Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

From Goodreads,

"the longing.

Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.

Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being a human. 

the linger.

For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life a constant struggle between two forces--wolf and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?"

Goodreads - Linger

Awards and Nominations:

• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy (2010)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Favorite Book (2010)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Goodreads Author (2010)

Welcome back, everyone!  Last week I reviewed the book Shiver, which is the first book of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series.  This week I am moving forward to review the second book Linger.

Linger picks up where Shiver left off.  We find out that Sam has finally beat the dreaded werewolf curse and Grace is as happy as ever.  Things start slowly spiraling as Grace starts coming down with a "bug".  It starts as headaches and spins into raging fevers.  Sam hates he can't fix what is wrong with Grace, but he decides he must try.  With the help of Isabel and the new wolf Cole, they decide to try to figure out what is wrong.

I have found that most "middle child" books or the second in a trilogy, are kind of terrible.  This book definitely fell into that middle child mold where it didn't leave a great vibe or resonate with me.  The story moved very slowly for this book.  I also didn't like that the book was told from.  The first book was from the perspective of Sam and Grace.  This book was told from Sam, Grace, Isabel, and Cole.  It felt like there were way too many voices trying to be heard.  Also, the fact that they switched characters in the middle of a chapter made it somewhat frustrating as well.  I don't remember being so irritated when I read it the first time, but maybe it is because I'm older and my reading preferences have changed.

While there were a lot of minor problems that added up to a general dislike, there was a quote in the book that really made me stop and think.

"She'd told me once that you could completely psychoanalyze someone on the sort of books they read."

This really got me to thinking about the books that I read and what it says about me.  I read a LOT of books.  I have shelves and shelves of books and a couple boxes full.  I have some books that are autobiographies.  I have books that are award winners.  I have a lot of books ideal for middle school-aged kids.  I have books that vary on topics from death to mental illness to adventure to dystopian.  So what does all of that say about me?  I honestly feel like my book choices vary so much that it would be hard to analyze me.  If anything it would show that I love to read.  But I also started thinking about students that I have had and how I could understand them better when I knew what kind of books they liked.  Knowing what books someone reads will really give you some insight as to who they are.

This book was just okay in my book.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fantastic.  It was as I mentioned before, the middle child in this trilogy.  This book continues the trilogy so I definitely recommend it if you have read the first book.  I have to give it 3 stars.  

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

From Goodreads,

"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."

Goodreads - Shiver

Awards and Nominations:

• Georgia Peach Book Award (2010)
• Children's Choice Book Award Nominee for Teen Choice Book of the Year (2010)
• Florida Teens Read Nominee (2010)
• Teen Read Award Nominee for Best Read (2010)
• The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2010)
• The Inky Awards Shortlist for Silver Inky (2010)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee (2011)
• Lincoln Award Nominee (2012)
• Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2012)

Rereading a book or series always makes me a little nostalgic.  It makes me think about when I first read it and how I have changed.  This book definitely brought back some memories, especially since I read this book when I was in high school.  I remember we received this book in library club just a year or two after the Twilight saga had concluded.  Everyone was still on that vampire and werewolf high.  While I enjoyed the Twilight saga I found this book and the rest of the series more intriguing and enthralling.  

Shiver is a book told from two perspectives.  One is from the human girl named Grace who was bitten by a wolf as a child.  The other perspective is told by Sam who is torn between being a human when it's warm and being a wolf when the temperature drops.  The two have a connection that goes back to the day that Grace was bitten.  The longing question is whether they can be together when they live in two different worlds of being a human and being a wolf.  

Rereading this book was an experience.  There were parts that I remembered, but a lot that I didn't.  One of the things that I didn't remember was how quickly the relationship between Sam and Grace progressed.  I feel like ten years ago I was all heart-eyed and thinking this was what love was all about.  But now?  Now I'm just unsettled at how quickly they progressed and they were hooking up.  Grace, of course, had seen Sam as a wolf for years, but never knew him as a human until he showed up at her house after being shot.  Grace was just madly in love with him despite knowing NOTHING about him.  That was bothersome.  "Love" doesn't work like that.  You don't just lay eyes on a human and think "We're going to be soulmates for forever."  You have to get to know that person and learn about them.  You don't just decide like Grace did.  The fixation was very unsettling and I think the progression of their relationship was just too quick.  

While I hated the quick and strange relationship that formed between Grace and Sam, I was extremely pleased with the way this story was written.  The story went between Grace and Sam.  I liked having both sides of this story because I was able to understand what both characters were feeling and dealing with.  Most books like this do an even balance and go back and forth every chapter, but Stiefvater opted not to.  Instead, the chapters could be told by Sam for a while and then it would switch to Grace.  Whichever character had the more important role and thoughts in the story is the one that got to tell the chapter.  I just felt it was a good way to give the reader the full picture. 

I really enjoyed rereading this book even if I was disturbed by their speedy relations.  While I was updating my progress on Goodreads I realized that a LOT of people despise this book and thought it was terrible.  I, of course, don't know their reasoning, but I really enjoyed it and have to give it 5 stars.  If you enjoyed Twilight you will probably enjoy this, especially if you liked the werewolf part of it.  

Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD by Allison Britz

From Goodreads,

"A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir.
Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home.

But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality.

It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing.

Unable to act “normal,” the once-popular Allison became an outcast. Her parents questioned her behavior, leading to explosive fights. When notebook paper, pencils, and most schoolbooks were declared dangerous to her health, her GPA imploded, along with her plans for the future.

