Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

The Dark Divine

Author: Bree Despain

Publisher: Egmont USA

Series: The Dark Divine #1

Pages: 372

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: December 22, 2009

How Received: Library

Summary:

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 the mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul. 

My Thoughts:

At first, I didn’t expect to like this book. The reason is simple: religion plays a huge part in the life of the Divines. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not slandering religion, being religious myself. But when you find religion in literature, it’s usually displayed with substantial amounts of distasteful bigotry and has made me come to dislike any books with religious portrayals. After a while into this book, though, I realized that while religion played a big part in the familial dynamics of the Divines, the book wasn’t preachy or stubborn. Grace, the main character, does some things that go against the way of her religion, and she struggles with her decisions. Her father, who is a pastor, is okay with new ideas being brought to him and tries to help anyone in need, regardless of what they do. This is the first book in a while where I could stomach the religion, so that was a plus for me.

After I got over my forthcomings about religion, the book got a lot better. I was driven to read it so quickly because I needed to know Daniel’s secret and what happened between him and Jude, Grace’s brother. The inquisitive stage of the book takes up the entire novel – from the very first page to the last. What was going on? What is Daniel? What’s going to happen now? Those are the questions I most wondered about as I read. The plot itself isn’t that exciting: you could pretty much guess Daniel’s secrets from the get-go. But there were plot twists! Not exactly dealing with Daniel himself but... let’s just say the “antagonist” is someone you would never expect. I for sure didn’t! I totally fell for the red herring Despain threw at me. I accused that guy from the very beginning. So un-predictability? Pretty good in some parts, but pretty predictable in others.

The characters were believable. I really enjoyed Grace as a protagonist. She still held firm with her beliefs, but she was willing to experiment and try new things – all in the favor of helping someone who she wasn’t allowed to see. I’m glad her love – for Daniel and her brother – ran as deep as it did. Daniel was also an enjoyable character: he was mysterious, cynical, and a general bad boy, but he was always so sweet and gentle to Grace when they were alone. I couldn’t help but love him, even as I questioned everything about him.

I also enjoyed that Grace’s parents were somewhat around. They – especially her father – played active roles in the book, and I enjoyed reading Grace’s interactions with them (even though she didn’t get along well with her mom, which is understandable with any teenage girl).

I thought it was pure genius that nearly everyone we’re introduced to has a unique role. Literally. Even characters we only meet for a sentence or so get a somewhat significant role in the book – from Don, to a girl with green hair, to the mysterious Gabriel. Everything interweaved amongst themselves really nicely, and I have to applaud Bree for writing her story the way she did.

  

 And lastly, the name meanings in this book were interesting. All of the Divine’s were given names that reflected God in some way. Daniel’s name means “God is my judge” (which makes perfect sense). Jude’s name is a bit ironic, depending on the root meaning of the name (it means praise, admired, or thanks, but also to acknowledge and confess man’s character) – and Jude is also a brother of James (baby James). I absolutely adore authors who take careful consideration into name meanings and incorporating that into their novels.

Cover Thoughts: At first, I thought it was pretty. Then I got up close to the novel and didn’t like it so much. This is just me, personally, but I can’t stand toenails. If you’re going to try to have a pretty cover, pick pretty toenails. And look at the model’s feet. Those are 25-year-old feet, not 16-year-old feet. And for a religious novel, it’s pretty racy. But maybe that was done on purpose, to show that Grace does go out of line sometimes. But ugh, the toenails. Cute idea for the purple nailpolish (it’s mentioned in the story) but... just ugh.

Memorable Quotes:

“Grace Divine.” He snorted. “Your parents must have some God complex. I bet your dad is a minister.”

“Pastor. But that’s none of your business.” (pg. 5)

The problem with promises is that once you’ve made one, it’s bound to be broken. It’s like an unspoken cosmic rule. (pg. 18)

I was used to people talking about me. Watching me. It was just part of being a Divine. Mom always said I had to be careful about the clothes I wore, how late I stayed out, or what movies I was seen going into, because people would set their own behavior by what the pastor’s kids were allowed to do—like I was some kind of walking morality barometer. (pg. 85)

He brushed the stone pendant that lingered between his defined pecs. I couldn’t help noticing the way his long, lean muscles and untamed hair made him look like a wild, powerful animal. For one small second, I wished he had pounced on me. (pg. 229

