Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: July 12, 2011
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 386
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Source: Book Expo America
Interest: Series
Other Titles in the Series: Shiver & Linger
Challenge: None
Buy the Book: Amazon

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater

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.

So sad to see this series end.

Take my advice and re-read the last chapters of Linger if it’s been awhile since you’ve read it… I have to say I was a little confused at the beginning of Forever, and found myself doing a crash course in the Wolves of Mercy Falls…. but then it all started coming back!

Maggie’s writing is top notch as always, there is something about the way she tells a story that is very addicting. I think it must have to do with how utterly talented and creative she is, I’m so very envious! I don’t know if it’s because I read the first few chapters and then stopped to read a few other books I had upcoming tours for… but some of the book really drug along…. I don’t want to go as far as saying I was bored… but it just seemed like I was waiting and waiting for something, anything to happen! That being said… the last quarter of the novel was great. I really liked the ending. It seemed real, not corny, just enough closure to leave readers happy, but it still had that openness that let’s readers imagine where the characters ultimately end up.

A fantastic series! If you haven’t read this one, you really should!

Maggie fan for life!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: July 13, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 360/hardcover
Source: Bought
Interest: Author/Series
Challenge: None
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 love Maggie. I pre-ordered Lament after reading something on Maggie’s blog and I fell in love with her writing…. the rest is history.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls is very different than Maggie’s faerie book…. but they are just as fantastic! This is a great series and I cannot wait for the next one!

So, Linger…. my three favorite characters are all present… Grace, Sam and Isabel…. plus one new addition that is sure to leave a lasting impression… Cole. (Oh la la) The thing that “makes” this series is the characters (the writing is pretty dang fantastic too) but I just LOVE the characters. They are so well written…. I feel like I know them. Did anyone else have a freak-out for Sam, when Cole was shoving him in the bathroom!?! Wow…. heartbreaking. And how awesome was it to see Grace grow a pair! And Cole….. I’m not going to even say anything about that boy, I’ll leave you to discover those goodies yourself. Nothing like damaged goodies.

Linger was a little slow in the beginning, but it really picked up the second half of the novel. I had an inkling about what ultimately happened, but it wasn’t exactly how I imagined it would play out. I’ll say that the scientific aspect of the wolves turning is something that really piqued my interest…. very curious as to what direction Maggie will take that.

Overall, Linger was a beautifully written novel, with exceptional characters. Forever can’t get here fast enough!

Author Interview: Maggie Stiefvater

I’m a huge fan of Maggie’s books so I was ecstatic, when she agreed to do an interview with me. If you haven’t read Maggie’s books; Lament, Ballad & Shiver, I highly recommend that you do! Promise you won’t be disappointed! Here’s a short interview I conducted with Maggie Stiefvater.

Well, I have a monster book lined up next. Well, they are kind of monsters. Sexy, hungry monster types. And the novel lined up after that doesn’t really have supernatural creatures in it, although it is supernatural. And then I’m afraid I’m back to faeries again. I don’t think I’ll go back to werewolves, though. I think the SHIVER series was it for me and werewolves.

Was the publishing process for Shiver different than for Lament? If yes, how so?

Oh, absolutely. The process for Lament was very long and drawn out, with a lot of revising for one helpful editor — who ended up being my first editor — who bought Lament on three revised chapters and watched me write the rest of the novel for him. It was all very unorthodox. With Shiver, I got an agent, finished the book, and then she sold it at auction to a handful of competing houses. While the auction bit is not usual for most books, the rest of it was all quite normal. As in I did all the proper steps: 1) get an agent 2) write a whole novel 3) send whole novel to publishers. Even if I did them in a sort of backward order. Since then I’ve sold all my novels on synopses or bare promises of what they might be. It’s rather nice. I love my publisher.

Which series is your favorite to write?

Oh, hey now. Don’t pick favorites amongst your children, or they’ll smother you in your sleep. Both of the series are satisfying in their own way. The Shiver series is hard work — the devil is in the details, the gestures, the tiny, subtle movements of the plot. The Faerie books are bigger, louder, faster, more stylized. They are my popcorn after the grueling work of Shiver.

