Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

It's rare that I get to read books in a series so close together.  I had just finished listening to Shiver, when I saw that my library had a download available for Linger, so I requested it right away.  Third book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series is Forever, though that will have to wait as it's not available to me yet.

Is it normal for a sixteen year old girl to sit in her yard or stare from her window to watch the wolves in the forest behind her house.  It has been for Grace ever since she was bitten by wolves when she was young. In particular she is watching for that one wolf who saved her from certain death when the rest of the pack attacked.

Sam has kept a watchful eye on Grace since that day she survived the wolf attack.  Whether it was from the forest at her backyard, or from one of his assorted summer jobs, he has been concerned for her.  During this time, Sam has led a most unusual life, boy in summer and wolf in winter.

This is essentially the modern re-telling of a classic tale of a love not meant to be.  Boy wants girl, girl wants boy but circumstances stand in their way.  I found this a fresh approach to a story that could have been very predictable.  I enjoyed the character of Sam.  He never totally accepts his situation, but he deals with it in a mature fashion.  Grace is a bit whiny for me.  She mopes around quite a bit, staring at the forest.  Come on girl, get a back bone.  I would have liked to spend more time with Beck.  He has spent only his adult years changing and has a career as well unlike the other wolves.

All in all, an enjoyable tale. 

This unabridged version was produced by Scholastic Audio, 10 hours 43 minutes.  Read by David LeDoux and Jenna Lamia.

Before I get to my review of Linger, I wanted to share this very cool video of author Maggie Stiefvater decorating an guitar using a Sharpie marker.



The romance continues.

In Linger the story expands to spend more time with Isabel, whose brother had become a wolf, and Cole, who choose to be a wolf rather than die.

For me, the romance took a back seat to the bigger issue of growing up and finding your way.  As we each grow up we have to make choices.  Do we follow our own path or do we listen to our parents and the others around us and follow their led and expectations.  Similar to the wolves, do they blindly accept that the weather gets cold you become  a wolf, or do you take Cole's lead and ask questions to really determine what is happening.  Follow or lead, destiny or choice.

This unabridged audio version was presented by Scholastic Audio, 10 hours 37 minutes.  Read by: Jenna Lamia, Dan Bittner, Emma Galvin, and Pierce Cravens

Be sure to visit Maggie's site for further information and downloads about this series.