Finally, she allowed herself to ask for help and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This brave memoir tracks Allison’s descent and ultimately hopeful climb out of the depths."

Goodreads - Obsessed

I've mentioned before that I tend to find myself drawn to certain topics and genres in books.  Cancer books and books about suicide are just a couple that I tend to read a lot.  Usually, suicide books have a tie in with a mental illness, but the mental illness is never the main focus.  This book was centered around OCD and the impact it had on one girl.  This book was outside my wheelhouse, and honestly, it made me feel a little crazy and uncomfortable.

This book is the memoir of Allison Britz.  The book starts with her as a sophomore in high school just trying to survive the workload and the schedule of cross country.  But a terrifying dream leads her to believe that she has brain cancer and that she must try to save herself.  The book chronicles her spiral and fall until she is finally diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.

This book was so very educational.  I am beyond guilty of saying "I'm kind of OCD about things."  I've heard other people say it.  We are all guilty.  And after reading this book I can honestly say that, no the large majority of us are not OCD.  When we like things to be a certain way we are often particular, not OCD.  I feel like everyone thinks that OCD is just wanting things to be a certain way or washing your hands a lot.  OCD is often having to do something so that someone you love doesn't die.  Allison believed that stepping on cracks would cause her to have brain cancer.  From there it spiraled into the number of steps she took or bargaining food so that she wouldn't get cancer.  One thing led to another and it became a huge thing that caused her to basically stop functioning as a human.  I know that while reading I was thinking that Allison was crazy.  But once she got help and self-diagnosed using a pamphlet I realized that OCD is not what we think it is.  OCD is a fear.  It is thinking that your mom is going to die if you don't turn the light switch on and off 6 times or that your dad is going to have a heart attack because you stepped on a crack.  This book really opened my eyes to what OCD is and how it presents itself.

The book was extremely informational and I got a lot out of it, but it was really slow at the beginning.  The book starts just a hair before her nightmare of a dream.  So, it really progresses with her developing the triggers and obsessions.  But it was so slow.  I know the first probably third of the book was a struggle for me to read and I thought about stopping a couple times, but ended up powering through it.

This book was packed with information on obsessive-compulsive disorder.  I definitely feel like this is an adult book.  It does have triggers and while reading it, I felt a tad crazy.  I give this 4 stars and recommend it to anyone who needs a good book about a specific mental illness.

Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord

From Goodreads,

"On the last night of summer, Emma tags along with her game warden father on a routine call. They're supposed to rescue a wild rabbit from a picket fence, but instead they find a little bunny. Emma convinces her father to bring him home for the night.

The next day, Emma starts public school for the very first time after years of being homeschooled. More than anything, Emma wants to make a best friend in school. 
But things don't go as planned. On the first day of school, she's paired with a boy named Jack for a project. He can't stay on topic, he speaks out of turn, and he's obsessed with animals. Jack doesn't fit in, and Emma's worried he'll make her stand out.

Emma and Jack bond over her rescue rabbit. But will their new friendship keep Emma from finding the new best friend she's meant to have?"

Goodreads - Because of the Rabbit

I've had this book on my "To Read" list for quite some time.  I was lucky enough for Scholastic to send me this book some months ago as a preview for being a Golden Apple Teacher.  I love books that have animals in them because almost everyone can relate in some way, shape, or form.  Most people have had an interaction with an animal or had a pet of their own.  This book had exactly the same premise with the excitement of friendship in it.

Because of the Rabbit is about a girl named Emma who has been homeschooled up until fifth grade when she decides to give public school a chance.  The night before school starts her game warden father is called about a rabbit stuck in a fence.  Emma goes with him and immediately falls in love with the rabbit.  The next day at school Emma realizes that school is hard and making friends is even harder.  A boy named Jack tries to be her friend, but Emma soon realizes he is seen as different by the other students.  Emma soon has to decide if she wants to be a true friend or if she just wants to fit in.

I absolutely loved the friendship storyline in this book.  Emma really struggled at the beginning with her relationship with Jack.  When it was just them she was fine spending time with him and could tolerate his quirkiness.  But when they were around classmates Emma found it difficult to be with Jack and didn't know what to do.  I think we have all be in this situation before with a friend.  When it's just the two of you things are fine, but when you take them out in public things are completely different.  I know I have friends like this, and I'm sure I've been that friend before.  But this book really focuses on being a friend no matter the place and who is around.  If you are truly friends with someone you will accept them and their quirks no matter where you are, and they will do the same.  This book did an excellent job of focusing on being friends no matter what.

Another aspect I loved about this book was the relationship that Emma had with her brother Owen.  I saw a lot of myself in Emma in this aspect.  There was a time when my older brother and I drifted apart because he was growing up.  It was like all the things that we did together as kids didn't matter anymore and I wasn't cool.  It was a hard pill to swallow and Emma faced the same thing.  While it made me sad that we didn't do things together as often, it also made those moments we did spend together twice as memorable.  The bond you have with a sibling is always a special thing and there comes a time when you both have to grow up and you naturally stop doing things together.  This book really put that feeling and experience into words with Emma and Owen.

Overall, this book had some great points to it, but it just didn't do much for me.  I felt like the rabbit in the book had very little importance and the bigger story was the relationships you have with people.  I give this 2.5 stars.  I think this would be a good book for fourth or fifth grade.