Shiver

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 have to admit I was a little disappointed in this book. It has gotten a lot of great buzz! Unfortunately, I LOVE Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause (the book, NOT the movie). This book just couldn't quite measure up to that werewolf romance for me.

I did enjoy the exploration of cold/season change as a cause for shifting. That was a very new idea. I liked the idea that menangitis could potentially "heal" a werewolf, but somehow in the actual writing of this idea, it felt trite and unrealistic.

The chapters were short and the writing was easy to understand so I can imagine a lot of teens will respond well to this book. The romance is also all consuming, which we all know is a huge draw for teens. I did like how even though the romance was overwhelming, eventually, Grace and Sam both acknowledge that they must also interact with the others around them and explain their relationship (in varying degrees).

Overall, though, I just did not love this book as much as I had thought I would. It was good, but it was not great.