Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: August 2009
Hardcover: 400 pages
Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel (at least to my knowledge).
Why did I read this book: Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Ms. Stiefvater’s debut novel, Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception (to put it mildly), when I received an advance copy of Shiver I was eager to give the author another shot. A different setting, with different characters, and this time with a new take on werewolves…I was excited. Especially for Young Adult Appreciation Month.
Summary: (from amazon.com)
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.
Review:
When Grace was a young girl, she was the victim of a freak wolf attack in the woods surrounding her home. She thought she was going to die, when one of the wolves, one with brilliant yellow eyes, fended the others off to protect her. Grace lived, and in the winters ever since her attack, she has always looked into the woods behind her house, always catching a glimpse of those same intense yellow eyes watching her, keeping her safe. Grace has been obsessed with the wolves ever since, always looking for her wolf. When another freak attack occurs in town, and the wolves kill a teenage boy, a hunting party is assembled to shoot the pack in the woods – and Grace is terrified for her wolf. She tries to stop the hunting party, but when she reaches her house she finds a naked, shivering teenage boy on her porch – a naked, shivering teenage boy who has been shot in the shoulder, on her porch. Grace learns that the boy, Sam, is her wolf and that he has been watching her from afar for all these years. Every year during the warm summer, Sam is his human self, but once the temperature drops, Sam turns into a wolf for the winter. And each year, Sam’s summers become shorter and shorter – soon, Sam fears he will turn into a wolf, never to be a human again. Together, Grace and Sam fight to keep him as human, no matter the cost.
So, it’s no secret that I (and Ana!) was not a fan of Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception. Most of my dislike stemmed from a simple but undeniably important keystone for a novel: the characters. I find myself in a similar situation with Shiver. The idea and the premise is fascinating – I love Ms. Stiefvater’s take on the mythos of the werewolf, with the gradual transformation from human to wolf forever in winter. I also cannot deny that Ms. Stiefvater’s descriptions are lovely, and her prose evocative.
But that in itself does not a good story make, and I found myself bored with Shiver. The characters never felt real to me, and the plot – what little of it there actually was – felt shabby and cobbled together.
Grace and Sam are in love. Like, CRAZY in love. Like, they’ll do anything to be together forever and ever and ever in love. Similar to Lament, however, I could not for a second believe that these characters had any reason to be so blindly, worshipfully devoted to each other. Just saying that these two characters are in love and then immediately skipping to all the tortured romance stuff does not make for a believable story. While reading I was constantly asking myself, WHY do these characters love each other so much? This felt much more like obsession to me – and it creeped me out.
*NOTE: I should mention that I loathe tortured love stories of the obsessed nature. Take Romeo and Juliet, for example (which I believe Shiver is supposed to mimic, at least in its tone of desperation). It doesn’t do much for me – which probably makes me anathema in girl romance land.*
Youthful obsession masquerading as love…it bothers me. A LOT. Especially in the context of Shiver (which is essentially Twilight. Replace sparkly stalker vampire with yellow eyed werewolf and it’s pretty much the same story. The subsequent plot differences are mere details). Yes, I get that Grace feels a kinship to her childhood savior wolfboy, and that Sam is obsessed with hottie Grace. They certainly are completely co-dependent and obsessed with each other – but this doesn’t strike me as romantic. Rather, it’s creepy. And completely unhealthy. Beyond their unyielding forever love for each other, Grace and Sam had no other defining characteristics that made them human or remotely believable as characters. Sam is – of course – gorgeous, and sensitive, and he writes romantically corny lyrics in his head all the time, and he writes a song for Grace, and he’s protective and charming and shy and modest, and most importantly he has no other purpose in life but to live for Grace. And Grace is…well, besides totally head over heels in love with Sam…*crickets chirping*…apparently, she knows how to cook. Her parents have fun and don’t really take care of themselves or Grace, so it’s up to quiet, everygirl Grace to make Quiche dinners and check that the fridge is stocked. That is the extent of Grace’s character. The secondary cast of characters is negligible and even less fleshed out than these two protagonists. Furthermore, Shiver is written with alternating chapters from Grace and Sam’s point of views. I found this an intriguing concept, and I appreciated the effort to see the thoughts of both characters – but at times it could be confusing to remember whose head I was in, as Grace and Sam tended to sound exactly the same.
