Review of Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater

   I avoided these books for a while, not really wanting to read any more about werewolves, vampires and the like. I'm not sure what made me change my mind, but I think it was that I kept hearing praise for author Maggie Stiefvater and as a writer myself, I wanted to see if I agreed. I do, wholeheartedly.

  In Shiver Grace loves wolves, one in particular. At the story's beginning, Grace does not know that they are werewolves and neither does the reader. Strangely, Grace was attacked by these same wolves who are often in the woods behind her house. It was eight years before when Grace was dragged off her tire swing and pulled into the woods. She has vague memories of one wolf preventing the others from killing her. And it is this wolf she constantly watches for, sometimes feeds, dreams of running side by side in the woods. The wolves in this story change back to their human form in the warmth of spring, changing back to wolves in late fall. Grace finally meets Sam, "her" wolf, when he is shot and she finds him naked and bleeding on her porch. Grace takes him to the hospital, then home. Grace's parents are often absent in her life, not really engaging her even when they are there. Sam is a secret easily kept.
  The end of this first book solves one problem with book two, Linger, presenting another. In this story Grace's parents discover Sam in her bed and decide to start parenting. But Grace's problems with her parents become less concerning than her growing illness. A new character is introduced into this book, Cole, a former rock star who has chosen to become a werewolf at the invitation of Sam's adopted father Beck, who leads and provides for the wolves when they are in human form. Cole figures out the cause of Grace's illness. As she is saved from dying, she turns into a werewolf herself.
   Book three Forever is a masterpiece of writing for YA. Stiefvater presents her characters in close first person point of view, each character having their chapters. Forever starts with a prologue written from the point of view of Shelby, a wolf who is angry and has a lot of hatred for humans. Shelby kills a girl who lies helpless in the woods, just as she is changing from wolf to human. Shelby is low in the pack, nearly outcast. She wants to rise to the top and later this motivates her to attack others in the pack. The story's main problem is the wolves are once again going to be hunted, this time by helicopter in an aerial shoot. Without revealing the story's ending, I applaud the rise in tension in book three and the way the author gets closer and closer into the heads of her characters. Stiefvater's writing is excellent, powerful and moving in places. Very good choices for teens who like a little fantasy, exciting action and a sweet love story.
 

Back to Work

Well, it's over: the fantastic NYC SCBWI winter conference. I, with over a thousand others, crowded the halls, wandered in search of the break-out rooms, congregated finally in the hotel bar to somehow make sense of our day and each other. I have my notes, my hand-outs, my memories from this event which seemed to fly by all too quickly. The informative program filled me up while it left me thirsting for more. When my head clears, I know I'll be able to build on new knowledge of re-visioning and the advice of those editors and agents who discussed their likes and dislikes in their presentations. Several especially resonated, spoke across the crowded room when they described what they seek and it sounded so like my ready-to-submit story.

If I have a regret (and I am realistic about this) it is that I was not able to talk in any kind of personal way with the several editors and agents I so longed to meet. I had a list and high expectations, knew the protocol, never intended to corner anyone or pitch my stories unless asked. Still, I hoped to meet, say hello, admit I "followed" on Twitter, let these pros see my smiling face. Alas. The Friday function widely attended by a myriad of agents and editors was only for the VIPs, not for the ordinary attendee. It would have been nice as well to have a gathering for YA writers similar to the ones that were organized for illustrators, international conference goers, and those interested in writing for the LGBTQ audience.

Today is a day for family visiting from up north, for making soup, talking a walk in Florida's restorative sunshine. But tomorrow I will get back to work, synthesizing notes, making lists, and maybe even sending out a couple of queries. Most importantly, I will write another chapter for my work-in-progress, the third book in my as yet unpublished trilogy. I want to have it ready for revision by spring. Despite all the interruptions and excitement of the last few days, I listened, Kathryn Erskine, and I will light my candle.