Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) in Once Upon a Twilight blog

Sep 24, 2010 Lyndsey O'Halloran rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya

Shiver introduced me to Maggie Stiefvater’s unbelievably beautiful writing and as soon as I was done, I wanted the sequel right away. Linger must have been my most anticipated sequel of the first half of the year and it really lived up to my expectations.

Although Grace’s part of the story should have been the most interesting, it wasn’t. Well, for me anyway. I had guessed what was going to happen with her very early on so I kind of stopped thinking about it until it actually happened. That asid Shiver introduced me to Maggie Stiefvater’s unbelievably beautiful writing and as soon as I was done, I wanted the sequel right away. Linger must have been my most anticipated sequel of the first half of the year and it really lived up to my expectations.

Although Grace’s part of the story should have been the most interesting, it wasn’t. Well, for me anyway. I had guessed what was going to happen with her very early on so I kind of stopped thinking about it until it actually happened. That aside, I really liked everything else that was going on with her. Grace’s problems with her parents were a big issue for her in Linger and I thought these parts were written extremely well and realistically. Shiver really set the scene for Grace’s parents and how they acted towards her. They are never around much and up until now, have let Grace have a free run to do whatever she wants. When they began to tell her that she couldn’t see Sam anymore, I thought her reactions were exactly what they should have been. I would have probably done the same thing if I had been in her position because I don’t think that they really had any right to start telling her what she could/ couldn’t do. I was so glad to see that Grace didn’t just take it from them and did what she wanted to instead. Go Grace!

Sam develops a lot in Linger and really comes into his own. At times, he felt like a completely different character from how he was in Shiver because of what he had been through. Sam seems to take in everything that happens and each little different thing has some kind of affect on his character. This time around, Sam is a lot stronger because of what he has to deal with. Without Beck, Sam has to grow up really fast and take responsibility for the other wolves and this was a part of the story that I really enjoyed. I think there are still some secrets behind Beck and the new wolves and I wonder if we will find out more in Forever.

I completely loved Isabel and Cole in Linger, probably more than I loved Grace and Sam. To start with, I was happy to see that Grace and Isabel had become really good friends since Shiver due to what they had both gone through. The fact that they had something so huge in common brought them closer, even though they are both really different people. Isabel is still in a pretty dark place after what happened to her brother and Grace seems to be the only one who really understands what she is going through… until Cole turns up anyway.

Cole appealed a lot more to me than Sam to be honest because of his bad boy rockstar-ness. Although a lot of the bad things that have happened to Cole were all his own fault, there were other things beyond his control and I really felt for him because of that. With both he and Isabel being in dark places, it was obvious that they were going to connect but I didn’t care that it was predictable. I thought that they made a great couple, although that isn’t really the right word for what they are. The tension between the two added to their chemistry and how they acted towards one another and this gave the story a completely different feeling in parts.

In Shiver, I loved the fact that it was told from both the POV of both Grace and Sam so when I saw that Isabel and Cole were getting their own voices, I was excited. Each character had their own distinct voice so when it was their turn in the story, it was very clearly done and never confusing. I loved being able to find out what was going on from other people in the story at different times and was glad that it didn’t focus solely on Grace and Sam.

The story went to places that I wasn’t expecting at all. I thought that most of it was going to concentrate on Grace and what was going on with her but instead, there was a lot more happening. Grace, Sam, Cole and Isabel all have problems in their personal lives and I liked the fact that this gave them all their own stories that added to the main plot. Even though they all had separate things going on, they were all brought together really well.