While the characters are sketchy at best, there’s the problem of plotting. Shiver revolves around Grace and Sam’s burningly desperate need to KEEP SAM HUMAN OR ELSE! They spend a lot of time heating up the house and heating up the car, and making sure that Sam only ever spends a split second in the cold running from the house to the car or the car to the house. There’s some half cocked story about a jealous she-wolf that wants Sam all for herself, but that rapidly fizzles out into nothing. There’s a subplot about a new werewolf in town, but honestly, I could care less. Then, there’s the ridiculous ending/resolution of the book. Just…no.
SPOILER: Come on, MENINGITIS is the magic cure!??!?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?! Meningitis. *facepalm* /SPOILER (highlight the white space between spoiler tags to read)
So, unfortunately, Shiver did not work for me. From the weak characters to the poor plot and especially the ridiculous obsessed romance that gave me goosebumps from fear as opposed to delight, I couldn’t bring myself to like this book. I didn’t hate Shiver, but I certainly don’t care for it either.
Notable Quotes/Parts: Here’s chapter 1, from the Scholastic website:
Chapter One Grace
15°FI remember lying in the snow, a small red spot of warm going cold, surrounded by wolves. They were licking me, biting me, worrying at my body, pressing in. Their huddled bodies blocked what little heat the sun offered. Ice glistened on their ruffs and their breath made opaque shapes that hung in the air around us. The musky smell of their coats made me think of wet dog and burning leaves, pleasant and terrifying. Their tongues melted my skin; their careless teeth ripped at my sleeves and snagged through my hair, pushed against my collarbone, the pulse at my neck.
I could have screamed, but I didn’t. I could have fought, but I didn’t. I just lay there and let it happen, watching the winter-white sky go gray above me.
One wolf prodded his nose into my hand and against my cheek, casting a shadow across my face. His yellow eyes looked into mine while the other wolves jerked me this way and that.
I held on to those eyes for as long as I could. Yellow. And, up close, flecked brilliantly with every shade of gold and hazel. I didn’t want him to look away, and he didn’t. I wanted to reach out and grab a hold of his ruff, but my hands stayed curled on my chest, my arms frozen to my body.
I couldn’t remember what it felt like to be warm.
Then he was gone, and without him, the other wolves closed in, too close, suffocating. Something seemed to flutter in my chest.
There was no sun; there was no light. I was dying. I couldn’t remember what the sky looked like.
But I didn’t die. I was lost to a sea of cold, and then I was reborn into a world of warmth.
I remember this: his yellow eyes.
I thought I’d never see them again.
You can also hear Maggie Stiefvater read the first two chapters aloud HERE.
Additional Thoughts: Although I didn’t care much for Shiver, I absolutely love the book trailer that Maggie Stiefvater created herself (from paper cutouts and composed the music too!). Gorgeous.
And here’s the official book trailer, which isn’t bad either:
Verdict: Shiver simply wasn’t for me. The characters didn’t work and I’m uncomfortable with obsession love stories. Certainly Shiver is written well enough, and will appeal to fans of Ms. Stiefvater’s earlier work & to those of the romantic Twilight persuasion – but it’s not the book for me.
For another take on Shiver, I highly encourage all readers to give Angie’s Review (of Angieville) a try.
Rating: 5 Meh, Take it or leave it
Reading Next: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
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72 Responses to Book Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
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Your points are very interesting – I can sorta see where you are coming from even I though I personally loved it.
I honestly didn’t see their love as obsessive, and I could completely understand why they’d fall for each other without having it spelled out for me (Grace makes Sam feel human, Sam makes Grace feel wanted). I haven’t read Twilight, but from what I know of it, Sam doesn’t seem anything like Edward.
Anyway, I thought it was sweet, and I’m no fan of romance. I do know that there is a companion book in the works called LINGER about the wolves of Mercy Falls – which I’ll definitely be picking up!
