Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

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Shiver, and all the Wolves of Mercy Falls books, I think, are the best books that Maggie Stiefvater has ever written. This book was the first book that had instant love that I liked, as the connection was very real, so much that I could actually feel it flying off the pages and into me. Maggie Stiefvater must have a lot of talent to able to write such an amazing book.

The things that I liked most about this book was that she made up a whole different side of werewolves, and that it was written in both Sam's and Grace's view. This new side of being werewolves was very different to any other werewolf books that I have read. I loved the idea of them shifting due to the temperature changes, it was so clever and peculiar. But it was also so sad that they have only limited numbers of years before they stayed a wolf forever, this made for a great plot.

Because Shiver was written in both Sam's and Grace's eyes, you got to feel more for both of them. If it was only written inn Grace's view, than you wouldn't be able to learn as much about Sam's past and emotions. I found this clever and its not very common in books. It made it more of a interesting read.

race is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him, but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter, he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack. In summer, he has a few precious months to be human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet, they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever.

The characters are great, the plot is amazing, and the writing style is stunning, Shiver is one of my most favorite paranormal romance.

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.

I wasn't excited. I had been looking forward to this read, but when I actually bought the book and started it, it took me a while to get into it. I was a little disappointed that it didn't grab my attention. I wasn't convinced by the love story. It was an okay read, but I'm not looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

I have mixed feelings for this one. On the positive side, it is a FANTASTIC love story. Absolutely gripping. You can feel the passion radiating from the pages. Hot and steamy. Stiefvater’s writing style is wonderful as well. There were parts of the book that were almost poetic the prose was so beautifully written. Unfortunately, those were the only things that gave me goose bumps.

My complaints are rather minor. As I read, I just couldn’t refrain from comparing Shiver to the Twilight books. I could go through my list of similarities, but I won’t. The one thing that keeps me from saying this book is a must read is the plot itself. There were a good 100 pages or so that had me nodding off. It was so slow. For the romance lovers, those pages contained a lot of relationship building. It was nice to feel the sizzling passion between the characters, but I was hoping for a little more action. I mean, there was a vindictive she-wolf running around causing trouble, but she didn’t appear very often. There were times when so much action was missing that the plot felt stagnant.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The storyline was detailed, and I can tell that the remaining books will hold a lot of secrets (like the outcome of the crazy cliffhanger ending). Personally, I want to know what will happen between Sam and Grace.

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.

Reader reviewed by Courtney

I loved the whole concept of the story! It's about a girl named Grace who at the age of 8 was attacked by the wolves in the woods behind her house.  One wolf saved her though ever since that day she keeps seeing "her wolf" in the woods behind her house.  She becomes completely fascinated by him and he seems to be fascinated by her, then they meet! I'll leave the rest of the story for you to find out about!

I did really enjoy what the story was about and how it flowed! My only complaint is that it's too sexual. It really bothers me when the teens in a young adult book have sex.  There is enough books out there with sex in them that I feel it's not necessary in a young adult book.  Teens see and hear about sex enough and it shouldn't be in a book. That being said, I guess my religious beliefs and values make my review lower than most.  I do think it's a good book but I want people to be warned about the content.

Reader reviewed by iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books

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