Book Review: "Shiver"

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I adored this book. There are wolves in the Boundary Woods behind teenager Grace's house in northern Minnesota. Six years before the events in "Shiver", she was attacked and bitten by these wolves while sitting on the tire swing in her back yard. She was saved by a strange yellow-eyed wolf who she has come to think of as "her" wolf. At night, in winter time, she can pick out his sad beautiful howls from those of the rest of the pack.

These wolves are different from ordinary wolves, though. For one thing, they are strangely absent in the summer. Then there is their eyes...so human. When a boy from Grace's high school is attacked and killed by two wolves, some strange things begin happening. First, the boy simply disappears from the morgue. Then, when some local men go into the woods with rifles to "do something about the wolves", by the time Grace stops them by telling them her friend is out walking in those woods, shots have already been fired. Grace arrives home to find a yellow-eyed young man lying wounded on her back porch. With him, comes a once-in-a-lifetime love, and a battle to hold on to it.

"Shiver" is very romantic, and Stiefvater makes the whole magical story ring true. This novel is intended for a young adult readership, but I think that anyone with an ounce of heart would love it. "Shiver" is the first of a trilogy which includes "Linger" and "Forever". I can't wait to read the next one.



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