Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) in Shiver Series Re-read

May 28, 2013 Mariam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

(This is the first time I've written a review so please bare with me)

Well, where to start! I was in my school library, two years ago, looking for a book to read and my friend recommended this book to me, saying it was 'really good'. Being the book worm that I am, I borrowed it and read it.*

The descriptions in the book are unbelievably vivid, as if you are with the characters Grace and Sam. I love how Maggie didn't do the whole cliché thing about the boy being all bad-ass and muscular and shadowy (This is the first time I've written a review so please bare with me)

Well, where to start! I was in my school library, two years ago, looking for a book to read and my friend recommended this book to me, saying it was 'really good'. Being the book worm that I am, I borrowed it and read it.*

The descriptions in the book are unbelievably vivid, as if you are with the characters Grace and Sam. I love how Maggie didn't do the whole cliché thing about the boy being all bad-ass and muscular and shadowy and... yeah you get the picture. Instead she portrayed Sam as a shy and quite reserved teenager with a complex personality, his physique is quite lanky but lean, but also having a traumatic past he is anything BUT your stereotypical Edward Cullen or Christian Grey. You will fall in love with Sam as easily as Grace did, he's a sweet guy who just wants to be loved at the end of the day.

On the subject of Edward Cullen, I cannot see how on this blessed EARTH you can compare Shiver with Twilight! They are two completely different stories with two completely different writing styles. Stephenie Meyer has a quite open writing style for young and older teens to understand completely, it is very fast paced in the action scenes but they make complete sense (unlike some authors that I'm not going to mention because of the fact that you might be put off their books). (Also I am sorry if I have offended any Stephenie Meyer fans, I used her as a comparison to Maggie Stiefvater because of the never ending references to Twilight on reviews about Shiver. I actually do like Twilight. A lot.)

With Maggie Stiefvater (my favourite author I might add) her writing style in this book is quite lingering - but in a good way, like if you've just seen the most spectacular piece of art or architecture and you just want to drink in as much as possible. Also in the action scenes, she uses short, snappy sentences, so we can get a feel of what is in the characters head in that particular moment. Feelings of a character are quite hard to describe to the reader (but only if you actually care about the character. If the writer doesn't care, the descriptions of feelings are quite crappy) but Maggie does it in such a way, that it feels like the characters are talking to you and you ALONE. An absolutely fantastic job.

The story line is actually quite intricate if you think about it, she mingled the Jack Culpepper and Sam & Grace issue quite well into the story, mystery and romantic scenarios, all rolled into one. Genius.

And I beg to differ with the people who say that shiver is too 'mushy' or 'romantic'. Sure it has a few scenes that make you go AWWWWW THATS SO CUTE! (or in some peoples' cases - blech) but overall it's quite fast paced and adventurous. Also if you read Linger and Forever (the 2nd and 3rd book in the trilogy) you will see that Shiver is the most 'mushy'est of the books. Maggie just wanted us to warm to the characters in the first book.

Overall I think the book is fabulous and the ending was absolutely perfect. It leaves you wanting more but also makes you satisfied with the ending. I would recommend this to people aged 12+ and I hope you guys have as much fun with reading this book as I have! (As this is my favourite book)

*My friend only read the first page. But she's read all of the trilogy now. I think. ...more

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