Daniel turned his head away. “What about your brother?”
“I don’t want to kiss him,” I said, and pecked my lips along Daniel’s jaw.
“He’s here, you know.” Daniel swallowed air. “I can taste him.”
“Okay, let’s put that on our ‘Top Ten Things Not to Say While Making Out’ list.” (pg. 309)

What were the odds that two werewolves had the hots for me? Like I was some gigantic monster magnet. Was there a sign on my back that said, BITE ME, I’M AVAILABLE?!  (pg. 322)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: I started out disliking this novel because of the religion. But a little while into it, I was completely hooked. The Dark Divine handed us a total good vs. evil cliché, but it’s served well-done. The characters were believable and it was fun rooting for Daniel (I’m still rooting for Daniel, seeing as a new love interest is being introduced in the Lost Saint – or so I think? Maybe? Not sure) and seeing how far Grace would go for love.

Rating: 4/5

Review: Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Raised By Wolves

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Egmont USA

Series: Raised by Wolves #1

Pages: 418

Genre: Paranormal, fantasy

Release Date: June 8, 2010

How Received: Library

Summary: At the age of four, Bryn watched a rogue werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by the mysterious Callum, the alpha of his werewolf pack. Now fifteen, Bryn’s been raised as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule (mostly). Little fazes her.

But the pack’s been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum’s direct orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her mom and dad come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It’s Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

My Thoughts:

Everything you learned about werewolves in other novels, throw (most) of it out. In Raised by Wolves, werewolves don’t get bit – they’re born with the trait, and only the males. An occasional rare female is born into the pack, but always in a pair (twins). They have super speed, even in human form, and are allergic to silver.

Bronwyn (Bryn) was raised amongst these wolves, and she’s your typical rebellious teenager: angsty, back talker, and ruler breaker all rolled into one. She’s human, and adopted into the pack, which sets her out to be an outcast, a misfit. She struggles to maintain independence in a pack she’d lose herself in. For almost 9 years, she refrained from opening up her pack bond, which would have taken hold of her once she opened it up. While she retained most of her personality at the end of the book, she no longer annoyed me – she became headstrong and had to fight to keep a hold of what she loved and believed in. The back talk also receded (more or less, I guess).

Of course, where would a paranormal novel be without a hunky werewolf to come on a silver platter? (Okay well, maybe not, since Jennifer’s werewolves are allergic to silver =P). I had a difficult time with Chase. I obviously loved him from the beginning (he had a sort of “bad boy” pull on me), but I just couldn’t come to terms with his and Bryn’s relationship. A lot of it happened off-screen, such as their Markings (which binds them together). Most of the romance involved Bryn and Chase claiming over and over that their counterpart was theirs. It danced around the central plot of the book – everything was more focused on the werewolves than their romance. We get one kiss and a few wolfy nuzzles. So if you’re looking for fleshed out romance, just turn away.

I can’t tell you how much I loved so many of the characters. I usually don’t love as many characters as I did for this book. For one, Callum. Sure, he was portrayed as the “bad guy”, the betrayer. But I can’t shake off this love I felt for him since the beginning of the book. Devon was such a bad-ass friend – metrosexual werewolf? YES PLEASE. Lake was equally awesome – blunt, kick ass, and strong. She named her gun Matilda. If that doesn’t scream quirky to you, I dunno what will. I loved that there was a central adult figure in Bryn’s life – Ali, despite being human, was a strong woman who cared most about keeping her loved ones safe. I wanted to hug her for the sacrifices she had to go to just to save Bryn’s butt. Katie (she was so cute in her puppy werewolf form) and Alex were as adorable as any babies could be portrayed in a novel, and so was Lily. Just... SO much love for a lot of the characters.

The pacing was decent and rarely lagged. There wasn’t that much action, but rather everything was explained in concise details and without dragging things on. I had a bit of trouble with the format and the way the events played out – it isn’t done so conventionally. When Bryn basically starts up a new way of life at the 60% mark of the book, I had trouble accepting it – I was ready for rising action, not reverting back to a new intro!

The plot was slightly predictable – there was only one time that I was surprised (and it was a mild surprise, at that). Everything just flowed in such a way that Jennifer basically led up to certain events, and when you got to them, you knew what was going to go down. The constant presence of the Rabid – lone wolf that kills humans – was prevalent throughout the majority of the book. We never really got to forget about him.

