Shiver by Stiefvater
November 15, 2009
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Posted by Heather
Shiver
Written by: Maggie Stiefvater
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2009)
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As a child, Grace was stolen by a pack of starving wolves and dragged into the woods behind her house to become their supper. But a yellow-eyed wolf saved her. Ever since, she has been haunted by her wolf and has become obsessed with him. They finally meet after a wolf-hunt (undertaken to rid the town of the wolves who have apparently killed a local teen) that sends a wounded and suddenly human Sam into Grace’s arm’s.
Sam had two lives; the one he lives with his pack and the one that sees him watching Grace from afar. When he is wounded and finds himself with her, finally, after all these years, he is desperate to cling to his humanity and put off the inevitable transformation back into a wolf. As they cling to each other and their fragile love, they also have to contend with others who would see Sam put down. Permanently.
Yes, yes, yes! This is yet another tale about a supernatural type being falling in love with a human girl. I KNOW. I have to say though, and I hope you will believe me, that Stiefvater has done so much more with this story of two misfits finding each other and falling in love despite unusual circumstances. Her transitioning from the regular world to a world where men turn into wolves is seamless. It is told in the alternating voices of Sam and Grace, which can be jarring, but here it works. Each character has a very distinctive voice and I think if you didn’t watch the chapter titles to know who was speaking, you would still be able to tell. The characters are well written and I really liked Grace. She’s a strong, intelligent, brave young woman which is so important to have in YA literature. Steifvater is also great with showing, not telling; you can see the chemistry between Grace and Sam without them saying “I love you” every couple of pages.
I read Lament after it first came out and really liked it, but I am even more impressed with Stiefvater’s growth as a writer between the two books. She is definitely a YA author to watch and I can’t wait to read Ballad, and the next book in this series.
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I received this book from the library because they were sweet enough to buy it for me.
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Categories: Book Reviews
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Tags: 2009, Book Reviews, Books, maggie stiefvater, shiver, werewolves, YA Lit, young adult lit
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Hooray for strong, intelligent heroines.
But what is with all of the book covers lately featuring branches? Although I guess it’s an improvement over all of the book covers showing the back of a woman’s head.
.-= softdrink´s last blog ..The Haunting of Hill House =-.
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This one sounds right up my alley. You’re killing me with all your awesome recs, Heatheroo. And how nice of your library to take the plunge and purchase this one.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon – Or What’s Shakin’ at Chez Andi =-.
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It does sound like the book is done very well – I’m just not sure it’s for me.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Review: A Christmas Ride =-.
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I really enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to reading her other two books when they come in for me at the library.
.-= Kailana´s last blog ..Week in Review and Sunday Book Coveting =-.
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I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. I love books that take the same old story, twist it, and put something so intelligent and so different into the reader’s hands. Great review.
.-= Vasilly´s last blog ..Sunday Salon: A Day Full of Challenges =-.
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Love your review. I really need to read this one!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday =-.
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Testing something, ignore me
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Testing some more
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Ohhh I loved Shiver…..read it everyone…it’s a great book
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This one has been sitting in my TBR pile for much too long! I keep meaning to read it and then get distracted by another book. I’m not a huge fan of the genre (haven’t even read Twilight!!), but I keep hearing how good this book is, so I do hope to get to it soon. Thanks for the review.
.-= Sue Jackson´s last blog ..Top Ten Books That Disappointed Me =-.
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I just picked this one up from the library last week. So glad it’s worth the effort!!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Randomness =-.
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Only this morning did I realize that it could be given Twilight comparisons with the whole supernatural being, human girl thing, but it is SO not like Twilight! I really enjoyed this.
.-= Jen – Devourer of Books´s last blog ..Now & Then – Book Review and Giveaway =-.
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I love that the characters are all very vibrant and distinctive. That helps when the characters don’t all blur together. I have been wanting to read this one. Maybe 2010!
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Take Me Away…to Yemen =-.
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