Linger by Maggie Stiefvater Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 13th, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 360 pages Source: Publisher Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2 Rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past.. and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves.. and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love — the light and the dark, the warm and the cold — in a way you will never forget.
Review: I was such a huge fan of Shiver. I was amazed by each detail Maggie placed inside the story. It was beautiful! Much of that continued with Linger, but I will say that I didn't love it as much. Sam and Grace go through a lot in Linger. Grace fights against her parents in order to stay with Sam. It seemed to be typical teenage drama but much more goes along with their love story. Something is happening with Grace and they don't know how to deal with it.
I'm not a big fan of multiple points-of-view and this book seemed to have too many. It often switched from Sam to Grace, to Isabelle and then Cole. I felt that even a majority of the book was focused on Isabelle and Cole.but honestly, that was fine with me because I preferred their story this time around. Sam and Grace were sooo depressed. I understood why but it just made the book harder to read. I felt myself dreading Sam and Grace's POV, and wanting to read more about Cole and Isabelle.
Isabelle is a great character. She is tough, stubborn, and sarcastic. That made the perfect match for Cole. He played the role of the tough guy but there ended up being so much more to him than first expected. Cole has a lot of demons from his past and he soon discovers that no matter what, he can't run from his past life. Isabelle is still going through pain of her own and together they seemed to bring some hope to each other's lives.
Sam and Grace are still strong characters and their level of love for each other cannot be denied. It goes beyond puppy love and each character goes through a lot to be together. They had several scenes that were completely adorable and I do really want to see what happens with them next.
Even though Linger didn't grab me as much as Shiver did, it still built upon a fascinating story. It has many dramatic moments, twists, and surprises. I'm looking forward to reading Forever and seeing what's in store for these characters!
"I can't wait to bring both of these books into my classroom for my students." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past... and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves... and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love — the light and the dark, the warm and the cold — in a way you will never forget."
Why I read this: I adored Shiver and couldn't wait to see what happened next for Sam and Grace.
Plot: The plot wasn't was fast-paced and captivating as Shiver, but it held my attention enough. I felt like it was very repetitive in regards to Grace and Cole's conditions — it could have moved a bit faster. Once I realized where Cole's plot line came in I liked it, but until that moment towards the last few chapters of the book I didn't know what to expect with Cole and felt like he was kind of taking of space.
Characters: The characters are what made this book. I adore the relationship between Sam and Grace and I loved the how Cole described their relationship. Hearing someone else's description of the two love-birds made me want an outsider to describe my own relationship simply because "I want that." Weird, isn't it? I really loved getting to know Isabel better. She's so tortured — I love it! (Is that weird?)
Relatability: I am not in love with a werewolf and have no intention of being bitten by and becoming a werewolf myself. But I could relate to Sam and Grace's feelings for each other. There's a line where Sam describes seeing her for the first time in a long time and he says (something around the lines of) — I miss her more now that she's here beside me. At first that line was confusing, but then I realized that when you're really in love it's not that "you don't know what you have until it's gone," painfully you know exactly what you have when you have it and you're afraid to lose it.
Cover: I ADORE the covers of both Shiver and Linger.
Random Thoughts: In both Shiver and Linger I really disliked all the lyrics. But maybe if I were a teenager again I'd see the appeal to the emotional tortured soul. I also really REALLY dislike Grace's parents — UGH!
Final Thoughts: I can't wait to bring both of these books into my classroom for my students. Highly recommended!
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.
-Visit Maggie around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
Again, another half successful weekend. I finished "Eragon" and "Wintergirls" on audio this weekend and started listening to "Great Expectations" — you know, as I have to teach it in a few weeks.:) But I really need to start opening up a book or two so this week I'm setting a goal I hope even I can accomplish realistically.
This week I'd like to read:
"Forever" by Maggie Stiefvater
"In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in."
