Book Report

Shiver

Author-Maggie Stiefvater

Genre- Romance, teen fiction, and fantasy

The novel “Shiver” by Maggie Stiefvater is written in two points of views; Grace and Sam. Grace lives in Mercy Falls, Minnesota near Boundary Woods where her wolf lives. Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. Grace has always had a strange relationship with the wolves outside of her home, ever since she was attacked by them as a child. They both scare her and fascinate her especially one in particular draws her interest; the yellow-eyed wolf that always watches her back. The yellow-eyed wolf is named Sam. Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he secretly watches the girl he loves. Then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace until now. When the moment they talk to each other they fall in deep love. The only problem is that this is Sam’s last year turning human again. If the temperature drops to negatives Sam will turn into a wolf staying in that form forever. 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. 

The two main protagonists of the novel are Grace Brisbane and Sam Roth. Grace has dark blond hair and brown eyes. She has two best friends whose names are Rachel and Olivia. Grace loves to read and admire the wolves. Grace drives a Bronco after her dad received a raise. Grace is interested in numbers and enjoys math. She also is a good cook because she is used to preparing her own meals after school when her parents are at work. Grace falls in love with the other main character in the novel whose name is Sam. When Sam is a human he has floppy dark brown hair and beautiful unique yellow eyes. Sam is lean, and he has a lanky frame. Sam enjoys reading poetry and he can also play the guitar .Grace describes him as looking like “a long lost member of the Beatles”. When Sam is a wolf he has a stormy gray coat and the same yellow eyes.  Sam loves Grace who is another main character in the novel extremely much.

All of Shiver's characters were well-written and just seemed to click with the story. Grace was such an amiable character. She was one of those characters that everyone could relate to. Sam was sweet and romantic to Grace which is one of the reasons why he is my favorite character. Personally, I love both of the characters Sam and Grace. Grace and Sam are opposites: Grace is strong and practical, whereas Sam is sensitive, an artsy dreamer and creative. They both have dark pasts when they were little. Sam’s parents tried to kill him when they discovered he was a wolf, and Grace’s parents are emotionally neglectful. These experiences leave the teens insecure and lonely until they find each other. This is Sam’s last year as a human, and unless Grace can figure out how to keep him from changing, she will lose him forever.

The novel has many different themes such as true love, relationships, friendship, determination, belonging, and death. Grace and Sam are an example of true love, and love at first sight. Sam believes he belongs as a human rather than a wolf when he meets he love Grace. An example of their true love from the novel “You two are too cute,” the counter girl said, setting two cups piled with whipped cream on the counter. She had a sort of lopsided, open smile that made me think she laughed a lot. “Seriously. How long have you been going out?” Sam let go of my hands to get his wallet and took out some bills. “Six years.” I wrinkled my nose to cover a laugh. Of course he would count the time that we’d been two entirely different species. Whoa.” Counter girl nodded appreciatively. “That’s pretty amazing for a couple your age. Sam handed me my hot chocolate and didn’t answer. But his yellow eyes gazed at me possessively—I wondered if he realized that the way he looked at me was far more intimate than copping a feel could ever be. I crouched to look at the almond bark on the bottom shelf in the counter. I wasn’t quite bold enough to look at either of them when I admitted, “Well, it was love at first sight.” The girl sighed. “That is just so romantic. Do me a favor, and don’t you two ever change. The world needs more love at first sight."- Page 282. Grace has two best friends in the novel whose names are Rachel and Olivia. Grace enjoys having their company when her parents aren’t around.  Grace has been best friends with Olivia and Rachel for as long as can remember. Another theme was death because towards the end of the novel a boy named Jack who was a new-born wolf died.

This book also sends a message to the reader which is never give up on what you believe in. An example of this message is when Grace and Sam first met. Grace would spend every night sitting out on her porch alone waiting to see if “her” wolf would come to the front of the woods so he could see her too. She would want to try and figure out what she was so interested in watching him. The night when Sam and Grace talk, Sam got shot in the woods as a wolf and he runs back to Grace’s house because he knew she would recognize him. Sam also knew that Grace would take care of his wound, which she did. After a couple of days being a human, Sam realizes being with Grace made him feel himself. Sam believes he can stay human if he fights the cold so he could be with his true love. Sam beings to feel being human is his only life. Another example of the message is when Sam thinks there is a cure to stop changing and staying human forever when Grace tells him the story of when she was a child, she was bitten by wolves and never changed when she should have. Grace finds the cure but the only problem was Sam already turned into wolf; the cure can only work if Sam is a human. Grace believes she can turn Sam back into human just until she gives him the cure, which she did but Grace didn’t have enough time so only half of the cure was given to Sam before he turned into a wolf.. Grace also gave the cure to Jack who was a new-born wolf. Jack ended up dying from the cure which is what Grace thinks will happen to Sam.

Shiver was one of those addicting books that you cannot put down no matter how much you try.  The title is perfect, because while you read it keeps you "shivering" from the beautiful imagery Stiefvater uses. The writing was beautiful and flowed. I loved how the color of the writing in the novel was blue because it represents the cold which is associated with shivering. The temperature is so important to Sam and Grace’s relationship that each chapter begins with a notation of the current temperature in Mercy Falls which I loved. I enjoyed how the story was told in two different points of view because you get to experience what they both are thinking and feeling. Sam and Grace's relationship was really something because you could feel the intensity of it, especially when Sam was still a wolf. I have never read something where you could tell how in love the characters are right from the start. Stiefvater describes their feelings so well you feel them yourself. I have learned true love can conquer anything as demonstrated by the main characters. As this novel is fictional it makes it hard to relate to the characters.  I will admit I cried while reading this book because some parts of the novel were so moving and so well descripted. This is a must read book for girls ages thirteen and up. I’m positive you will love this book!