Book Review: Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3.5)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Publishing Date: July 1st 2014
Length: 357 pages
Keywords: YA, romance, paranormal, werewolves, music, Los Angeles
Source: Bought

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

Summary by Goodreads

The thing about SINNER is that you can't start this book expecting perfect characters who engage in uncomplicated conversations and who get in situations that unmistakably lead to a happy ending.
   There's so much about this novel that isn't conventional that you just have to bow to Maggie Stiefvater for being the writer that she is. Mostly she just lets her characters live their complicated and strange lives. Sometimes though, in exactly the right moments and in between cookie breaks, Maggie decides to nudge them in the right direction. The direction towards every reader's heart that is.
   Also, Maggie Stiefvater writes atmosphere and scenery like few others. If she needed it for her story she'd just rip the hot concrete out of L.A. and put it into her novel to function as a racing track for Cole and his favourite Mustang. This novel practically smells like L.A.

SINNER didn't at all feel like the previous three books in the SHIVER trilogy. Set in L.A., it is hot and there are no woods. This is city life with its masses of anonymous people searching for fame and fortune. SINNER works as a standalone. Nevertheless, I'd recommend reading SHIVER, LINGER and FOREVER first. Cole and Isabel share a past that is quite important for their story. Or at least their story feels way more substantial and meaningful if you know about what happened before.
   Fans of the THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series will be happy to hear what Grace and Sam have been up to.

SINNER wasn't as much about the wolves as the SHIVER trilogy, and more about Cole's new life in L.A. and Isabel trying to find her place in life, too.

   A big part of the story is dedicated to the show buisness, how Cole is producing a new album or making up lyrics in his head. And for that he's required to play his part in a reality TV show. The Cole St. Clair show is on. I wasn't opposed to the idea of a reality TV show being backdrop for our story, and seeing how Maggie made it a part of Cole's story, it worked for me. It was all about fully embracing the L.A. lifestyle. The acquaintances and friends Cole makes, bring another edge of non-conformity to the story. Refreshing and laugh-out-loud funny dialogues are guaranteed!

Cole and Isabel are both messy, slightly broken characters with enormously fragmented pasts. In their imperfection they find happiness and they somehow fit together even with their sharp edges.

  They both have quick tempers and are hurt easily, so there will be many bumps in the road to their happy ending. It wasn't as dark in Cole's head as before though and I was positively surprised at how much he wanted his relationship with Isabel to work. 

   With exactly the right amount of shirtless Cole and passionate kisses in non-camera-equipped shower stalls, Maggie Stiefvater brings back my favourite couple from her SHIVER trilogy and gives them a second chance at finding a way to each other.

5/5 ***** SINNER - If you loved Cole St. Clair in THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series you are probably going to propose to him after you've read SINNER!

After years of longing, hoping and wishing, Maggie Stiefvater presented her loyal readers with the ending for Cole and Isabel's story they have literally been waiting for since FOREVER. You can look forward to a few weeks in Los Angeles with your favourite rock star and dive into the glamorous world of music and reality TV. Cole and Isabel's reckless, messy and passionate love story invites readers to devour SINNER in record reading time.

"I can't change the way I'm made. I'm a performer, a singer, a werewolf, a sinner.

Just because I'm singing it for a crowd doesn't make it untrue.

If we make it through this alive, I'm going to tell you the truth of why. And this time you had better believe me.

I came back for you, Isabel." ― p. 2

SINNER you might enjoy the THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series and find out more about Cole and Isabel's lives before they meet again in Los Angeles.

* Have you started Maggie Stiefvater's THE RAVEN BOYS yet?

* Click here for an excerpt of SINNER.

* You can watch the SINNER book trailer here.

* Want to meet Maggie? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Maggie and her books visit www.maggiestiefvater.com.

Coveresque feat. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (US vs. French vs. German)

   US                                       French                                    German

It's time for another Coveresque post, this week featuring THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater.

The US cover creates a great contrast between its white background and the black, very dominant raven in the foreground. I really like the blue and red in its feathering. It's not one of those covers who could be confused with a similar cover. I can't think of one that looks like Maggie's THE RAVEN BOYS cover. Can you?

When I look at the French cover I wouldn't expect to find a YA story, more like a classic, behind it. I wouldn't pick up the French copy if I judged only by its cover.

The German cover looks like the cover for a children's book. It's mysterious and darker than the US cover, but kind of youngish, too. There's no raven on the cover but an egg shape around its title. "Wen der Rabe läuft" translates into "Who the raven calls". 

On the right you can see two more THE RAVEN BOYS covers, US paperback and Swedish. 

My favourite is the US (and the paperback cover with the raven boys on it) because it's artsy and memorable just like Maggie Stiefvater. 

Q! Which cover do you like best?

New Companion Novel & Spin-Off Series Announced

Book news days are always the best, don't you think? It's also a nice change to just see the news pop up on Twitter and not be connected with a super exclusive reveal in 24 hours on a big news website. 

 SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater

Source Daily News

And the internet did it again. Broke Maggie Stiefvater's website very effectively when the news were out. Now you can read all about her new companion novel to the SHIVER series here.

What Maggie has been referring to as her WhitePantsNovel before has a name. Her new book with the title SINNER (THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS #3.5) is a standalone, set in L.A. and it's about Cole St. Clair and Isabel Culpeper. I can't tell you how brightly I am buzzing with excitement right now! Cole and Isabel have always been my favourite characters of the SHIVER series (yep, not Sam and Grace), they are one of the hottest couples in YA and they SO deserved a continuation of their story. SINNER will be released July 1st 2014. Read the official description below.

Q! I'm hoping they do something very different and modern with the SINNER cover. Or would you like for it to fit with the rest of the SHIVER series?

A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy.

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

"Legions of fans -- myself included -- have wanted Maggie to return to the world of Shiver, and now she's found an ingenious, sexy, utterly compelling way to do it," says David Levithan, VP/Publisher and Editorial Director, Scholastic Press. "This isn't so much a re-visitation as it is a reinvention, with Maggie taking readers to many places they've never been with her before. There is nothing quite so amazing as Maggie Stiefvater at the top of her game."

Author Maggie Stiefvater says, "For me, finishing the Shiver trilogy was a bittersweet moment -- I knew that I wouldn't be returning to Mercy Falls once Sam and Grace's story was over. But Cole and Isabel still lurked in the back of my mind. Both of them were only half-fixed at the end of the trilogy, and I wanted to know if they could be fixed the rest of the way."

DANGEROUS CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Source We Heart It

And the other fabulous announcement is about a cool new spin-off series to the bestselling BEAUTIFUL CREATURES books by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The first book DANGEROUS CREATURES (DANGEROUS CREATURES #1) will be released on May 6th 2014 and will be all about Link and Ridley. Read all about it plus an interview with the authors on MTV Hollywood Crush. 

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

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Stories are continuing 

The joy about additional books to a believed to be finished series is always great. Announcements of companion novels or spin-off series are just as welcome. Fans want their favourite stories to find a satisfying end, see their beloved characters ride into the sunset. Yet, there is always that tiny piece of us wondering. Wondering about what happens after the happily ever after. A feeling that never lets us label a series as truly finished, eternally concluded. In our minds the stories are going on, and sometimes when authors don't quite feel like leaving their worlds or returning to them we are lucky to be the first to get our hearts stolen...again. 

 The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare 

What had been planned as an original trilogy evolved into a six-book series. I remember being on vacation when I watched the live chat with Cassandra Clare announcing three more books and I was beyond thrilled about that news. The new books are different than the first ones, not in a bad way, and the series is still one of my favourites. Need a reason? Duh, Jace is all I'm saying.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

The number of nearly 60.000 ratings on Goodreads for the first book in the Bloodlines series is pointing out the pretty obivious. People had been waiting for a chance to spend more time in the world of Richelle Mead's vampire creations and alchemists. This spin-off series following alchemist Sydney and Moroi darling Adrin will be told over the course of six books. The sixth and last book in the series will be out in 2015.

Rift by Andrea Cremer

Rift and Rise are both part of the prequel series to Andrea Cremer's famous Nightshade world. Books continuing the story rather than looking back and at what was before are more common I assume. Nonetheless Andrea Cremer fans were awaiting both books no less enthusiastically.

The Call of the Forgotten by Julie Kagawa 

Also in 2012 we got the first of three more books in the The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. It follows the original series' main character Meghan Chase's brother Ethan. Picking relatives of original main characters or fan favourite secondary characters is the best way to get readers involved and adding the new books to their wishlists. One reason to start such a spin-off series can often be found in readers hoping to catch glimpses of their characters of interest from the original series.

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Stories I wish continued with a spin-off series/ additional books

 #1

Across the Universe by Beth Revis 

Despite all previous reservations and doubts the The Across the Universe series became one of my all-time favourites. The last book was very emotional and I bet I'm not the only one hoping for a spin-off series. I imagine the new story to be set on our earth and we are following a character who is determined to find out what happened to the Godspeed population.

#2

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Four books in a series. A pretty good number and a lot of pages to cover the many different crime cases Violet has found herself involved with. Still, not enough for the entire story to be convincingly wrapped up. Violet and Jay's story isn't finished and Kimberly Derting fans surely won't be giving up on a fifth book in future.

 #3

Delirium by Lauren Oliver 

This one I'm pretty sure won't be continued. Lauren Oliver is a very independent and artistic author and the ending of Requiem fits her one-hundred percent. It's just this Alex and Lena fan that can't stop wondering what happened to them after the walls were taken down.

Q!     What do you think about SINNER and DANGEROUS CREATURES? Have you put them on your wishlist already? And if you could somehow compel one author into continuing one (finished) series which would it be?