Well, I didn't necessarily completely my entire goal from last week of reading both "Spellbound" and "Lost Voices" — but I did finish "Spellbound." With the 4th of July coming this weekend I'll be headed home (Northern Minnesota) to spend some time with my family as D works all weekend. I love my time at the lake and am very excited for some reading time.
This week I'd like to read: "Lost Voices" by Sarah Porter
"Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?"
"Forever" by Maggie Stiefvater
"In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in."
I am "stealing" this from The Story Siren. If you want to find out more about it in my blog. Anyway, these are books I got this week at the bookstore, library, and in the mail, of course. This week I hit the book friends book lottery! Two friends (Sheila from Book Journey and Barbara from Reading Group Choices) sent me some books that I am pretty darn excited about! Big thanks to these great women! For Review: Won: From the library:
Purchased:
Received by Friends:
"The Opposite of Me" SIGNED from Sheila at Book Journey
"The Things A Brother Knows" ARC (Sept 2010) SIGNED from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Marcelo in the Real World" SIGNED from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Revolution" ARC (Oct 2010) from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"How to Say Goodbye in Robot" SIGNED from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Going Bovine" SIGNED from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Matched" ARC (Nov 2010) SIGNED from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Clockwork Angel"ARC (Aug 2010) from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Torment" ARC (Sept 2010) from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Linger" ARC (July 2010) from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" SIGNED from Barbara at Reading Group Choices
I've been on a buying spree lately haven't I... I really need to either read my own books (already bought), get back in the habit of relying on my library, or crack down on review books.
What about you? Have you noticed any reading trends?
“Ray, I don’t think we’re alone in this house.” My mother held her breath, waiting for my father’s response. They’d just moved into the old cottage that faced the highway. Finding another place to live was probably out of the question.
“Of course not, Alice. The baby’s here, too.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. We, the three of us, aren’t alone. Someone else is here too.”
My father’s shoulders stiffened. “Like an intruder?” His voice filled with a fierce mixture of testosterone and the urge to protect his own.
“No,” she shook her head, trying to explain the recent events to her no-nonsense spouse. “It’s a… presence. And it’s here all the time.”
His brow furrowed. “A ghost?”
She nodded. “Yes, I think so. I’m pretty sure it’s a child.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And how would you know that?
“During the day, when you’re at work and I’m here with Lea, it plays with me. When I’m in the kitchen with the baby, I’ll hear something moving or jingling in the living room. As soon as I go in there to see what it is, the pots and pans start rattling in the pantry. This happens all day long, no matter where I am.” She gazed into my father’s pale blue eyes. “It’s happening so much, I’ve started talking to it, telling it I know it’s there. I think it believes we’re playing a game. And… I can almost see it. Not if I look at it straight on, but once in a while, I’ll catch a glimpse of something that looks like a wisp of smoke from the corner of eye.”
As my father stared hard at her, my mother knew he was working to make sense of all he’d just heard. Yes it was far-fetched, and sounded completely crazy, but it was also the truth.
He rubbed his chin. “Are you afraid?”
“No. It hasn’t done anything to hurt me or Lea, so I think we’re safe.”
Sometime later as my parents were watching television one evening, they heard me babbling in my bed.
My mother sighed. “I don’t know why she won’t go down. Would you go in there and see what she’s up to?”
Dutifully, my father headed to my room and found me sitting up in bed speaking to no one he could see.
“What are you doing?” he asked, scanning the room.
I turned my head toward the doorway. “Talking to my friend.” Though I was just over a year old, I was an unusually early talker.
“Your friend?” he asked.
“Yes.” I smiled and glanced back at the empty space before me.
“Is your friend here?”
Nodding, I pointed directly in front of me. “Right there.”
He drew a deep breath. “Well, it’s time to go to sleep, so tell your friend you can see him in the morning.”
“Okay,” I answered as I lay down.
Over the next few months, the ghostly presence became a part of our little family. Eventually my father began to see it too, hovering in a corner between the living and dining rooms, its diaphanous appearance vanishing whenever he attempted to look at it straight on. If he had any doubts of the ghost’s existence, they evaporated the night he heard my Fisher Price toy xylophone tinkling out a distinct tune. Sure I’d gotten out of bed to strike the multi-colored keys with my wooden mallet, he charged into my room and found me sound asleep. The xylophone was deep in my toy box, well out of reach.
