Linger

I adored Shiver, the poignancy of Grace and Sam, and the overall mood of the book.

While Linger didn't grab me as hard, I still enjoyed it.

Delving deeper into the Cole and Isabel characters was interesting, but the frequent POV changes tore me out of the story.

The relationship between Sam and Grace is beautiful and looking forward to Forever.

I enjoyed the plot of this one more than the first, and with the additional POV's from Cole and Isabel we get a break from the floof of Grace and Sam's relationship.
While Cole, a brand-new character, seems to have developed and grown impossibly from one moment to the next, Grace and Sam seem very stagnant - Grace seems to have even reverted a bit to, albeit a more realistic (see: immature and naive) version of a 17 year old, a really annoying and selfish teenager. She seemed very independent and self-aware in the first book but as she's become more reliant on Sam, she's seemed to lost a bit of herself and now she's exactly what her mother thinks she is. When her parents find a boy (though in pajamas) in her room in the middle of the night and call her out on it, Grace completely rebels instead of self-reflects (as you'd expect from a 17 year old and also proving her mother's worries completely legitimate) and acts like a spoiled child. Sam is supposed to be 18/19 in this and been through a lot of hell in life but, while not acting like Grace in that way, still does not act like an adult.
Besides all that, the actual plot is very interesting with Grace starting to feel the effects of “the change” to the point where it's physically killing her along with Cole's whole character arc. It's also been riveting to see how Isabel is changing and developing as a character, now that we can see her side of the story. There are a few holes that I would like to be addressed, the biggest one being how Cole suddenly changed from a complete devil-may-care asshole to suddenly selfless and caring after his one (self-labeled) “good deed” of not sleeping with Isabel. It seemed very sudden.
Overall, a good sequel, maybe even better than the debut. I'm excited to get through this series to see what kind of conclusion the author devises.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Linger

Sam may have beaten the wolf inside of him, but winter still carries uncertainties for him. Faced with keeping the wolves safe without Beck, Sam will have to learn how to navigate the new responsibilities placed on his back. Grace will do what she can to support Sam, but something has changed. Deep inside she feels something twisting, threatening to take away everything. And deep in the woods, Cole wants nothing more than to stay a wolf, to run away from what he's done in his life. But his body continues to betray him and slides back into his human skin. When he crosses paths with Isabel, sparks fly as her frigid attitude meets his flippant one. Together, the four characters will weave a story of hope and desperation.

I'm one of the hardest sells when it comes to romance in books. I want the slow-building, intimate experience of love emerging between two people. Instant romance is hard for me to connect with and believe. Sam and Grace have that type of romance. They're also that one couple you know who will be together forever and will always remain loyal. And while Linger continues their story it also adds in a bit of chaos with Cole and Isabel.

Cole St Claire, lead singer and rockstar of Narcotica. He is broody and unpredictable. The epitome of a bad boy, and his voice actor for the audiobook Dan Bittner, did an excellent job portraying his character. Adding Cole's POV to Linger added that hard edge the series needed to keep readers engaged. He is the opposite of Sam in so many ways and creates his own brand of trouble that Sam has to navigate.

On the other hand, bringing Isabel into the light as a main character was fantastic. Being able to see inside her head and see where she comes from allows readers to understand her more. I wanted more Isabel chapters because she doesn't let anyone push her around. She's also the type of person who makes difficult decisions when no one else wants to take a risk. A worthy female character to follow.

Maggie Stiefvater also addresses the inconsistencies with the wolves shifting in Shiver. While the rules weren't set in stone for how the wolves shift, some moments didn't quite add up to the picture that was initially laid out for readers. Linger will start to answer questions as the characters dig deeper into what makes a person into a wolf. I loved the focus on the scientific side of the wolves. Maggie Stiefvater eased it into the storyline without a bunch of technical jargon I wouldn't have been able to follow.

Linger is a great addition to The Wolves of Mercy Falls. The story is just as engaging as the first novel, leading readers down to the final few chapters in anticipation of the outcome. And once you finish Linger, you'll want to jump straight to Forever.