Cover Musings: I actually really love the dark blue hue to this cover and I’m rather fond of the model (I had to picture Bryn like her, haha). It doesn’t really stand out in a line of books, but it has a certain charm.

Memorable Quotes:

"I glanced up at him, and his strong, Nordic features shuddered as he attempted something that resembled a smile the way that a great white shark resembles a goldfish." (pg. 43)

"‘I’m Chase,’ he said.

‘Kind of an ironic name for a werewolf.’ [...] ‘Werewolves do a lot of chasing,’ I explained. ‘And your name is Chase. Hee.’" (pg. 58-59)

"Baby #2 made what appeared to be a real effort at putting his left foot in his mouth. Reflexively, I reached my hand out and tickled his sole before catching his foot in my hand.

Alex (also known as Alexander, Little Guy, Big Guy, and Spot) wrinkled his baby brow.

‘Got your foot,’ I told him loftily. Alex wriggled. Clearly, he was unsure what to make of this development."  (pg. 65-66)

"In addition to having superstrength, accelerated healing, awesome senses, and an extended life span, werewolves, I had recently discovered, were also pretty much immune to the horrors of poop.’" (pg. 72)

"‘Senate,’ Ali scoffed, purely out of reflex. ‘There’s nothing democratic about werewolves. Nothing.’

She was right. This meeting would be like throwing a bunch of champion gladiators into a ring and telling them to talk out their differences over tea." (pg 272)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments:

I think out of all the werewolf novels I’ve been reading lately, this has to be my favorite by far. There are so many untold secrets, betrayals, and struggles that were dealt with in this novel. The characters were enjoyable, and the plot was refreshing and constantly in motion. A definite must-read. :)

Oh, and I gotta support an author with the same last name! We could be related! =P

Rating: 5/5

Review: Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Claire de Lune

Author: Christine Johnson
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Series: Claire de Lune #1

Pages: 336
Genre: Paranormal, fantasy, YA
Release Date: May 18, 2010
How Received: Library

Summary: Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

My Thoughts:

This story isn’t your average werewolf story – you don’t get bitten to become one, people/the media know that werewolves exist and actively hunt them, and the pack is entirely matriarchal. The premise of the story confused me at times. I go into books without reading summaries. I like being “blind” about a story, lest something on the back sways my judgment while reading. So, with that said, I had no idea what the hell was going on besides Claire dealing with her three month change into a werewolf and being whiny about having to lie. There was no real action, and we didn’t even get a subplot, until the end.

I’ll start with Claire. After Claire’s rockin’ 16^th birthday part, she finds out she’s a werewolf. She spent a lot of time in denial – and I mean a freaking lot. I wanted to slap her at the beginning and tell her to just go with it, since you can’t change it. We’re constantly reminded that Claire HAS TO LIE and that she doesn’t like it. After the tenth or twentieth time, you’d think we knew by now that Claire hates lying and that she’s going to whine about it for a few paragraphs. I couldn’t connect with Claire. Not really. She’s your typical rebellious teenager who is too self-absorbed to notice the shit pile she’s walking into.

The other characters... eh. Emily was just there for annoying banter for a few paragraphs. Lisbeth was just... there, as well. We never got to experience or see who the wolf pack members were for ourselves. Again, they were just there.

The one thing I did like about this story was the progression of Matthew’s and Claire’s relationship. It wasn’t a look—then BAM, we’re in love. It was slow, it was sweet, it was romantic. Matthew was such a gentleman at times. I didn’t, however, like their awkwardness. I felt like screaming every time there were awkward silences.

The progression of the story was very dull. It was mostly Claire whining, and then trying to learn how to be a werewolf, and then we’re back to Claire whining. Repeat and rinse. It only picked up near the end (and it wasn’t much of a pick-up). I have to admit that I almost fell for the red herring Johnson threw at us. But then I realized the one she cast as suspicious couldn’t have been the culprit – the times never matched up.

One thing I despised about this story was the lack of description and detail. I never even knew what Claire looked like, other than a really vague description about her. Other characters got even more vague descriptions, which were limited to their hair colors. And the werewolves – people knew about them. But how did they know? How did this lycanthrophy research society set itself up? There was just too many “why’s” and not enough answers – I mean, I know it’s a fantasy novel, but at least throw us a bone, give us some vague idea.

