School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-For years, Grace has been fascinated watching the wolves that inhabit the woods behind her house in the winter. She is particularly drawn to one wolf, and his startling yellow eyes seem to watch her in return. Grace already suspected that the wolves are more than what they seem when a boy named Sam, with the same yellow eyes, appears on her back porch. Confirming her theory, Sam shares his secret with Grace: he is a werewolf. Building on a connection forged over the years, the two fall in love, only to be faced with the prospect of being separated forever as Sam suspects his next change into wolf form will be permanent. The story unfolds alternately from Grace's and Sam's points of view. Narrators Jenna Lamia and David Ledoux deliver solid performances of Maggie Stiefvater's novel (Scholastic, 2009). Lamia's youthful and earnest voice lends authenticity to her portrayal of the strong and independent Grace, while Sam's humor and vulnerability is highlighted by Ledoux. The narrators give additional depth to the well-drawn characters. Twilight fans are sure to gravitate towards this supernatural love story, but the novel's inevitable comparison to that saga should not keep others from the experience.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Stiefvater leaves the faeries of Lament and Ballad for a lyrical tale of alienated werewolves and first love. For years, Grace has been fascinated by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she was a child. Sam, bitten by a wolf as a boy, is that wolf. Long obsessed with each other at a distance, they finally meet after a wolf hunt (inspired by the apparent death of a local teen) sends a wounded and temporarily human Sam into Grace's arms. Their young love is facilitated by Grace's hands-off parents ("Once upon a time, I would've leaped at the rare opportunity of curling up with Mom on the couch. But now, it sort of felt like too little, too late," Grace muses), but threatened by two linked crises: the fact that Sam will soon lose the ability to become human and the instability of a new lycanthrope. Stiefvater skillfully increases the tension throughout; her take on werewolves is interesting and original while her characters are refreshingly willing to use their brains to deal with the challenges they face. Ages 13-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Stiefvater would like to remind you that werewolves can be just as sexy as those headline-hogging vampires. Grace has always had a thing for the wolves in the woods behind her house, and when she finally meets the human form of a particularly enchanting wolf, Sam, the two cling to each other with the force of destiny. Time is running out, though, as these lycanthropes don't change with full moons but rather each year spend less time as humans and more as wolves, until the balance completely tips them into the animal world. While the two leads are almost entirely defined by how much they love each other, Stiefvater is able to take their romance seriously without turning it into an overly brooding affair, and defines their interactions with a fresh sense of humor and playful back-and-forths. A ticking clock provides plenty of dramatic tension throughout, while elegant writing that is especially intuitive about the animal world sets this apart from the bulk of paranormal romances. Note the presence of one tasteful, fade-to-black sex scene.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2009 Booklist