REVIEW: #55 Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater #Book

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

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.

Review:

It took me about a month (??) to finish this book. 80% in part due to the lovely thing I call “morning sickness”. It sort of creates an apathetic feeling towards doing anything that you’ve enjoyed doing it before. Luckily I am feeling better and was able to finish the book this week – finally.

Grace has this odd fascination by wolves, even though she was almost killed by them as a young child. Even though one pulled her from her swing one day in her backyard and savagely started biting her – she recovers quickly only to have this obsession with watching them, especially one wolf with yellow eyes, who she believes saved her from the others who attacked her.

The wolf is Sam, a boy her age who is werewolf. When the temperatures are hot, he is able to take his human form again, but when they drop below 50 degrees, he changes into his wolf counterpart and watches Grace from afar. The part I did enjoy about this  book is that it showed it is possible to develop a connection with a species other than yourself. Something that involves mutual respect and understood boundaries.

What I didn’t understand is how (psychologically speaking) she was drawn to the wolves after her attack. Why and how did she not get some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Personally, after almost being run off the road by a Winnebago last February on Valentine’s Day, I still have a terrible visions of almost running into a cement wall. When cars drive too close, or begin to sway towards my direction, my heart starts beating fast and I verge on freaking out – as if I am going to relive it all over again. What I don’t get – is, how does Grace not have some sort of anxiety with the wolves?

I hope that Maggie Stiefvater has some sort of explanation for this in the book that is to follow. Over all, Shiver was an enjoyable (although not particularly thrilling, suspenseful or life altering read). It was simply – entertaining. The characters were a bit flat.. as Grace did not seem to have much of a personality, and going in between view points between Sam and Grace was difficult as there were no particular differences in voice.

I enjoyed Shiver, but more than likely will look into borrowing the sequel from the library rather than purchasing it.

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