Monday, August 19, 2013

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

When Grace was young, she was attacked by a pack of wolves that lingered at the edge of the woods behind her house. She didn't resist the clawing and biting, instead, she laid there. One of the wolves saved her, he brought her to safety. Sam was like any other little boy with loving parents and not a doubt in the world. When he was bit, his whole life was turned around. He is now a werewolf. Sam has watched Grace from outside her backyard window since she's been bitten. As Grace grew, she became more and more entranced by the mysterious wolf that watched her from the edge of the woods. When Sam is in his occasional human form, he finally talks to Grace. From that moment, they fall for each other. Their love becomes strong, but this is Sam's final year as a human. Once he's full wolf, he wont have any trace of Grace. No memories, no feelings, nothing. What will they do to keep their love intact??

The first book of the Shiver trilogy is very captivating. Once I took in the first chapter, I could not put it down. I was gripping the book to find out what would happen next. Maggie Stiefvater's novels do not disappoint. Shiver is a mix of fiction and teen romance. The use of science instead of "magic" was more original in my opinion. As I read, I felt that this element made the book feel more realistic even though it was a fictional novel. Unfortunately, I did not continue to read the rest of this series after the second book, Linger, because it was just not to my liking.

Reviewed by Alyssa P., grade 9.
Montrose Library

2 comments:

Princess said...

This is great!

Teen Speak said...

After being attacked by wolves in her own back yard, Grace has been fascinated with them. Especially the one with the yellow eyes. Her wolf. Sam is his name, though, when he's human. He always watches Grace, but from a distance. But now Sam finally gets the courage to say something to his beautiful human. From then on they know they are in love, it is undeniable by everyone. Now it's getting colder and Sam has to hold on to his humanity, and Grace onto Sam.

How do you get a girl to explain her feelings for one of her favorite love stories? It is impossible to write down all you thoughts about this one book. So i will try to explain my thoughts as best as possible.

Grace and Sam's love isn't just about the kissing and the gooey, mushy stuff. It's about sacrifice and loyalty. Going through the tough stuff. I've heard some people say that it was confusing to read with the different POV's, and i agree, sometimes i would forget who was speaking, but after reading it a lot, i finally got used to it. Please don't let my really bad summary (it kinda sounds like Twilight) throw you off. It is really a great read and a great love story.

Reviewed by Emily S.,grade 9
Montrose Crescenta Branch