I re-read Shiver this week at Natalie's insistence. She disagrees with my original review and I agreed to give Shiver another try. For the summary and original review, click here.
Things I like about Shiver:
I like the way Stiefvater describes places and feelings.
I like Sam. He struggles with racing thoughts, insomnia, and not living in the present moment. As these are all things that I deal with too, they make Sam endearing to me.
I like the ending.
I like the little bits of song and poetry that Sam is constantly making up in his head as a coping mechanism to dealing with his feelings.
The writing feels more intelligent than other YA books. I like the writing so much that I bought Stiefvater's two faerie books.
I like the way Stiefvater describes places and feelings.
I like Sam. He struggles with racing thoughts, insomnia, and not living in the present moment. As these are all things that I deal with too, they make Sam endearing to me.
I like the ending.
I like the little bits of song and poetry that Sam is constantly making up in his head as a coping mechanism to dealing with his feelings.
The writing feels more intelligent than other YA books. I like the writing so much that I bought Stiefvater's two faerie books.
Things I don't like about Shiver:
I understand and accept that when you are reading a work of fiction you have to suspend reality. While I'm not a big fan of love at first sight, I do think that attraction or a feeling of some level of connection at first sight is pretty plausible. I take umbrage to a character falling in love with a wolf when she is eleven years old and doesn't even know that he is more than a wolf. That has a big "ew" factor. I know that this is a fact because Grace admits it to it. As my insightful husband opined, "it's almost as bad as a teenager falling in love with a baby." (Referring to Jacob imprinting with Reneesme in Breaking Dawn)
The plot floats on by with all of the excitement of an Enya song. I think I would have rated Shiver higher if there was more excitement to it. It didn't start to pick up until the last 100 pages.
It felt very "Team Jacob" to me. As I am staunchly Team Edward, this was a turn-off.
The script in the book is midnight blue. It looks black at first glance but a few pages in I noticed that the script was light and I was struggling to see it clearly.
All of the things I didn't like before still apply.
Score:
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting/Imagery: 4/5
Originality: 2/5
Ending: 3/5
Total Score: 15/25
Recommended for Team Jacob fans and YA fans. I will be reading Linger, but I'm not dying for it like I am other series installments (for example, Last Sacrifice, Mockingjay, City of Fallen Angels, Bitterblue, Misguided Angel, The Clockwork Angel).
I'm sorry, Natalie, I know you love this one but the cons are just too great to go up on stars. I anxiously await your minority report...
LOL! I've got your
Minority Report :0)
It is true, I did protest the rating of Shiver! On my goodreads it will remain a 5 STAR. While I respect the review system and "typically" agree with Kelli's reviews...like with The Hunger Games, we ARE A HOUSE DIVIDED! While this may be a matter of "was it that good of a book," I am going to just reiterate that I am NOT a Jacob Black fan.
<sigh> Oh Edward <sigh>
Okay back to the friendly spat at hand... Here is one (of the many) reasons that I like Shiver...
I DO BELIEVE in Love at First Sight... I will not bore our readers with my sappy "Love at First Sight" hubby story... but it does exist I tell you! Kelli claims I am a romantic...ppssshhh... I can't help it, I need love in the books I read. That is why she is a great "non-discriminatory" reviewer and clearly I discriminate... I need LOVE!
Oh and I like the blue script in the book Kelli!
Kelli i so agree with you i started this book and after a few chapters i just couldn't go on,it wasn't going anywhere and frankly i lost interest and non of the characters had that spark, glad im not the only one shame since i love her work, i will not be reading linger either and omg! i can not stand Jacob due to the whole imprinting thing i was a fan of his before that then i just lost all respect for the wolf dude meh! great review :D
ReplyDeleteI just recently started following your blog. I love the way you do your scoring. It really tells me more than just one score. I am thinking of implementing that on my blog as well. If that's oakay with you?
ReplyDeleteBlueicegal,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad we feel the same way! I know one other person who has tried to read it and couldn't get past chapter 10. I liked the writing but the plot just didn't compel me.
So her other books are good? Ballad and Lament? I'm getting those in this weekend...
Thank you for the compliment. :)
And yes, I feel the same way about Jacob. Yuck.
Hi Teddy Rose,
ReplyDeleteThank you for following! And I don't mind a bit if you use the same scoring on your blog. I like breaking down my score instead of just giving a total number of stars without explaining why. Glad someone else likes it too!
:)
Natalie!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment and for following my blog. :) I must say, it was pretty interesting reading two opposing reviews of a book I have not read as of yet. In fact, I may have to make a habit of it.
About Team Jacob and Team Edward, I am torn between them. If Edward had left me, like he did to Bella in New Moon, I would have totally fallen for Jake.
Dear Edward,
Don't lie to me. Even if you think it's for my own good. I'm not a baby. I'm not helpless (i.e. mindless). And if I want to die in order to be with you, you'd better do your damnedest to take me seriously.
So there's my slightly creepy (did I just fake write a letter to a fictional character??) opinion on Jake and Edward. If I had to choose, I'd choose Jake. He fought for Bella tooth and nail. But what pissed me off about both men, was that neither of them listened to Bella. Not cool, man.
Thanks again for the comment - I'm gonna go read some more reviews now!
~Sunny
P.S.
Can't wait for City of Fallen Angels, too! Simon is AWESOME!!!
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI know you believe in love at first sight. Let me just ask you one thing: was your hubby in animal form when you first fell in love with him?
If he was, then I'll change my review of Shiver....
I nearly bought Shiver. I was hesitant because I really liked the Twilight Saga, but I was worried it would be a wannabe "spin off." So I refrained. I like my Twilight quite a bit, and someone trying to recreate it just doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteI am interested to see your review. I found your blog by chance. I will keep coming back, because I love to read, and I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions.
Hi Evelyn,
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by! I don't think Shiver is a bad book, I still gave it an "I liked it" rating, it's just not super great, in my opinion.
If you're wanting a good YA vampire series besides Twilight, try Vampire Academy or Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series. Both of those are great!
Kelli
Kelli, does facial hair count???
ReplyDeleteLOL, no it doesn't Natalie! :)
ReplyDeleteHe has to be in animal form, like Sam as a wolf...
I wasn't a big fan of Shiver either. But everyone loves it so much I feel like perhaps I'm missing something. Maybe I'm just too much of a die hard Edward fan to ever switch over to the Jacob side. But I am still thinking about re-reading it like you did...just to see. But aren't there so many other better books I'd rather reread. Like Lament.
ReplyDelete