REVIEW: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 1 August 2009
Format: First Edition, Hardcover; 390 pages

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 Review:
This book was more than amazing or spectacular. More than brilliant. Shiver was such a beautiful read. It was nothing but dazzling. This book will definitely make you see true love in a totally different light. 



The book hooked me from the cover to the words on the inside flap of the book. A girl in love with a yellow eyed wolf. A wolf in love with a beautiful human girl. Then, against all odds they are brought together by fate. Nothing sounded more mesmerizing than that. And god this book was so so beautiful. I was so lost in this book, so hypnotized, the next thing I knew I was bawling my eyes out by the end. 



The little touch of added paranormal aspect was perfect. It’s completely original. With the addition of Maggie’s lyrical writing and the way she seems to blend words and actions and phrases with these sentences that create such depth into one story is absolutely incredible. I love how I was able to read her writing with ease, but I was also able to feel such emotion and passion from the writing itself. 



Sam and Grace are wonderful characters. Their love is so pure and true. They didn’t love with just their hearts, but with every part of their being. They barely met, but somehow, someway, it was like they’ve known one another for a million years. That’s how good Maggie develops Sam and Grace’s character, personality and love for each other. It was so nice to see them get to know each other and really get attached. I loved watching them fall in love as two separate beings and then watch them fall in love as humans.

Grace is such a strong girl. So independent, so decisive. She knew what she wanted and she was going to get it no matter what. I love her devotion to Sam. Though she didn’t say it much in words, her actions conveyed the sincerity of the love she had for him. 



Sam is a sweetheart. A broken boy I wanted to fix so terribly, which is probably what Grace wanted to do too. Sam is my favorite character and I just fell head over heels in love with him. I love his shyness towards Grace. I love his love for Grace and the way he is himself around her. I feel like their love is the kind of love that can never happen more than once. Grace and Sam do belong together and there is no denying it. 



What I love most is the alternating views of both characters. This is what I call getting to know a character bone deep. I felt Grace and Sam’s longing to be with one another. I felt their love and their care. I felt their pain at the possible loss of each other. God, their love was so wonderful. I was so touched by this book sometimes I had to think so hard to explain how this book made me feel. It really sweeps you up and sucks you in instantly. 



The uniqueness of Sam’s change during the winter is so well thought out, so achingly convincing I had to clutch my heart from breaking. It’s not just a love story. It’s so much more than that. It’s a story about fighting for what you love, for who you love, more than anything in this world. It’s a fight for humanity, to be with the person who makes you happy the most. It’s also about acceptance and having to let go even if it hurts to do so.

I can’t ever describe how much this book is worth reading. A must must must read. 



My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars