Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

 I honestly cannot believe that I wasn't planning to read this book. (If you didn't already know, I'm sixteen years old with no income of my own, so buying books is a little out of my league. My only sources of books are giveaways and occasional gift cards for Kindle books.) Yes, Shiver was on my wishlist, but I never expected to actually receive it. However, I happened to get my hands on a Kindle copy, and I'm so thankful to the person who gifted it to me. I haven't read such a simplistic yet beautiful book in a long time. I am serious when I say that this book sang to the very depths of my soul.

The novel starts out with a memory from the mind of Grace, the female protagonist. Grace is living in Mercy Falls, Minnesota, a rather cold place in a natural environment surrounded by forests. Within those forests live the wolves, and one of these wolves appears to be watching out for Grace. This wolf isn't just another creature living in the forest, however; he turns out to be so much more.

It's honestly impossible for me to summarize this book, so I'll simply say that if you haven't read it, do so. If you love supernatural romance without the darker elements, you'll really enjoy this book. As an amateur writer/poet, the lyrical content within Shiver really appealed to me. Though it did start out a little slow and had a few confusing scenes, it kept my interest as the story progressed. I adored the blooming relationship between Grace and her love interest, Sam Roth, and the ending totally caught me off guard. I will admit that I was basically on the verge of tears. (Yes, I am ridiculously sensitive. Deal with it! :P) I really hope I can get my hands on Linger soon, as I've heard that is even better than the first book.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars