Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
*****

After reading Shiver, you all found out that I am a big cry baby.  But I couldn’t help it. Sam and Grace’s love story is just that lovely.  Although I didn’t cry as much while reading Linger (partly because my husband was sitting next to me most of the time – the teasing would have been relentless), the book wasn’t any less beautiful than the first.

In Shiver, the story centered mainly on Sam and Grace trying to hold on to each other and Sam trying to hold onto himself.  In Linger, more characters are introduced and the story becomes a little more complex. The story is told in first person again and jumps between Grace, Sam, Isabel and Cole. Grace is mysteriously sick.  Neither Sam nor Grace wants to admit to what exactly might be making her sick. Sam is also struggling with his new responsibilities to the pack; particularly to a newly made wolf, Cole.  Cole has the opposite issue that Sam had in Shiver.  Where Sam struggled to stay human because he didn’t want to lose himself, Cole is desperate to lose himself by staying a wolf.  Isabel is back as well, struggling with guilt caused by her actions in the last book.  And per her usual, she acts out by being cold and mean most of the time and helpful and hurting some of the time.

Just as in Shiver, I really identified with Sam’s struggles with holding onto himself and accepting his responsibilities. But then who wouldn’t identify with this at some point in their life. I also felt even more terrible for Grace than I did before.  Her parents are ridiculous.  I personally wanted to smack each of them upside the head. I’d like to think there aren’t parents out there like that but unfortunately there are.  I have to say that her struggle with her parents has made me even more determined to be an involved mom. 

This story continues to be beautiful.  Maggie Stiefvater’s physical and emotional description is equal parts simple, soothing and heartbreaking.  I both can’t wait and dread reading the final book in this trilogy.  I don’t think I am ready for the loveliness to end.  I really do wish it could last Forever.

Pun absolutely intended…

Nat