Valentine's Review Number 2

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Today I will be reviewing the second book in my Valentine's review series. And that book is... Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. Now I know that most of you are only reading this because I mentioned yesterday that Twilight fans would love this book. Don't even try to hide it. That's ok- I forgive you. And you definitely won't be disappointed in this book.

Shiver is a paranormal romance, telling the story of Grace and Sam. Grace is a quiet 17 year old girl who is slightly obsessed with the wolves in her backyard. Especially one in particular, the one with the yellow eyes, who watches over her every winter. Sam is that yellow-eyed wolf, keeping an eye on the girl he loves. Except in the summers, when he becomes human. Will human Sam have the courage to talk to Grace? Will he do it before it's too late? Will their love survive the harsh realities of Sam's other life?

Okay, I have to admit I was a little skeptical of the whole paranormal thing. I didn't think I wanted to read about werewolves! But, actually, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Although it did remind me of Twilight, it was different enough that I wasn't turned away. And not only was it different than Twilight, but also, I thought it was actually better. For one, Grace was much stronger and much less annoying than Bella. Sam was also much more likeable than the overbearing Edward Cullen. The love story, while still not realistic, was a little bit more believable than some other teenage romances. And yes, it wasn't perfect. But it was good enough that I couldn't put it down!

So, Twilight fan or not, you should check out Shiver. And Shiver is actually the first in a series. Book 2, Linger, is already out and the third book comes out this summer. I plan to read and review those as well, so check back for that!

This ends part two of my Valentine's Review series. Check back tomorrow for my final Valentine's review, featuring Nicholas Sparks' novel The Lucky One.