Saturday, October 9, 2010

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?

12 comments:

  1. Great review! I'm so happy you enjoyed this book. I love how you have your review layout! Have you read Linger yet...another fantastic novel!

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  2. Oh, very good. I like the review and its structure. The book sounds awesome. I will read it along with some reading freinds next month. Can't wait.

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  3. Hey!!

    I'm finishing this book, probably will read the last pages today! It sure is a great book and I can't wait to read Linger and Forever. ;)

    Guta
    http://www.murphyslibrary.com/

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  4. Thank you all for leaving a comment:)I'm glad you enjoy my review and Shiver. I've already read Linger,will post my review of it tomorrow after I'm back from Frankfurt book fair and hopefully meeting Maggie Stiefvater there! Feel free to link your Shiver reviews in the comments if you've written one:)

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  5. Hi Miss Page Turner. Wow...I read quite a number of reviews about the series but I never even care about that. But, your review amaze me and make me want to start read the books. Thanks for the review!! This series goes into my wishlist. Yeah!!

    My latest review is on The Sirens of Baghdad.. a story about how war really affect people who directly involved in it.Feel free to head over my blog to read the review.

    http://coffeecrackers.blogspot.com/2010/10/sirens-of-baghdad-by-yasmina-khadra.html

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  6. Thanks for the review, now I want to read this book. Some of my friends have recommended it to me, but I couldn't decide because my friends and my choice of books don't always agree... But after reading this review, I've decided I am going to read it.

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  7. Awh! Wonderful review :) I freaking love this book! The ending was so heart-wrenching! I sobbed like a baby; tried not to get my tears on the pages of my book, LOL!

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  8. I'm a big fan of this series. It is very raw.

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  9. The Wolves of Mercy Falls is one of my favorite series of all time. If you love Maggie's writing style, you should get her new standalone novel, The Scorpio Races! i loved that one so, so much. it's brilliant. i'm glad you liked Shiver the second time of reading it! i don't think a lot of people understand how important the achingly slow pace is. great review!

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  10. I have this book *-* and I cannot wait to read it omg!!:D

    http://thespaceofagerman.wordpress.com/

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  11. This book is my highest inspiration and my sole favorite. Beautiful, wonderful, poetic, and so simple that I envy Maggie Steifvater's ability to weave emotion into a quiet plot.

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