August 13, 2011

Guest Review- Forever and a Giveaway

Donna and I met when I worked at the library near the high school where she taught. She was kind enough to let me join the high school book club she began and we partnered running the meetings. I instantly felt a connection with her as she loves YA as much as I do and is such a wonderfully, kind and genuine person. She is also tons of fun to be with and we have the same sense of humour. I'm so happy that even though we no longer "work" together, she's become a very dear friend.

Her Review of Forever:

Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3)

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Published by Scholastic
July 2011

Summary:
The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.


I am sure that book enthusiasts would agree that trilogy series are standard fare these days. I am also sure that book enthusiasts would agree that finding a perfect trilogy--with all of the compelling writing, magical storylines and emotional peaks--is not the norm. I cannot imagine the pressure that these authors face. Being responsible to readers for upholding their commitment and expectations would make me crumble!

All I can say is quite simply, "Bravo, Maggie Stiefvater." The Wolves of Mercy Falls is a series that is worth reading. This final installment was amazing.

The continuing storyline of Grace's entry into her existence as a wolf and Sam's desperation to know that she is okay remains a powerful draw in Stiefvater's final novel, Forever. Their love for one another does not diminish; however, they are forced to deal with the realities of their situation and how living partly as humans and as wolves will impact a future together.

The additional storyline of the relationship between Isabel and Cole is phenomenal. In fact, it is this parallel tale that I was deeply connected to. The character of Cole St. Clair is irresistible--his intelligence, sarcasm and vulnerability is a lethal combination!

All four characters are forced to make significant decisions as the townspeople (led by Isabel's father) have committed to a cleansing of the wolf pack. As Cole finds himself closer to creating a serum to "cure" the transition from human to wolf, it is really a race to see if everyone can be saved.

Yes, this is a romance; yes, this is a story about werewolves. However, Stiefvater treats her readers with respect. This is not a sappy melodrama. This novel (and series) shows incredible dedication to character development and takes its readers on a satisfying journey filled with feelings of suspense, loyalty and hope.
Thanks so much for doing this review Donna!!!

As some of you might recall, I was fortunate enough to attend a signing event with Maggie in July. I picked up an extra copy and had it signed to giveaway here.

I have one hardcover of Forever signed by Maggie to giveaway.
For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post, with your contact info.
You must be Age 13 or older
U.S or Canada only please.
For an extra entry in the giveaway- you can tweet about this post and show your link below.
Winner will be chosen at random on August 20th 2011 and then contacted by email.

Good Luck!

18 comments:

  1. I love this series! I'm anxious to read the final installment.. winning would be even better..lol
    twinmomx5 at gmail dot com

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  2. I so want to read this! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Margaret
    singitm@hotmail.com

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  3. I've enjoyed the series and need to get my hands on Forever. Perhaps you can help me out. :)

    Jen
    admin.bookblog AT gmail.com

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  4. Thanks for the giveaway, I'd love to enter!

    aprilxu2222@gmail.com

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  5. Thanks for the giveaway and the review. I can't wait to read the last book of this awesome series.
    Thanks again
    Pokadots1121@yahoo.com

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  6. I tweeted @ https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/librarygalreads/status/102437920450949120

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  7. Thanks for the review and giveaway!

    snifflykitty@gmail.com

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  8. I adore this series! It would be so amazing to get this copy of Forever :)

    bettyluvsbooks(at)gmail(dot)(com)

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  9. Great review and thank you for the chance at this signed copy!!

    luvswdw(at)telus(dot)net

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  10. Thanks so much!

    ashtreygonesmokeya@yahoo.com

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  11. Tweeted- http://twitter.com/#!/Holt9102/status/102804563911913472

    ashtreygonesmokeya@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Forever!!!! Squee!!! AND it's signed!

    I would love to win!

    TaraTagli at gmail dot com

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  13. http://twitter.com/#!/TaraLin/status/102892035945660418
    tweeted!
    TaraTagli at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks so much for the amazing giveaway! :D
    Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/iliveforreading/status/103115434764673024

    iliveforreading AT hotmail DOT com

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  15. It makes me so happy to read positive reviews for Forever. I love this series; Shiver was one of the books that got me reading YA, so it holds a special place in my heart. I absolutely agree with Donna about how compelling Isabel and Cole are; they are one of my favourite couples. On the outside, they look like a bitch and a bad boy, but Stiefvater gives them so many more layers than that.

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  16. I want to read this book so bad.

    hootowl1978 at gmail dot com

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  17. I tweeted

    http://twitter.com/#!/hootowl1978/status/104368359994433536

    hootowl1978 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for the giveaway.

    jlynettes @ hotmail . com

    ReplyDelete