Shiver

In first seeing this book, I felt like the rest of my classmates - another Twilight. But I found it instead to be a fun and enjoyable read that has a lot of great teen appeal.

I found the characters to be interesting and engaging. Sam and Grace are wonderful examples of what is good about YA fiction. Grace has real problems and issues that most teenage girls face and others that don't. Grace is a character with a lot of strength and bravery, an important factor in female heroines. She is not frightened of the wolves - she embraces them. It's an important lesson for us to take into our everyday lives.

Sam is such a compelling character as well - he is what young girls long for in a boyfriend. And while the book is sweet, in Sam I think the author touches something important about our society's take on men. Sam is sweet and kind and caring and doesn't immediately resort to violence or anger. Our society tells boys they shouldn't show emotions that make them "sissy" or "less of a man". I think its important for boys to understand that they can show emotion and compassion and kindness and still be a "real man". There aren't enough books out there that make young boys who aren't athletic or aggressive feel important.

While the story focuses on Sam and Grace, there are a lot of elements of togetherness, just like the pack of wolves. Teens often feel so alone, I think its important for them to understand that there are other people out there who feel what you feel. The way the characters unite together to try and cure Sam, Jack and Olivia shows how important teamwork is and how more can be accomplished together than alone.

In terms of the plot, while the idea of the werewolf is an ancient myth, the way that Maggie Stiefvater has written the story makes it fun and engaging. There is a sense of danger lurking on the edges of the page that I think could appeal to boys. The action keeps the reader interested and engaged in the plot.

As the rest of my classmates mentioned, I really enjoyed the dual perspective of the story. More and more, novels are using this perspective, especially in YA fiction. I love books that show both the male and female perspective. She is using what people have long said about classic romance novels - what was he thinking? More and more novels are writing novels based on the male perspective from Jane Austen's classic works and countless others. I love hearing what the author has Sam thinking and feeling. It's also a great way to see each character's perspective on the same incidents and how they each interpret it based on their own experiences. Just like Sam was amazed to see the photos of himself and the others as wolves, we as readers really enjoy seeing the other side of the story.