Forever by Maggie Stiefvater: Book Review

I have ben reading up a storm this past summer and have ploughed through about 10 books in the last 2 months. I can't get enough and I don't see myself slowing done anytime soon. Well, unless I start writing again. And then, my book case will start to grow moss. But I digress.

Forever is the final instalment of the Mercy Falls Trilogy *sniff sniff* .  For those of you who have never read this series, I highly recommend it. But on to the review...

There are a few neat things going for this book even before you open it. First the funky cover art. Simple, smart and calming shades of burgundy and blush. Even the writing is a shade of burgundy. The books are like this too. Shiver is done in shades of blue, and Linger is green. Very cool indeed. I have yet to find a book with this unique touch.

The blurby on the back reads as follows

then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and

she was a girl. Eventually he found a way

to become a boy, and their love moved

from curious distance to the intense 

closeness of shared lives. 

now.

That should have been the end of their

story. But Grace was not meant to stay

human. Now she is the wolf. And the 

wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be

killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.

Sam would do anything for Grace. But

can one boy and one love really change

a hostile, predatory world? The past, the

present, and the future are about to collide

in one pure moment - a moment of

death or life, farewell or forever. 

Personally, I had been waiting for this book to come out as soon as I finished Linger. Then, I didn't know Maggie would continue their journey, but I hoped like hell she would, or I would have had to write a very pouty letter, begging her to let me know if Sam and Grace make it. I won't tell you, you have to read it for yourself, silly goose. 

Thankfully she took mercy on those of us hanging on to hopes and fears for the wolves of Mercy Falls. I loved the conclusion to Sam and Grace's story. One that really shows just how deeply and strongly teenagers can feel. How they know for certain they are in love and know that's all they need in the world. Teenagers are passionate enough to fight for love in the face of adversity and mounting obstacles. Something I think we lose when we get older. 

I also love a story with multiple POV's. For me, it brings a wholeness to the story. Sam is a sweet, artistic, honourable young man. Yellow eyes have never seemed for desirable.  Grace is independent, but longs for her parents to just pay attention to her. Really, that's all kids want. Cole just cracks me up. He's cocky and crass, but he's tormented by his demons and wants to dive into a big pool of nothingness. Isabel is bitchy, aggressive and definitely the girl in high school all the guys wanted (for all the wrong reasons) and the girls hated (because she just was sure of herself). 

Maggie's version of the werewolf intrigued me. Like most tales, it's a disease passed on through a bite of a werewolf. But the twist is it's an infection that ultimately kills the host, while they slowly lose the ability to shift back to human. It's also temperature sensitive. Summer calms it, cold brings it roaring the life. Cool, huh?

So to summarize, I loved this book. Loved the series. If you haven't picked this up yet and you enjoy a good YA read please pick this up. You won't be disappointed.