Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: August 1, 2009 Preorder from Amazon.

Last word first: I gobbled up this up in big greedy bites. This book has a way of casting a spell over you so you forget mundane things like eating and sleeping.

Would Joe like this book? He’d like parts of it, but he’d end up flipping through all the “talking about feelings ” parts.

Description: When Grace was eleven, she was attacked by the wolves that live in the forest behind her home. She would have died, but one of the wolves saved her life. Since that day, she’s been obsessed with the wolves, observing them, almost wishing she was one of them. She thought she was crazy, until the day she met Sam - her wolf - in his human form. As winter approaches, Sam fights to remain human, to stay with Grace. But Sam isn’t the only wolf out there, and they aren’t all as nice as he is.

My thoughts: Swoon.

I loved every page of Shiver. It quietly drew me in, without me even realizing it. The new presentation of werewolf mythology appealed to me. I liked that they were real wolves instead of some kind of slavering, moon-crazed creatures. I don’t want to give too much of the story away, so let me just say the concept of this book was fantastic.

Even the greatest concept is nothing without good characters, and Grace and Sam deliver. Grace has a girl next door, introverted charm that makes me wish I was friends with her. My only complaint was that she spent a little too much time whining about her parents ignoring her. Sam was my favorite, though. He's handsome (but not too handsome), he's mysterious, he's humble, he plays guitar and composes lyrics in his mind... sigh. They both felt so real to me, in their thoughts and in their dialogue, that I found myself wanting to talk to them as I was reading.

The point of view switches back and forth between Grace and Sam. This is a device I’m not always a fan of, but I think it really works here. The book wouldn't have been as good, or as gripping, without hearing the inner thoughts of both characters. Grace's longing to keep Sam, and her determination to find a cure couples nicely with Sam's determination to do the right thing, despite how much he wants to stay with Grace. The combination gives the story as a whole a sort of haunting melancholy that I absolutely loved.

I was struck by how eloquently this book was written. Stiefvater wields her words with style. There were so many phrases that I read over and over, just because I loved the images and the way they sounded. I was hoping to give you another quote, but in the end, my favorite is the one from the back cover of the ARC version of the book, "And then I opened my eyes and it was just Grace and me – nothing anywhere but Grace and me – she pressing her lips together as though she were keeping my kiss inside her, and me, holding this moment that was as fragile as a bird in my hands." (p.88 ARC)

Other than a couple of scenes that seemed a little over-dramatic (candy shop!), I adored Shiver. So, in summary, I highly recommend this book! Go and preorder it now!

Content alert! This book does contain some sexual content that would make me hesitant to recommend it for younger teens.

When you are left wishing for more... you can take comfort in the fact that Shiver is going to have a sequel! Linger is due out in Fall 2010. It is unclear from Maggie Stiefvater’s website whether the sequel will be about Sam and Grace specifically.

About Maggie Stiefvater: All of my life decisions have been based around my inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which I've tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists, musicians, and artists (I've made my living as one of these since I was 22). (borrowed from the Maggie Stiefvater website. You should go read it!)

Book Trailer:

Other reviews: The Bookbind - Harmony Book Reviews - Presenting Lenore - The Story Siren -