Not long after, as my nearly six-month pregnant mother reclined on the couch one evening, both she and my father saw the apparition hovering in the corner, but this time it appeared to linger longer than usual. It disappeared and a few seconds later, an eerie, cold sensation crawled across my mother’s body and the icy impression of a small hand clutched her foot.
It was the last time they ever saw or heard from the ghost again.
So what about you, readers? It’s one thing to think you may have a ghost in your house, it’s another to see it. Would you rather retain that comfortable distance (and plausible deniability), or would you prefer to confirm its existence with your own eyes?
Lea Nolan writes the kinds of stories she sought as a teen—smart paranormals with bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She’s holds degrees in history and women’s studies concentrating in public policy and spent fifteen years as a health policy analyst and researcher. She lives in Maryland with her heroically supportive husband and three clever children.
Her debut YA novel, CONJURE, book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series releases on October 23, 2012 from Entangled Publishing. In CONJURE, three teens discover a mysterious 18th-century pirate treasure and inadvertently unleash a wicked flesh-eating curse. To save her brother’s life and the soul of her unrequited secret-crush, Emma Guthrie must apprentice herself to an elderly Gullah root worker to learn hoodoo magic and break the hex.
Conjure by Lea Nolan Publisher: Entangled Publishing (October 23rd, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 314 pages Series: The Hoodoo Apprentice, #1 Be careful what you search for…
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
Prize:
1 winner will receive an ebook of Conjure, magnet, and a signed bookmark.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends November 10th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon | Barnes & Noble Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here. Don't forget to check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post for today!
This past weekend was my last summer wedding (and my birthday)! Whoo! My first "new teacher" inservice day is on Wednesday and then I have inservice days Thursday, Friday, and next Monday before I start school on Tuesday! SCARY! Oh man!
Last week, being in my own apartment all by myself, I read "Shiver," "Linger," and "I Am Number Four." How was everyone else's week?
While I think six is a decent number of books read, the blog really went on hold this month. I began teaching, I was still moving in, Dan moved in, etc. I definitely struggled with keeping a balanced life in August. Books Read:
Linger
I Am Number Four
13 to Life
The Duff
Losing Faith
Mockingjay
Random: Before the Bell Rings — Beginning of School The First 10 Books Students Checked Out Get Caught Reading
September 2010 Wrap Up
Again, I struggled in September, only reading three books (someone slap my wrists and say "shame"). Books Read:
Need
Matched
The Ivy
Random: I Love My Life — The Hunger Games Welcome Max the Mac Book Smuggling Twin Cities Book Festival — is it bad that I still haven't posted about this... ? October 2010 Wrap Up
At least in October I read four books... right? I know, this post is beginning to sound like the post of excuses, but I did get engaged! Books Read:
The Dark Divine
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Captivate
Dracula in Love
Author Interview: Courtney Summers Random: ENGAGEMENT! Messy Classroom Bookshelves SD Festival of Books I'm Quoted! November 2010 Wrap Up
There really is no excuse for November... world, I apologize. Books Read:
The Eternal Ones
Intrinsical
Fall for Anything
Random: Harry Potter Friday Has Reading Become TOO Fun? Donate a Review For Christmas — STILL GOING ON!! December 2010 Wrap Up
Finally! Redemption! I read six books in December! WHOO! Books Read:
Knightley Academy
The Deathday Letter
Pretty Little Liars
Finding Forrester
Shade
To Kill A Mockingbird
Random: Mission Hershey's Kiss After looking at my progress, or lack of progress, I know that I need to make a change in 2011. I'm not sure how I'll do it... but it will happen. See you all on the other side.
