Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater: What She Read Review

Get it at betterworldbooks.com or
indiebound.org!  "Look inside" to sample
Stiefvater's prose at Amazon.com.

Better than Twilight. 

- Equally remote setting: northern Minnesota small town. (Can you say Forks, Midwest?)

- A stronger, more thoroughly-formed heroine. 

- Effective use of alternating perspectives. 

- Aptly placed literary quotes to heighten the gravitas.

- Serious romantic tension not based on one character regularly dropping in to save the other's life with his supernatural powers.  In fact, plenty of alternate saving makes you think these romantic leads might just be equals.  Imagine that.

- Plus: wolves instead of vampires.  Mmmm... much better.  (OK, so there are wolves in the other one too, but not with this premise...)

Perfect?  Five star?  Nah, but let's say four.  An enthusiastic four, fo' sho'.

Typical issues: Um, where are her parents?  (Yes, there's an excuse, but it's not any more believable than the absent 'rents in any other paranormal Y.A. fiction.) How come no one else found out about the wolves for all these years?  Why don't they just move south?  Why the teen sex scene (although not explicit, I continue to wonder why these are such a requirement now)? That sort of thing...

Still, it reads swiftly throughout, and can't be put down at the end.  (expect heart pounding, nail biting, staying up until you're finished, etc.)

I hear there are two sequels out there.  Summer reading?  Would make a great beach book...

MFB,
L

Actions: I will...
- Netflix a current documentary about wolves. 
- research the current state of wolves in the U.S. and in my state to see what might be done to help preserve them.