Release Date: July 12th, 2011 (TODAY!)
Publisher: Scholastic
Challenges: iChallenge, Off the Shelf, and 100+ Reading Challenge
"then. When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives. now. That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt. forever. Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment — a moment of death or life, farewell or forever."
I feel like I should have reread "Shiver " and "Linger " before picking up the anticipated finale — "Forever." I found myself relying on Twitter and my book bff Button for help on remembering who was who and what their role in Sam and Grace's lives were. While I remember the "big" plot elements, many of the minor (or even somewhat minor) characters were forgotten. For instance, I remembered something between Isabel and Cole but I couldn't remember the big falling out. I forgot about Olivia and I couldn't remember why Rachel was important.
In the beginning, I remember telling Button that I wished the perspectives were merely limited to Sam and Grace because Cole and Isabel were confusing (and, I'll be honest, I may have added inconsequential). Boy, by the end of "Forever" did my perspective change. I began to feel closer to Cole and Isabel than Sam and Grace (once I remembered their story line) and I couldn't help but root for their success.
Random Rant — I felt like I was stuck in this never ending cycle during the beginning of the novel. You'll see what I mean.
Over all, I enjoyed "Forever" but I somehow lost the enthusiasm for the characters and the plot. Maybe this is due to it being about a year since reading "Linger" — but I just didn't feel the urgency or the connection that I had hoped I would. "Forever" is definitely a must read for anyone who enjoyed "Shiver" and "Linger" but I would recommend at least reviewing the stories if it's been a while.
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To the FTC, with love: Received at BEA 2011