Review: Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater
publisher: Scholastic Press
date published: August 1, 2009
format: hardcover
pages: 392
source: library
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

"the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future."

What I Thought

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It took a few pages until I adjusted to the formatting of the book. Rather than a single narrator, this book is split into two first person points-of-view: Grace and Sam. Another interesting feature I noticed about each chapter is that the temperatures the characters experience are listed underneath the chapter headings. This is because temperature plays such an integral part in this story. Shiver is not your typical werewolf novel. These wolves don't shift with the moon phases. Instead, they change based upon the temperatures they experience. When it is cold, they are wolves. When it is warm, they are human. There are complicating factors, of course, but this is the basic equation where these wolves are concerned.

The protagonists of this story are Grace and Sam. Grace is a seventeen year old girl who is fascinated with a wolf with golden eyes that appears outside her house during the winter months. This fascination is aided by the fact that this wolf saved her from an entire pack of wolves when she was only eleven years old. When Sam shows up injured on her deck, Grace recognizes him by his eyes. Sam is the wolf she has been watching for so many years. What follows is an account of love at first sight. The pair fall for each other and set about to keep Sam human so they never have to part. Grace is a practical, tidy soul, while Sam is more thoughtful and fanciful. They are both extremely likeable, especially when what they went through as children comes to light.

This book was so many things to me: poetic; raw; tragic; bittersweet; mysterious; and so much more. Stiefvater really has a way with prose. This book was so well written that I found myself impressed time and time again. By the end of the book, I had even teared up a little from being so touched. She did a fabulous job weaving this story. I enjoyed it so much that I am actually contemplating going out to buy my very own copy, as well as the second book, Linger. I give Shiver 5 hoots.

Review: Wither

by Lauren DeStefano
publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
date published: March 22, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 356
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

"What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left."

What I Thought

I had a lot of trouble putting this one down. In fact, I stayed up most of the night reading. I loved the heroine, Rhine, as a character. She made for an excellent narrator and it was really easy to slip into the story thanks to her detailed descriptions of her surroundings, the state of the world, and the overall perception of society. As I read the descriptions of the virus, I couldn't help thinking that it sounded like tuberculosis that had the capability of lying dormant, only to surface at a later age, almost like shingles. I shuddered at the description of the toll the virus had on those who succumbed to it. It made for a very grim existence.

The characters were very well written. I have already mentioned that I liked Rhine. Cecily, the youngest wife, was portrayed very well in all of her naiveté and irritableness. Jenna, the oldest wife, was a very likeable character, as well. You really get the sense that she has been through a lot and that she is a good person. Linden, the husband, is remarkably likeable and not at all what I expected. You can see him blossoming under the influence of Rhine. Gabriel, though not explored in as great detail as most of the other characters, is another well-done character. As for Vaughn, the sinister father-in-law, I was really left feeling nervous for everyone around him. He really does seem to have many dark secrets and ulterior motives. He is a very insidious sort of villain and I just kept waiting for him to cause someone great harm.

I spent a considerable amount of time contemplating how the virus came to be a problem in this world. All of the scenarios and possibilities were fascinating and I really hope the cause is eventually revealed as the series progresses. The only thing about this book that gave me pause was the descriptions of the weather in Florida. For instance, there was snow and even blizzards. Is this caused by changing weather patterns brought about by the aftermath of war and pollution, or is it something else? Perhaps time will tell.

I am already looking forward to the second book in the series and the year or more until the next one comes out is going to be a long one. I will definitely be keeping this one on my bookshelf for future re-reading. Wither has just joined the subgroup of my personal library that will be read time and time again. Thus, I give Wither 5 hoots.

Review: Ink Exchange

by Melissa Marr
publisher: HarperTeen
date published: May 1, 2008
format: hardcover
pages: 325
source: library
Amazon / Goodreads
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

"To 17-year-old Leslie, the tattoo is a thing of indescribable beauty, a captivating mark that she must make her own. But this subtle web of eyes and wings brings with it a transformation that no sweet young girl would ever imagine or welcome. Like its predecessor, this stand-alone sequel to Wicked Lovely plunges its youthful heroine into a faery world of almost constant peril. A tantalizing urban fantasy that won't let go."

What I Thought

Ink Exchange started off much better than Wicked Lovely. Where I had problems getting into the plot of the latter, Ink Exchange drew me in almost immediately. This story featured Leslie, a schoolmate and friend of Aislinn, who we find out is hiding a dark secret that we would not have guessed in Wicked Lovely. Another faerie monarch is also introduced. Irial is the king of the Dark Court and is struggling to prevent the starvation of his people. If you were paying attention during Wicked Lovely, you will recall a brief cameo he made early on.

As Leslie tries to escape the pain and fear she hides within herself, she sets out to get a tattoo that will change her entire world. What results is a much darker, intense plot than occurred in Wicked Lovely. Several weighty issues are portrayed and explored, all of which make for a richer, more in-depth plot. The characters are richly portrayed due to the prominence of emotions in this book and the price of trying to escape fear and pain is detailed.

I found Leslie to be a much more involving character than Aislinn. Her problems will make you feel for her and wish that help will be provided for her. Irial is a much different "villain" (I'm not sure whether he is a full-fledged villain or not) than Beira was, as well. Nothing is black-and-white with him. Instead, Irial is made up of many shades of gray, which is very fitting considering his relationship with darkness and shadows. I spent much of the book waffling between hating him and feeling sorry for him, which was very surprising. Niall was also introduced in more depth in this book and I feel he is a better character for it.

Overall, I found this book to be very involving. I started it late last night and finished it within 24 hours. I did not want to put it down. I felt more invested with these main characters, and for that reason, I gave Ink Exchange 5 hoots.