The ending was extremely predictable but with one more book to go, I can see that Maggie Stiefvater will write something amazing that will probably shock us all. I felt like the way that Linger ended was only natural and I would have probably been disappointed if it hadn’t turned out that way. I cant wait for Forever because everything should be wrapped up nicely. I kind of don’t want this trilogy to end up but I would rather it stay a trilogy than be dragged out of numerous, pointless books. So long as Maggie doesn’t leave us with some crazy unanswered questions then I will be more than happy. ...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, arcs, mundie-moms-reviews, signed-books-arcs, books-i-own

I laughed, I balled, and I felt every emotion possible as I read Linger. I was so captivated by it that I literally could not put the book down until I was done reading it. Once I was finished, I wanted to read it again. Linger is literally one of my favorite reads and one I will read again and again. I adore Maggie's writing and the in depth world and characters she has created. She's left me feeling torn between who I like more, Sam or Cole.

Linger is one of those rare books where the author a I laughed, I balled, and I felt every emotion possible as I read Linger. I was so captivated by it that I literally could not put the book down until I was done reading it. Once I was finished, I wanted to read it again. Linger is literally one of my favorite reads and one I will read again and again. I adore Maggie's writing and the in depth world and characters she has created. She's left me feeling torn between who I like more, Sam or Cole.

Linger is one of those rare books where the author allows you to not only become part of the main character's lives, but one where you get to become a part of the supporting characters lives as well. I really enjoyed Linger being from 4 different points of view, as that broadened the story a lot more me. I was able see all different sides of the story, and what each person and wolf is dealing with and how they change and grow by the end of the book. I liked seeing each of the characters through someone else's eyes and getting to know the character's own personal stories.

Not only are Grace and Sam's point of views ones that will leave you sighing at times and other times grabbing for a box of tissues, but Cole and Isabelle's point of views are both humorous and heart breaking. Isabelle had me laughing out loud when Cole provided me with understanding why those who turn may like being wolves, when Sam didn't. Cole brought more realism to the story. I wonder how many people wouldn't love a new chance at a different life, when the one life you were living, wasn't worth living any more. I liked seeing the different point of views on being a wolf with both Sam and Cole, as they both viewed it so differently. That's what made it more real for me.

Cole's character seemed to be such a pivotal one. I liked that he was the one who was there for Sam, when Sam couldn't stand him. Sam and Grace's relationship is amazing. I love their sweet moments together. I felt their joys and sorrows and if I say anything else, than I'll be spoiling the book, which is a little tempting as there's so many things to talk about. I will say that Sam and Grace both showed an inner strength at various times in the story that will pull at your heart. The ending may leave you yelling, crying and turning the pages hoping to find out what happens next, only to realize we have to wait for Forever's release.

Linger kept it's believability, which I really enjoyed. I think sometimes authors lose the chemistry and the draw they had for me in their first books, when they write their second books and then find it again in their third books. For me, Linger didn't lose that at all. It took what Shiver had and took it to the next level. Linger is a gripping, emotional roller coaster ride I didn't want to be done with when it came to an end. Now I'm left wondering what will happen to Grace, Cole and Sam in the next book. The ending left me very curious as to which direction Forever will take. ...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Jodie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I was very excited to read this book and felt like l was seeing a best friend who l hadn't seen for a while but everything was not as expected when l started to read. When l first picked up this book my first thought was 'Who is Cole?', l was at first disappointed to see this book wasn't just written from Sam's and Graces point of view but now Isabel's and Cole's point of view too. My main love for the first book was Sam and Grace and their relationship so l was now scared Maggie will not have f ...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Hannah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, wishlist

The cover, much like Shiver's cover, is perfect, as always. It has a story of it's own. Shiver's cover has Sam in the woods. He was the one fighting it, he was the one who knew that every winter he would be gone to the wolf part of him.
Linger's cover has Grace, this time fighting for her life. We knew it would happen, but we didn't know that it would happen like this. Not everyone fights to stay human, to convince yourself that it's nothing, just another cold. But we know the true, something is ...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Looksie (At Looksie Lovitz: Books and Wits Blog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-recommend

didn't like it as much as the first since i thought the story was a little slow but i still really enjoyed it and i can't wait to see what happens next!

check out my book blog review here: http://looksielovitz.blogspot.com/201... ...more

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