I have to admit, the first chapter did not grab my attention at all. I was expecting a Twilight-esque story, but I was pleasantly surprised at the character depth and fast-moving plot. The alternating narrations from Sam and Grace really kept the novel interesting and gave us valuable glimpses into the character’s personality.
Sam. Oh, Sam. By far my favorite character simply from his overall sweetness and silly song lyrics. This is definitely a book that will appeal to females rather than males, but I think it is important for teen males to understand why Sam is such a popular character. Sam proves that you don’t have to be some macho, tough, rebel-swaggering loudmouth to impress other people. After all, the females like the males that are themselves, no matter if they are poetry-loving, book-reading, sweet and sappy polite people. Both Sam and Grace are role models for a decent relationship; they talk to each other, trust one another, and put each other first. This is crucial for young adults just starting to venture into the dating field and trying to figure out relationships. According to TEAR (Teens Experiencing Abusive Relationships), one in three teenagers knows someone who has been physically abused by their partner, and one in four teenage girls has been verbally abused.
I enjoyed Stiefvater’s original take on why werewolves shapeshift; it was refreshing to read about triggers other than the moon, and the usual werewolf lore such as silver bullets. It is a hard task to take hundreds of years of mythology and successfully tweak the story, but Stiefvater does this brilliantly. Unlike sparkling vampires, the cold trigger is believable and keeps the plot engaging. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy and anticipating the movie release!
3 comments:
I disagree a bit regarding Sam's appeal to just teen girls. I think teen boys would really enjoy this book as well. Sam goes through a lot of adventure, does he not? Crazy parents, the pain of shape shifting, realizing Beck originally did mean him harm, protecting others from a jealous she-wolf, etc. And, as you stated, isn't it important for YA males to see this example of a teen male who can control impulses and his temperment. We should teach teen males that, yes, they have control over their own beings despite horomonal impulses. For this reason, I say hurray for this book.
Well, I honestly don't know how teen boys react to romantic novels, as I've never been a teen male. =] Hopefully they will stick with the book, because by having both Grace and Sam narrate, both genders are represented. I have been reading forum posts about this book on a website, and the majority of posters are female. I certainly *hope* that males are enjoying this book! =] There is certainly enough adventure as you mentioned, to be appealing in spite of the 'lovey-dovey' fluff.
I like the part about controlling hormonal impulses; that's an issue for both genders as well!
I agree, Megan. It is just that girls are socialized for "control" much more than boys and, thus, have to endure the "double standard." Nice some responsibility is placed with the opposite sex in this instance, do you agree? So very nice to have a more appropriate model here.
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