Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545123267
ISBN-13: 978-0545123266

Belinda:

Cover

A tangled forest is depicted in varying shades of blue and peeking through the branches is a wolf. The title in is black and a blood spatter takes the place of the dot of the ‘I’. The print inside the book matches the cover with a blue ink rather than black. At times I found this to be quite off-putting.

Characters

There is a wide variety of characters to be found in Shiver. Some you’ll like, some you’ll love to hate, others are merely window dressing, but they all have their place and they all matter to making the story roll along at a steady pace.

Favourite

Sam. So predictable that I would choose him, but he’s patient and caring. Not to mention he’s kinda cute.

Least Favourite

Beck. You would have expected me to pick Grace’s parents, but no, Beck is the bee in my bonnet for this book. Instead of allowing the pack die out and leaving people to be people, he’s ‘recruiting’ and creating a dangerous situation for the residents of Mercy Falls.

Beginning

Grace is mauled by the local pack of werewolves. She survives, much to the astonishment of the community. She is left with an unnatural intrigue for the wolves who almost ended her life.

Storyline

The storyline is told from both Grace and Sam’s point of view, and I was pleased to see the characters make a go of their unique situation.

Ending

Sam makes a decision which may or may not kill him.

Thoughts

I was a little hesitant to read this book at first, because books that gain so much hype so quickly in the past haven’t done much to win me over.

Shiver really surprised me and I found myself on the last page and so invested in the characters that I was impressed by the power of Maggie Stiefvater’s magic, and a little irritated that I didn’t have the second book ready to go.

My vision isn’t as good as it could be and the thought of the ink being in Green and Red in the other two books is the only thing holding me back from devouring them. I may have to look into getting them out of the library in an audio book format.

Quote

“One happy day for each falling leaf you catch.” Sam’s voice was low.

Lisa:

Cover

In the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, each book has a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L cover! I honestly like these covers so much, I’m having a hard time deciding where I should start! They’re so clean, perfect and describe the book exactly.

I love the font detail, the drop of red (which I’m not to sure if its supposed to represent blood, or not) in every title, is interesting. It really sticks out, and catches the eye. Most people already know this, but the color used on the cover is the same color used to print the inside font. So Shiver’s cover is blue and its font was blue. The cover of Linger is green, so its font is green; same thing with Forever (the third book in the series), except in red.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this. It’s awesome! Even with this, my favorite part of the cover has to be the forest detail in the background> It really ties in the story, that the cover protects.

Characters

I really enjoyed reading about the two main characters (which the whole story was about…duh, Lisa), Grace and Sam. I loved seeing them both grow, and their relationship bloom and develop.

Favorite

Grace!!!! I love her! I’ve liked really liked her throughout the entire series. She’s not the typical teenage girlfriend type … but then again she isn’t dating a typical teenage boy, either.

At the beginning of Shiver, Grace is a good girl, not doing one thing wrong. She has 100% of parent trust. When she finally meets Sam, finds out who he really is, and starts having feelings for him, this changes. Sam spends almost every night in Grace’s bed. Something she would have never even thought about doing it.

Least Favorite

We don’t really get to read or learn much about Grace’s parents, but they would HAVE to be my least favorite characters. I think it’s great when kids have really tight relationships, and they can trust each other with everything. But even with such a great relationship with one another, parents should never just leave their daughter all alone by herself most of the day.

So it wasn’t necessarily their personality that I didn’t like, but more like their parental skills.

Beginning

I just finished reading the third and final book, Forever, in the series! The Wolves of Mercy Falls is one of my favorite series, its even above the Twilight series.

The story itself is about a teenage girl named Grace. But we do get to learn about one of her past experiences, right up front. When she was younger, she was attacked by a pack of wolves in her backyard. She was dragged to the middle of the forest, where she layed in white snow (which was stained red, from her blood), surrounded by wolves, biting and pulling on her. Until one very special, yellow eyed wolf rescued her.

Story Line

Soon we learned that this wolf, isn’t just any old wolf (besides the fact, that he saved Grace). He’s a boy, a boy named Sam. Just like Sam, the pack who attacked Grace are also humans … just some, more than others.

Ending

Out of the three books, I would have to say this ending was my favorite. I don’t really want to give it away, so I’m not going to say too much. But since Sam is half-wolf, and half-human. depending on the temperature, he changes between the two. When its cold, he changes to a wolf, when warm, human.

Overall Thoughts

Before reading this, I had just finished the Twilight series, and was looking for something new to indulge in. In the Twilight series, I discovered a fancy towards werewolves, Team Jacob! So I was looking for something that had werewolves in it; preferably no vampires. I’m not sure how I stumbled across this series, maybe through blogging, youtube, friends, or maybe just through the library.