I guess, however, the lack of description worked in a way – it made this a really fast read.

Cover Musings: Oh gosh, the one thing I absolutely loved about this novel! The cover is so pretty. The model, the moon, the sentence, and even the brush they used behind “Claire de Lune” is absolutely gorgeous!

Memorable Quotes: 

“The truth of who she was, what she was, hung over her like a lead umbrella. Her mother had told her over and over that it would get easier, that Claire would become like an oyster. ‘The truth, chérie, the secret—it is like a grain of sand. You must hold it inside the way an oyster does, smoothing it over and over until it becomes a jewel that makes you stronger, more valuable, even though no one can see it inside you. It will only hurt at first.’” (pg. 259)

“Claire sighed. ‘I wish I could, but I’ve got some, uh, girl stuff to do later. I think I’d better stick around here tonight.’

‘Girl stuff’? Is that what we’re calling it now?’” (pg. 321)

“Every part of her felt right—her silky fur that caught the wind, the pads of her feet against the soft dirt—it was perfect. The feeling of release was so great that Claire couldn’t hold back the cry that rose through her. She threw back her head and howled. Around her, she could hear the others join in, calling out to the moon above them, the ground below, and the forest that circled them tight.” (pg. 335-6)

Final Thoughts/Overall Comments: I wanted to like Claire de Lune more than I did, but I couldn’t. The book itself was okay; I liked it. But it wasn’t extraordinary, or something I’d fan about. It was just a good book, and I’ll probably read its sequel whenever it comes out.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Sisters Red

Sisters Red

Author: Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Little, Brown
Series: Sisters Red #1
Pages: 324 [hardcover]
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: June 7, 2010
How Received: Library

Summary:
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris—the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister, Rosie, from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and a blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She’s determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt that her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls’ bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Scarlett’s only friend, Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax. But does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they’ve worked for?

My thoughts:

I was impressed by this novel. I was lured in by the cover only – the summary on the inside jacket flap nor the good reviews on Goodreads didn’t sway my perception of this book. I just wasn’t interested. It even took me about a fourth of the way into the book to get really interested. I’m not saying this book was bad, because it really wasn’t. It was good; I liked it. But that was it.

Let me start off by saying... I loved Scarlett. I’ve never been more impressed with a character so well-developed, and completely flawed (inside and out). I empathized with her for the loss of her eye and her scarred body that deflected people away from her as if she had three heads. She was rational (most of the time), quick-witted, and just plain bad-ass. The fact that she wasn’t completely perfect at her hunting skills really caused me to admire her – admitting you’re not the best at something you’ve been doing for years takes a lot. Honestly, how many girls do you know would take action and get revenge for her grandmother and the loss of her eye? I know I wouldn’t have – I would have gotten depressed and tried avoiding the Fenris for the rest of my life.

I felt pretty much the same way Scarlett did when she found out Rosie started branching out on her own, dreaming about other things. Scarlett risked her life for Rosie – her scars were the embodiment of how far she would go to protect her sister and other unaware girls. How unfair is it that Scarlett gets the short end of the stick, even if she got it willingly by placing herself in front of Rosie all the time? She’s jealous (even if she won’t admit it), bitter, resentful, and has a one-track mind that is always centered on killing Fenris. I can’t even express how much Scarlett spoke to me, and how much I love her, without at least writing 2 pages in Word, so I’ll stop there.

Rosie, on the other hand, pissed me off. I think it’s because I empathized with Scarlett far before I even took notice of Rosie as a strong character. She was weak for 3/4^th’s of the novel. She was always being protected, always “failing”, always being driven into guilt because of her need for something more. Rosie is the “damsel-in-distress” type of character, a half-“Dragonfly”, as Scarlett would put it. The only time I had respect for Rosie was in the tunnel, and that was only because she cast herself into Scarlett’s perspective (which just reinforces my saying Scarlett’s so bad-ass :]).

I loved the intensity of the two sisters’ relationship, though, and how Pearce described their relationship as of being one heart. For someone who hasn’t had a sibling tie that strong before, it sure got me envious of the both of them.

