Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

I really enjoyed Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series and decided to read Shiver.
The writing is quite different and I didn't find it as compelling as the Raven Cycle series.
But I liked the relationship between Grace and Sam. And the family like relationship between Sam and the werewolves in Beck's werewolf pack.
I'll continue reading the series to see what happens next.

This one took a while to get into. I didn't warm much to Grace. She didn't seem to have much of a sense of humour beyond sarcasm, but then, I guess, there was lots of serious stuff going on. Sam was a better character, and the writing was really good and kept me reading. Kind of felt as if it was trying to be a bit too twilighty.

I really like Shiver. I picked it up post-twilight because of the cover, but, although they say never judge a book by its cover, in this case it's the opposite, because Shiver is stylish both inside and out. I love the way the chapters alternate between Sam and Grace's point of view. The description of the wolves is amazing!

Sometimes I can be the biggest idiot on the planet. You see I had this book for a year and a half but I waited until all 3 were translated to Croatian. I didn’t want to read the first two and then have to wait a lot for the last part.

Maggie sure knows the world of Mercy Falls. The descriptions of nature were amazing. You get the feeling it’s cold and the stillness of forest captures your attention. Melancholic and really magical if you ask me. If I could associate this trilogy to an artist it wold be Lana Del Rey. Her songs encourage you to feel not just listen.

Grace is girl who lives with her parents but they aren’t usually around so she is very independent and knows how to take care of herself. There was this thing I didn’t like about the book and that was the fact she could sneak Sam in her room without her parents checking up on her. I get it, they aren’t around but I find it hard to believe they don’t enter her room at least one a day.

Sam is a werewolf who falls in love with Grace and he is desperately trying to stay human even though the cold is making him change into wolf. He reads a lot, plays the guitar and writes poetry. Basically he is an old soul. He reminds me a little of Jem from The Infernal Devices.

Even though this book is obviously beautiful I didn’t fall in love with it. The main reason for this is the relationship between Sam and Grace. They get together too quickly. I like a good chase before characters settle down and start to date. I usually complain how there isn’t enough romance in paranormal books but this one had plenty, I just didn’t connect with it.

Also I wanted to quit several times because I felt nothing was happening. But I am glad I stick to it and I liked it very much in the end. The last few lines made the book so much better

I missed the Shiver series train when it came out a few years ago and I’ve always been curious about what I missed, so when Amazon was offering the kindle version of the book for a $1.99, I jumped aboard. Reading Shiver was an emotional roller coaster ride, but not always in the way I think the author wanted it to be. My opinion of Shiver fluctuated while reading more than almost any other book I’ve ever read. At ten percent through the novel, I felt quite uncomfortable as Grace, our protagonist, is obsessed with her wolf. I understand that the yellow-eyed wolf saved her life, but I couldn’t get over the unhealthy obsession Grace had. So when the wolf shows up as Sam and I’m suppose to buy into their instant love, I couldn’t quite get into it. I kept reading though, and my uneasiness subsided into general boredom.

At about forty percent through Shiver, I was ready to put it away. I was bored, lacked interest in the plot, and couldn’t really follow the romance. However, because I’m stubborn I kept reading hoping it would get better. And unlike what normally happens when I assume such a thing, it did.

I loved the last half of this book, and I don’t know why. The entire first half I spent time being uneasy and bored, but around the halfway mark I started to feel myself rooting for Sam and Grace. Their romance fell into an easy rhythm that was much more believable, I enjoyed the story lines, and I actually was eager to know what happened next. The writing, which had been beautiful from the very beginning, hooked me even more. When Grace and/or Sam felt sad, I felt sad. When they had a victory, I celebrated too. Somehow, I became attached to the characters. I also really enjoyed Sam’s exploration of his humanity and how he wanted to stay Sam, in contrast to his wolfish nature. It’s a really great look at what it means to keep your own humanity.

