Book Review: Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future. [Source]

I was a little late to jump on this bandwagon – The Werewolves of Mercy Falls. I knew it was hugely popular, so I decided to buy and read the first one to see what the fuss was all about.

Oh, I am so glad I did! Shiver is, by and far, the best YA book I have read in a LONG time.

I was hooked right from the very first page. Each chapter is either from Grace or Sam’s point of view. There is a hint of foreshadowing right on the first page of each chapter, as there is a little number under each chapter title. The numbers tell you the temperature, which gives you an idea of how Sam is feeling. Of course, this creates a lot of suspense for the reader, which means the reader never wants to put the book down.

I was reading so fast that I got confused by all the different werewolves. Several times, I had to force myself to slow down and reread so I wouldn’t miss anything important.

When I got to the accident, I can only imagine how my face must have looked – eyes wide, mouthing, “No, no, please, no!” I was bawling like a baby by the end of that chapter. I had to put the book down and go grab a box of tissues so I could keep reading. I was so in love with Sam that Grace’s pain became my own. And what she did to the guitar – ohmigosh, it made me cry even harder.

I was left with several questions when the book ended, but I expected that to happen, since I knew that this is Book 1 in a trilogy. I can’t wait to find out what happened with Olivia… And the new recruits. If I had read this before publication of the other books, I would have said that the trilogy looks very promising. It’s a good thing Book 2 has already been published – I am going to go get it right away!

Rating: 5 hearts!