The plot was very predictable. I, like many other reviewers before me, was able to guess at what would happen long before it was even hinted at. Nevertheless, that knowledge didn’t stop me from getting goose-bumps when the characters found out. There were times when the plot was very slow-paced, lulling in between action packed fights. The romance was just... there. It was inevitable, and I knew it would happen, but I, for once, didn’t feel anything for it. I was too wrapped up on Scarlett and her purpose to even like the romance between Rosie and Silas. I’ve never not felt anything for a romance in a book, but the romance in Sisters Red was just... meh.

Cover Musings: How can you NOT love this cover?! This is just... just... amazing. It’s what made me read the book in the first place. I saw it on the top shelf among other tasty titles, but the contrast of red and black, and the eyes of the Fenris, drew me like no other. Ugh, all I can even begin to say is LOOOOVE.

Memorable Quotes:

“The only thing worse than making Rosie angry is knowing I have to make up for making Rosie angry. Otherwise, something is wrong. It’s hard to explain, but when she’s angry, it feels as though someone has put me together incorrectly, like a bookshelf with a row of upside-down books.” (pg. 35)

“‘We can’t change the station, by the way,’ he says.

‘Because you really like pop music?’ I ask, wrinkly my nose as a bubbly song blares at us.

‘Not hardly,’ Silas says. ‘I hate it. But last time I changed it, the car stopped. Oh, and lean away from your door—sometimes it opens randomly.’” (pg. 95)

“It’s sort of hard to justify taking dance classes when your older sister is trying to save the world.” (pg. 98)

“‘Silas,’ I greet him without looking. He slows.

‘You know, for a girl who can’t see on her right side, you’re hard to sneak up on. What is that, some sort of pirate superpower?’ he teases.” (pg. 109)

“The same heart, torn apart so that I could stay safe in our mother longer while she put her body in front of mine. Her body in front of mine so that I could stay safe longer instead of face the mouth of a monster. Always her body in front of mine, always her to be wounded, to be cut into pieces and hacked away at while I see with both eyes and can think of a life beyond hunting.” (pg. 197)

“Silas leans in. My chest tightens and I beg for him to stop, but no one hears me—I’m not even sure if my pleas are spoken aloud. Rosie tilts her head back. His arms draw her closer, encasing her slight frame. Stop, both of you—we’re hunters; we’re in this together, remember? We promised one another; we promised one another ages ago. We’re in this together. Their lips meet.

            And I’m more alone than ever before.” (pg. 232)

“It is not a sickness, it’s a passion, I now realize, a passion to hunt the same way a painter must paint or a singer must sing. It’s her blood and her heart.” (pg. 320)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: This was a very lovely read; not the best, not the worse, but just right. The characters were all relatable to in some way or other, and both of the March sisters had redeemable qualities about them alongside their flaws. The story is somewhat unique – two girls hunting a slew of werewolves – and the action was enjoyable because it wasn’t perfect. Someone always got hurt. I didn’t like the ending too much, and I’m very curious how this will turn into a series.

Rating: 4/5

Extras:

Jackson Pearce's Livejournal 

Jackson Pearce's Twitter 

Book Trailer/Memorable Quote
Awesome, fun video Pearce made! 


This review is an entry of the September Spectacular Giveaway! :)

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger
Author: Maggie Stiefvater 
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls Series #2
Pages: 362
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: July 13, 2010
How Received: Library (finally! <3)

Summary: 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 Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves... and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love - the light and the dark, the warm and the cold - in a way you will never forget.

 My Thoughts: 

Linger really danced to its own tune -- the overall tone and atmosphere of the book radically transitioned from a desperate, urgent love story in Shiver to a more passive, heart-breaking tale of four emotionally crushed teenagers that delves into the complexities of their backgrounds and personalities. Sam and Grace are forced into fighting for their love, overcoming one burden, only to be presented with the next, all the while dealing with the pain of separation and the looming knowledge that something's happening to Grace that neither are willing to admit. Isabel, making a reappearance as a new POV, has her own demons to deal with: self-inflicted guilt over Jack, conflicting emotions over Sam and Cole, and her unwillingness to feel the pain that's subsiding within her. We're introduced to a new character, Cole -- a boy who chose the 'werewolf' lifestyle -- who turns out to be as damaged as Sam; he comes off as aloof, cynical, and cocky, but redeems himself towards the end of the novel.

