Kirkus Reviews

The soulful romance begun in Shiver (2009) continues in this equally elegant story as Grace discovers an inexplicably dead werewolf and develops a fever that leaves her yearning to turn into a wolf, and Sam questions the effectiveness of the cure and struggles to take over Beck's authoritative role within the pack. Stiefvater adds two new voices to their alternating points of view: Isabel, Grace's popular friend, who lost her werewolf brother in the first novel, and Cole, Beck's latest werewolf recruit. She also adds back story on both Sam's violent childhood and time with the pack and Cole's decision, after becoming a famous musician at 16, strung out on drugs and hurting the only people who cared for him, to voluntarily become a werewolf. While Grace's parents finally intervene in her life, forcing her and Sam apart, Isabel and Cole explore their attraction to each another. This sequel's poetic prose skillfully captures the four teens' longings for love, forgetting, remembering, righting wrongs and life itself. The riveting ending will leave readers panting for the next sequel. (Paranormal romance. YA)

ALA Booklist

Sam, who spent most of his life as a werewolf, has undergone an unlikely cure and no longer transitions between fur and skin as the temperature changes from cold to hot. This should be a happy time for Sam and true-love Grace, but just as he begins to trust his new human life, Grace feels her humanity slipping away. Sam's focus is split between worry for Grace and his role as caretaker of the werewolf pack, which for the first time in years includes new members. Stiefvater continues what she started in Shiver (2009), and readers will definitely want to read it before diving into this equally appealing sequel. As in the opener, this story's tension stems from watching sympathetic characters cope with what appears to be a hopeless situation. Although this was resolved to a point by the first book's ending, this follow-up flips that resolution on its head and sets up a situation that leaves readers hanging in anticipation for the next installment.

Horn Book

Buddy, an exuberant dog with deep affection for his humans, looks for his missing owners while solving other small mysteries. The clear and direct plots, engaging characters, humor, and suspense will keep readers entertained. Black-and-white halftone illustrations enhance the stories.

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-The wolves of Mercy Falls return in this sequel to Shiver (Scholastic, 2009), and familiar characters mingle with more recent recruits into the Minnesota werewolf pack. Sam, now cured of his werewolf affliction, is adjusting to year-round life as a human. His girlfriend, Grace, suffers from headaches and other symptoms that may be related to a childhood wolf bite. When her parents discover Sam sleeping in her bed, they ground her and threaten to keep the two apart permanently. Tremendous angst and declarations that parents just don't understand ensue. Meanwhile Isabel, whose brother did not survive the meningitis cure that saved Sam, feels a strong connection with Cole St. Clair, one of the newest members of the pack. In his old life, Cole was the lead singer of a rock band. This volatile bad boy is a welcome foil to Sam, who is sulky this time around. The addition of Isabel and Cole as narrators dilutes the intensity of Grace and Sam's relationship, and the spark between Isabel and Cole remains underdeveloped. The tantalizing possibility of Cole's true identity being exposed also deserves more exploration. The cliff-hanger ending suggests that the author will cover this territory in a future installment. Still, Stiefvater's slow-perk style of crafting suspense builds to a satisfying boil in the final pages. This novel works better as a sequel than as a stand-alone read, but it's still highly recommended for fans of Shiver and the blockbuster supernatural romance genre. Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

In Shiver (Scholastic, 2009/VOYA December 2009), Grace watched Sam struggle to remain human instead of succumbing to the call of the wild, brought on by the bitter Minnesota cold. In this sequel, Sam, now human, watches Grace, the only victim of a werewolf attack who didn’t turn, go through the same struggle as her body demands that she take the form of a wolf. Used to the benign neglect of parents too busy with their own lives to pay attention to their teenage daughter, Grace has Sam sharing her bedroom, until her parents intervene at the worst possible time, when Grace is losing her battle with the turn and needs Sam more than ever. Against this intense Romeo and Juliet scenario another pair of lovers serves as counterpoint. Cole, a famous Indie rock star sees becoming a wolf as the ultimate escape, even better than drugs. Only his body is not reacting the way it should, and he is spending too much time in human form, haunted by the personal demons of his past and the beginnings of a very strange relationship with Isabel. Viciously intelligent, sharp and biting at her best, Isabelle saw her brother die trying to reclaim his humanity and now fights her attraction to a boy deliberately trying to lose his. This riveting narrative, impossible to put down, is not only an excellent addition to the current fangs and fur craze but is also a beautifully written romance that, along with Shiver, will have teens clamoring for the third and final entry.—Bonnie Kunzel.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This sequel to Shiver is a bridge book through and through, designed to push the story forward, presumably to the third and final installment of Stiefvater%E2%80%99s bestselling series about werewolves. But whereas Shiver was tight as a drum in its focus on the intense, star-crossed romance between werewolf Sam and Grace, the ordinary girl who loves him, this book meanders. Again Stiefvater switches points of view, but between four characters now: Sam and Grace, still in love and still facing threats to said love; Isabel, who recently lost a brother to the wolves; and Cole, newly a werewolf. Sometimes these switches occur multiple times within the same chapter, which can make for confusing reading with respect to who is doing or thinking what. Stiefvater expands the story to include complications with Grace%E2%80%99s health and her parents, Sam%E2%80%99s reluctance to care for new werewolves, and Isabel%E2%80%99s growing connection to Cole even as he desperately seeks escape from his old life. While this book does not stand on its own, it sets the stage for an explosive third installment. Ages 13%E2%80%9318. (July)