52 {Books} in 52: Shiver

Note: This is the one of the six book posts for today. For my thoughts on all the books I've read go here.


Based on recommendation by Christina I read Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. I didn't even read what the book was about before I requested it from the library so I didn't know the book was about the story of a girl and a werewolf. This is a type of story that you may think has been done so many times there is nothing original to be told, but Shiver proves that isn't the case. In this telling the humans turn into wolves in response to the cold and they don't have the power to change back at will. Those two facts are the real antagonists of this story as Grace and Sam try to fight the cold so that Sam doesn't change into a wolf.

The cold is something that is ever present and it casts such a gray cloud over the story. You can feel the cold and the tension it causes. There are other side stories, but the main character exploration happens with Sam and Grace and most of the book is dedicated to them and their thoughts (each chapter is told from one of their perspectives) and their struggle to be together.

What I liked most about this book was the short chapters; something about their length made the book move faster and made certain revelations have more impact. What got me with this book and gets me every time I read a book like this is the age of the main characters and how well the author is able to make them seem like teens on the one hand but also like people with experience beyond their years. If you are a fan of the supernatural and an unconventional love story, then this book is for you.

 

 Here's what I've read for my 52 {Books} in 52 challenge:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman
6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
7. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
8.  Misery Loves Cabernet by Kim Gruenenfelder
9.  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
10.  Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
11.  Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater