Review: Shiver

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater, has been getting a whole lot of buzz lately- NY Times Bestseller and movie rights sold within a few weeks of it's release. I thought I'd check it out.

Book Description:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.


My Opinion

I think Maggie Stiefvater is a wonderful writer. She's particularly strong in descriptions--some of them in the book were just plain beautiful, the kinds that you go back over to read again and marvel at.

I also thought it was really interesting to have the werewolves change due to temperature. It's something I've never heard before; a refreshing take on werewolf mythology.

However, I felt like the book was a bit slow moving. I don't know why--it's just that I've never been one for pages and pages of pure romance. And while I was reading Shiver, I kept getting this tingly feeling down my spine that I'd read this story before. It's plotline is remarkably similar to Twilight-- girl falls in love with supernatural being that ,stalks, ahem, protects her. But Shiver is certainly a work within it's own right--and an impressive one at that. I can certainly understand why it's becoming so popular.

Sam, with his yellow eyes and penchant for composing song lyrics, is adorable. Grace is a suitably strong heroine and isn't one to be swept off of her feet. She's no blubbering weakling, that's for certain. The first time she and Sam kiss, she asks "Is that all you got?" Which is a nice change from all the fainting romance heroines have been doing lately.

I loved how the story was narrated from two points of view--Grace and Sam. But I found myself having to flip back every chapter to find out which one was narrating. Both accounts had the exact same voice, even though one was told by a teenage girl and the other by a werewolf boy.

But I can forgive that since Shiver was a great read. I'm not as crazy about it as many of the people who've read it, I think it's more a case of personal taste. Upon reflection, I can certainly see it's merits and I'm not surprised at all that many readers are in love with it. And I'm sure it's going to be the next big series, so get ready for the ride. I wonder who's going to star as Sam in the movie...

I give it a 8/10