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7.06.2011

PJ Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Para Element: Werewolves
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls Book 3
PreOrder Online:  Amazon.com
Stalk the Author: Web | Twitter
ARC given to me by the publisher.

A quick forward before reading this review: Maggie Steifvater the author of Forever is an extremely talented author and I would recommend her writing to anyone. Her words are like a delicacy as if she weighs each one out for the proper weight and flavor. This is the first book I didn't like of hers and it was mostly because the characters behaved in ways that didn't relate with me. I only recommend this review if you have read the two books before, Shiver & Linger and please don't throw something at me...once again just my opinion.


PJ's QUICKIE POV:
This really pains me, but I did not enjoy FOREVER. This is a book that I have been looking forward to reading for a year. One year and ten days actually. So, I should have just powered through it…loved on it, rolled within the pages and then lamented on the end of an era. Sadly though, it was not to be. I actually had a hard time finishing this one. Don’t hate me, but it’s true. Stiefvater’s token prose actually grated on my nerves and her descriptions dragged instead of titillated. I was literally yawning through the first 100 pages and forcing myself to just finish – hoping for redemption, yet never finding it.

REVIEW:
Grace is a wolf and Sam is left behind as a human with Cole St. Clair and Isabel. Sam is a bit down and out because of his girlfriend being stuck in a four-legged state and the fact that everyone in town thinks he killed her. Cole St. Clair is busy dealing with his new “unstar” state and a slight obsession with Isabel and the fact that he is pretty sure his brain can whip up a cure for their werewolf. Then there is Isabel, who finds out her father is calling in the big guns to hunt down the wolves and when one wolf kills again – the townspeople will do anything to support him even round up some helicopters and sharp shooters. Will the trio be able to save the wolves in time? Will they be able to work together long enough to even come up with a plan?

This physically hurts me to write this review but I actually felt that Sam was a moping mess most of this book and I literally wanted to scream “Get your head out of your butt emo boy!” Then the Cole and Isabel dynamic was trying. I really felt that the first 100 pages were just a big sobbing mess of descriptions and angsty lamenting about how their life sucks. Then when the action did pick up and a certain minor but featured character dies off – there was very little reaction. Then swoosh into the action and it rolled right into the ending. Then there was the ending, I couldn't believe it ended that way. I just felt deflated; it was anti-climatic. Where was the wrap-up? Was I missing something? I felt like through this entire book nothing was accomplished! I’m having an urge to rant – and please feel free to let me know if you feel the same way. I guess to describe my overall feeling would be let-down. This should have been epic. This should have been the culmination of a three year journey. I should have rejoiced as two of my favorite character’s got their HEA – yet, I felt all I found was new characters with the same name. A new emo boy with drama queen tendencies and a detached and rather non-existent werewolf girl that needed to be shaken out of their depression to actually make a decision and move the story forward.

    I am sad.

         This is me being sad.
    
Because I didn't enjoy this book.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommended only for fans of the series and it should be read in order.









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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

whaaaaat?! Really. It was that disappointing?

I don't know what to say. I haven't read the book, but I've been looking forward to it forever and now its ended anticlimactically, with emo-ness, and no real action?

I think I'm going to cry. I have to read it myself first, of course, but still, I value your opinion. :(

♥ Trish
Just a YA Girl

Christy @ TheReaderBee said...

Sorry to hear you didn't like this. This is not the first review I have read like this. I really enjoyed Shiver, but not so much Linger. I was hoping Forever would be awesome. :/ Thanks for the honest review!

Johanna said...

Oh, I can totally relate. I just dragged myself through half a book that had amazing reviews but the prose and the metaphors and the language just bogged it down. I couldn't finish it because I got too involved in attempting to edit it in my head. Since it was a library book I finally opted to just return it before I actually took a pencil and started marking things out! Thanks for the review....glad to know you call them like you see them :)

Annette Mills said...

