Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA paranormal
Series: Book one in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series
Publication Date: August 2009
ISBN: 9780545123266
Page Count: 390
My Rating: ★★★★

Summary

The Cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf -- her wolf -- watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

The heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace . . . until now.

The Shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human -- and Grace must fight to keep him -- even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

REVIEW

This story is incredibly sweet, beautifully written, and like a breath of fresh air after all the darker, more violent urban fantasy novels I mostly read.

The writing style is very lyrical. I love the way it swapped POV's between Sam and Grace throughout. I thought that worked perfectly for this book.

Stiefvater's werewolves are very different to anything I have read and I really liked her take on them. This has actually somewhat restored my faith in YA books in general. There really are still books out there that adults can enjoy. Unfortunately, they are most likely buried underneath the pile of over-hyped tosh that's currently also on the shelves.

I recommend this book to all. You couldn't get a boy and a girl more perfect for each other than Sam and Grace. Just gorgeous.