Shiver and Linger, by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver, the first book in Maggie Stiefvater‘s The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, tells the story of Grace, a girl once bitten by a wolf, and Sam, a boy who was also bitten, but now turns into a wolf with the onset of the winter’s chill. So yes, Shiver‘s heart is in this forbidden love story, but it contains other threads that keep the narrative moving: people are dying in Mercy Falls, a rogue wolf is on the loose, and Sam and Grace are burdened with their lupine secret that is becoming increasingly harder to keep.

Short chapters and multiple perspectives keep the story moving at a good clip, and the characters are fairly well realized and the kind of people you’d have wanted to sit with in the Caf. It’s nice to see Stiefvater  invert the stereotypical gendered qualities in her lovers. Grace is relentlessly logical and independent, not remotely flighty or insipid, and I think that’s part of the reason watching her fall in love is so affecting — she’s not the type constantly in and out of love with the boy du jour. Sam is the sensitive, artsy dreamer in the relationship, and definitely the kind of character I would have fallen head over heels for as a teen. He reads poetry and plays the guitar, and is always composing lyrics in his head . . . wait, that’s the kind of guy I still would fall for now. (Men, are you single? Learn to play the guitar.) Though as an adult the lyrics usually err on the side of the overdramatic rather than the profound, and Sam is a bit too sensitive, I imagine my teen self would have been more convinced.

And part of the delight of YA is returning to the high drama of your long lost teen years. As blogger Sarah from my fave YA site Forever Young Adult explained in an interview with the CBC Book Club this month,

“We love the “purity of firsts” within the YA genre. Adolescence is a time of extremes, of open horizons, of exciting and scary uncertainty, and consequently, the stories that come out of that period are insanely compelling to me. The depth of teenage lows is perfect for reader wallowing, while the highs are like a bottle of champagne.”

In Shiver that emotional potency is magnified, for Grace and Sam’s romance is fighting against the ticking clock (kind of like The Time Traveler’s Wife, with Sam/Henry unpredictably changing into a fur suit in the present, rather than a birthday suit in the past or future). I’m admittedly a sucker for forbidden love, but I have a feeling I’m not alone.

*A brief PSA: If you don’t want to have Shiver spoiled (and you don’t, or you might miss out a YA power cry like the one I had at its conclusion), stop reading here*

In Linger we get to know other characters of Mercy Falls better, notably Isabel the blunt, sarcastic, observant and determined friend, who with the help of new character Cole, adds a refreshing counterpoint to the lovey-doveyness of Sam and Grace. The characters are also more complex than our original lovers: both Isabel and Cole keep their cards close to their chest, so it’s interesting to watch them reveal their more vulnerable selves. The interplay between the two is quite possibly Linger‘s highlight.

Linger‘s plot doesn’t quite have the same clean momentum as Shiver‘s, but the widened polyphonic voice and expanded cast add their own interest. But in both the stakes are high, and I enjoyed the parallel between them: If Shiver is about preserving Sam’s humanity, Linger is about preserving Grace’s.

I’d be remiss not to praise the beautiful cover design of these books, and note one of their peculiarities — the type is in the same colour as the cover. Sounds a little contrived, but it’s an interesting marketing choice, and certainly it doesn’t interfere with the reading experience. So far they’ve done blue and deep green, though I’m a little apprehensive for the third volume’s red design. Will that stop be from picking it up? Not it a million years. Both Shiver and Linger conclude with game-changing events, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Stiefvater’s two novels have been perfect bedtime reading — fantastical escapes from the every day that are over too soon. But that feeling couldn’t be more appropriate for Mercy Falls, a world where no one is allowed to linger, and a goodbye is just around the corner.

–

Thanks to the ECW Lending Library and Crissy Calhoun for getting me hooked on the Wolves of Mercy Falls, and to Scholastic Canada, for helping feed my addiction.