October 2009 Book of the Month.

Julia Eccleshare's view...

A touching and chilling love story with a difference, set in a small town that is haunted and terrified after a boy is killed by a pack of wolves. But Grace is drawn to the wolves despite their power and to one wolf in particular – the one with yellow eyes. And then Grace falls in love with a boy who also has yellow eyes. Is he her wolf? Grace has to use the power of her love to save the boy from becoming all wolf.

Lovereading comment:

Shiver is a haunting, breathtaking and original supernatural love story that will have you hooked from the very first page.  Told with two narrative voices, we follow the inner thoughts and feelings of both Grace and Sam throughout their extraordinary romance, right to the chilling twist.   Sam lives two lives; for a few precious months in the summer he is human whilst in the winter his home is the frozen woods.  For Grace she is fascinated by the wolf pack and by one yellow-eyed wolf in particular, until that is she meets a yellow-eyed boy who is somehow very familiar.   The quality of the writing makes this a novel that will stand out in the crowd.

The author’s literary influences for Shiver were Crow Lake and The Time Traveller’s Wife ‘because they tell quiet, bittersweet love stories.’

Synopsis

Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter, he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack. In summer, he has a few precious months to be human ...until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet, they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever.

Reviews

Praise for Shiver:
‘A truly engrossing novel about star-crossed lovers who would do anything to stay together.  A magnificent and haunting love story’ youngscot.org

‘An engrossing story of teenaged love. Humourous and witty with wry observations of suburban existence’ Books for keeps

‘Shiver has a sense of unfolding mystery, a genuine quest and threats from humans and wolves alike’ Observer

About the Author

Maggie Stiefvater is a twenty-seven year old writer, artist and musician. Her debut novel, Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception, was published by Flux in 2008. She lives in rural Virginia, USA, with her husband and their two young children. As well as being an author, Maggie is an award-winning artist and plays several instruments including the Celtic harp, the piano and the bagpipes. Maggie says her greatest literary influences for Shiver were Crow Lake and The Time Traveler’s Wife “because they tell quiet, bittersweet love stories.”   Maggie Stiefvater on Maggie Stiefvater: All of my life decisions have been based around my inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space and coming to work in your pyjamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor or technical editor (all of which I've tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists, musicians and artists (I've made my living as one of these since I was 22). I now live an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, with my charmingly straight-laced husband, two small kids, two neurotic dogs, one criminally insane cat and a 1973 Camaro named Loki. I'm an avid reader, an award-winning coloured pencil artist and play several musical instruments, including the Celtic harp, the piano and the bagpipes. I also make great cocktail party conversation. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation