Despite the explosion of werewolf themes in the YA category a few years ago, I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly drawn to the idea of werewolves. I mean, sure, I’ve read books about vampires every now and then, and then there’s Jacob in Twilight, too, but Shiver is the first werewolf and Stiefvater book that I’ve read. Naturally, I was wary at first, and I thought Stiefvater had a particular similarity with Stephenie Meyer's writing style, but as I read on, I found myself flying through the pages and learning that there's something about Stiefvater's writing style that's distinctly hers.
Shiver is told from the perspectives of Sam--a werewolf in the cold and just a normal guy when it's hot--and Grace, a girl who had an encounter with the wolves of Mercy Falls when she was younger, and who's always been fascinated by them, especially by the yellow-eyed wolf who has always watched her.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
Okay, so I have to admit that part of why I enjoyed the book was due to the fact that the font is—Blue! And heaven knows I love blue, so seeing that on every page definitely gave me a positive attitude while I was reading. Besides, it’s not every day that you get to read a book that doesn’t have black for a font color, so it was something new for me. I think it’s clever too, since a huge factor in the book is the cold, and the color blue fits right in with the theme. I don’t know about you guys, but for me, little things like that separate the book from a lot of other books. I also liked the switching perspectives, because for me it widened the plot. See, there’s only so much you could say from one perspective if the plot is simple, but when you add another character’s point of view, then the story goes deeper. Of course, I loved Sam. A huge part of it may be attributed to the fact that he loves poetry, he has all these lyrics in his head, he’s deep, and did I mention he loves poetry? And lastly, I loved the last few chapters. The pain, the questions, the anticipation, those last few pages kept me asking, “What now?”
THE DARK SIDE
Probably the only thing that didn’t sit well with me in this book was the plot. Granted, conflicts were resolved and the characters were likeable, but I guess I found it really simple, and it didn’t really have me thinking a lot about what was going to happen next. Well, except for that little part in the end, of course. Also, Grace’s issue with her parents? I don’t think it was addressed too well in this book. But maybe it goes on to the next, so we’ll have to see.
In the end, I understand why Shiver is called Shiver. It’s ultimately a book you’d love to read curled up on the couch with a blanket, preferably with a hot chocolate by your side too. It’s laid back, and nice. The whole book asks the reader, “Why is it that only when we know time is limited, do we value it?”
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