Book Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic

Publishing Date: October 2009

Length: 434 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

5/5 ***** Just as a season is representative for all of nature’s unique miracles, Shiver is a symphony of natural and beautiful feelings! This is a must read!

~ The Author ~ 

All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her 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 she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, three neurotic dogs and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

Author profile by Goodreads 

For further information check out http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/shiver/index.php

(especially I love her explaining how to pronounce her name: "" Steve-Otter". Like the name " Steve", and the little furry animal otter.") 

 

And to experience Maggie Stiefvater’s daily wit and humour visit her blog here: http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/

~ The Novel ~

Shiver is the first part of The Wolves of Mercy Falls triology and was published in 2009 by Scholastic. Linger, the second book was published in July 2010. Now fans are eagerly awaiting the third and last book in the triology, Forever, which will be released in July 2011. Shiver was over 40 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller lists and Linger debuted at #1. What do we have to expect of Forever then?

~ The Story ~ 

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling 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, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. 

Summary by Goodreads 

Interested in more? Click here to read the first chapter of Shiver! 

To hear Maggie Stiefvater read the first two chapters of Shiver, click here!

~ The Review ~ 

Grace is the realistic and practical human girl. Sam, the only romantic and talented in the arts wolf out in the woods. Together they are the lovers which aren’t destined to be with each other. A cliché? In this case, definitely not! 

Maggie Stiefvater doesn’t write about two handsome, shallow teenagers who fall in love with the other just because he’s handsome or sexy. Throughout the whole novel she throws in background information and lets one character tell us about past happenings. Maggie doesn’t show us why and how Grace and Sam care for each by letting them say “ I love you” three times a chapter, but by little gestures and actions. I love how Grace and Sam express their feelings in their very own ways, they seem to sense each others feelings and complete the other so easily.

Furthermore I consider it very refreshing that Shiver is told from two points of views, the male protagonist’s Sam and his female counterpart’s Grace. 

As temperature is very important for the young lovers, right below each chapter title, a small bubble indicates the actual temperature in Mercy Falls. And so even before reading the first sentence of a new chapter, we feel our stomach churn with every degree it gets colder and colder. 

In Shiver the love of Grace and Sam is set under pressure by the ticking of a natural bomb, the seasonal changes. I was really surprised there is no real human antagonist in Shiver, but a 23,5 degree fixing the earth to its position, but that makes this novel even more thrilling and perfectly fits its overall style.  

I think you made the right choice Maggie, preferring  to stay at home in your pyjama,  otherwise maybe there wouldn’t be a novel with Shiver’s engaging charme. Each passing day lets us hope, each falling leave lets us fear… will there be a chance for Sam and Grace to be together?

~ We love this book because... ~

1) Maggie Stiefvater reminds us of our childhood wish of living in a candy shop with all its fruity, sweet and tasty smells

2) it makes us mourn the transition from summer to winter even more

3) it shows that hospital scenes can actually be enjoyable and doesn't always have to be terribly sad

4) it transforms a bookstore into an even lovelier place than it already is in reality and makes us want to stay there forever, between rows and rows of books, snuggled up in a loveseat

5) it lets German poetry become fashionale again

~ The Verdict ~

The transition from summer to winter has never been so heart wrenchingly sad before! A life saved, a beginning romance and a conflict that brings you close to tears and despair. Anything more you are searching for in a great book?