Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver begs comparisons to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, mainly in that it centers around a teenage romance between a young woman and a storybook creature (in this case, a werewolf). Like Twilight, it’s also set in a small town, and clueless parents and adults facilitate these teens having much more independence than any real-life teens I know.
Beyond the obvious similarities, though, this book differs from Twilight in the most important ways.
A 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.
Shiver is as compulsively readable as Twilight, but instead of leaving an uncomfortably laughable aftertaste, Stiefvater’s lyrical prose brings a credible weight to the reading experience. The storyline is also much more complex – the characters are given greater dimensions as you learn about their personal histories, and layers of story add suspense, mystery, and deeper emotion.
Speaking of emotion, I think the number one difference between Shiver and Twilight is that the love story between Grace and Sam seems much more earnest. It’s not nearly as over-the-top, and there seems to be a real investment of affection, not just a random, nearly obsessive attraction. Stiefvater handles scenes of teenage intimacy with great respect and a “less is more” approach in terms of details.
I truly enjoyed this book. The writing is fantastic, the story is complex, and the characters are diverse and compelling. It was a lovely, solid read. I was excited to learn that this is the first in a proposed trilogy, with the next novel – Linger – coming out next summer.
BOOK:30 