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Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

August 22nd, 2009 | 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, Book Review, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Friends, Memory Loss, Musician, Paranormal, S-U, Scarred Hero, Survival, United States of America, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine, Werewolf, Young Adult 

bookreview

Their love was hopeless and yet they couldn’t help but hope no matter how bleak and forbidden it was.

Grace has been searching for love for six years since her attack by wolves. Her heart leaps every time she sees the gray wolf with yellow eyes that saved her from the vicious pack. He only comes in winter and that is why she loves the austere season so much, because she can watch him. She tries to lure him closer with food and quiet patience until one day he does cross the line of the woods and let’s her run her hands through his ruff.

Sam has a secret. He’s been in love with Grace for six years and he’s the wolf outside her home in the winter clinging to the memory of her scent. He’s a werewolf and his time is running out. The cold makes them change, shed their human skin, until one day the heat of the sun can no longer turn them back. When he’s shot in the woods by hunters and reverts to his human form, Sam struggles to keep it because he knows deep down inside that this is his last chance of being human. The wild is calling him and Grace is his last chance to escape the desolate future that awaits him. Grace is his sun.

The story had a surprising amount of parallels to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, but I suppose to make a story like this work there must be some similarities. Here are the ones that I remember off the top of my head:

  • Ignorant parental units. Grace’s parents, like Bella Swan’s, are incapable of really being there for her which forces Grace to be extremely independent. She even cooks for them.
  • Self-inflicted isolated heroines. Grace chooses books over human contact like Bella does, but Grace has real friends even if they aren’t as close as they once were. I’m surprised they let her get away with dropping off the face of the planet once Sam shows up in her life. (Yes, I know they keep asking her where she’s been and to call but they never force the issue.)
  • Heroes raised in supernatural families. Sam was raised by a pack of wolves.  He was home-schooled by them, taught to defend himself and survive by them, and loved them like a family. Edward can hardly remember his human life and lives with six other vampires and they are like his parents and siblings.
  • Eyes. Sam’s buttery yellow eyes and Edward Cullen’s topaz eyes, though Sam’s was born with his and gets to keep them in human and wolf form. Additionally, they never turn black with hunger.
  • Musically inclined heroes. Sam writes lyrics in his head all the time when he has words (wolves have images) and plays the guitar. He writes a love song for Grace.
  • Bedroom window stalking. Sam and Edward both watch their loves windows, though Sam never dares to enter until he’s invited.

I had a hard time with the poetry and lyrics throughout the story. They worked and they didn’t at the same time. Sometimes the narrative broke down into them as events took place. There were the occasional weird turns of phrases that made me pause and have to go back and reread to see if it was a grammatical error or done on purpose. Overall, it was a great book. I loved Sam. He was the perfect werewolf gentleman and has restored my faith in the supernatural species. If you’re more inclined to love vampires and need a great book to introduce you to werewolves this book is for you.

Rating: 3.5 – 4 Stars

Buy: Shiver

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Categories:

3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, Book Review, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Friends, Memory Loss, Musician, Paranormal, S-U, Scarred Hero, Survival, United States of America, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine, Werewolf, Young Adult



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3 comments ↓
#1 King Mho Fho on 08.22.09 at 9:59 am

I saw a lot of the same comparisons you did between Twilight and Shiver, but Shiver did seem more lyrical and poetic in the writing. I really enjoyed it and loved how Maggie brought forth such issues as Grace having questions about her parents’ love for her, the teen groups that emerge in high school and sex in a relationship. I really though the way she subtly wrote Sam and Grace’s intimacy with one another was very well done.

#2 katiebabs on 08.22.09 at 9:59 am

Erm, yeah, what Mho said!

#3 Keira on 08.22.09 at 10:48 am

Yes, I agree completely about the intimacy Maggie created b/w Sam and Grace. It was wonderfully executed and she gets a lot of credit for doing so.

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