Aianarie's Book of the Month: July

This month I had the very difficult task of choosing between two books that I absolutely loved, both of which deserve complete recognition. These two books were Stolen by Lucy Christopher and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. These books blew my mind in storyline, substance, style, characters, and both had memorable endings. For my July Book of the Month, however, Linger slipped ahead.

First off I’ll mention that I picked up the recommendation of Stolen from Maggie Stiefvater, so yeah. I owe her that. It was a fantastic story. You can read my review of Stolen at my Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3683656

Although it definitely helps, I don’t think you have to have read Shiver to enjoy Linger, but I recommend reading Shiver if you haven’t. One of the best books I’ve ever read, way up there with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings on my list of favorites.

If you have read Shiver, you will find that Linger is an excellent sequel. Like the first book, it is lyrical, subtle; with metaphors of beauty only capable by Stiefvater. Characteristically, the humor is delightful, and of course, the romance is near flawless. Sam and Grace are definitely my favorite book couple.

An interesting aspect of this book is the addition of Isabel and Cole as first-person characters. That makes four speakers, which adds interesting depth to the story. It may sound confusing to some, but Maggie has done an excellent job of writing from the perspectives of four very different teenagers, and I didn’t find it difficult to follow along (like some people complained about in Shiver).

The ending leaves you breathless, heartbroken, and anxious about the third book, Forever (coming next summer!). That book is going to blow my mind. I can feel it.

Linger is pure and beautiful; full of hope and promise, like a flower growing out of melting snow.

Five stars.