I liked the book, but I agree with a lot of what you said. The first part of the book was just more of the same old, same old. No real development of plot or character. I did love the ending though.... Here's my thoughts if you are interested...

http://annettesbookspot.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-forever-by-maggie.html

Mary @ BookSwarm said...

Aw! That truly sucks. I haven't read it yet (and still will, since I'm a little obsessive about finishing things) but I'm sorry you were let down. Have you read SCORPIO RACES yet? I've heard that one's great! Maybe her energies were poured into that, rather than FOREVER.
Happy reading,
Mary @ Book Swarm

Truly Bookish said...

Sucks that you did not like this. I'm sure I will still read Forever because I have to know how it ends but I will drop my expectations. This reminds me of how much I loved Lament but was so dissapointed with Ballad. I also felt that Ballad had new characters with the same name.
NC
Truly Bookish

Riv Re said...

"Emo boy" *sighs with desire for said emo boy*
Ugh.I think I know who that "minor but featured" characters is. :,(
Good review, even though you didn't like it. I'm actually a bit scared now, as I'm always afraid I'm going to be desperate for a book and then not like it.
On a positive note, I like your little "YA Title" pic!

ParaJunkee said...

@Trish - Sorry…read it for yourself and make up your own mind. I believe you might have a different opinion…hopefully.

@Christy - You're welcome. No, I've read other reviews similar and I've actually heard a few other bloggers DNFd. I don't understand it. I'm so disappointed.

@Johanna - Those are always super tough. And stop marking up those library books, LOL ;)

@Annette - You gave it more credit then me though…lol

@Mary - Yes it does suck. I hope you enjoy it more than me. Yes, I have read SCORPIO RACES and loved it. Loved loved loved loved it. It's like you read my mind - I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING!! That she was just tired of Grace and Sam and put all her love into TSR. Hmmm.

@Truly - I read Ballad first and really enjoyed it and then read Lament -- LOL and thought the same thing. But, I fell in love with James, so I'm glad I read it first, because the other way would have been awkward… ;)

@Riv - I didn't want to name said minor character. There are a ton of 5 star reviews out there…so people do love it. Don't take my word for it, judge for yo'self ;) Oh thanks, I've made a bunch of them and I'm posting them on all the reviews just for spit and giggles.

Anonymous said...

I liked it ok, but I did hate the climax and the ending. It was a letdown after following the series for so long.

Patti (@TheLoveJunkee) said...

Noooooooo!!! I haven't picked it up yet but it's coming up soon on my TBR. I want to love it - I've vested two books and this is supposed to wrap it up and HEA and all that....now I'm skeered.

CHRISTIE said...

Oh no :( I haven’t read Linger & was hoping to do a back to back read of Linger & Forever. Now I’m bummed. So sorry it wasn’t everything you’d hoped for.

MamaKitty said...

That makes me sad. All the reviews I've read for Forever have been really good and I really want to read it. Haven't had time in... ages. :(

Anonymous said...

I just DNF this book. I made it to page 68 and even that was difficult. There's nothing happening in the book!

And because I needed closure, I asked a friend who read (and enjoyed) Forever to tell me what happens. Let me just say that if I were to have read the book in its entirety myself, I would have thrown the book at the wall. WTF is up with that ending?!!

I'm definitely looking forward to TSR though.

Smash Attack Ash said...

I'm only 70 pgs through and I fear I'm heading down your path, as well. I am sooooo sad, too. *sigh*

newshadeofgreen said...

Oh sadness. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it and was disappointed. I've been dying for this book. I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival from Amazon since I pre-ordered... and now I'm scared. At least this has lowered my expectations a bit. I absolutely can't wait for The Scorpio Races! ~ Jen @ A Book and a Latte

YA Book Queen said...

That sucks that it has such an anti-climatic ending. I've been reading a lot of reviews that share your thoughts...what a shame. Thank you for your honesty :)

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