Re: Obsessive love for no reason? Hate it too. And I LOVE romance plots/sub plots. It’s just not romantic at all, and is usually accompanied by violently protective male characters and ridiculously beautiful female characters. I’m having the same problem with Claudia Gray’s books. I think I’ll skip this one and go straight to some Snyder and Pierce!
Thea, you raise a good question on whether Sam and Grace love each other or is it an obsession? I don’t think they are obsessed with one another so much that it is not unhealthy. They have a connection because of how Sam saved Grace when she was a child. I think their feelings for one another grew into something realistic.
Shiver also reminded me of Twilight in so many ways. Perhaps Sam and Grace are much like Edward and Bella?
I do have to say that Maggie did write the sexuality and topic of sex really well. I also thought the writing to be beautiful in some sections.
Wow, your YA month is totally rocking. I love those trailers!
I’m sorry to see you didn’t like Shiver, Thea. I’m still going to give it a try, though. I read Lament a week or two ago and really loved it, so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy Shiver as well.
It’s so interesting how different reader responses can be. For instance, I found Sam and Grace to be so not like the characters in TWILIGHT. I thought Sam was rather the opposite of an alpha male (which was so refreshing to find in a werewolf). And Grace seemed the more dominant character, very set in her ways and very unsentimental/romantic about life in general. Sam being the exception. Hence, I found them charming and interesting. And I’m partial to her writing style. But it sounds like Stiefvater’s just not your thing. You did the valiant thing and gave her another shot! Time to move on, I’d say. So many wonderful books out there to discover.
Thanks for the linkage! You guys are awesome.
Darn it! I waited for you to review it (naughty I know but 14 bucks is pricey when there is a lot out there to read) and so disappointed! I agree with the obession-creepy and really not good for a story. What is it with the “we have to love each other forever or I will just die” plots anymore?
Maybe the library has a copy I can skim through
Hmmm, I’m sorry this one didn’t work for you. So – on to the next one! I haven’t heard of the one you’re reading next.
I read it too, and completely agree with you. I liked it, but I didn’t understand WHY they loved eachother. Something was really getting on my nerves when I finished it, and I think that’s exactly it. The romance was sweet and all, but it definitely lacked a proper build up. They didn’t even get to know eachother BEFORE they were madly in love. It’s irksome and it really bothers me when stories do that. Nice review!
I haven’t read this book so I can’t really say something – but from your description it sounds almost like a copy/paste of Twilight (even the golden eyes!). I am not inclined to read.
I believe Shiver is the first of 3 books. I thought you gave a sound, impartial review. Thank you.
Honestly I thought the book was ok. I don’t get the rave reviews because this isn’t a book we haven’t read before and I wish authors would come up with something more original. But I do love and adore the Twilight books so it has nothing to do with the romance/Romeo and Juliet aspect I JUST DIDN’T CARE FOR THE OTHER CHARACTERS AND IT did bore me at times.
I love this book. It’s really poetic but gives you the right amount of information it’s really hard to write like that, I’ve tried. Sam and Grace are adorable, do we have to know why they love each other? Love is love we don’t have to have a reason for it. Sam has sexy eyes and Grace is just sexy! Ooh, I also like that her name is Grace. Not a lot of book characters are named Grace :/ My name is Grace! So it’s disappointing. I almost cried when Jack died, but I got over it when Sam came back as a human.
:))))
LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVETHIS BOOK!
i aboslutly love this book ………….but ife it wasnt good for u should try another book like the
inmortols by alison noel .the frist book is evermore 2.blue moon 3.shodoland but that book comes on in jan 2010………….. sadly 
i aboslutly love this book ………….but if it wasnt good for u should try another book like the
inmortols by alison noel .the frist book is evermore 2.blue moon 3.shodoland but that book comes on in jan 2010………….. sadly 
I totally agreed with you about this book. Although for different reasons, but the obsessive love was also something that bothered me. However I understood the love Grace felt was that Sam saved her life, but Sam’s side was quite a bit harder to understand.
