BOOK CLUB Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

WELCOME TO MY FIRST EVER ONLINE BOOKCLUB!!

The book we are discussing is...

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

So pull up a chair and start sharing your feelings and emotions about the book... I created a linky list so that if you have created a post on the book you can link it up so other's can read about it too. I hope to grow this monthly book club so feel free to share with all of your friends. Eventually when I open my own store I hope to move this book club into the real-world too!

Who is your favourite character in the book?

The obvious choice would be Sam or even Grace, but if I am honest my favourite character would have to be Grace's best friend Olivia. I can relate to her in her human form always carrying a camera, very honest and sweet with a great relationship with her family. But it is at the end of the book in when she makes her final decision that I find myself completely falling for her.   

...Then another slight movement caught my eye, lower to the ground, and I saw a big, dark wolf in the woods. His light, nearly colourless eyes were on the house.

"I don't know how they know," Olivia said, "but I feel like they're waiting for me." I suddenly realized that the expression on her face was excitement. It made me feel oddly alone.

"You want to go now, don't you?" 

Olivia nodded. "I can't stand waiting any more. I can't wait to let go."

This image is how I imagine Olivia would look!

Do the characters in the book seem real and believable?

I believe so yes, Sam despite his shape-shifting comes across as a very lovable character, with his anguish over his last change, his fear of being different even his yellow eyes make him believe he is different as a human. He is such a big softy and struggles with his wolf side.

We were driving through a stand of oak trees on the way to my parents' house. Dull orange-brown leaves, dry and dead, clung to the branches and fluttered in the wind, waiting for the gust of wind that would knock them to the ground. That was what Sam was: transient. A summer leaf clinging to the frozen branch for as long as possible.

"Your beautiful and sad," I said finally, not looking at him when I did. "Just like your eyes. You're like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again." 

For a long moment there was only the whirring sound of the tyres on the road, and then Sam said softly, "Thank you."

Also my friends feel this is a little absurd, but the day after I finished reading the book for a second time, I went to a friend's birthday party, and I saw a person at the party who reminded me completely of Sam! It was crazy, the only thing he was lacking were the yellow eyes, but he was musical and a little artistic. I struggled not to stare at him, my fiance thought I had completely lost the plot! Have you ever done that? Found someone who completely resonates with a character you have just been reading about?

Did some aspects of the book make you feel emotional?

There are two components of the book that made me feel emotional, the first is the love that developed between Sam and Grace, I just feel that the easiest way for me to describe it is to quote extracts from the book....

...I watched her run in the house and slunk down into my seat. I couldn't quite believe that I was hiding in a car in the middle of a freezing cold night, waiting for a girl to come running back out and tell me that the coast was clear to come sleep in her room. Not just any girl. The girl. Grace.

..."You don't forget anything. You just see it differently. Through a wolf's brain. Some things become completely unimportant when you're a wolf. Other things are emotions wolves just don't feel. We lose those. But the most important things -we can hold on to those. Most of us."

Like love. I thought of Sam watching me, before we had met as humans, and me watching back. Falling in love, as impossible as it should've been. My gut squeezed horribly, and for a moment I couldn't speak.

..."I don't want to do this any more, Grace. It's not good enough any more to watch you from the woods, not now that I've been with you - the real thing. I can't just watch anymore. I'd rather risk whatever could happen-"

"Death-"

..."Why are you being so careful with me, Sam Roth?"

I tried to tell her the truth. "I - it's - I'm not an animal."

"I'm not afraid of you," she said

She didn't look afraid of me. She looked beautiful, moonlit, tempting, smelling of peppermint and soap and skin. I'd spent eleven years watching the rest of the pack become animals, pushing down my instincts, controlling myself, fighting to stay human, fighting to do the right thing.

As if reading my thoughts, she said, "Can you tell me it's only the wolf in you that wants to kiss me?"

The second element that made me feel emotional is at the end of the book ***SPOILER ALERT*** when Grace gives Sam the injection that she hopes will cure him only for him to turn into a wolf again and disappear... forever?? That was so sad, I actually cried the first time I read the book!

What is unique about the setting of the book (Mercy Falls) and how did it enhance or takeaway from the story?

The defining aspects of the setting is the woods and the cold! Without either the species of wolves would not be able to exist so it is definitely a crucial aspect of the book!

The cold is a constant battle and there is a point in the book where Grace compares Sam to the Domacles' Myth which I really enjoyed...

...We didn't talk about the looming possibility, but I felt I could always sense the chill of the shadow it cast over us. I'd read a story one, in a really dire collection of Greek myths, about a man called Damocles who had a sword dangling over his throne, hung by a single hair. That was us - Sam's humanity dangling by a tight thread.

In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view?

My answer does not really relate to the events, but to the characters in the book, while browsing Maggie's website the other day I was intrigued to learn she is both an artist, which explains the beautiful descriptions of Graces' mothers' work. But also a musician, which explains aspects of Sam's character. I'd love to hear the music that is suppose to go with Sam's SUMMER GIRL song, because it is such a beautiful piece of writing!

 I fell for her in summer, my lovely summer girl

From summer she is made, my lovely summer girl

I'd love to spend a winter with my lovely summer girl

But I'm never warm enough for my lovely summer girl

It's summer when she smile, I'm laughing like a child

It's the summer of our lives; we'll contain it for a while

She holds the heat, the breeze of summer in the circle of her hand

I'd be happy with this summer if it's all we ever had.

AND ON THAT NOTE I CONCLUDE MY FIRST EVER BOOK CLUB PLEASE LINK UP IF YOU'VE READ THE BOOK! 

Apologies for the long post for those of you who haven't read it! 

--Obviously I really enjoyed the book and totally recommend reading it!!!

The author, Maggie Stiefvater has a great website... www.maggiestiefvater.com and credits to Maggie as she has a blog and promises to respond to every comment!! Although she may be slightly slower than normal to reply given that she is currently on a book tour for Shiver's sequel 'Linger', I got my copy in the mail today and intend to start it as soon as I finish writing this post! 

Linger has just debuted at NUMBER ONE on the New York Times' Bestseller List.. SO CONGRATULATIONS MAGGIE!!!

While I was looking for images for this post I came across this review on the book, which is so good I did consider plagiarising it for this post... 

www.boomerangbooks.com.au

Watch out for tomorrow when I'll be starting a new giveaway for next months book! 

All images = Source