See Michelle Read: the wolves of mercy falls

Showing posts with label the wolves of mercy falls. Show all posts

What are Wolves, Alex?

Last night it seems two of my favorite things came together in one big crazy mash-up.

Maggie Stiefvater and Jeopardy!

You heard me right internets. Turns out last night Maggie and her fabulous books, The Wolves of Mercy Falls were featured as a clue on Teen Jeopardy! Jeopardy! I tell you. With Alex Trebek! I used that watch that show religiously in college as a de-stresser and can just imagine the glee Maggie must be experiencing Right. Now. So very awesome.

Here's the clue for all you doubting Thomases (via Maggie herself)

Fabulous case of YAngelism.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

As spring leisurely breaks winter's strong hold on the small town of Mercy Falls, Sam slowly begins to accept the fact that he is not going to turn back into a wolf. At times he's still unable to believe that he's been given this unexpected gift of constant humanity but with Grace by his side, he's willing to accept it. Alternately, the once unflappable, practical Grace is feeling more and more restless with the arrival of spring. On top of the strange symptoms she's been experiencing, Grace's previously non-involved parents have become increasingly more and more resistant to Sam's steady presence in her life. Which is the last thing either want to deal with as Beck's new wolves begin to return to their human form - full of confusion and uncontrollable instincts; ultimately requiring direction and protection from Sam.

Even though I adore Maggie Stiefvater's books and her unusually beautiful writing, I resisted picking up her latest, Linger, out of sheer perversity. Really, let me explain. Hands-down, Shiver had one of the loveliest endings I've read in quite some time and I just wasn't ready to watch life unravel for Sam and Grace as I knew it ultimately would. Eventually I gave in. And I'm glad I did. Maggie Stiefvater is truly an amazingly talented writer. Her words flow so easily from the pages, full of incredible imagery and sensory descriptions so strong I found myself thinking about particular scenes from Linger - in detail - days after finishing the book. I also quickly fell in love with the additional narrative voices of Isabel Culpeper and Cole, one of Beck's new wolves. Isabel was a stand-out character from Shiver and her straight-forward approach to life could not be more refreshing. Undeniably, Ms. Stiefvater is unparalleled at her craft but I did find myself bothered by a couple of aspects of the novel.

Which leads me to the list of... Things that Bothered Me in Linger:

1. Another Absurdly Talented Musician. I get it that Maggie Stiefvater herself is something of a musical genius (I am not, so I will simply bow down to her prowess) but do we really need yet another dreamy boy with a passion for all things music? And then the fact that Cole and Sam never even once discuss their shared interest in music (highly improbably in my experience with musicians) is incredibly suspect. Can we not just find another interest for our characters? Which leads me to...

2. Cole. While I love me a bad-boy rocker, I have issues with certain aspects of his character. The bad-boy part I'm totally on board with - especially the whole: I'm jaded, where's my next big high? persona. Love that. It's the tortured genius thing I don't really believe. That whole explanation seemed rushed and basically wound up as a convenient plot solution. Hopefully this is addressed more in Forever, because I really, really like Cole - I just don't think he's been fully developed yet.

3. NARKOTIKA. Can someone please explain to me why in heavens name Cole's band is called NARKOTIKA?! And WHY is it always written in caps? I feel like I should be yelling it every time I read it. (Gee, I guess I'm supposed to.)

4. Crappy Parents. Yet again. And this award doesn't just go to Grace's parental units (Hello! Can you not tell your daughter is sick here?). The Culpepers, Cole's smarty-pants family, and even Sam's adopted father, Beck, all seem to be gunning for this coveted title. I know Grace tends to envy Sam's upbringing, but Beck has always seemed a little off to me with his whole "let me bite and create more unstable werewolves" thing.

Harsh, right? I know. But it's not to say that I didn't like Linger. Really, I did. It just isn't my favorite although guaranteed I'll be tracking down Forever (which, HELLO! has a gorgeous new cover) once it's released next year to find out how it all ends for Sam, Grace, Isabel, and Cole.

series reading order:
~ Shiver - my review
~ Linger
~ Forever (July 2011)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
Presenting Lenore review
Not Enough Bookshelves review
The Compulsive Reader review
YA Highway review

book source: ARC tour

The GIANT Linger Giveaway

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.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

All her life, Grace has lived at the edge of the forest and every year as the seasons begin to turn colder, she waits and watches for her wolves to appear. Her friends and family can't understand Grace's fascination with the wolves that almost took her life years ago, but Grace feels an unexplained connection to one wolf in particular - the one who protected her from the other wolves that awful day. Every winter, Grace waits for her wolf to return, knowing he will stay close to her throughout the winter - a bright spot in the otherwise lonely and cold season.

At the beginning of the school year, all of Mercy Falls is shocked to discover a fatal wolf attack on a local bully, Jack Culpeper. The entire community is ready to take to the woods to hunt the dangerous wolves down, but Grace can feel nothing but sympathy and worry for her wolf. Then a boy shows up on her porch, wounded, and Grace is sure she knows him and knows she will do anything in her power to keep him near.

Unlike the non-stop, hold your breath action of Ballad, Shiver is a rather quiet book. Neither Grace or Sam are alpha heroes by any means, but they both posses courage and strength in spades. Sam especially has had to grow up faster than any boy ever should but who wants nothing more than to retain his humanity. To label Shiver simply as a 'werewolf' novel would be a gross underestimation. Most definitely it is a love story about two practical, old souls who have experienced more than your average teen and who forge a connection well outside of convention.

Maggie Stiefvater's secondary characters are also a study in contrast. They aren't ever distinctly good or evil, they are just people who sometimes make good choices but who often make incredibly bad choices too. One of my favorites is the spoiled diva Isabel Culpeper who Grace wants nothing to do with but who ultimately comes to her aid when she's most needed. Additionally, there are lots other of little details that make this a good read: the temperature reading at the beginning of each chapter, the alternating point of view of Sam and Grace, and very real, very compelling nature of Sam's wolf pack. I can fully understand why Grace is jealous of Sam's idyllic upbringing - I am too.

And just because it is so beautiful, I'll leave you with the Shiver trailer, made by the lovely author herself.