
I can't wait for the next book in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, Linger, to hit the shelves! I will probably have it preordered and I will probably be waiting for it at my mailbox on July 20, 2010 :)
I don't recall exactly how I first heard about Shiver. It was probably in one of my many raids of the Chapters website.
Since everything in our society is being based around the fantasy worlds of vampires and werewolves, I've been into some vampire stuff (TV: Vampire Diaries, Movie/Books: Twilight Saga). However, when I read the synopsis I thought it sounded like a really good book and decided I should try out werewolves for a change, especially because I took such a liking to Jacob Black in the Twilight Saga. It was a good choice.
Shiver is the story of a girl, Grace, who has an obsessive fascination with the wolves living in the woods behind her house. One wolf in particular she calls her wolf, who saved her from an attack from the wolves when she was younger. Typically, the wolves are only wolves in the winter, until the weather warms up and they are human for the short summer months. When the wolves begin to appear again, there is an accident that changes Grace's wolf, Sam, back into his human form. They meet, finally, and Sam makes a point of trying his absolute hardest to stay human in order to be with Grace, his true love.
I've always loved romance stories, adult or teen, but of late they have been disappointing me, perhaps because I'm no longer in that lovey dovey state all the characters end up in. I was worried that the same thing would happen with Shiver, but this story really warmed my heart. The writing flowed amazingly and I just couldn't put it down. The love story of Sam and Grace was very precious to me. I think it had to do with the fact that it was such a fragile relationship, what with the prospect of Sam changing back to a wolf for who knows how long.
The book might be considered slow to some people who want more drama or action. However, I like the simplicities of the daily actions that Grace and Sam participate in (going to school, the bookstore, walking in the woods). It makes the fact that Sam is a werewolf seem like an underlying detail that isn't of importance, because as long as they can continue with daily life together, they'll be fine. At the same time though, the reader knows that something has to happen to go wrong and I think the suspense of that is what kept me from putting the book down. I was waiting for the big climax that caused their world to come crumbling down. Which it eventually did.
I want to continue and ruin the ending, but that wouldn't be fair to those who haven't read it yet. I will say that this book is amazing though, and Maggie drags the suspense of Grace and Sam's fragile relationship out to the very end. And the end, well, it's really good.
I just wanted to mention that as I read I felt an odd connection to the Twilight Saga. Some characteristics of Maggie's werewolves are similar to Stephenie Meyers's, however I never found myself comparing them, but only feeling that odd connection. Also, I did feel like Shiver would be an amazing movie as I was reading. How happy was I when I found out it will be and that it'll be out in 2012? VERY.
I can't wait for the next book in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, Linger, to hit the shelves! I will probably have it preordered and I will probably be waiting for it at my mailbox on July 20, 2010 :)