Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-407115-00-9
Pages: 434
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls #1
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Grace is fascinated by the wolves that live in the woods behind her house. Despite being bitten as a child, Grace loves to watch them and is drawn to the one with yellow eyes. Content just to watch and listen to their howls, Grace has no idea she is about to be drawn into their world. When a classmate is attacked and killed by wolves, the town decides to hunt the pack down and soon Grace finds herself face to face with a boy whose yellow eyes seem oh-so-familiar.

This is one of my favourite books. The whole book is written using beautiful descriptive prose and has an amazing lyrical and haunting quality. The book has quite a slow pace but I enjoyed watching the story develop gradually and found that it meant that even simple moments were able to tell a story. This is more about the relationship between Grace and Sam than anything else, but there is a secondary storyline involving the dead boy which adds a little action. There is also a vein of tension running through the novel as each chapter begins with a temperature, steadily dropping throughout the book as Sam and Grace's time runs out.

I really liked both Grace and Sam. Grace is a very down-to-earth focused person who likes everything to make sense while Sam is artistic and literary living in a world that makes very little sense at all. I loved watching two people from such different worlds interact, and it was great to see how their friends and families had shaped who they were as individuals as well as how they related to one another. The narrative switches between Grace and Sam's perspectives which I really enjoyed. Each has a clear voice, although each chapter still indicates the narrator at the start.

With any young adult paranormal book there is the now inevitable comparison with Twilight. I've read both and I must say that I prefer this. It lacks the passion and intensity of the latter but makes up for that with a beautiful and sweet representation of first love. However just because I prefer this doesn't mean everyone will, as with all things it's a matter of personal taste and opinion.

All in all this is an incredible read and I can't wait to get stuck into Linger.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 49/50