What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?

One girl told me she left her emotionally abusive boyfriend after reading Shiver, because she had decided that she wanted to wait for a guy who would respect her for who she was. That was pretty awesome.

If you could travel back in time for one year, what time and place would you choose? And if you could only take 3 things with you, what would they be?

Wow, for one year? Okay, I’ll play. 9th century England or Wales, and I’d take a) camera b) my favorite paring knife and c) three courses of antibiotics. Hey, semper fi.

Describe your writing in three words.
Angsty idealistic splatschmear

You didn’t say they had to be three real words. I needed something to encompass my poetic use of blood and injury for my emotastic purposes.

What are you working on now?

The third and final book in the Shiver trilogy. It ought to be done by Christmas Eve. At least, that’s the plan.

Thanks so much for having me.

Ballad by Maggie Steifvater

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: October 1, 2009
Publisher: Flux
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 360
From: ALA
Interest: author
Other Titles in the Series: Lament

In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James’ musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

Three words; addictive, magical, & wicked.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this novel since the last pages of Lament. Eagerly awaiting to fulfill my craving of James, I mean! Ballad, although could be considered a sequel to Lament, is more of a companion novel. Let me just say that Ballad finally (finally!) satisfies that insatiable hunger for James, after that enticing, all to short, glimpse during Lament. And can I say, that I only love him more. His witty retorts, his one line smart ass comments, his idiotic t-shirts…. they only add to his charm.

Ballad is a completely different story than it’s predecessor. And I don’t mean that in a negative way, but it’s apparent from page one, that James’ story is deep. He is so much more than his humorous exterior, it’s heartbreaking. The beautiful complexity of his character is unbelievable. I was in awe of that alone.

However, I cannot fail to mention the extremely talented Maggie Steifvater. I can’t explain her writing. It’s addictive, it almost has it’s own melody, the chorus from a song that gets stuck in your head. It is absolutely beautiful, which is a completely simplistic depiction, yet there is no other word for it. It. Is. Beautiful! And the thing is, the writing for this series feels totally different than it does for Shiver. (Another one of Maggie’s novels) And Shiver is beautifully written as well, but it’s a different kind of beauty, am I the only one that feels this way? Maybe I’m crazy.

The story was fantastic. It alternates between James and Nuala. There are a few texts from Dee thrown in there (which I thought were crucial to the plot), but really she’s sort of background music in this novel. It was fast paced, but never felt rushed. Twists and turns that I never saw coming. Entertaining as well as enjoyable.

And I’m just going to stop right there, because I could keep going, but I’m not one for a long review, and this is like the longest in my history. Needless to say, I love this series. And I loved Ballad even more. I knew there would be great things to come when I read Lament. I’m so very glad to see it a reality.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400
From: author for review
Interest: author& plot

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.

I first fell in love with Maggie Stiefvater’s writing after reading her debut novel Lament. And when I heard she was writing a “werewolf” novel, I could hardly contain my excitement. Initially you think this is a story about werewolves, but I think the werewolf label is insufficient. This may be a story about werewolves, but it’s mostly about love. The strength that love possesses and the boundaries we’re willing to overcome to keep it.

Shiver is told with alternating perspectives between Grace and Sam. I love when a novel is written this way. Being able to see a relationship evolve from both sides is priceless. Steifvater has this unsurpassable knack of creating this perfect balance of relation and chemistry between her characters and it couldn’t be more apparent in this novel. Surprisingly this chemistry isn’t limited to just Grace and Sam it’s even evident between Grace and her wolf. You can’t help but experience it with them, longing, loss, passion, ahhh, it’s incredible.

Shiver is so beautifully written. So much gorgeous imagery with Steifvater’s lyrical prose, it’s just a truly fulfilling novel. Steifvater also has this amazing talent of creating fantasy worlds that are completely believable.

Unique and alluring plot, extraordinary characters, exemplary written. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.