Comments on: REVIEW: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

By: Carin

Carin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:57:37 +0000

I read this review when it was first posted and thought the book sounded like one I would like. I finally read it yesterday without any specific memories of the review and I really, really liked it. I also saw parallels to Twilight in that it was high school and dark in tone. The love story was so sweet, though.

I re-read your review today, and I see all the points you’ve made (plot holes, cure, etc) and I agree, but while I was reading it… I had no problems at all. I really liked it.

By: Janine

Janine — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:13:03 +0000

Thanks Jia. I see the similarity now. Although I don’t think it was the time limit that made The Time Traveler’s Wife so good. My favorite part of the book was the early section, which took place before Henry and Clare knew they had a time limit. For me a lot of what made the book great had to do with the characterization, the constant shifting in time and age differences, and Niffenegger’s prose, which I have to say is astonishingly good and not easily equalled.

By: Alice

Alice — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:09:35 +0000

I’m reading this and I will it admit it has a very strong start, but I’m in the middle of this and it is moving slow. I feel it is because the relationship part of this story is done. Like you stated “true conflict”.

By: Jia

Jia — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:18:35 +0000

@HaloKun: Fair enough. I was dubious about the parent thing but it wasn't really enough to turn me off from the book. I had more problems with the "cure" and logistics of the werewolf biology, but that's kind of the norm for me so I've long since accepted that fictional portrayals of science rarely bother anyone to the same extent they bother me. @Janine: Well, Shiver isn't nonlinear but it has the same feel in the bittersweet emotion and the fact that Grace and Sam have a time limit. He's only in human form when it's warm. During the colder seasons, he turns into a wolf. As the werewolves get older, the harder it is for them to change back to human form. It takes them longer -- younger wolves are able to change back in early spring whereas older wolves might only be able to during mid-summer. This continues until finally, they can't change back at all. So a lot of the similarity there, for me, lies in that aspect for their relationship.

By: Janine

Janine — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:53:26 +0000

Hmmm. I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife but this story doesn’t sound that similar and the excerpt I looked at didn’t remind me of TTTW either. A lot of the gloriousness of TTTW (to me) was the nonlinear nature of the story and the intensity of emotion. Can you expound on the similarities?

By: Mora

Mora — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:38:32 +0000

The writing was beautiful in this one, but the plot holes killed it for me.

By: HaloKun

HaloKun — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:25:51 +0000

I agree with this review, except the parent comment which other reviewers were very harsh about. I have known several teenagers whose parents are absolutely never around, and would not notice another person living in their house.

But I do see where you are coming from, and I suppose some people may not be able to get over this. If you think it is unbelievable for a teenage girl to keep a HUGE secret (like a whole person) hidden in their room from neglectful parents, then I would not recommend this book.

That said, the prose is very good, and I believe it’s worth it for that alone.

By: Jia

Jia — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:50:13 +0000

@DS: I think this could be appropriate for an advanced 12-year-old reader. I will note there is sex in it but it's off-stage. It's not even referenced to very much in the same way sex was referenced in Breaking Dawn. (I know I keep whipping out the Twilight references but this is the easiest base of comparison to use since it's so ubiquitous.)

By: DS

DS — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:08:50 +0000

Thanks for the review. I’ve been trying to decide if I should give this book to a friend’s granddaughter for her birthday. I think I’ll go ahead and do it, but also include something more challenging. She’s an advanced reader but only 12 years old and for some reason I have a hard time getting into the head of a 12 year old.