Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls # 2
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 368
Book Source: Own Purchase

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.

I LOVED Linger, ok not quite as much as Shiver but ... almost. Don't worry no spoilers in my review but if you haven't read Shiver; what are you waiting for? The beauty of Shiver made such a lasting impression on me last year that I had no trouble picking up Linger and being captivated once again by the continuing story of Sam and Grace and the wolves of Mercy Falls. Linger has the same bittersweet, magical quality as Shiver, the same delicate lyrical writing, the same touching romance, but the pace is a little different, not quite as sensual but a bit more action.

When I first realised that Linger wouldn't be told from just Sam and Grace's point of view, I confess I felt a little disappointed but it didn't last long. Maggie Stiefvater does a wonderful job of weaving all four narratives into the story and you quickly become aware of Cole's significance to the plot. For me the introduction of Cole and Isabel's perspectives took away some of the wistfulness but added a different undercurrent of tension. They're both quite obnoxious characters but their vulnerabilities are slowly revealed and yes I'm a sucker for dark and damaged and Cole definitely ticks that box.

In Shiver I thought Grace's non-existent parents were a poor excuse for parents and in Linger I like them even less. Their concern and discipline after years of neglect seemed false, maybe even manufactured; a plot convenience? Ok it's just a small criticism but it made me question the 'realness' of the story and I don't like that.

Another cliffhanger ending and even though I expected it and wasn't far off with my prediction, it still bites and I'm now hanging out for Forever, (aptly titled LOL) the final installment in the trilogy, coming July 2011. *Sigh* such a long wait, I'll probably be frothing at the mouth by then!

PS this trailer is just gorgeous ... check it out.

For those of you struggling over the pronunciation of Maggie's last name, her blog has a helpful tip: "Steve-Otter." Like the name, "Steve," and the little furry animal otter. See Maggie's website and live journal to find out more about this fabulous author and her work.

Click on the title to see my review of Shiver - a favourite read in 2009.

This month on The Eclectic Reader one lucky reader can win The Sky Is Everywhere OR Mockingjay OR By Fire, By Water. Check this blog post for details. International entrants welcome.