At the last half of the book, all the things that make this story unique really stand out. Maggie Stiefvater is a really beautiful writer. She writes sentences that make me want to curl up next to the window and listen to someone speak her sentences all day. I really appreciated the characters of Sam and Grace, and how they’re not your typical romantic leads. Grace is the practical, less emotional one, whereas Sam is an artists at heart, creating songs and poems in his head during every moment.

In the end, though, I’m perplexed what to rate/how to recommend this book. The last half was really stunning and I was completely captivated, but the first half was a little strange and made me uneasy at times. Ultimately, I think this is a worthwhile book that really establishes Stiefvater as a wonderful writer, and I’ll definitely pick up some of her other books(I’ve heard only good things about The Raven Boys), but I’m not sure I’ll be revisiting this book.

Final Impression: Beautifully written, but the beginning with Grace’s obsession with the wolfs was a little too unhealthy for me. I loved the second half, though, and despite my misgivings I ended up falling in love with the characters. I’ll average my review into around a 3/5 stars, but I would say that while I absolutely loved the ending, this book is definitely not for those who don’t like slow-paced stories.

I really enjoyed this book! It was sweet and to the point. Sam and Grace are great characters, and I'm excited to read more into this series.

I really liked Jack and Isobel. Although, I could have done without Olivia and Rachel. They both annoyed me. I'm interested to see what happens with Olivia in the next book.

Grace's parents frustrated me to no end. To me, those aren't parents.

I love alternating POV's so I'm glad I got to read into both their minds. I liked getting lost in the world of Mercy Falls and seeing through Sam's wolf eyes.

Maggie Stiefvater is an amazing writer. She has talent that literally steams off the pages. When I was reading Shiver I had to make sure a bunch of times it was really young adult because I feel like the writing is that elevated. I loved the book. I'm not the biggest fan of insta-love or any romance that just seems to blossom in forty seconds flat, but I didn't mind this. I think it was how it was written. The connection between Sam and Grace was just...there.

I loved the wolves. I thought it was great how every werewolf was different. Some loved being wolves, some loved being humans. This werewolf book is very unique. It's sad...and I felt myself getting choked up every minute I read on. Stiefvater puts a spin on the wolf lore that makes being a werewolf more than just being cursed to turn into an animal on the full moon. It's about the cold, and about losing your human life slowly until it's gone forever. It's a very heartbreaking premise that made it even harder to read. But I'm glad I read it because it moved me.

Why isn't it getting 5 robots? Well, the beginning is a bit slow and there were some parts that dragged on a little. But the characters really did stick with me. And it made me think...what would happen if you were in that situation? I know it's silly because they're "werewolves," but it's more about having no control and losing your right to choose. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy.

I recommend this to anyone who likes the cold and who doesn't cry easily. Because I almost made a move for the box of tissues. Be warned, it's an emotional one.

It started out really slow, basic day to day life with nothing exciting. I nearly put it down, but because a few friends had told me it was a good series, I pushed forward. Then somewhere around the halfway point it picked up a bit, and in the end I decided to read the next book to see what happens.

Maggie has a real gift with words. Her prose is magical and delicious. I loved her unique take on werewolf mythology and the eerie and frightening nature of their existence.

I do wish there had been more focus on plot and conflict, though this hardly diminished my enjoyment of the book.

This book is lyrical and lovely. Grace and Sam are beautiful together, and the mystery of what will happen to Sam hangs over their heads the entire time, lending a sense of urgency to their romance. I felt like there wasn't any plot beyond Sam and Grace spending time together and hoping to find a cure (some outside plot lines would've been welcome). They did have to hide what Sam was from the town so he didnt get hunted, but it didn't play a signficant role. I also would've loved to have Sam and Grace's narrative voices sound a bit more distinct from each other. I sometimes got confused as to which of them was narrating a chapter because they sounded so similar. However, this is a gorgeous book, with a compelling romance, and interesting characters. I recommend it.