Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Release Date: 8/1/2009

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal/Romance

About the Book: Grace was attacked by wolves when she was 11, but was saved by a yellow-eyed wolf. Since then, Grace has had a fascination with the wolves, watching them in the winter, and waiting for them to return in the summer. And she’s always felt drawn to the yellow-eyed wolf.

Sam leads a dual life. In warm weather he is human, in the winter he’s a wolf. But wolves won’t always change to be human forever, and Sam is at the end of his human life.

When Grace meets Sam, she recognizes his yellow eyes and is immediately drawn to him. But Sam was shot in a hunt against the wolves in the winter and Sam doesn’t have much time.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I was excited but nervous to read this one. There’s so much buzz surrounding it and I didn’t want to be let down. I shouldn’t have been nervous-this book exceeded my expectations and I was drawn in to Sam and Grace’s story.

Shiver is paranormal romance at its best. This book did exactly what I want other paranormal romances to do (I’m looking at you Twilight). The story draws you in and will not let you go. You are engaged in the characters. You care about what happens and you’re left breathless and have to keep turning the pages. This is a book that when I stopped reading, I had to come out of a reading fog because I would be so drawn into the story it took me a minute to remember where I was. This is one I'm already passing on to friends and talking up because I want to share it with everyone.

Sam and Grace are both strong characters who are also flawed. They have numerous obstacles to overcome and life isn’t sunshine and roses for either of them. I knew why Grace was attracted to Sam, and it wasn’t just because he was a hot guy-he had depth. He was sweet and charming, but was also broken, which made him an interesting character.

The chapters are told in alternating viewpoints, so you really get inside both Sam and Grace and learn who they really are. I thought this would be confusing, but after I read a few chapters I got used to it and it was easy to follow who was telling the story.

Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is very lyrical and poetic. The story isn’t full of action, but that was ok. The story may move at a slower pace than other books, but the plot unfolds quickly. There are multiple layers to the story and that adds to the delight of the reader as you unravel the many stories that are wrapped up here. Yes, it’s mainly Sam and Grace’s story, but there are other stories and characters that I can’t wait to read more about.

There are some loose ends, but I think with the sequels we’ll learn more about the wolves of Mercy Falls and Shiver stands on it’s own very well. If any book is going to dethrone Twilight’s reign and have adult appeal as well as teens, I think Shiver could do it. A beautifully told story that is a must-read for paranormal fans-add this one to the top of your reading pile!

Check out this trailer that Maggie made-and it features her music! Also, for more of Maggie's beautiful music, check out this feature on Borders.