The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver #1 & Linger #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up these books. The cover work is so elegantly beautiful that I couldn’t not know what they contained and I'm glad I did. The series revolve around a girl named Grace, who is obsessed with the wolves that roam the woods behind her house in Mercy Falls, a small town just south of the Canadian border. When she was young, she was dragged into the woods by the wolves and attacked, but miraculously survived. She becomes attached to one particular yellow eyed wolf and an encounter with a familiar yellow eyed boy sets her mind reeling and her heart racing.

Sam is a tortured soul. Spending most of the years months trapped in the body of a wolf,  each year forgetting more and more of his human life. When the warm Summer months come on, he is allowed for a brief time, the opportunity to live in his human body. To play Guitar and sing with his friends ( aka wolves also turned Human), to read his beloved poetry and to live as a normal boy for once.  When a bullet wound leaves him on Grace's doorstep, fate steps in and brings these two together.

I have mixed feelings about these books so far as the writing and storytelling is concerned. The Author has an incredible style of writing. The words were lyrical and captured every single emotion from longing, hurt and despair to elation and ecstasy. I laughed, I cried, I even thumped the book down on the table until I could calm down enough I could read it again! ( if you read Linger, you will find out what enraged me then made me so ecstatic!).

Shiver, the first book, introduces you to the characters via two narratives - Grace and Sam. Once you reach Linger, Maggie introduces two more perspectives- that of Cole and Isabel which brings a whole new fresh feel to   the book, whilst still having the characteristics of Shiver.  I really enjoyed   these books! I Can not wait for the final installment "Forever", due in stores July 2011.