Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

"I smiled at the stacks, inhaling again. 

Hundreds of thousands of pages

that had never been turned, 

waiting for me."

I know I'm kind of late to the Shiver train. I've had a lot of friends read and recommend this over the years, and I always intended to get around to it. So when I met a friend for lunch this week and she gave me her copy, insisting, "Read this," I complied.

I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. While the middle dragged a bit for me, it well-written, interesting, and lovely. The narrator, Grace, is a strong heroine who doesn't allow her independence to prevent her from freely falling for Sam. And in a refreshing reversal of traditional YA gender roles, Sam depends on Grace, her intelligence, her calm demeanor, and her quick reactions in several crucial moments throughout the book.

There are some obvious comparisons that can be made to Twilight in the way wolves communicate with one another or the way the lead female character has always felt slightly out of place, like she might belong better among the supernatural. But for the most part, this book stands on its own wonderfully. I think that has a lot to do with a strong female lead, as I already mentioned.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was how assertive Grace was in her relationship with Sam. She's not afraid to make her wishes known. I loved that.

I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Young Adult romances. I really don't think you even need to be especially interested in the supernatural aspects of the book. Although, if you think too hard about Grace's less-than-platonic attraction to the wolves, you might get a little weirded out.