Shiver

It's a love story of a wolf-boy and a not-so-human girl. Wait. Just to make it clear, I'm not one of those girls falling in love with a werewolf (a big dog) or a vampire (a walking dead) or any monsters, whatsoever. Gah. Especially the dog. It is said in the story that Grace is already interested in Sam eventhough she did not know yet that he is half-human. Basically she was interested with the big dog. Ew. Haha.

So. Back to my review. For me, it was a pretty decent love story. Not bad but not so good, either. The story was slow paced and many people find it boring but not me. Hey, I'm not a fan of slow going stories either. But I love the way the author wrote it. You'll cling to every chapter of it, somehow searching for the thrilling moment that should be there. And when there hasn't any, you'll jump off right at the next chapter. Do I make sense?

And the girl, Grace, many compare her "obsessiveness" to Bella of 'Twilight'. They don't like it. So what? I do and I love Twilight, all right PMPL. And hey, both have happy endings. That's how story should end. At least to me. Overall: I rate it 3.5 stars ( )

Simply could not get into this book. I know a lot of people who loved it, but it couldn't keep me interested. I pushed through more than half way, but I couldn't force myself to finish it. And life is too short to force oneself to read a book just because it's popular. Sorry.

I loved this book. I got it this morning and could not put it down. It was so good, and super cute. ( )

The basic premise of this story is a simple one: girl watches boy from afar and falls in love. Except in this boy is a werewolf, and this girl was almost killed by his pack when she was a child. The werewolves’ change is affected by cold and heat, so the wolves who are not too old become human again in the summer. The temperature of day is noted at the beginning of each chapter, and this becomes increasingly important as time progresses. Grace finally meets Sam during what will probably be his last summer as a human, and the story takes off from there.

One thing that really bothered me about the plot is the importance attributed Sam’s yellow wolf eyes and their distinctiveness; however, adult wolves naturally have yellow eyes. Grace’s character seems to me a little flat; her world centers around Sam and caring for him. There seem to be few interactions with her parents and friends.

Supernatural romances are huge right now in the teen reading world, and this particular novel is fairly popular already. The chapters are short and move quickly, alternating between Grace and Sam’s point of view. And though the weak writing may bother some readers, many will likely snap up this novel. ( )

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Shiver

As a child, Grace was pulled from her tire swing by the wolves. But one wolf refused to let the pack kill her and carried her home. Ever since Grace has held a fascination with them, some believe it is an obsession. But every winter Grace watches for the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her. And every winter the yellow-eyed boy in a wolf’s body watches Grace. Sam will wait for her as long as he has to.

Shiver is one of my favorite young adult books, and I have read it multiple times. I wanted to do it justice by finally providing a detailed review. When I first read Shiver I fell in love with the concept of wolves changing during the winter, and the relationship Grace and Sam developed. Revisiting Shiver, the magic of Grace and Sam’s love still made me smile as I listened along with the audiobook. I even found myself speaking aloud some of my favorite quotes. The anticipation I felt with each scene was more than worth the reread. Although I did pick up on some things this time around I didn’t originally.

I love the chemistry between Grace and Sam. Maggie Stiefvater portrays their love through more than just spoken words. Grace and Sam are fiercely loyal to one another and would do anything for each other. It also helps that Sam is sensitive and artistic, the type of guy that as a young adult I dreamed of meeting. The two characters also balance one another with their personalities. Sam is quiet, more so the person to keep to himself, whereas Grace is bold and not afraid to push boundaries.

The faults I found with Shiver have nothing to do with the storyline or main characters. Grace’s parents were portrayed as aloof and absent. Grace pretty much raised herself with parents that habited the same house. However, there were moments that I think even irresponsible parents would have seen issues with. But, then again this is a young adult book and there is a thrill that goes along with getting away with something at that age.

Shiver is an easy read that will pull your heartstrings as Grace and Sam fight against time to stay together. It is a typical young adult romance, but it isn’t overly dramatic. The fantasy elements blend seamlessly with the overall storyline and create a breathtaking new look at werewolves. ( )