Maggie Stiefvater “Linger:” Caught Between Two Worlds

Reviewed by Izzy Westerman

Imagine being lost between two worlds: the humans and the wolves; your one true love on one side, and your destiny on the other.

In Shiver, the first book in Maggie Stiefvater's heart racing Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Grace and Sam's relationship formed. It strengthened even more when Grace cures Sam of being a wolf, making him permanently human. In it's riveting sequel, Linger, Grace becomes ill, causing Sam and her friend Isabel to become extremely concerned. They fear she's turning into a wolf. Meanwhile, Cole, a new wolf, struggles to shed his human skin and escape the life he desperately wants to leave behind.

Maggie Stiefvater continues to build a powerful relationship between Sam and Grace, as well as goes more in depth with Grace's relationship with her immature, irresponsible parents. She also creates a new intriguing romance between Isabel and Cole. This fresh young love is really captivating and interesting because Isabel and Cole’s

personalities are so similar, even though their back stories are completely different.

Stiefvater did an excellent job using vivid imagery and figurative language: "I stepped out and stretched my hands as far as they could go, closing my eyes until I felt like I was falling. In between gusts of wind, the air around me felt like the same temperature as my body, and it made it seem like I had no skin at all, like I was suspended, a spirit" (Stiefvater 170). Her strong diction and word choice makes it hard to put the book down. The point of view switches throughout the book between Cole, Isabel, Sam, and Grace. This is really helpful to know what the characters are thinking and to see how different their opinions are on the same subjects and ideas, as well as how they really feel about each other. For example, in multiple parts of the book, Isabel rejects Cole and gives him the idea that she’s playing him and really despises him, but her thoughts reveal that she’s actually falling for him: “It was like the first time I’d met him all over again. Why did I let him get to me? What was wrong with me?” (Stiefvater 122).

Linger was very well written, however, at times the swap of point of view could be confusing. In some chapters it went from Grace, to Isabel, back to Grace, then to Sam. It can be hard to keep track of who was narrating.

Overall, I thought Linger by Maggie Stiefvater was extremely well written and an excellent addition to the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. If you enjoyed the first book in the series, Shiver, then you’re sure to love its extraordinary sequel.

Stiefvater, Maggie. Linger. Scholastic Inc. 2011