April 22, 2011

Keep Up the Good Fight • Linger

Linger book cover Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2
Previous Book: Shiver
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: July 13, 2010
Source/Format: Bought || Hardcover

Sam and Grace are fighting to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. 


The book prior to this one - Shiver - became one of my unexpected favorites when I first read it. Linger was a brilliant continuation to the series, though it did not top the effect that the first book had on me.

I liked the fact that we get to see a growth in the lives of some of the beloved characters from the first book in this one - we see Sam's struggle to deal with the fact that he's finally been cured; we watch the continued development of the lovely relationship between Grace and Sam; we see Grace's struggle as she grapples with the truth of her condition; we observe Isabelle's attempts to grow up and move past the things that have been haunting or (or at least be propelled forward by them). I still hold a lot of affection for those three, and their characters in this book were as mesmerizing as always.

I also have developed a new crush on Cole. I do have a thing for the dangerous, bad boys in most books, I'll admit. But what really made me like Cole towards the end (I felt he was quite distasteful at the beginning) was the revelation of the issues he was struggling with, as well as how he eventually, sort of anyway, came to terms with it. He's now my favorite character and I can't wait to see what happens to him in Forever.

The big twist that this novel revolves around (although I've been expecting it since the end of the last book) was portrayed quite realistically. I feel for Grace as she struggles to come to terms with the changes occurring in her, and I feel for the people surrounding her who care about her. It's such a sad, ironic, twisted way to end this second book - and I don't think it could have been done any better.

The way Linger ends definitely left me feeling a number of strong emotions - I was sad, I was relieved, I was smug (since I guessed what was happening already), I was angry (because it was such a huge cliffhanger, in its own way). Of course, without a doubt, I'll be picking up the next and final installment in the series - Forever - which is being released on July 12, 2011.

4 Comments:

  1. I never actually got to this book. I stopped after the first one. I dunno. Cole sounds nice but I wasn't crazy about Grace in the first book :P

    Thanks for the review.

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    1. Honestly, having finished the series, I must say that I still love the first book best of all. It really drew me in more than this one and the third.

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  2. I love Maggie's writing and thought the dialogue between Cole & Isabelle was fabulous! :) Definitely anxiously awaiting FOREVER!

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    1. YES. Maggie's writing is superb! I really think that her words are so beautifully written.

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