Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2)
By Maggie Stiefvater
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Blurb (from the inside flap):
the longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with this werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.
the loss.
Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, who past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human.
the linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces - wolf and human - with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?
This book was incredibly sad, to the point of putting me in a depressive mode, and at the same time, creative mode. I know, that's really weird, but so is this book. As usual, a character breakdown is easier for me to remember the story.
Grace was the girl who fell in love with the wolf with the yellow eyes in Shiver. In Linger, they were together, and happy, until Grace's parents found Sam in her room. That whole thing about her parents were incredibly irritating. It was like I could feel Grace's frustration towards them. They weren't there to begin with, and now that they found Sam in her bedroom - innocently - they decided to start acting like parents? I totally agree with Grace when she was angry and spatting her feelings about how they were mostly roommates instead of a family. I felt really sad for Grace when she was missing Sam so bad. Really, in her world, without Sam, everything was wrong.
Sam was the wolf with the yellow eyes. In this book, he was in his human form. He loved to sing and make paper cranes to treasure the individual memories in the paper that he created the cranes from. He was incredibly confused in this book. His adoptive father was gone and everyone was now looking to him to take the lead, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't even expect to be in the position he was put in. As with Grace, he really tried to be the better person and make sure Grace didn't get in any more trouble with her parents. Of course, when Grace is right in his doorway, he couldn't really say no to her after that. His agony was apparent in this book as well. I can't imagine what life would be like in the third book.
Sam's face was twisted into a weird shape at the mention of his Boyfruits.
Cole was the new guy/wolf who was so damaged, he voluntarily wanted to be a wolf. He wanted to forget the past, the pain, and the future. He was self-destructive, somewhat arrogant, and liked to be naked towards the beginning of the book. It was really entertaining when he talked to Isabel and they banter with each other. Towards the end, he found his humanity and did something other than for himself. I really admired the way he turned himself around.
I: "Mind if I come in?"
C: "I'm naked."
I: "So am I. Under my clothing."
C: I cracked a grin. Had to give credit where credit was due.
C: It hurt to let myself remember I was poison to everyone I touched, but for once, it felt good to be self-aware. I couldn't stop myself from exploding, but I could at least learn to contain the fallout.
Isabel was the popular girl in school who lost her brother in Shiver. This was how she became friends with Grace. Strangely enough, she was the voice of reason in this book. She knew people's secrets, she was good at lying, and she was still the bossy popular girl that she was. Despite all of her facade, I admire that underneath, she had a heart, aching, but alive. I really hope she has a future with Cole in the third book. Just don't turn her into a wolf, too. That would be a bit much I think.
I: "We're getting free toppings. Bet me we're getting free toppings."
G: "I don't have to bet. That was practically phone sex on an extra thin crust."
I: "It's what I do."
Overall, this book was sad, and a bit slower than Shiver for me. I didn't feel like devouring this book, probably because of all the agony that the characters were feeling. I didn't want to feel the same despair. Anyway, this book was nicely written, and a nice sequel to Shiver. Definitely a complete turn-around.
Tell me, have you read this book yet? If you have, did you like it? If not, what are you waiting for?