Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Steifvater

Release Date: July 13, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 360

Source: Library

Buy the Book: Amazon

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 Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

I've just finished reading Linger, with a tear or two sliding down my cheeks. I'm not exactly sure what my feeling are for this book, but I Loved It!

This story is beautiful, pure and simple. Maggie has a wonderful style of wrting, almost poetic. There are moments in the book where I reread a certain phrase of paragraph over and over again because I loved the ways the words were written up together.

In this series, becoming a werewolf is scientific and not in any case, magical like many other stories. Maggie takes the popular werewolf story and creates a new beautiful love story, like no other.

Linger may be one of the best books I've read this year. Everything we thought was solved in Shiver, is far from it. I was completely and utterly shocked by the course of direction the storyline was taken after everything had worked out so perfectly. But I suppose that without these twist and turns, we wouldn't such a magnificently written story. I hated it and loved it all at the same time.

The changes in points of view did wonders to the story. We got an insight on what other characters were thinking and doing. Isabel was an interesting character to follow. Although she may seem like a heartless person on the outside, especially after her brother dies, we see that there is a different side of her. A side that cares for the well being of the wolves and Grace. Theres also a new character introduced, Cole. We get to see some kind of relationship grow between Isabel and Cole. It's seems at first its just lust, but they connect because they both have some problem the're trying to deal with to deal with.Cole was a refreshing new character. Instead of dreading the transformation to werewolf, like Sam, he craves it. He wishes to forget his memories. Almost like running away but without all the work.

My favorite part out of the whole book had to be in the last page, the last three paragraphs. They made me cry, and my heart went out for poor Sam. Ahh, I loved it!

I'm absolutely dieing to know what happens next. If you haven't read, Shiver and/or Linger add it to your list, or better yet, go out and buy it immediately!

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Release Date: December 28, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 416
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon

A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns. 
Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process. 
Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one. 
Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung. 
Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to the The Dark Divine

 The title of this book couldn't be more perfect. It describes entirely Grace's feelings and the plot of the book. 

When reading the sequel to most books, I worry that it won't be as good as the first or even that it might stop me from continuing the series. But that was not the case with The Lost Saint. It definitely tops its predecessor, The Dark Divine. With its mysteries, suspense and unpredictable scenes, I myself wasn't sure who to trust.

The book is told in Grace's perspective. I enjoyed that it was because this way we only know what Grace knows, leaving us to question the motives of the other characters and whether they should be trusted or not. I particularly love when my predictions are wrong. Otherwise I would get bored and not enjoy the book as much. And The Lost Saint did not disappoint me. Page after page, Bree kept me second and triple guessing myself. I did not see where the story was leading up to, until the last couple of pages, where we are left with quite a big cliffhanger.

Agh. Cliffhangers are really frustrating!

Point blank, The Lost Saint was GREAT! Can't wait to read its follow up. Does anyone know when it will be out?

TT: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

TEASERTUESDAY IS HOSTED BY SHOULD BE READING 

• • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  
  
  
  • This week my teaser is for The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

  
  

  [Pg 223] Grace Divine, when all this crap is over, and we're out of college, and you take some time off from kicking bad-guy butt, will you marry me?"

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: June 1, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 392

Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

the cold. Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why. 
the heat. Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now. 
the shiver. For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Shiver was one of those books I thought a lot about before I finally gave in and decided to read. With many conflicting reviews regarding this book, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started in.

This book is told in alternating point of views between Sam and Grace. It focuses mostly on there relationship now that Sam is human and not a werewolf. It mostly talks about his struggle to stay human now that the temperature is dropping. There's not much suspense and action, so if that's what your going for, look some where else.

Besides that, Shiver was a very interesting novel that kept me turning it's pages worrying about whether Sam was about to turn back into a wolf and leave Grace all alone. The words written by Stiefvater are beautiful and had me thinking about them days after I finished reading the book.

The fantasy world created by Maggie was believable. As well as the extraordinary characters. I'm excited on reading the rest of the series.

TT: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

TEASERTUESDAY IS HOSTED BY SHOULD BE READING 

• • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  
  
  
  • This week my teaser is for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

  
  

  [Pg 223] Hello, Grace's parents. I'm Grace's boyfriend. Please notice the chaste distance between us. I am very responsible and have never had my tongue in you daughter's mouth"

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Release Date: December 22, 2009

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 372
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

A Prodigal Son. A Dangerous Love. A Deadly Secret.                                  Grace Divine —daughter of the local pastor— always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother. As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

The book was dark, mysterious and suspenseful.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the book when I first started it. I heard many good things about it and decided to pick it up when I saw it at the library. However, I did not realize it was a werewolf book and I was a little iffy about reading it because I'm more of a vampire girl. I decided to give it a try because of all the hoopla surrounding the book. And boy am I glad I did!

The plot was fast paced and kept me enthralled. I couldn't get enough of Daniel. I was rooting for him the whole time. I was a little disappointed with what happened to Grace near the end of the novel but I'm sure it will be fixed or she will learned to deal with it in the sequel, The Lost Saint.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series, I absolutely loved this one! If you haven't read The Dark Divine yet, you better check it out!