Linger by Maggie Stiefvater: Book Review

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR SHIVER**

You have got to be kidding me. This is where it ends?

Beck has made some new wolves to care for the pack now that the older members are not shifting into humans anymore. One of the new wolves is Cole St. Clair, a gorgeous rock star. It’s not exactly easy for him to blend into the crowd, especially when his body just won’t stay in the shape of a wolf. Sam feels that he has to watch Cole to make sure that he doesn’t take the pack with him in one of his self-destructive moods.

And then there’s Grace. Something’s just not right. She’s running a fever, she’s got a headaches, she aches all over, but doctors can’t find anything wrong with her.

Confession: I have been walking around with that “Linger” song by The Cranberries circling, maddeningly, through my head. It just dawned on me yesterday that it’s because of this book. Doh.

Anyway. This hooked me. There is some teen angst in here, which generally irritates me, but these teens have issues to be genuinely angsty about. I would be more irritated if they were happy and perky.

Grace and Sam–hmm. I really am rooting for them, and I really do like reading about them as a couple, but neither really grabs me as an individual. Grace is the center of a lot of things, but it doesn’t seem like she actually does a whole lot. I think I liked Sam slightly more in this book than I did in Shiver. He’s not quite as Sensitive. In other words, he’s starting to grow a spine.

I do love Cole and Isabel. I didn’t really know that I still had a thing for rock stars, but apparently I do. Cole, even with his sarcasm, cockiness, and insensitivity, just captivated me. Probably because there is much more to him than that and he’s good at hiding it. Not too good though, because he still gives peeks into what he’s really thinking and feeling. Isabel is trying so hard not to care but she just can’t help it. She’s harsh, but she’s the only one who is telling the hard truths that need to be told.

I have to admit that I was hoping for more of a showdown with Grace’s parents. They have been asking for it for two books now, and just begging for it in this book, but they still don’t see that they’re horrible parents. I want someone to find a way to smack them across the faces with it.

And Mr. Culpepper! I know the dude’s hurting, but what a selfish jerk. I want him to get a good kick in the pants from karma too.

Oh, and I love these covers. Gor-geous. I love that the book is printed in green ink as well.

It’s hard to get into this more without giving away spoilers. Let’s just say that this had me turning pages and I’ll be reading Forever sooner rather than later. I have to know what happens next.

Read my review of Shiver.

Read an excerpt.

Find author Maggie Stiefvater on her website, her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Buy Linger at

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