Review of Shiver

My review of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is based on a paperback copy of the book that I borrowed from my local library. The following review is my honest opinion of the work.

Goodreads Summary: "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 the 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."

I have wanted to read Shiver since the first time I saw it on a shelf with it's captivating cover. My desire to read it grew when I heard so many amazing things about it and how desperate people were to get a hold of the sequel. But I held firm...mostly. There were a few times when I'd have it in my hands and be raising towards a cash register at breakneck speeds but I managed to restrain myself for the most part which is why now when I'm finally reading it the copy comes from a library. Why did I hold back? Because I just knew it was going to be a series that I was going to love, I knew I was going to be as desperate as all of the other readers to delve into the sequels and that's what stopped me. It was a series. So I made myself wait until all of the books were out; which is why it's only now that I've been able to read the book.

Grace could very well be my total opposite but I felt that I understood her perfectly, even more I felt that I was with her as if we had synced or something. It was more than just the cliche of stepping into another person’s [or character’s!] shoes it was as if I was seeing everything through her eyes and could feel things as she was. It was an awesome experience. I just wish some of her practical-ness had stuck with me when I had closed the book because we all know I could use it.

Sam. -insert dreamy sigh here- Sam is everything I could possibly want in a guy. [Shush and don't tell my boyfriend!] He loves to read, cuddle and the fact that he thinks in song lyrics just makes him that much more dreamy. Why yes, I do have a new fictional crush.

The romance between the two of them was so dreamy. It felt as though they both just eased or slid into it much like the transition into a dream. It's the kind of romance that girls will sigh over, the sort of fairy tale love story that has won us over since childhood. Sam and Grace are wonderful together, simply wonderful and I just love their story.

Shiver was different than the last few books that I had finished; what I mean is that the fast-paced plot I had been getting used to wasn't there. I'm not saying there wasn't a plot but Shiver seemed more character-driven which I enjoyed as it was literally a change in pace for me. But the ending, oh the ending, can I have Linger now please? Yes, just make it materialize right here in front of me. No? Sigh.

I'm giving Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater a five out of five stars review. I knew after the first twenty pages that it was going to be a book that I regretted checking out from the library because I was going to want it on my shelf, you know, where it belongs with all of my other favorite books.