Well, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I can see what you mean when you say that it was similar to twilight. Yeah, it had some similar traits, but I thought it was REALLY good! I thought the ending was pretty good, but it maybe could have been more described… it was: BAM. Its’ done. I really would’ve liked to hear from Sam’s POV. Either way, it blew me away and I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
I have a question for anyone who would be kind enough to answer it.
In what month(day would also be helpful) did this book occur in?
Thanks!!
Wow, I couldn’t read ANYTHING you said in this review EXCEPT the huge spoilers. Why did you make that the only visible part?
Well, I personaly loved this book. I love books about Werewolfs and Vampires. I have read all of the twilight books and loved them!!!!! So i tryed this book and loved it to!!!!
I couldn’t put this book down! I have recomened this book to all of my friends and they have loved it!
Cant wait for the next one! thought it was AMASING !!!!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK.
ive read twilight, and to me it was nothing like it.
shiver is beautifully and increidbly written.
i finished it last night and am re reading it.
i highly recommend this to EVERYONE.
it made me cry, laugh, smile, you know name it:)
the book starts off in september…
or at least thats when the plot REALLY takes off..
I agree so much that I actually have to RANT about it.
You know, I wanted to love the book, but… well I couldn’t even finish it. I thought the side characters seemed interesting, but Sam had a tortured past – which is a HUGE turnoff – and Grace had no hobbies to speak of.
Also, she was in love with a wolf.
I thought the romance was extremely boring and completely irrational. There’s no possible way they could really love each other like that instantly – there were no given reasons other than that they found each other pretty. So, yeah, I just couldn’t love this book, and I actually like Twilight. (shrug)
I liked the book. I thought the writing was really vivid so much that you felt that you were there.
Grace, I was not to crazy about. I didn’t like that her character was really logical, but she was better than Twilight’s Bella who in my opinion was flat out neurotic.
I could write pages and pages on Sam. I fell in love with Sam. The thing I like most about him was that he was not perfect, unlike Edward in Twilight. Also he had personality and sarcasm which I irresistable!
The progress of thier love was a bit fast for me, but once it happened I did not find it to be unrealistic at all. They just fell in love and that was really sweet!
I love this review! I only wish I had read it before I started the book.
Ok ..Yes You have some(very few) Interesting points. But this book is not meant to mimic romeo and juliet. It is based on a link to The Twilight Saga! Which I personally love .
And I hav not read shiver….Although My best friend did and he really likes it…He also loves The Twilight Saga…I was looking to find good reviews because so far I had found all good reviews until now. Bu One thing weird is…..If you dont like dramatics..or love scenes….Like these and romeo and juliet then why read them? 
Thank you,
i really dont understand how your could say its overal not that very interesting…….i understand your points. But i guess it all matters on quickly you see things. And its very obvious that they made a connection not an OBSESSION.
I have read both Twilight and Shiver, and I couldn’t help noticing the similarities between the two as I read. Question: what is it with this breed of mundane, transparent YA novels with a masochistic heroine falling for a *insert somewhat plot twist here* who is emotionally distant with a crisis looming in the near future?
I thought that it was a quick read that will pass the time waiting for the bus or the end of class, but nothing substantial.
i have a boo report due in three day anyone know the plot for this book it would really help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh also how would u describe grace with an object like to get it to realate to the story
I didn’t see they’re love as obsessive at all!
If you want an obsessive love story, go read Twilight!! I think that you miss took a love worth fighting for, for an obsession.The only problem that I had with the book is that there’s no action, no fight scenes. But still by far one of the best book’s I have ever read. I think that Maggie Stiefvater is a great author!
Shiver was okay for me. I didn’t exactly hate it but I didn’t love it. I’m definitely not going to read it again. For me it was too boring with nothing much going on. I’m a girl who loves love stories and fluffy romancey moments, but I was so bored with this story that it was painful to finish (I always finish every book I read). I loved twilight because of all the conflict and constant going ons, but Shiver made me want to close the book and do my homework. It was unrealistic and painfully boring.
I LOVE THESE BOOKS!!!!
I completely agree with you! I think this was one of the worst books I have ever read. I did not understand why Grace and Sam were in love, and I did not get the character of Grace. She changed personality about three times in the book. I was laughing part of the way through and crying the other half out of boredom.
I found that I agree. Their love seemed like an obsession. Sure other parts were good and all, but their love she gave them scared me. Also I have no love for this book and don’t plan on reading Linger… Sorry Its just this book isn’t for me…
One more thing I completely agree with Sofia I took me forever to read it, because I didn’t want to read it. But I did it for my best friend 
Well, this is a really nice review, and you pointed out most of the major flaws but to be honest I actually kind of liked it. I’d say that Shiver is the kind of book I’d like to read if I’m not feeling like I want to think too much. Grace and Sam’s love, for example. I can see perfectly Grace’s side as to why she’s even in love with Sam, but Sam’s point of view is a little hazy, and that’s a problem I was willing to think about only after I’ve finished the entire thing. I’m not a fan of sappy love stories, well, LOVE STORIES in general, so I haven’t really got any experience enough to say whether it’s good or not. But it’s simple in it’s good and unique way.
On the other hand, I find Ms. Stiefvater’s writing beautifully descriptive and poetic. Very nicely done, except for the lack of story build-up in some points.
And as for the obsessive parts, I don’t think it’s actually obsessive, despite the lack of reason behind Sam’s love for Grace, is because Sam has limited time as a human and he has to make the most of it with Grace, and ta-da, you get something that looks a little like obsessive, but then and again…
I somehow see the Twilight references, but I don’t think Sam is anywhere near Edward and Grace is so much better than Bella. She’s actually dominant and isn’t so wimpy, whereas Grace can actually assert herself and does not have to always rely on Sam, as per Bella.
Well, so sorry the book didn’t work for you but nice review anyways.
your review of the book really helped me alot so thanks i love shiver
so good
xxxxx
I loved this book and I just couldn’t put it down! I’ve now read it about 10 times and I still want to read it again!
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Ok so I read your comments after I read the book and most of your review were negative which I just couldn’t believe from what I got from the book I didn’t get it at the start but I don’t normally read books in a day but this I couldn’t let go it was just so good I loved the book and get it if you are able to read romeo and julet u may not like this book I loved this book and just wish I had people who agreed with me.
pity the book dint work out for you, but i agree with some of the things that were mentioned in the review. And also i disagree, like the talk about the obsession. The obsession was love, something the gerneration of today doesnt understand, because theyre nor willing to be devoted to just one person. Anyways, thanks for this review, i think it was really well written, and appreciate the opinions so that i could see how different it was from mine. Thanks again because this review had helped me on an assignment that i was struggling on, and my praises to the author, for such an awesome book. and presenting a new world and meaning of love stories .
I feel Shiver was much, much better than you gave it credit for. Twilight was bad. I agree. However, this book made the characters equals, they both cared and protected each other in the same way. There were reasons that they loved each other, but they were subtle and easy to miss if you werent paying attention.
I think my favorite part was the writing. It was articulate and clear. Maggie Stiefvater used words that accurately conveyed her meaning.
Personally, I loved it.
I thought that the review was mostly correct. All of the characters were just empty shells who have one defying aspect (be it cooking to eye color) and my main thought was: WRITTEN IN A RUSH TO CASH IN ON NEW MOON/TAYLOR LAUNTNER/TWILIGHT. But, hey; I’m sure that the writer is now richer for selling me a bad book.
Another thing that stood out to me, but seems invisable to other reviews and comments, was how bland and rushed the writing style was. I honestly thought that the entire book was writen without passion to make a living.
I actually got this book from my school library today, before first period, and i DEVOURED the book. I already finished it and cant wait to get linger, and for forever to come out. I think this story is NOT about Grace always trying to keep Sam warm, But about true love, and knowing that they are meant to be together and that, they will do anything to be together.
best book
I REALLY didn’t like how this review didn’t highlight any of the good qualities, so maybe try to find good things in a book too.
Personally, I am a fan. At first I thought it paralelled Twighlight, but after I read it, I thought it was a love story, but that was the only thing similar to Twighlight