But I’m glad I did! I hope Maggie Stiefvater continues this series, or at least writes another book, I would be the first to buy it!

Krista:

Cover

I like that the covers are simple and each book in the series is a separate color. My favorite thing is that the writing inside the book (at least the US copies) are also in different colors. Shiver is blue. It has a blue cover along with blue writing inside.

Character

Least Favorite

If I had to chose a least favorite, I suppose I would chose Grace’s parents for this one. Maybe her father more than her mother, but their lack of being around and paying attention to what was going on really played a lot into this story. It was necessary for them to be more detached for some of the connections to happen between Grace and Sam.

Favorite

I have to say Sam is my favorite character because I think that he grows the most throughout the story.  His situation is the most desperate and even up until the last page the reader never knows what is going to happen with him. I think he is the character that really drives this story.

Beginning

The book is separated between Sam and Grace’s perspectives, in the beginning and the end we get a lot more of Grace than we do of Sam. The building up of the plot and Grace’s weird connection with the wolves keeps the story rolling with just enough hints to what maybe connecting her to them (the wolves) Even though she was almost murdered by them as a young child.

Storyline

I would not call this story action packed or an intense read. The story delves a lot more into emotions and feelings than adventure. Since Grace was attacked by the wolves as a child and her parents are not a prominent feature in her life, she feels alone and not able to connect with others around her. There have been other attacks on people in her town and she cares more about the welfare of the wolves and not wanting them hunted for their actions. When Sam shows up one day, there is a deeper connection with him than she has ever felt with anybody else, and even though he’s a werewolf, he is the only thing that can fill the void in her life.

Ending

The ending of the story was the  most intense part. A lot of events happen pretty fast and because this is the first book in a series, we don’t get all of the answers that we want. I was caught off guard with some of the things that happened, but happy with others.

Thoughts

I have to admit that I thought a book about werewolves was going to be more intense. But this is something I am labeling under the romance section of my library. It is something that is very emotionally driven. I liked how the romance was handled in the book, they have a strong attraction to each other, but yet I thought the interactions between them in the more private moments were more romantic than the “mushy” love that we sometimes get in books. There were points throughout the story that Grace was not exactly my favorite character, but overall I think that I would have had very similar thoughts if I were in the same situation. I could understand her and what she was feeling.

Quotes

“You’re beautiful and sad,” I said finally, not looking at him when I did. “Just like your eyes. You’re like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again.” For a long moment there was only the whirring sound of the tires on the road, and then Sam said softly, “Thank you.”

“I smiled at the stacks, inhaling again. Hundreds of thousands of pages that had never been turned, waiting for me. The shelves were a warm, blond wood, piled with spines of every color. Staff picks were arranged on tables, glossy covers reflecting the light back at me. Behind the little cubby where the cashier sat, ignoring us, stairs covered with rich burgundy carpet led up to the worlds unknown. ‘I could just live here,’ I said.”

Life has certainly taken a strange twist for 16 year old Daire Santos. If it’s not bad enough that whole murders of crows have started “mocking” her, the glowing people no one else can see keep popping up at the most inopportune times. Not to mention the grandmother she’s never met who disappeared off the face of the earth all those years ago suddenly reappearing. She must be going crazy right?

Luckily for Daire her grandmother seems to have all the answers and a holiday in a padded cell may just be avoided. Although moving to the backwoodsy New Mexico town of Enchantment certainly isn’t high on Daire’s list.  Throw in some huge magical family secrets and two smouldering identical twins that are as different as night and day, and Daire’s about to learn more than she ever imagined not only about this world, but those who lay either side.

Most likely, if you haven’t read any of Noel’s previous creations you’ve certainly seen them on the shelves or heard the buzz. I must say after finally delving into one of her worlds, I totally get what all the fuss is about. Fantastical, fast paced and fresh action and the supernatural team up to bring us a tale that breathes some fresh air into the genre.

Noel’s obvious research and love for telling a story shines through, and even with the more “out-there” elements, Daire’s story feels real. In saying that though, the elements of magic and spirituality are heavy throughout and unless you like your action with a liberal dose of the theory behind it, you may not enjoy this as much as I did. The balance between the light and dark elements is perfect and I must admit that for me the scariest thing was how realistically the twisted side of human nature was shown.

Sadly, the characterisation did let the overall story down, the only one who truly seemed “polished” was Daire’s grandmother Paloma. The supporting cast were a little lack lustre and Daire often fades into the background when she should be taking centre stage.  That said, this is the first instalment and I am hoping with Daire’s growth, she will find her feet and her supporting cast will also become more rounded.

Fated is apparently set in the same world as “The Immortals” series and I’m sure fans will enjoy the return visit as much as I enjoyed the new discovery. Daire’s story certainly promises to bring much more magical mayhem and action.  The second instalment “Echo” is due to hit shelves in November.

