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Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
It was okay. The concept of werewolves changing with the seasons was interesting, and the idea that they can be humans for only so long and then they are wolves for the rest of their lives created some tension in the story.
What I really didn’t like, however, was the pacing of the plot. The middle of the book was too slow, and much of it was unnecessary.
In addition, Grace’s parents were unrealistic and one-dimensional. Grace's parents being neglectful was obviously a...more It was okay. The concept of werewolves changing with the seasons was interesting, and the idea that they can be humans for only so long and then they are wolves for the rest of their lives created some tension in the story.
What I really didn’t like, however, was the pacing of the plot. The middle of the book was too slow, and much of it was unnecessary.
In addition, Grace’s parents were unrealistic and one-dimensional. Grace's parents being neglectful was obviously a plot device, and that annoyed me. All events in the story could have happened only because her parents are so self-absorbed. Grace's parents are detached from her life, and Grace is doing everything under her parents’ noses and yet they don’t notice. This is hardly believable, and Maggie Steifvater should at least tell us why Grace’s parents behave this way and why they don’t seem to care about their daughter.
Also, Shiver is mostly a love story, but there was no development of the relationship between Grace and Sam. It was simply boom! Grace meets Sam, and boom! Grace and Sam love each other. Exactly why were Grace and Sam attracted to each other for so long? What did Grace ever since she was a young girl see in Sam, a wolf? There is definitely something lacking in their relationship.
And even though I liked the new concept of werewolves, there could be more explanation to it. Also, though Grace and Sam were described and fleshed out, many of the minor characters were shallow—Rachel, Shelby, and Grace’s parents. Hopefully, we learn more about the werewolves and minor characters in the rest of the series.
I liked the end. There was much more action in the end compared to the middle. It was mysterious and the last bit left us pondering on what exactly happened and what will happen next.
But still, it didn't live up to the beautiful book cover.
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I just noticed that some sentences are repeated in my review. I can't edit it, can I? Sorry about that.
Personally, Grace's parents peeved me a lot. Like I said above, the way they ignore Grace is very unrealistic, and it was only because of this that allowed eveything to happen in the book. Also, I can't help compare it to Twilight. But yeah, I guess it's just a matter of opinion.