Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.

MY OPINION:

Stiefvater’s books read smoothly and quickly, yet they are relaxing and captivating at the same time. Shiver is no exception to this. The first person POV narrative going back and forth between Sam and Grace is easy to follow without repeating itself, and it gives the reader a great insight into both characters.

Although there is still some room for further character building, Stiefvater manages to present Sam and Grace in a way that made me easily connect with them, especially with Grace. Her attitude to her parents and the way she copes with life is not only realistic, but quite admirable. She is a great example of a teenager who takes the life such as it is and tries to make the best of it.

The one problem I noticed was the lack of the parents’ reaction after a major turn before the end of the book. It shows the parents in a very bad light, because only horrible parents would not do or say anything when seeing their child suffer. Even though Grace’s parents are not the best at parenting in any case, this lack of their reaction seems a little unrealistic to me.

The plot is fast-paced, increasing in its intensity throughout the book. There are several twists and turns which culminate just before the end. Fortunately for my peace of mind, the book does not exactly end in a cliff-hanger, so it left me satisfied. At the same time, there are some things I certainly want to find out more about, so am looking forward to reading Linger.

RECOMMENDATION: Shiver is an absorbing page-turner with likable characters and quite unpredictable plotline. I think readers of YA and/or paranormal will enjoy it.