Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

I knew I wanted to read Shiver the minute I saw its gorgeous cover. It includes everything that I am interested in in a cover. Happy me, the story inside was really satisfying as well.

Probably inspired by the success of Twilight, this novel tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, this time a teenage girl and the yellow-eyed wolf/boy that saved her life when she was a child. Every time the weather heats up, Sam changes from human to wolf; eventually, he will stop reverting to his human form. Each chapter begins with the temperature, building suspense.

Something I really appreciated about this novel was that the narration. The chapters alternate between Grace and Sam's points of view. Don't we all wish we knew what Edward was thinking in Twilight? With Sam, we understand and begin to love him for it. I also really enjoyed that the couple got physical fairly early in the book. Four novels in the Twilight saga was just a really long wait!

There are some definite flaws in the narration. Grace's relationship with her friends isn't realistic. The explanation for why Grace didn't become a wolf was ludicrous (how could an eleven year old get locked in a car?) and the novel dragged a bit at the end (although that may have been because I wanted to know what happened immediately). Still, I am looking forward to reading Linger, the sequel.

Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was a little hesitant at first because the story centers around wolves, werewolves to be exact, but it wasn't anything like I thought it would be. (I don't normally like harry things, nor am I a fan of the wet dog smell.)

Shiver is a beautifully written story about the bonds of family, friendship and love...and the lengths one would go to in order to save those most important to us. It's written in a way that allows the reader to feel as if you're inside the characters heads instead of on the sidelines watching something unfold.

The story focuses on Grace and Sam, and their small town of Minnesota. They've both watched each other from a distance over the years but don't actually meet until they're teenagers. Grace has always loved the wolves who frequent the woods in her backyard, especially the one with the yellow eyes. Her parents are flighty and all but ignore her so she feels most at home with "her" wolves and spends many a lonely night listening to the sound of their soft howling as they lull her to sleep.

As a result of her parents neglect (let's call a spade a spade here) she's constructed some pretty good walls (also pretty funny) and uses sarcasm as a self defense. She does have two good friends, Olivia and Rachel who love and accept her and Olivia even shares Grace's passion for the wolves. Rachel, while good intentioned, seems pretty lost in "Rachelworld" most of the time.

Sam, who has secretly loved Grace for years but never had the nerve to talk to her, is a gentle and sweet guy, a hopeless romantic, but he's also strong, and fiercely protective. (He's also easy on the eyes which never hurts.) He's always striving to do the right thing or make the right choice because he knows he has more than just himself to consider. He's not your typical teenage guy and when you learn how different he could've turned out (his parents won't win any awards either), you can't help but love him. *sigh*

Did I mention there's romance in this story? No? Well, there is. The kind that will make your heart race, your blood pressure rise and have you reaching for something to fan yourself with. Ready to read it yet? You should be. No pressure though...

I have to mention Isabel who is the resident "Mean Girl" but I actually LOVED her! (not because of her meanness though...you can stop judging me now.) She's fiesty, witty and unrelenting in her efforts to help her brother. I laughed out loud many times (much to the chagrin of the other parents at swimming) when she showed up. She was hilarious in her retorts but we were also given a glimpse of her vulnerability behind the veneer that she puts ups.

As with most stories, you can't have the summer without the winter, love without loss. But thankfully, this is Book 1 of a trilogy so it's on to "Linger" (Book 2).

If I could make one small change to Shiver, it would be to the cover...I think the wolf on the over needs to have yellow eyes. :)

Ever since I heard Shiver will debut at number nine on the New York Times bestsellers list, Ive had reviewers block. Yes, it is an unsavory cousin of writers block, but worse somehow. Because Maggie Stiefvater has written a beautiful, touching, amazing book, and I feel less than worthy to sum it all up a few paragraphs, much less in a neat little reviewers package.

But Ill try. 

Shiver has two first-person narrators, Sam and Grace. Grace watches the wolves in the woods behind her house every winter. She has a favorite, a yellow-eyed wolf. He watches back. 

Sam lives two lives; during the winter hes a wolf, while he spends his summers as a human. And hes been in love with Grace for quite a while. 

Maggie Stiefvater wastes no time in throwing her reader into the deep end of Sam and Graces complicated relationship. We know the obstacle that has to be overcome almost immediately. We feel the insurmountable pressure of how will they ever overcome this problem. Yet the reader doesnt feel shorted by knowing too much too soon - more grateful that we have the freedom to sink into the life and depth and emotion that Maggie magically infuses into every page, every paragraph, every sentence. 

Her sensory images seduce you into the story. Set aside some time. Shiver is one of those rare works of art youd continue reading if your house were burning down around your ears, because if its not happening on the page, its not happening in real life. Its a book youll carry around emotionally for weeks after youre done reading. Two visuals come to mind that will always haunt me. One of a mother who seems to be more proud of the paint smears on her arms that identify her as an artist than she is of her daughter. The other, frozen tear tracks on a childs face, and a parent finally choosing to be a parent. 

Youll fall head-over-heels in love with these characters. And then youll wish they were real so you could have them over for dinner.