WOW! It's been forever! Like an entire week! Well, I survived no internet and cell reception and have come out of the ordeal pretty much unscathed. Fortunately, I'm all moved into my new apartment and have wireless internet all set up! (Thank goodness!) This weekend my best friend is getting married (last wedding of the summer) and then I start school on the 11th! Hopefully I can get a few more books read between then and now. This week I finished (and loved) "Shiver."
Happy Reading!
Review Books:
My Books/Recreational Read: "Linger"
Class Books: I'm focusing on lesson planning this week.
"Teresa Osborne, a 36-year-old single mother, finds a bottle washed up on a Cape Cod beach. The scrolled-up message inside is a passionate love letter written by a heartbroken man named Garrett who is grieving over "his darling Catherine." Teresa is so moved by the stranger's poignant words that she vows to find the penman and publishes the letter in her syndicated Boston newspaper column. Questions linger in her mind and heart: Who is Garrett? Who is Catherine? What is their story? And most importantly, why did this bottle find its way to her?
Imagining that Garrett is the type of man she has always been seeking, Teresa sets out on an impulsive, hope-filled search. Her journey, her discovery, and the wisdom gained from this voyage of self-discovery changes her life forever. Love's unimaginable strength as well as its tremendous fragility echoes on each page of Sparks's newest gem."
Listened to as an audio book, this book was great for a short car ride. I was surprised at how short in length it was, but a lot did happen plot wise.
It's hard for me to review this book because nothing really exciting happened. I didn't find anything wrong with the characters or plot, but I couldn't relate to them either. This book kept me listening but I wasn't "hooked" at all; it was just something to listen to in order to pass the time.
As lame of a review as this was, it wasn't an awful book. Sparks has definitely created a reputation for his endings, so even with the abrupt ending — I knew it was coming. I realize this is an "older" Sparks novel, but I was really hoping he'd throw me off guard and surprise me... or something! But he didn't.
I won't be recommending this book to my students as I want to "hook" them with good reads. This book didn't accomplish that. Not awful — just mediocre.
"The characters and plot were wove so intricately that I couldn't help but race through this novel." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Grace, 17, loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home. It is here during the cold winter months that she gets to see her wolf—the one with the yellow eyes. Grace is sure that he saved her from an attack by other wolves when she was nine. Over the ensuing years he has returned each season, watching her with those haunting eyes as if longing for something to happen. When a teen is killed by wolves, a hunting party decides to retaliate. Grace races through the woods and discovers a wounded boy shivering on her back porch. One look at his yellow eyes and she knows that this is her wolf in human form. Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together, and as their love grows and intensifies, so does the reality of what awaits them. It is only a matter of time before the winter cold changes him back into a wolf, and this time he might stay that way forever."
Shiver is a novel that I have heard much about for the past few months, especially since the release of Linger. It took me awhile to finally purchase my own copy and sit down to read this novel, but as soon as I did I couldn't put it down.
With alternating perspectives and short chapters, initially I thought the book to be rather choppy. But I soon got over this small detail and found myself consumed into Sam and Grace's story. It also took me a while, probably the first half of the book, to get over the "creepiness" of a girl falling in love with a wolf. But once I came to terms with it, I fell in love with the characters and plot.
I loved the different take on "werewolves" — it was refreshing to read something different in regards to wolves/men than Team Jacob and the general conceptions put out into literature. It was fun and exciting to discover this new type of werewolf.
The tone of this novel was exceptional in most cases; I can see myself using parts of this book for an example of good literary tone. For example, after watching a movie (from Sam's point of view): "After the sci-fi flick ended (the world was saved but civilian casualties were high), I sat with Grace... " (227). This is a great example of literary tone because it's so honest and true to what a teenager would really say. I think in today's YA literature good examples of tone are hard to come by. I will mention, however, that most of Rachel's dialogue suffered as a result of stereotypical over tone; all of the "oh my God," "like," and "whatever"'s really wore on my soul.
Overall, this was a fantastic book. The characters and plot were wove so intricately that I couldn't help but race through this novel. Plus, I love the setting of Northern Minnesota!
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