Review--Linger

THE LONGING.

Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning of with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

THE LOSS.

Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human.

THE LINGER.

For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces--wold and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

Didn't take me too long to devour Maggie Stiefvater's Linger. Once again I am blown away by the quality of her writing, her ability to bring me into this world and care so deeply about her characters and really feel connected to them, in the reading sense of course.

Linger picks up a few months after the events of Shiver and things are going great for Sam and Grace. Until things start to change, until complications start to arise. Olivia's parents are still worried about her. The police are looking for her and that is only the beginning of their problems.

The newly made wolves from Shiver are having their own troubles with dealing with their new lives. We only get to see two of them and really only focus on one.

The story was told from four p.o.v.s this time--Sam, Grace, Cole, and Isabel--and it was something different yet again. I still love that we are in the first person with each narrator because it allows you to connect with the narrator more. You really get to see what they are thinking and feeling and feel the depth of their emotions, for there are a lot of emotions to be had by all the players in this book.

The romance was not as strong as in the first, there is still that intense love and devotion between Grace and Sam, but it's become more comfortable now. They know each other and have connected. So the romance doesn't have a key role anymore, but it's still there, just with a couple who's already together and in love rather than falling in love.

There are sparks flying between Cole and Isabel as well. It seems like they might have feelings for each other, but it's hard to tell the difference. They definitely understand one another.

But problems are bound to arise in Linger, otherwise where would the story be. Cole's appearance and his problem are just one of many. To be vague and to avoid spoilers, yet letting you know what the problems involve, they contain the past and Grace.

Vague, I know, but I don't want to get into spoilers! Trust me, it's a doozie and one that I could see coming. I actually had two theories and obviously one was wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It definitely had more development with the characters, some of which weren't there in Shiver. They came into the spotlight while others stepped back. I am really looking forward to the next and final one Forever that releases in July 2011. I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Definitely looking forward to the Shiver movie now that I am really getting into this trilogy. Only heard that Shiver was being made into a movie. But I thought I saw something about all 3 books being made into movies. Not sure. Anyone else know? Feel free to share your info!

Next up might have to be something other than what I have down as next. My TBR pile has several tempting reads!