I only recently got a recommendation for the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and by the time I got around to Shiver, Linger had come out. As a new reader, I was able to read the stories back-to-back, which I think really helped me fall in love with Linger. Reflecting on it, I realized that Linger barely had any transitions from its prequel. The reader is suddenly thrust into a story with characters that are already molded and barely summarized. Sure, that's the way series are meant to be read, but what about all the readers that didn't re-read Shiver before picking up Linger? Don't they deserve some love? Also, I didn't like that we got lengthy descriptions of Mercy Falls and the intricacies of the teenage mind, but barely any character descriptions. I kept having to refer back to old passages to re-claim the way a character looked.

One thing that really bothered me was the timeline for Linger. I'm a bit obsessive compulsive with time and I've gotten used to actually having a timeline in a story (e.g. Harry Potter or House of Night). A school isn't always required for a timeline -- months are great, too. But in Linger, all we have are seasons. I was a bit frustrated at the beginning of the series because I didn't know where I was compared to Shiver. There were a couple of places that said, "A few months" and then Grace had commented on making her New Years' Resolution, throwing me off balance yet again. After thinking on it, I realized it meant that Grace had made her Resolution a few months later, but it had been confusing, nonetheless.

The pacing was slow enough to frustrate/bore me at times. As a writer myself, I loved the fact that she incorporated a plethora of details about the world around her. Maggie's writing is phenomenal, and her prose was what drew me in initially (alongside the plot, of course). I love the fact that we get to read about the mundane aspects of the characters' relationships, as it gives insight to the characters, how they strengthen their bonds, and their overall personalities. However, it lagged. I kept getting up for breaks and my mind kept wandering to Facebook. The only time I was ever engaged in the book (to the point where I couldn't put it down) were the last forty or so pages.

The alternating POVs were a fresh contrast to Sam's and Grace's POVs. I'm not that fond of books with shifting POVs; however, I didn't mind it as much in Shiver or Linger because it gave us further insight to the budding relationships of our teenage lovers. Isabel and Cole had me laughing, empathizing, crying -- it was really engaging, and the pair almost usurped my love for Sam and Grace. Almost. I can say with a definite declaration, though, that Cole is now my new favorite character in this series. <3

Linger's ending was amazing -- ironic, urgent, and leaving you yearning for more! My only [very small] problem with the ending was that it was too reminiscent of Shiver's ending. The characters have 320 or so pages to contemplate the situations at hand -- Sam turning into a human and Grace turning into a wolf -- yet only do so the last 20/30 pages in spur of the moment decisions. But alas, it's a very small, nit-picky concern. I knew it might have happened at some point, but the fact that Grace had finally transformed into what Sam attempted so desperately to escape was undeniably ironic. "The cure" left me wondering and suddenly very eager for Forever's release. I can't wait to see how Maggie Stiefvater will wrap this series up!

Cover Musings: The cover was what made me decide to move this series up to my TBR list. As for Linger itself, wow. Just wow. I loved seeing the woods that Grace's "wolf-self" seemed so entranced with. I always assumed the girl walking through the trees was foreshadowing, so it made me love the cover even more. The red blot above the "i" sticks out with the rest of the color scheme -- not just the black letters for the titles, but the green as well -- and it really reels you in. I have to agree with Maggie's acknowledgement to her jacket designer, Chris Stengel: he is a graphic god! Aesthetically, Linger is up there in my favorites.

Memorable Quotes: 

This is a love story. I never knew there were so many kinds of love or that love could make people do so many different things. I never knew there were so many different ways to say good-bye.

I rolled my eyes toward her and she added, "It’s like you never wear clothes. You’re always naked when I see you."

Could I believe the science concocted in a hospital cafeteria over lukewarm coffee and crumpled napkins? It was all I had.

"Or even tell me it’s because you could not live without The Boy’s stunning Boyfruits for another night."

Rating: 5/5

Overall & Final Comments: I have a love/dislike relationship with Linger.  I fell in love with Shiver, and I felt for it on a deeper, more profound level in Linger. I love the plot, the characters (old and new), and the mystery revolving around the wolves. There are things that I disliked about the novel, such as pacing and lack of timeline, but honestly, they're negligible compared to the novel overall. I was SO happy to finally get a chance to read this, and I can't think of a better way to sum up my final thoughts other than this: I loveloveloved it! <3