Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series - Book 1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Official Blurb:
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
       Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

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My Rating: 4.5 stars ★★★★1/2

My Review: Much credit to Stiefvater for taking a topic that everyone knows and loves (werewolves) and writing about it in a different way. Usually, werewolves change during the full moon, but in Shiver, the cold weather is what forces their shifts from human to wolf. Also, she portrays the werewolves as basically regular wolves, not raging out-of-control beasts -or- humans in animal bodies, as some authors do. These things, along with many other small unique details, provided a new, fresh take on werewolves.
     The book is written from the alternating first person points-of-view of Grace Brisbane, a girl once attacked by the wolves who has been mesmerized by them ever since, and Sam Roth, a yellow-eyed werewolf. At first I thought the back-and-forth narrative would bother me, but I was wrong. It really helped me get attached to the characters and also allowed me to watch their connection to each other develop and grow.
      All in all, I thought the book was well written and a very good read. Highly recommended. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, but unfortunately, I have a few books out from the library that I have to read before I can get around to Linger.
    
Next in Series: Linger