Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult
Published: 08/01/09
Summary:

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 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. Same 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.

Plot: 5 Stars
Werewolves are my favorite supernatural creature, so I had to read this book. And I was not disappointed. I found the author's twist on the werewolf very refreshing. Although I normally don't care for stories in which the moon does not control a werewolf, there were other factors controlling them in it's place that were very unique and interesting.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
There were a few moments that felt a little slow and repetitive, but nothing really got in the way of the flow of the story. I also liked the dual perspective between Grace and Sam's point of views. It helped me understand more than I would have with only one of those perspectives.

Characters: 5 Stars
All of the characters in Shiver were well developed. I loved both Grace and Sam, and really felt for them as the events in the book transpired. I also felt like I knew the wolves, even the ones that were never in their human form during the story.

Cover: 5 Stars
The cover is both beautiful and mysterious, and makes you want to know exactly what the book is about. And what I liked even more than the cover, was that the text in the actual book was a dark blue (instead of the normal black) to match the cover. It was subtle, but a very cool detail.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.