LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 20, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545123283
ISBN-13: 978-0545123280
Cover: Love Love Love it!
Series: Yes
SHIVER
LINGER
FOREVER (2011)
Author Website: Maggie Stiefvater
Book Trailer: HERE
REVIEW YYYY
The wolves of Mercy Falls return in this much anticipated sequel, LINGER. A book full of heartbreaking moments, words left unsaid and the cold.
Maggie Stiefvater has a profound way of making the words on the page seize your heart and burrow into your brain so that you are immersed in the moment. Once you begin on course you cannot stop until the last words are consumed and you are left aching.
In LINGER we find Sam struggling with that fact that he is human and will no longer change back to wolf form….but every temperature drop causes his heart to sink in nervous anticipation. Cole, the new wolf created by Beck is hell bent on remaining in his wolf form but his wishes are continually denied. Isabel’s efforts at having control are greatly tested as she tries to deal with her brother’s death and her only form of escape is Cole. Grace continues to hide the fact that Sam is staying with her at night but it is a secret she cannot maintain for long especially when her health begins to deteriorate. All of these characters impact one another and when the unimaginable happens they will have to rely on each other until the very end.
I could begin with a cavalcade of superlatives, but as time passes I am hard pressed to illicit such intense emotion. It is not to say that I did not enjoy reading LINGER, because I did, but what made me initially fall in love with this series was slightly amiss this time around. While I relished the the dual POV in SHIVER, I found the increased POV’s in LINGER distracting. The intimacy that was once shared between Sam and Grace was diminished and it was missed. I did appreciate reading about Cole and his inner struggle for it added a bit of darkness to the storyline that gave it a gritter edge. I could have gone without being inside Isabel’s mind, for she is still shallow as ever. Another storyline that I disliked was the sudden interest that Grace’s parents had in her well being, not to say that it was not merited but it just seemed out of character after reading SHIVER. I adored the new twist in the storyline and did not see it coming. I only know that I have to know what happens next. What I did admired most about this novel was Maggie’s writing style. It is beautiful beyond comprehension and at times I would be bereft of words to explain the ache that was building in my chest. I know that those that have read SHIVER will enjoy LINGER, maybe not to the same extent but will be content.
Now we have to wait another year until FOREVER