Over the last few weeks I'd been seeing this book in my Instagram feed a lot, and so I decided to give it a try. I had already been told many times before that 'Shiver' is a wonderful romance, and so I felt pretty confident going into the book. But page by page, that confidence drained out of me until there was nothing but boredom.
The beginning was interesting enough, with Grace recalling her childhood, when she had been dragged by wolves into the middle of a forest, and the wolves kept nipping at her, fighting for a bite. And then when she discussed first meeting Sam, I'll admit that I thought this was going to be a good book. Yeah, the writing was a bit too lyrical, and the book was taking really long to move on, but if the romance is good, anything is worth it, right?
Then I reached the first few chapters in Sam's point of view, and that's about the point where the hope started leaking out of me. Sam's personality was even more personality than Grace's. He lived this endless drone-like life, and the only thing that got him un-drone-like was Grace. When they met, however, he seemed even more boring to me; he was afraid of even sleeping in the same bed as her, and was always careful to keep a certain...emotional distance from Grace. I didn't know how long it would take for Sam to grow out of that, but I'd already gone 40% into the book and wasn't exactly inclined to find out.
A day or two after I decided to DNF this book, I read a post listing books that the blogger was glad they didn't give up on. 'Shiver' was one of the top three. I briefly decided to give this book another chance, but I just can't do it, not now anyways. Maybe I'll pick up this book again one day, but for now, I'd like to keep away.
I think a big part of the reason I didn't rush through this book like I normally do is the lyrical writing style Maggie has. It was the same in 'The Raven Boys', but I feel like it worked more with that because of the mysterious plot. This had a secretive plot as well to be sure, but I think a more active voice would have been better. 'The Scorpio Races' by the same author is another book I didn't finish reading, and it had the same slow start and writing style. This style is a big if with me, and I think it's just my mood that'll tell if I will complete the novel or not.
'Shiver' is the first book in many people's favorite series, but it just didn't do it for me. It seems to be about the joining of Sam and Grace, and their unexplored relationship. However, I have a feeling that somewhere in the series Grace will end up as a werewolf, and werewolf clichés are something I haven't been fond of since 'Twilight'. Overall, 'Shiver' isn't something I'd recommend based on my opinion of the book.
The beginning was interesting enough, with Grace recalling her childhood, when she had been dragged by wolves into the middle of a forest, and the wolves kept nipping at her, fighting for a bite. And then when she discussed first meeting Sam, I'll admit that I thought this was going to be a good book. Yeah, the writing was a bit too lyrical, and the book was taking really long to move on, but if the romance is good, anything is worth it, right?
Then I reached the first few chapters in Sam's point of view, and that's about the point where the hope started leaking out of me. Sam's personality was even more personality than Grace's. He lived this endless drone-like life, and the only thing that got him un-drone-like was Grace. When they met, however, he seemed even more boring to me; he was afraid of even sleeping in the same bed as her, and was always careful to keep a certain...emotional distance from Grace. I didn't know how long it would take for Sam to grow out of that, but I'd already gone 40% into the book and wasn't exactly inclined to find out.
A day or two after I decided to DNF this book, I read a post listing books that the blogger was glad they didn't give up on. 'Shiver' was one of the top three. I briefly decided to give this book another chance, but I just can't do it, not now anyways. Maybe I'll pick up this book again one day, but for now, I'd like to keep away.
I think a big part of the reason I didn't rush through this book like I normally do is the lyrical writing style Maggie has. It was the same in 'The Raven Boys', but I feel like it worked more with that because of the mysterious plot. This had a secretive plot as well to be sure, but I think a more active voice would have been better. 'The Scorpio Races' by the same author is another book I didn't finish reading, and it had the same slow start and writing style. This style is a big if with me, and I think it's just my mood that'll tell if I will complete the novel or not.
'Shiver' is the first book in many people's favorite series, but it just didn't do it for me. It seems to be about the joining of Sam and Grace, and their unexplored relationship. However, I have a feeling that somewhere in the series Grace will end up as a werewolf, and werewolf clichés are something I haven't been fond of since 'Twilight'. Overall, 'Shiver' isn't something I'd recommend based on my opinion of the book.
Book Synopsis: 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.
~Own the ebook on my Kindle~
Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance, YA
