Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Forever
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-407121-11-6
Pages: 489
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls #3
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Sam and Grace have loved each other for years. First Sam watched her as a wolf, then he held her in his arms as a boy before he lost her to the woods and wolf pack he had escaped from. Now faced with the possibility of a life without her, Sam must put his faith in genius rock-god turned wolf Cole and the potential for a true cure. However, their time is running out as a local lawyer is determined to exterminate all the wolves in Boundary Woods.

This is the third and final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (after Shiver and Linger). I loved the first two books and was really looking forward to reading this. I wasn't disappointed and I loved every minute I spent reading.

Grace and Sam's love is one of those that sticks with you long after the pages are closed, and this book raises the stakes even higher than the previous ones. When the book begins Grace is a wolf while Sam is human and it takes a while for them to reunite. I really enjoyed how their stories were told as you get to see their individual lives as well as their combined one, and their enduring love still tugs at the heartstrings.

Cole and Isabel still take key narrating roles in this book which I really enjoyed. The relationship between the two is still as complicated as before and they each have their own dramas to contend with. Cole is risking his own life and health fighting to understand the cause of werewolfism in order to find a cure, while Isabel's father is the one organising the wolf hunt.

In terms of the ending it's hard to talk about without spoiling it, so all I'll say is that while it doesn't go for the standard Hollywood-esque everything tied up in a neat bow I loved it. It's great to think about the characters going on and living their lives after the books have ended, and it fits with the more realistic portrayal of true love that these books have shown since page one.

All in all this was a great ending to an amazing trilogy which I totally recommend.

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

Overall: 49/50

Teaser Tuesdays (1)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser:

Uncertainty made an indigestible lump in my stomach. The possibilities sown by that action seemed to grow rapid and fierce.

~ Page 336, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Linger
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-407121-08-6
Pages: 416
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls #2
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Freed of his wolf skin Sam and Grace finally have a chance at a future together, if they can overcome the obstacles in their present. Sam has been left with the responsibility of not only caring for the pack as a whole, but mentoring the new wolves Beck brought back to Mercy Falls. Grace struggling to deal with her parents suddenly taking a parental role and their new dislike of Sam. But neither realises that Grace is slowly slipping away...

This is the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (the first being Shiver and the last Forever). I loved the first and couldn't wait to read this and it pretty much met my expectations. Shiver told the story of how Grace and Sam fell in love, and this continues that story on showing their relationship. Unlike the first book, however, this is less intimate introducing a wider cast and taking the focus wider.

The first sentence sets up the entire novel 'this is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one' so tension is introduced from the beginning as once more Sam and Grace's relationship comes with an expiry date. The story is well told but has a feeling of inevitability which carries through, and without the influence of the other characters (like Cole and Isabel) it wouldn't have been as enjoyable to read.

One of the most interesting parts is the new wolf Cole. I love his back story and it was great to see what could motivate someone to choose the werewolf way of life. It was also great how he brought a new perspective to the scientific aspect of being a werewolf and I can't wait to see how his theories carry on.

All in all this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Forever

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

Overall: 46/50

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