Book review: Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater

Book review: 

Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 4/5

I heard about these books in the world of YA when they first reared their beautifully illustrated covers, and I found the trilogy in The Works for a great deal. So, having heard a lot of good things and loving the covers, I bought the set. Then, sadly, they sat dormant and unread on my shelves for the next six or so years. The worst thing that can happen to any book is that it goes unread. To the books, and to Maggie Stiefvater, I apologise. If you think you haven't seen or heard about these books, then you're probably wrong. 

Finishing university gave me a renewed sense of panic and so once again I dove head first into the best form of escapism there is: reading. I was bored of reading classics and having to think while I read, as well as simply missing the opportunity to read what I wanted to. So, along I came, sorting through my childhood bedroom as any recent graduate can probably relate to, and there the gleaming, un-bent books sat, inviting me in.

The story of Grace and Sam begins with Shiver, in which their two narrative perspectives are intonated, telling each side of their starcrossed-twilight-evoking-werewolf-transformation-mixed-with-teenage-desire story. I’m all for the hard-hitting, thought-provoking, ‘canon’ defined novels, but this kind of easy reading never hurt anyone. It’s fun, it feels like (as an English Literature graduate) a guilty pleasure. I curled up and just kept reading. I did something I haven’t done in forever: I stayed up ‘past my bedtime’ and read by torchlight. It felt sensational. 

The story between Grace and Sam is one of desire, struggle, and the supernatural. Never once did the impression that Sam could in any way endanger Grace even come in to play. Plus there’s the added bonus of tortured teenage hormones which is always a delightfully giggle-inducing trope to read. I enjoyed the rhythm of the writing, the constant twists to the storyline, and the alternating narrative voices. It deals with some heavy stuff. Abuse, neglect, death, blood, to name a few, but it felt adult enough and tastefully done. It was important to the storyline, and revealed characterisation, and was in no way glorified. This might all seem like too much of an in-depth analysis/ review of a popular YA werewolf tale, but, as I’ve mentioned before, I do have an English Literature degree. All in all, the novel was fun to read, fun to remind my friends of the series, and a gripping story, even for a 21 year old used to Victorian writing. Additionally, one of the best things to come out of me reading these books, and posting about them on my bookish Instagram (@artawaytheworld), is the number of comments and messages I've received from people saying they read these books when they were younger and how they have been hit with a truckload of nostalgia and yearning for their YA reading. It's been wholesome as hell. 

I’m currently reading Linger and can’t wait to see where the story takes me next. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fiction, and especially if you’re not yet into YA, it’s a good place to start. It seems to miss a lot of the cliché often found in YA in exchange for good storytelling and well-rounded characters. I’m glad I’ve found my way back to these books. Let’s hope the rest of the journey is as pleasing as the first hurdle.

Ellen Victoria