The Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater might read less like a typical werewolf romance and more like an examination of nostalgia and memory, but make no mistake, it's one of the very best within the subgenre.
The novel begins with a young girl being rescued by a pack of wolves. After she develops an obsession with one particular, yellow-eyed wolf, she realizes that her obsession could grow into something much more lasting and real.
A delicate treatment of young love with poetic prose and a page-turning plot, Stiefvater says that “more than anything, I wanted to make readers cry,” but after one book of this “spectacularly messy, oh-so-human romance,” you might just be howling for more (Kirkus Reviews).
Shiver
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.
Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human, or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
Linger
In Linger, Grace and Sam’s story continues. However, Book 2 also adds a new wolf to the pack named Cole. His dark past has the potential to destroy the whole pack, but that won't stop Isabelle, who has her own baggage, from being drawn to Cole.
Forever
In Forever, the stakes are even higher than ever. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.
Sinner
Sinner is a standalone spin-off of the Shiver series focusing on Cole St. Clair.
Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get back Isabel Culpeper. She fled from his damaged, drained life, and damaged and drained it even more. He doesn't just want her. He needs her.