This is a solid 4/5 star read and looks slated to be a series that will totally hook you.

Fated (Soul Seekers#1) Alyson Noel

Pan Macmillan Australia

440 Pages

ISBN:9781447206804

Released: 1 June 2012

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Hardcover, 400 pages  Published May 8th 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books  ISBN  0062048651 (ISBN13: 9780062048653)

I like books that have flawed characters. The main character in Hemlock, is highly flawed. She’s had a bad childhood and has a group of friends that are far from perfect. At this time in their lives they are not only dealing with a werewolf scare in their town, but their best friend Amy has just recently been killed by one.  Each of these characters are dealing with the death of Amy in their own way. So far, it seems that Kyle is the one who is the least focused on what happened to Amy and more about the problems in his own life with his old and new girlfriends. Both Mac and Jason are emotionally troubled in their personal lives, as well as with the new loss of Amy. When the Trackers come into town to rid them of the “dangerous werewolves”,  Mac, Kyle,and Jason are at odds with their opinions on the Trackers being there and taking over.

The main character, Mac, is really put through a lot physically as well. She seems to be the heart of all the drama happening in town and whenever something bad happens (except when Amy dies,) she seems to be right there in the middle of it. She is continually getting herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and the lead Tracker, Derby locks in on her almost immediately.

There are some unique things in the book that make it different. Mac still talks to Amy in her dreams, but through these dreams the reader gets clues to what Mac is searching for. The dream sequences are incredibly informative and give us an insight to who Amy was as well. So even though her character is deceased, the reader still gets a very good look at the person she was (through Mac’s eyes anyway). She is still very much a part of the story, and a constant character throughout.

The other thing  that stands out is how much of a role Mac’s father plays into her daily life. She bases most of her thoughts and actions around how she was raised even though she has not lived with him for years.

It has been awhile since I have read a book that got me thinking as much as this one did. I was mesmerized with how much I could associate with the characters. Despite being a highly paranormal story, in a world setting that I will never live in, the characters, the actions and emotions were all so relatable and understandable.

There were moments that shocked me. I was not expecting the story to get so dark, but loved every minute of it. I found that there was not a moment when I was not reading, that I was not thinking of the story and what could possibly happen next.

Even though there are two boys and a girl and some romantic aspects to the story, I would not say that this story has a love triangle. It’s a different take on relationships and secrets and friendship that some could interpret as a triangle, but I don’t label this story that way. Hemlock is unique with it’s highly flawed characters, a town full of secrets and a dangerous person around every corner. Talk about not knowing who to trust!

Becca thought self-defense classes would empower her and, boy oh boy, was she right. Saving Christopher Merrit from being bashed by two thugs starts a chain of events so strange; Becca’s dull life will never be the same again.

There’s something about the Merrit boys that has Becca coming back. It could be their mischievous streak, or their rock star good looks. Whatever it is, she finds herself right in the middle of the action and has no problem standing with them against those who would harm them.

The cover of the book shows a guy and a girl being swept into a maelstrom. The pictures are in black and white with electric blue overtones thanks to the eye popping title.

Multi-layered storylines keep the reader guessing and for all the action and drama, there is a good dose of romance and humor to even it out. There are a couple of mysteries and I must admit, I was guessing for longer than I thought I would be.

I loved the brotherly dynamic in the Merrit home. The joking, the fighting and the way Becca both blended into and upset the delicate balance between the boys. Within her own family situation Becca has to deal with absentee parental units, and her discomfort within the laid-back Merrit home adds quite a bit of humor to the mix.

I think Kemmerer did a brilliant job of allowing her characters their own time on the stage, both to shine and to show a little vulnerability. Becca spends just as much time kicking butt as she does getting herself into trouble, though she works together with her rescuers to get herself out of the pickles she manages to land herself in.

There aren’t too many animal characters in the YA books on the shelves lately, and I think this is a shame. Casper is the four legged hero of the book and I hope he’ll be back in the rest of the series. I’m equally a cat and a dog person, but I must admit, I wouldn’t mind having a German shepherd ex-police dog in the family.

Storm is a book that will bring a smile to your weekend and put a spring in your step, it’s the first book in a series that will make waves in the YA market.

Spark looks to be due out in August 2012 and Spirit due in May 2013. With a prequel, Elemental available on Amazon in ebook format and a story between Storm and Spark called Fearless also being released as an ebook closer to the end of 2012.

I think I will be doing happy dances as I manage to acquire each of these magnificently written books.

http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/

Paperback, AUS, 368 pages

Published May 2012 by Allen & Unwin (first published April 24th 2012)

ISBN 1743310668 (ISBN13: 9781743310663)