TITLE: ShiverAUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
SUMMARY: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - is a haunting presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human -- until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears and the temperature drops, Sam must fight to stay human or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. - From Publisher
REVIEW: The parallels of awesomeness I'm about to draw will blow your mind. Okay, so that's total bull. Unless it does blow your mind in which case go me! I digress. While I read this book I realized a few things that unknown to me, defined this brunette from an early age and something that caused my fandom heart to burst with wonderful nostalgia while I read this.
Lets start with a defining moment. When I was little, like kindergarten age, I remember going on family vacationsw or driving out to my Uncle's cabin and listening to Meat Loaf. It was my Mom's favorite and while the cassette cover disturbed me (young children should not be exposed to rippled men on motorcycles bursting out of hell, it's begging for them to have a love for the speed racer/bad boy types) I loved the music. One of my favorites was "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)". The song started with the following: "[Boy:] On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? // [Girl:] Will he offer me his mouth // [Boy:] Yes. // [Girl:] Will he offer me his teeth? // [Boy:] Yes. // [Girl:] Will he offer me his jaws? // [Boy:] Yes. // [Girl:] Will he offer me his hunger? // [Boy:] Yes. // [Girl:] Again, will he offer me his hunger? // [Boy:] Yes! // [Girl:] And does he love me? // [Boy:] Yes. // [Girl:] Yes. // [Boy:] On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? // [Girl:] Yes. // [Boy:] I bet you say that to all the boys!". I didn't get all the implications or smuttiness that the song implied I just thought it was about Red Riding Hood or something like that. This was the start of my wolf love. Now when I read a werewolf novel I know I'm loving and enjoying the book if this song jumps in my head. This song was on instant reply while I read Stiefvater's book.
Her characters were easy to fall for and from the first few paragraphs I knew this would be unlike other books I'd read from this genre and/or category. I liked how Stiefvater set this book up for the series. I felt like I got lots and really started to learn about the characters without being worried that in the next installments I'd get bored. I absolutely loved how Stiefvater didn't make Grace a whiner. She has her issues but was still written lovable and even with her at times absent parents that whole story line wasn't written like others I've read. Somehow I found it to be fresh, perhaps because it managed to stay balanced while giving it meat and adding to character development.
I also loved the style of this book, how we got chapters written in Grace's POV and others in Sam's, again, I liked the balance and insight that I got. Sometimes when it's all first person I get the longing to know what the other is thinking or feeling. I got that with this, yet I never found myself confused or that it tore my focus.
My favorite thing about this book, other than listening to Meat Loaf on replay, was the romance between Grace and Sam. Their whole journey and how he watched her for so long and she waited for him and how they longed for each other but figured it to be impossible was so Buffy & Angel. It was early seasons BtVS and how their budding romance was full of chaste kisses and simply being in each others presence. I found that far more romantic than if they just jumped into making out. The build up of it all was wonderful and filled in gaps where the plot may have slacked a bit. When there was a little plot slack I found I didn't care because I was so engaged in these two as both individuals and as a pair.
Easily, the best teen/ya romance I've read. I wish more were like this.
Definitely recommend this book to others. I think those that enjoy this genre will love this first book and Linger (book 2) is now on my must snag list. I hope with book 2 we get more from other characters, as the cast has a slew of potential.
RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
