Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic

Pub. Date: 2009

Genre: YA

Main Themes: Love, Friendship, Shapeshifting

Pages: 390

Plot (from book jacket):

"the cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of a girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace... until now.

the shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human - and Grace must fight to keep him - even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future."

Shiver is an absolutely gorgeous novel. I could go on and on about how wonderful it is, but I think it is better to keep it simple. I really enjoyed Stiefvater's first novel, Lament. I seriously didn't really think I would like Shiver better, but I have a whole different kind of respect for Stiefvater after reading this novel.  I fell in love with this book.

I generally don't reread books, but Shiver is a book that I will definitely read again. The story is so beautifully told that I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading it.

I suppose this is a human/werewolf love story, but it is so much more. I don't really feel comfortable classifying it this way because Shiver is so far from the stereotypical werewolf stories.

Grace and Sam are an amazing leading duo. They complement each other perfectly; the reader can see why they fall in love with one another. I feel like it is hard to find that in character couples lately. I also love the fact that Sam is sensitive and not a bad boy. I generally am a sucker for the dark, brooding characters with hidden marshmallow centers, but Sam is such an obvious marshmallow and he's proud of it. I love that fact that he has a dark past, but he isn't dark... that is so rare to see!

And the ending... loved it.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50

If you haven't read Shiver yet, don't wait any longer! It is an amazing story, plus, you need to be caught up for when the next book, Linger, comes out in 2010!