Book Review: Shiver Series

The Shiver book series by Maggie Stiefvater, a four book series that dives into the world of Grace and Sam, of Mercy Falls, Minnesota, is a four book series that introduces the reader to a new twist on wolves, or werewolves since they are still partly human. Shiver is the first book of the series, published in 2009, introducing the reader to our characters Grace, bitten by a wolf in her youth, and Sam, her heroic wolf, who saved her when she was a child and still watches over her, from a distance, in his wolf form. The idea is that when a human is bitten by a wolf, specifically a wolf who is also human, the receiver of the bite then goes through their first shift into their new half human, half wolf body. Grace was unable to shift because heat keeps the wolves human and her parents left her in a car that overheated, causing her to delay the shift until she turned 17/18.

The shift is brought on by the cold, the younger the wolf, the more sensitive they are to temperatures and shifting. The older they get the less sensitive their bodies become to the shifts, but also the less shifting that happens. Ultimately, these human-wolf hybrids are destined to remain in their wolf bodies, but for each individual the final shift is different. The story begins with Grace in her normal day to day; going to school, spending time with friends, and longing to meet the wolf that lingers in the forest behind her home. As the wolves transition from human to wolf, they lose their memories from when they were human. They can hold onto their feelings for a time, but the nature of the wolf is to hunt and roam and be part of the pack. Sam, in his wolf body knows that he cares for Grace but he doesn't remember who she is. Sam and Grace have only ever met while he was a wolf and she was human. Once they finally meet, the story of their love and admiration begins and Grace learns about the world of the wolves.

Linger, the second book was published in 2010, bringing with it Grace's first shift. Isabel, a fellow student in Grace's school, has lost her brother Jack to the wolves. Isabel and Grace had only ever been classmates, and even after reading Linger and Forever I don't know if I would call them "friends." I say this because they only came together to try and better understand the life of the wolves and eventually save them from Isabel's fathers wrath. Jack's body goes missing after being attacked by the wolves; a photo taken by Grace's friend captured Jack in his wolf body, leading Isabel to Grace. Although the body changes for these creatures, their eyes remain the same. This photo was the only way to convince and prove to Isabel that her brother was not actually dead, just in another form. With the introduction of Cole and Victor, band mates from a band called NARKOTIKA, the characters start looking for a cure to reverse the wolf, to become fully human and so that Sam and Grace can have their forever and Jack can have his life back.

Forever the third book was published in 2011. Isabel's father is out for revenge on the wolves, believing (because the wolves are a secret) that his son was killed in a wolf attack. Grace has finally shifted and now must avoid her own parents because her shifting could occur at any time in the beginning, just walking by the air conditioning unit would cause a shift if it were too cold. Isabel and Cole's love interest becomes more apparent, as they work on finding a cure now for Grace. Finding a cure comes too late, as Isabel's father gets a hunt approved to drive out and shoot the wolves. They find an abandoned plot of land that would have enough space for the wolves both in their human and wolf forms. Getting there is an entirely different feet, as time runs out with the hunt's approval, they have to move with little to no time. Gather all the wolves and run across an open field, easy targets for trained marksmen.

The final book in the series, Sinner was published in 2014. It follows the story of Isabel and Cole in California. Isabel, who was originally from California, moved back with her parents, after the debt was settled between her dad and the wolves for "killing" her brother Jack. Cole, followed Isabel to California to be part of an internet show promoting his band NARKOTIKA. They argue and fight the entire length of the book. Isabel is naturally sassy and she is a "no B.S." character while Cole is a former drug addict, turned wolf, and their love story is strange to me. Their story is full of pleasant moments that turn to "don't talk to me," very quickly. They both have a hard time with love and affection, Isabel more than Cole, all they know is that they do care for one another. Isabel works at boutique and goes to school while Cole works on his next album, as his comeback from his disappearance into the world of becoming a wolf. He reunites with his mother and father, gets his car back, and when it seems like he's completely lost Isabel, she finally tells him she loves him. What happens after that, whether they lived "happily, ever after," is left to the imagination.

Stiefvater, writes in the first person, with each chapter being written from a different character's point of view. This style of writing allows the reader to follow the story through the eyes of each character. This series is great for middle school, high school, and college level reading. The scenes are not overly graphic or affectionate, suitable for younger readers.