Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Review: Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
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 Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
My Thoughts: I had a really tough time even starting this book.  It honestly had nothing to do with the book itself but more because I really, really loved the ending that Grace and Sam were given in Shiver.  I didn't want them to have problems.  I didn't want them to fall apart.  I didn't want their Happily Ever After to unravel.

To my delight, Maggie Stiefvater made their story even more poignant.  Yes, they have roadblocks they have to find their way around, but it makes sense in the mythology of the story.  I loved that their relationship burned with the same steady love as book 1.  I thought Cole, with his yearning to be a wolf and his desire to escape his life, was a good addition.  Isabel is a well-written mix of brittle honesty and hidden grief.

As much as I wasn't expecting it, this book really worked for me.  Sam's inability to believe in his cure.  Grace's spiral downward.  Cole's self-destructive personality.  Isabel's disconnection with her family.  Even Grace's parents' actions- which are usually the type of actions that drive me batty- worked in the context of the story.  I loved the snippets of songs, the paper cranes, the slow drive toward spring.

And the ending?  Beautifully full circle with the events that started this whole arc out.  I'll be content to wait patiently for book 3 and see how it all resolves itself.

More books by Maggie Stiefvater

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